Nityananda Manas Pooja

Manasa Pooja 

The Inner Science of Guru Worship

Manasa Pooja – The Supreme Worship of the Sadguru

“Manasa Pooja Shrestha.”
“Mental worship is the highest form of worship.”
— Bhagavan Nityananda

Among the many ways by which devotees worship the Sadguru—through flowers, lamps, incense, chanting, ritual offerings, pilgrimage, and service—Bhagavan Nityananda gave a simple yet profound answer when asked:

“Which is the best way to worship one’s Guru?”

He replied in His characteristic brevity:

“Manasa Pooja Shrestha.”
“Mental worship is supreme.”

These three words contain the very essence of Guru Sadhana.

At first glance, Manasa Pooja may appear to be merely an external ritual performed mentally. Instead of physically offering water, flowers, sandalwood, incense, lamps, and food, the devotee visualizes these offerings inwardly. But to stop there is to miss its profound significance.

Manasa Pooja is not imagination.

It is inner transformation.

In external worship, the hands offer flowers.

In Manasa Pooja, the Heart itself becomes the offering.

The flowers become noble virtues.

The sandal paste becomes the cooling of passions.

The incense becomes the burning of ego.

The lamp becomes awakened wisdom.

The food becomes surrender of the individual self.

The entire worship gradually transforms the worshipper.

The Guru requires none of these offerings.

It is the disciple who requires this transformation.

The Temple Within

All external temples ultimately point towards one inner temple—the Hridaya, the Heart.

Bhagavan repeatedly directed seekers inward. He spoke of Hridaya Akasha and Chidakasha, the infinite sky of Consciousness within. The Guru who appears outwardly in human form ultimately reveals Himself as the indwelling Presence.

Therefore, the real shrine of the Guru is not built of stone.

It is built of:

• a pure mind (Nirmal Maan),
• a steady mind (Nishchal Maan),
• an expansive heart (Vishal Maan),
• unwavering devotion (Ananyasharanam),
• and Sudha Bhavana, pure contemplation.

Only such a heart becomes a worthy temple for the Guru.

From Ritual to Transformation

Every religion has rituals.

The Guru transforms ritual into realisation.

When a devotee performs Manasa Pooja with understanding, every article of worship acquires an inner meaning.

The seat offered to the Guru becomes Sadbuddhi, purified discrimination.

The water becomes purity of Consciousness.

The sandal paste becomes the cooling of the restless mind.

The flowers become noble thoughts.

The Tulasi leaves become the offering of the awakened state of Turiya.

The incense becomes the burning of body-consciousness and ego.

The lamp becomes the light of Self-knowledge.

The Naivedya becomes the offering of one’s very identity.

Finally, even the worshipper disappears.

Only the Guru remains.

Thus, Manasa Pooja is not something we perform.

It is something that gradually transforms us.

The Inner Engineering of the Seeker

Modern seekers often aspire for mystical experiences, visions, or even Kundalini awakening.

Bhagavan Nityananda seldom encouraged such pursuits directly.

Instead, He emphasised the purification of the inner instrument.

Without purification, spiritual power can strengthen the ego rather than dissolve it.

Manasa Pooja is one of the finest methods of this inner engineering.

Every day it quietly cultivates:

• humility,
• discrimination,
• devotion,
• surrender,
• purity of mind,
• steadiness of mind,
• compassion,
• detachment,
• and ultimately abidance in the Self.

These are precisely the qualities described by Shree Muktabai in Tati Ugada Dnyaneshwara, explained philosophically by Adi Shankaracharya in Vivekachudamani, and repeatedly emphasised by Bhagavan Nityananda through His teachings on Sudha Bhavana.

Sudha Bhavana and Manasa Pooja

Throughout our earlier studies, we discovered that Bhagavan’s teachings revolve around the gradual purification of consciousness.

He spoke of:

• Sudha Bhavana
• Nirmal Maan
• Nishchal Maan
• Vishal Maan
• Ananyasharanam
• and finally the realisation that all worldly pursuits are “Sabh Mithi” when compared with the realisation of the Self.

These are not isolated teachings.

They are the very stages through which Manasa Pooja takes the seeker.

Every offering refines one aspect of the personality.

Every verse transforms one layer of the mind.

Gradually, the external Guru reveals the Guru seated within.

Tulas Amma’s Manasa Pooja

Among the devotees blessed by Bhagavan, Tulas Amma (Nirmal Anandee) composed a beautiful Manasa Pooja that captures this entire journey in eleven short verses.

At first reading, the composition appears simple.

On deeper reflection, it reveals itself as a complete manual of inner worship.

Each offering symbolises a stage in the purification of the disciple.

Each verse conceals profound Vedantic truths.

