Shiva manasa pooja

Does not require any material. Still it is superior, but more difficult. Dravya pooja one can do mechanically, mind roaming all over the world. For manasa puja, mind should be in field of worship.

Manasa puja is hence suppossed to give more punyam.

Manasa puja is there with regard to many dieties. Dakshinamurti, Devi, however, Swamiji has taken siva manasa puja, not because of any non preference for any other god, but simply since the shiva manasa puja is very short.

We have to learn the shlokas by heart, and as even we chant the shlokas mentally we can visualise the puja being done. 

As even I chant, mentally I can offer flowers and so on.Manasa puja is very long if it is devi or others. 

Since shiva manasa puja is only 5 shlokams, swamiji has taken this.

Vishnu is also shiva only, shiva means auspicious lord, hence shiva is vishnu. One of the vishnu nama in vishnu sahasranamam is "sarva shiva", shiva can mean vishnu also. Even vishnu bhaktas can chant the shlokas and do pooja to saligrama,

This manasa pooja can be used for any diety, Even christians can make use of it for worshipping cross or something.

Any lord which is auspicious. 

 Is it mental worship done BY shiva? or a mental worship done to lord shiva?
Answer is, It is a mental worship done by US to shiva. Shiva bhakta is kartrka , shiva is karmaka. By bhakta to prabhu.

Let start with slokas.

Ratnaiḥ kalpitamāsanaṁ himajalaiḥ, snānaṁ ca divyāmbaraṁ, nānāratnavibhūṣitaṁ mṛgamadāmodāṅkitaṁ candanam|

Jātīcampakabilvapatraracitaṁ, puṣpaṁ ca dhūpaṁ tathā , dīpaṁ deva dayānidhe paśupate, hṛtkalpitaṁ gṛhyatām||1||

Ratnaiḥ kalpitamāsanaṁ 

A simhasan made of jewels, a crown of jewels.Even the poorest person can offer mentally "ratna simhasanam".


himajalaiḥ 

Cool waters coming from himalayas, gangajalam.

divyāmbaraṁ 

divine dress.

nānāratnavibhūṣitaṁ

the dress being decorated by various gems and jewels.

mṛgamadāmodāṅkitaṁ 

sandalpaste, mixed with, "mrugamada amodaha", which means 'The musk' of the musk deer. Amoda means fragrance, sandal paste mixed with 'musk' fragrance.

Jātīcampakabilvapatraracitaṁ puṣpaṁ

Floral offerings. Can imagine all offerings,and mentally do flower worship, as though saying krishnaya namaha, govindaya namaha and so on for each flower.

dhūpaṁ tathā

Incense I am offering.

dīpaṁ

Dipam darshayaami. Offered mentally, light in a deepam.

paśupate hṛtkalpitaṁ gṛhyatām

Unto pasupati at his place of residence , which is my heart.

Sauvarṇe navaratnakhaṇḍaracite, pātre ghṛtaṁ pāyasaṁ, bhakṣyaṁ pañcavidhaṁ payodadhiyutaṁ, rambhāphalaṁ pānakam|

Śākānāmayutaṁ jalaṁ rucikaraṁ, karpūrakhaṇḍojjvalaṁ, tāmbūlaṁ manasā mayā viracitaṁ, bhaktyā prabho svīkuru||2||

Sauvarṇe navaratnakhaṇḍaracite pātre ghṛtaṁ pāyasaṁ

Pure ghee payasam(kheer, or milk with sugar), offer in a gold vessel.The vessel is Inlaid with pieces of navaratna gems, in that vessel payasam is kept. Not only payasam but the following as well.

bhakṣyaṁ pañcavidhaṁ

5 varieties of food.You can add anything you like for 5 bhakshyam or varieties of food.

payodadhiyutaṁ

Milk and curd

rambhāphalaṁ

Plantain. Vaazhpayam.or banana.

Pānakam

This is for Digestion. Steamed water with ginger etc.After the lord has eaten well.

