Waking the Lord
Waking the deities
Offer obeisances to your spiritual master outside the deity room, saying his pranama prayer(s), and pray for his permission to assist him in the worship of the Lord:
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate [spiritual master’s name] iti namine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto [spiritual master’s name], who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
- Wash your hands with a few drops of water from the acamana cup.
- While ringing a bell just outside the deity room, chant the following verses, meditating on the Lord awakening and begging Him to bestow His mercy:
The Lord, who is supreme and is the oldest of all, is unlimitedly merciful. I wish that He may smilingly bestow His benediction upon me by opening His lotus eyes. He can uplift the entire cosmic creation and remove our dejection by kindly speaking His directions.
deva prapannarti-hara prasadam kuru kesava
avalokana-danena bhuyo mam parayacyuta
O Kesava, O infallible Lord, O You who remove the distress of the surrendered souls! Please bestow Your mercy upon me by again awarding me Your transcendental glance.
jaya jaya kripamaya jagatera natha
sarva jagatere koro subha-drishti-pata
All glories, all glories to the merciful Lord of the universe! O Lord, please cast Your auspicious glance upon all the worlds.
Entering the deity room
- Before entering the deity room, draw the Lord’s attention by making a sound, either by ringing a bell, knocking on the deity room door, or clapping your hands.
- Open the door and chant the names of the deities in a festive mood.
- Then enter the deity room with your right foot first.
- Turn on the lights. If there are lamps light them now.
- Place your spiritual master’s picture on the altar next to the pictures of the guru parampara, on Srila Prabhupada’s right or on a table in front of the altar.
Waking the spiritual master and the deities
The following mantras are for waking Gaura-Nitai, Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra, and Radha-Krishna.
If there are only large deities, meditate on waking Them and leading Them from Their beds to the altar.
While ringing a small bell with your left hand, approach your spiritual master’s picture, gently touch his lotus feet with the fingertips of your right hand, and request him to rise from bed with the following mantra:
uttishthottishtha sri-guro tyaja nidram kripa-maya
O all-merciful spiritual master, please rise from bed.
Next meditate on moving your spiritual master’s shoes from his bed to the altar (simhasana) while meditating that he is rising from bed to receive your services.
Follow the same procedure for waking the deities:
Approach Lord Nityananda’s bed, gently touch His lotus feet, and request Him to rise:
uttishtha jahnavesvara yoga-nidram tyaja prabho
namno hatte divya-namam su-sraddhartham vitarasi
O Nityananda, Lord of Jahnava, please arise and give up Your divine sleep. At the marketplace of the holy name You distribute the divine name, asking only for one’s faith as payment.
Approach Lord Caitanya’s bed, gently touch His lotus feet, and request Him to rise:
uttishthottishtha gauranga jahi nidram mahaprabho
subha-drishti-pradanena trailokya-mangalam kuru
O Lord Gauranga, please rise from sleep and bless the three worlds with Your auspicious glance.
Next approach the bed of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama, and Srimati Subhadra, gently touch Their lotus feet, and request Them to rise:
tyaja nidram jagannatha sri-baladevottishtha ca
jagan-matar ca subhadre uttishthottishtha subha-de
O Lord Jagannatha and Lord Baladeva, please give up your sleep and arise. O Srimati Subhadra, O bestower of good fortune, O mother of the universe, please arise.
Then approach Radha’s and Krishna’s bed, gently touch Their lotus feet, and request Them to rise:
go-gopa-gokulananda yasoda-nanda-vardhana
uttishtha radhaya sardham pratar asij jagatpate
O master of the universes, O bliss of Gokula, the cowherds, and the cows, O You who gladden the hearts of Yasoda and Nanda, please rise from bed with Sri Radhika, for morning has come.
Place any small deities that are in bed back on the altar.
Replace any crowns, turbans, or chadars, or veils that are part of the deities’ nightdress.
After removing any remaining flowers and garlands from the previous day, clean the deity room floor and then wash your hands.