Each line reflects the living teachings of Bhagavan Nityananda

Shree Shaligram Swami performing Pooja of his Sadguru, Swami Nityananda

Shri Ramkrishna Joshi and his sister, Smt Indu Paranjpe, performing Arati of Bhagavan Nityananda

Purpose of This Study

In the pages that follow, we shall study Tulas Amma’s Manasa Pooja not merely as a devotional hymn, but as a practical guide to inner transformation.

Each verse will be examined from six complementary perspectives:

1. Its literal meaning.
2. Its inner spiritual significance.
3. Its relationship to Bhagavan Nityananda’s teachings.
4. Its foundation in Vivekachudamani and Advaita Vedanta.
5. Its connection with Sudha Bhavana and the purification of the Heart.
6. Its practical application in the daily life of a seeker.

Our objective is not simply to learn how to perform Manasa Pooja, but to discover how Manasa Pooja performs its work upon us.

For ultimately, the highest worship is not that which changes the Guru’s surroundings, but that which changes the disciple’s heart.

When the heart becomes pure, still, expansive, and wholly surrendered, the distinction between the worshipper and the worshipped dissolves. In that silent Chidakasha, the devotee discovers that the Sadguru whom he had been worshipping all along has never been separate from his own innermost Self.

श्री सद्गुरु नित्यानंद मानसपूजा

(Shree Sadguru Nityananda Mānasa Pūjā)

Composed by Nirmal Anandee (Tulas Amma)

Marathi

आमुची गुरुपूजा । गुरुपूजा । अंतरात । नित्य पूजा ॥१॥

सद्बुद्धीच्या आसनी । गुरुचरण ठेवुनी ॥२॥

निश्चळ चिद्‌जल । सिंचून चरण प्रक्षाळीन ॥३॥

लावून मन चंदन । अखंड होईन उन्मन ॥४॥

सुविचार सुमन । सद्गुरुचरणी वाहीन ॥५॥

तूर्य तुळसीदल । तुझ्या चरणी समर्पिल ॥६॥

जडाचा अभिमान । जाळून धूप करूं अर्पण ॥७॥

तापत्रयाची वाती । लावून करूं दीपारती ॥८॥

निजवस्तूचा भाव । नैवेद्य करूं सद्गुरुदेव ॥९॥

ज्ञानकापूर ज्योत । चरणी ओवाळूं आरती ॥१०॥

निर्मळ आनंदी । ध्यान नित्यानंद स्वरूप ॥११॥

Transliteration

Āmuchī Gurupūjā, Gurupūjā, Antarāt, Nitya Pūjā. ॥1॥

Sadbuddhīchyā Āsanī, Gurucharaṇa Ṭhevunī. ॥2॥

Niśchala Chid-jala, Sinchūn Charaṇa Prakṣhālīn. ॥3॥

Lāvūn Mana Chandan, Akhaṇḍa Hoīn Unman. ॥4॥

Suvichār Suman, Sadgurucharaṇī Vāhīn. ॥5॥

Tūrya Tuḷasī-dala, Tujhyā Charaṇī Samarpila. ॥6॥

Jaḍāchā Abhimān, Jāḷūn Dhūpa Karū Arpaṇ. ॥7॥

Nijavastūchā Bhāv, Naivedya Karū Sadgurudeva. ॥9॥

Jñāna-Kāpūra Jyot, Charaṇī Ovāḷūn Āratī. ॥10॥

Nirmaḷ Ānandī, Dhyāna Nityānanda Svarūpa. ॥11॥

Within the sanctum of my heart
I worship my Sadguru every day.
Mine is not an occasional ritual,
But an eternal inner worship.||1||

Upon the throne of pure and noble understanding,
I lovingly install the sacred Lotus Feet of my Guru.||2||

With the still, crystal waters of awakened Consciousness,
I bathe the holy Feet of my Beloved Guru.||3||

I anoint His Feet with the cooling sandal-paste of my mind,
Until the mind itself dissolves into ceaseless divine absorption. ||4||

The fragrant flowers of noble thoughts
I offer with love at the Feet of my Sadguru.||5||

The sacred Tulasi leaves of the Fourth State of Consciousness
I lay in loving surrender at Thy Lotus Feet.||6||

Burning the pride born of body-consciousness,
I offer its fragrant ashes as incense unto Thee.||7||

Using the threefold sufferings as the wick,
I kindle the lamp of wisdom and wave it before Thee.||8||

O Sadguru!
The awareness of my own True Self
I offer as the sacred food of devotion unto Thee.||9||

With the camphor flame of liberating Knowledge,
I perform the radiant Ārati at Thy Holy Feet.||10||

Sings Nirmal Anandee:
Ever do I meditate upon
The blissful, eternal Form
Of my Sadguru Nityananda.

