nirguṇa mānasa pūjā

How can worship be offered to the Indivisible, the embodiment of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, who is beyond all dualities, and who remains as the non-dual Reality?

Where can one invoke the Infinite, who is already everywhere? Where can one offer a seat to Him who is the support of all? How can one offer water for washing the feet to the Pure, or ritual offerings to Him who is perfectly stainless?

How can one bathe the Stainless One, or provide garments to Him in whose womb the entire universe resides? How can there be a sacred thread for Him who is beyond lineage, caste, and form?

How can one offer sandalwood paste to the Untouched, or flowers to Him who is devoid of desires? What ornamentation or jewelry can be offered to the Formless One, who is beyond all specific attributes?

What use is incense or a lamp for Him who is the Stain-less Witness of all? What food offering can be made to Him who is eternally satisfied in the bliss of His own Self?

What betel leaf can be offered to Him who brings joy to the entire universe, who is the self-effulgent Consciousness that illuminates the sun and all other luminous bodies?

How can the ritual of waving lights be performed for Him whom the Vedas describe? How can one circumambulate the Infinite, or bow down to the non-dual Reality?

What hymns can be sung to Him who is beyond the reach of Vedic speech? How can one perform the ritual of formal departure for Him who dwells both within and without?

I worship the Self-Lingam, bright like a gem, established within the lotus of the heart in this city of illusion. I bathe it with the pure waters of a mind cleansed by the river of faith, and offer the flowers of deep meditation, so that I may be liberated from the cycle of rebirth.

One should invoke Shiva with the conviction that "I alone remain as the remnant of all," and thereafter establish the seat by contemplating the Self as one’s own foundation.

The wise one offers the foot-wash (padya) in the form of the firm realization that "I am beyond all associations of merit, sin, and the dust of material existence," for this knowledge destroys all impurities.

One should offer the 'arghya' by relinquishing into the Self-Lingam that primordial ignorance which has persisted through beginningless cycles of time, casting it away like water poured from cupped hands.

The meditation that the great gods, headed by Indra, only drink a tiny, infinitesimal drop of the surging waves of the ocean of Brahman-Bliss, is considered the ritual sipping of water (achamana).

The contemplation that the entire universe is flooded with the water of Brahman-Bliss, and that the Self is indestructible, constitutes the ceremonial bathing (abhisheka) of the Self.

The sage should contemplate that the garment of the Self-Lingam is the realization that "I am the light of pure consciousness, devoid of any veil or covering."

The firm conviction that "I am the thread upon which the entire garland of the worlds, composed of the three gunas, is strung" is considered the supreme sacred thread (upavita).

The constant reflection that "I alone sustain this entire manifested world, which is a mixture of countless impressions (vasanas), and no other," is the sandalwood paste offered to the Self.

For the attainment of liberation while still living, one should daily worship the Self-Lingam with the unbroken grains of rice that represent the renunciation of all thoughts arising from Rajas, Sattva, and Tamas.

One should worship the auspicious Self-Lingam with non-dual bilva leaves, which represent the abandonment of the three-fold distinction between God, the Guru, and the Self.

The wise one should contemplate the renunciation of all worldly desires as the incense offered to the Self, and should reveal the lamp (deepa) in the form of the direct knowledge of the Self as the essence of Light.

For the offering of food (Naivedya) to the Self-Linga, I offer the entire cosmos as the great heap of rice; I drink the sweet essence of Bliss, considering death itself to be the seasoning.

To cleanse the hands that have been soiled by the remains of ignorance, I contemplate the washing of the hands of the pure Self-Linga with the waters of Knowledge.

For Shiva, the Supreme Self who is devoid of qualities like attachment, the chewing of betel (Tambula) consists in the total abandonment of the practice of seeking objects of desire.

The realization of the Self as Brahman, which is like a fierce sun that destroys the darkness of ignorance, serves as the waving of lights (Arati) before the Self.

Adorning the Self with garlands of the vision that sees Brahman in all forms, I contemplate the offering of a handful of flowers (Pushpanjali) as the vision of my own nature as Perfect Bliss.

Thousands of universes revolve within Me, the Lord; the contemplation that I am the immutable and immovable Reality constitutes the circumambulation (Pradakshina).

I alone am worthy of being worshipped by the universe, and there is none other than Me to worship; this reflection constitutes the act of bowing down (Vandana) to the Self-Linga.

The true worship of the Self is declared to be the feeling that there is no duty to be performed, and the chanting of His name (Namakirtana) is the contemplation of the Self that transcends name and form.

Hearing (Shravana) of that Divine Being is the realization that there is nothing else to be heard, and reflection (Manana) on the Self-Linga is the realization that there is nothing else to be reflected upon.

Profound meditation (Nididhyasana) on the Self is the knowledge that there is no object of meditation, resting in the Self by being completely free from all delusions and distractions.

Samadhi is simply the state of the Self, not an illusion of the mind. It is desired that the mind should always rest in that very Brahman.

Thus, one who performs this worship of the Self—the lingam of the Vedas—with a focused mind, whether until the moment of death or even for a single fleeting moment, attains supreme stillness.

One should cast away the entire web of worldly tendencies as if they were dust upon one's feet. Having shaken off the torrent of ignorance and sorrow, one fully experiences the bliss of liberation.