Śākānāmayutaṁ

Ten Thousands of vegetables.

jalaṁ rucikaraṁ

herbal water. Scented with karpūrakhaṇḍojjvalaṁ, with karpooram. karpooram means camphor. Camphor smelling water.

tāmbūlaṁ

Offering tambulam. Betel and nuts or Vethallai paku.

 manasā bhaktyā prabho svīkuru

I am offering all of them with devotion, mayā viracitaṁ mentally, to prabhu , please accept.

Chatraṁ cāmarayoryugaṁ vyajanakaṁ cādarśakaṁ nirmalaṁ vīṇābherimṛdaṅgakāhalakalā gītaṁ ca nṛtyaṁ tathā|
Sāṣṭāṅgaṁ praṇatiḥ stutirbahuvidhā hyetatsamastaṁ mayā saṅkalpena samarpitaṁ tava vibho pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa prabho||3||

Chatraṁ

I have treated and fed the lord. Now I respect the lord by giving varities of entertainment, treating him like a king. In the palace, above the simhasanam (crown) , rajas (kings) umbrella is kept, it is not for protection from rain or sun, but symbolic of royalty and sovereignty. Treating him as emperor of universe.

Cāmarayoryugam

There is a type of dear called chamari, it has a special type of hair in tail. A fan made out of the chamari tail is called chamaram, by keeping a pair of chamara, with both hands I fan you. This is also an insignia of royalty.

ādarśakam nirmalam

I am showing mirror, for yourself to see the decoration I have done for you, that which shows your face, is called adarshaka, pure clean mirror I show, afterwards I want to give entertainment.

vīṇābherimṛdaṅgakāhalakalā gītaṁ nṛtyaṁ tathā

Vina, bheri drum, mrdanga drum, kahalam musical instruments , I give ‘kalA’ gitam. That’s joyous music. Gitam music I sing, for your entertainment. Also dance.

Sāṣṭāṅgaṁ praṇatiḥ

Sashtanga Namaskaram, where eight limbs are touching the ground. Mind also should touch the feet of the lord.

stutirbahuvidhā hyetatsamastaṁ mayā

Bahuvisha stutihi, I chant various stotrams, each one is called one one upachara, respectful offering, stotram is one type of upachara.

All are offered by me.

saṅkalpena samarpitaṁ tava vibho pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa prabhu

By my mental sankalpa I offer, to you who is ‘vibho’ which means all pervading, vishvarupa. Prabhu means omnipotent, omnipresent is vibhu. Hence vibhu prabhu.

  

Ātmā tvaṁ girijā matiḥ sahacarāḥ prāṇāḥ śarīraṁ gṛhaṁ pūjā te viṣayopabhogaracanā nidrā samādhisthitiḥ|
Sañcāraḥ padayoḥ pradakṣiṇavidhiḥ stotrāṇi sarvā giro yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilaṁ śambho tavārādhanam||4||

Below is some vedanta in this pooja

Ātmā tvaṁ girijā matiḥ

I am worshipping you outside, but you are me, the atma alone, the very mind is parvati (uma devi consort of shiva, there is no shiva without shakti and no shakti without shiva). atma is assisted by the mind, mind is  parvati. Through the mind alone, consciousness works in the world, just like husband also does everything with the help of wife. Atma is assisted by mind, by vyavahara. Word used hence is matih.

Matih means feminine gender, mind.

sahacarāḥ prāṇāḥ

All the panchaprana are 5 pranas, are attendant of shiva the atma.

śarīraṁ gṛhaṁ

Sharira gruham, body is the house of the lord. Everyday we install the lord in our heart, so that lord is travelling with us in the heart.

pūjā te viṣayopabhogaracanā

Every experience is the puja offering to the lord. All of them (experiences) necessarily end in the lord the atma. Visaya means sense objects, upabhoga means doing, archana means puja. So every experience gained by sense organ is a puja to the consciousness the lord, which I am.

nidrā samādhisthitiḥ|
Sleep will be Samadhi. During sleep everyone merges into the lord alone, who is pragnaha. There is advaitam in sushupti, there is also mukti and ananda in sushupti.

