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Summary of Question:	What Is The Meaning Of Amrit And The Significance Of Amrit Vella
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Friday, 7/12/2002 8:31 AM MDT

what is the meaning of amrit and significance of amrit vella?

(REPLY) If you are asking simply the meaning of the word "amrit" -- it means "nectar." It is represents the divine essence of or "nectar" that is part of the experience of bliss given by God and Guru. (Hence the "Amrit Ceremony" or baptism as given by Guru Gobind Singh to the first Khalsa) As for the "amrit vela" -- these are the most ideal hours for meditation and prayer, the time 2 1/2 hours before sunrise. As Guru Ram Das said, "One who considers himself to be a disciple of the True Guru should rise before the coming of the light and contemplate the Name. During the early hours of the morning he should rise and bathe, cleansing his soul in a tank of Nectar, while he repeats the Name the Guru has spoken to him. By this procedure he truly washes away the sins of his soul. Then with the arrival of the dawn he should sing the hymns of praise, taught him by the Guru..."
From a practical standpoint, during the Amrit vela, the sun is at a 60 degree angle to the earth, and we earth creatures can most easily receive increased energy to begin each day. The Amrit Vela provide the quietest and most effective time for meditation. SP