Verse 1

आमुची गुरुपूजा । गुरुपूजा । अंतरात । नित्य पूजा ॥१॥

Āmuchī Gurupūjā, Gurupūjā, Antarāt, Nitya Pūjā.

1. Thus,

The very first verse shifts the seeker’s attention from the outer temple to the temple of the Heart.

Tulas Amma does not begin by collecting flowers, lighting lamps, or arranging ritual articles. Instead, she declares that the true worship takes place “Antarāt”—within.

The word “Nitya” is equally significant. External worship has a beginning and an end. It may last for a few minutes each day. But Manasa Pooja is continuous remembrance. Every thought, every action, every breath gradually becomes an act of worship.

Thus, Manasa Pooja is not merely a ritual performed at a particular hour; it is a transformation of one’s entire way of living. The seeker no longer enters the temple—the seeker becomes the temple.

2. Bhagavan Nityananda’s Teaching

Bhagavan Nityananda rarely emphasized elaborate rituals. He constantly directed devotees inward.

He spoke of the Hridaya Akasha (Heart-space) and the Chidakasha, where the Guru is eternally present. The real pilgrimage is not from one holy place to another, but from the restless mind to the silent Heart.

His teachings on:

• Nirmal Maan (Pure Mind)
• Nishchal Maan (Steady Mind)
• Vishal Maan (Expansive Mind)
• Ananyasharanam (Exclusive Refuge in the Guru)

all begin with this simple movement inward.

When Bhagavan says that the Guru resides in the Heart, He is inviting the devotee to perform Nitya Gurupooja within.

Thus, Tulas Amma’s opening verse beautifully reflects Bhagavan’s own teaching: the real temple is within, and the true worship never ceases.

3. Foundation in Vivekachudamani and Advaita Vedanta

Shankaracharya repeatedly teaches that liberation is not attained merely through external religious observances. Rituals have their place in purifying the mind, but Self-realization dawns only when the mind turns inward and abides in the Self.

The Guru’s function is to redirect the seeker’s attention from the world of appearances to the Reality that shines within.

The culmination of spiritual life is therefore not external worship, but abidance in one’s own Self, where the distinction between worshipper, worship, and the worshipped gradually disappears.

Thus, the first verse announces the journey from external ritual to internal contemplation, which is the very essence of Advaita.

4. Relation to Sudha Bhavana

This verse lays the foundation for Sudha Bhavana itself.

The moment worship moves from the outer world into the Heart, the process of inner purification begins.

Several Bhavanas are implicitly present:

• Sudha Bhavana – Worship is purified from external display to inner sincerity.
• Asharana Bhavana – The Guru alone becomes the refuge.
• Dharma Bhavana – Every action of life becomes an offering.
• Loka Bhavana – As inner worship matures, every interaction with the world becomes sacred.

This is the beginning of the transformation from ritualistic devotion to living contemplation.

5. Application in Daily Sadhana

The first step in Manasa Pooja is remarkably simple.

Before beginning any formal worship, close the eyes for a few moments and silently remember:

“Swami is already present in my Heart.”

Do not imagine that you are bringing Him from elsewhere.

He is already there.

You are merely becoming aware of His Presence.

Then, gradually allow every action of the day to become part of that worship.

Walking becomes worship.

Working becomes worship.

Speaking becomes worship.

Serving becomes worship.

This is Nitya Gurupooja.

Verse 2

सद्बुद्धीच्या आसनी । गुरुचरण ठेवुनी ॥२॥

Sadbuddhīchyā Āsanī, Gurucharaṇa Ṭhevunī.

1. Thus,

Having entered the temple of the Heart, Tulas Amma now prepares the Asana.

But notice what she offers.

Not gold.

Not silver.

Not jewels.

She offers Sadbuddhi—pure, discriminating, righteous intelligence.

This is one of the most profound symbols in the entire Manasa Pooja.

The Guru cannot be established upon an intellect clouded by ego, prejudice, selfishness, or delusion.

The first preparation is therefore the purification of the Buddhi.

Only when the intellect learns to distinguish between the Real and the unreal does it become worthy of receiving the Guru.

Thus, the Asana is not a physical seat.

The purified Buddhi itself becomes the throne upon which the Guru is installed.

2. Bhagavan Nityananda’s Teaching

Among Bhagavan’s simplest yet deepest instructions was:

“Use Viveka and Buddhi.”

He did not ask devotees to abandon intelligence.

He asked them to purify it.

A Buddhi dominated by desires becomes cunning.

A Buddhi purified by Viveka becomes Sadbuddhi.

This is exactly what Bhagavan wished to cultivate.

As the Buddhi becomes pure:

• the mind becomes Nirmal,
• then Nishchal,
• then Vishal,

until finally the Guru alone occupies the Heart.

Thus, placing the Guru upon the seat of Sadbuddhi is the beginning of inner transformation.