Sañcāraḥ padayoḥ pradakṣiṇavidhiḥ

The movement of the feet ( anywhere I go) is pradakshinam, Pradakshina vidi is samchara, ( moving is lord alone, for lords sake I move).

stotrāṇi sarvā giro

Sarva giro, or every word, is stotra, or every word is the name of the lord alone. All the names in dictionary refer to lord, hence every word I say I am doing koti archana. Whatever karma I do

yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilaṁ śambho tavārādhanam||4||

Whatever karma I do, work is worship, It is aradhana to you, alone.

Karacaraṇakṛtaṁ vākkāyajaṁ karmajaṁ vā śravaṇanayanajaṁ vā mānasaṁ vāparādham|
Vihitamavihitaṁ vā sarvametatkṣamasva jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho||5||

Karacaraṇakṛtaṁ

Through any sense organs.

vākkāyajaṁ

Through words

karmajaṁ

Through actions

śravaṇanayanajaṁ

through hearing

mānasaṁ

and mentally

vāparādham

any apradha, or sins or

Vihitamavihitaṁ

commissions or ommissions I did.

sarvametatkṣamasva jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho

All those you please forgive hey shambho, who is karunabdhe, the compassionate one, sri mahadeva, the victorious one,shambho!

Value of mental discipline

Our shastras and gurus talk about yamas and niyamas.

In bhagavat gita, lord talks about the jneyas, values that a seeker should have.

Lord mentions 20 values, I am taking from SDSjis book 'value of values'.

1. Amanitvam- Absence of conceit
2. Adambhitvam - Absence of pretense
3. Ahimsa- Not Hurting
4. Ksantih - glad acceptance
5. Arjavam - Straight forwardness
6. Saucam- Inner and external purity
7. AcAryopAsanam- service to the teachers
8. Sthairyam- steadfastness
9. Atmavinigrahah- Mastery (relative) over the mind
10. Janma-mrtyu-jarA-vyAdhi-dukha-dosAnu-dasrasanam-
      reflection on limitations of birth , death, old age, sickness and pain
11. Asaktih- Absence of sense of ownership
12. Anabhisvangah putra dara grhAdisu- Absence of obsession over children, spouse, house etc.
13. Nityam samacittatvam ista-anista-upapattisu - Constant equanimity towards desriable and    
      undesirable results
14. IndryArthesu vairagyam - dispassion towards sense objects
15. AnahankAraha- Absence of self importance
16. mayi anyaya yogena bhaktih avyabhicArinI - unswering devotion to the lord characterised by non      separateness from the lord
17. Vivivktadesasevitvam - preference for secluded place
18. Artih janasamsadi - absence of craving for social interaction
19. Adhyatma gnana nityatvam- Understanding of the ultimate validity of self knowledge
20. Tattva jnanArta darsanam- Commitment to self knowledge


These values are both the means as well as the end of moksha purusharta.

A relatively high measure in these values is required for shravanam to be fruitful, and even after shravanam, niddhidhyasanam aims at assimilating these values through tattva darshanA.

Vairagyam certainly means that one has to have a certain value for self knowledge over anything else in life. With the onset of such a variagyam it is certainly difficult to remain indisciplined and allow mind to be swayed by sense pleasures.

One has to focus the mind on the knowledge of the self, and this has to change from a deliberate action such as meditation ( postural.breathing), into knowledge.

Knowledge implies truth and false.

Knowledge always implies ignorance. Which implies a binary format.
No one can have partial knowledge.

Either knowledge is, or knowledge is not.

Either I know or I dont know.

So if i know, I must behave like I know.

If I dont know, i must seek to know.

Hence in the life of a sadhaka, there is no room for intellectual dishonesty.

The above values have to be imbibed one way or the other, either to achieve the goal or to assimilat the phalam of knowledge.

Hence the value of mental disciplines cannot be less emphasized

Mind does have a tendency to 'stray'. Mind is never stationary.
This has to be recognised as a fact.

Mind should not be chastised, as though there is a separate entity called mind.
Instead the buddhi , is to be mastered through knowledge, of the buddhiman, the one who wields the mind 'I'.

Since 'I' consider myself to be a limited entity, I get swayed by mind, but 'I' should realise that I am the master of the mind, the atmaramaha, the one who is non separate from ishvara, the pure satchit, brahman I am, with this 'knowlede' i am never swayed by the mind. Infact mind IS, because' I am'.
So every thought is non separate from me.