3. Foundation in Vivekachudamani and Advaita Vedanta

If one word summarizes Vivekachudamani, it is Viveka.

The opening verses declare that discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral is the first qualification for liberation.

Without purified discrimination, the mind continues to identify with the body, possessions, relationships, and ego.

The Guru’s teaching can take root only in a prepared intellect.

Thus, Tulas Amma’s “Sadbuddhiche Asan” corresponds beautifully with Shankaracharya’s insistence that the Buddhi must first become fit to receive Truth.

The Guru is installed not in memory, but in discrimination.

4. Relation to Sudha Bhavana

This verse marks the birth of Sudha Bhavana.

It particularly nourishes:

• Sudha Bhavana – Pure perception begins with pure discrimination.
• Anitya Bhavana – The Buddhi learns to distinguish the permanent from the impermanent.
• Anyatva Bhavana – It recognizes that the body and possessions are not the Self.
• Bodhi Durlabha Bhavana – It awakens gratitude for having obtained a Sadguru and the capacity to understand His teaching.

Without Sadbuddhi, Sudha Bhavana cannot blossom.

5. Application in Daily Sadhana

Before beginning Manasa Pooja, ask yourself a simple question:

“Upon what seat have I placed my Guru today?”

Is it:

• ego?
• fear?
• prejudice?
• expectation?
• worldly ambition?

Or is it Sadbuddhi?

Throughout the day, whenever a decision has to be made, silently remember:

“If Swami is seated upon my Buddhi, how would I think? How would I speak? How would I act?”

In this way, the Guru is no longer worshipped only during Manasa Pooja—He begins to guide every decision of life.

Note:

It remarkable that Tulas Amma begins not with flowers or incense, but with the Heart and Sadbuddhi. In just two verses she establishes the entire foundation of Guru Sadhana. First, she discovers the inner temple; then she prepares the inner throne. Everything that follows—the washing of the Feet, the sandal paste, the flowers, the incense, the lamp—is possible only because the Guru has first been lovingly established within. This sequence itself is a profound teaching on the making of a disciple.

 

Verse 3

निश्चळ चिद्‌जल । सिंचून चरण प्रक्षाळीन ॥

Niśchala Chid-jala, Sinchūn Charaṇa Prakṣhālīn.

“I wash the Lotus Feet of my Guru with the still waters of Consciousness.”

1.Thus,

Ordinarily, devotees wash the Guru’s Feet with water, milk or Panchamrit.

Tulas Amma offers none of these.

She offers Chid-jala—the waters of Consciousness itself.

But notice the adjective she uses.

Niśchala Chid-jala.

Not restless consciousness.

Not agitated emotions.

Not emotional excitement.

The waters must first become still.

Only then can they become worthy of washing the Guru’s Feet.

The disciple is therefore not cleansing the Guru.

He is cleansing his own heart.

2. Bhagavan Nityananda’s Teaching

Bhagavan repeatedly spoke of

• Nirmal Man
• Nishchal Man

Only when the mind becomes still does the Heart begin to reflect Reality.

Just as a disturbed lake cannot reflect the moon, an agitated mind cannot reflect the Guru.

3. Vivekachudamani

Shankaracharya repeatedly teaches that the purified Antahkarana alone reflects Brahman.

A mind disturbed by Vasanas cannot realise the Self.

The washing of the Guru’s Feet therefore symbolises purification of one’s own Antahkarana.

4. Sudha Bhavana

This verse particularly develops

• Sudha Bhavana
• Samvara Bhavana
• Nirjara Bhavana

5. Daily Practice

Before beginning Manasa Pooja,

sit quietly for a few moments.

Allow thoughts to settle.

Offer silence before offering flowers.

Verse 4

लावून मन चंदन । अखंड होईन उन्मन ॥

1. Thus,

Sandalwood cools.

Mind burns.

It burns with

• desires,
• anger,
• jealousy,
• comparison,
• fear,
• ambition.

Tulas Amma transforms the mind itself into sandalwood.

The Guru’s Feet are anointed by a mind that has become cool, fragrant and pure.

Then comes the beautiful culmination.

Akhanda Hoeen Unman.

“I become Unman.”

This is no longer worship.

The worshipper disappears.

Only contemplation remains.

2. Bhagavan’s Teaching

Bhagavan often spoke of

• Nirmal Man
• Nishchal Man

Their culmination is

Unman—

the state beyond ordinary mind.

3. Vivekachudamani

The purified mind ultimately dissolves into Brahman.

Knowledge culminates where mind becomes silent.

4. Sudha Bhavana

Here Sudha Bhavana matures into

• Vishal Man
• Nishchal Man

5. Daily Practice

Ask yourself:

Is my mind cooling every day,

or heating every day?

Verse 5

सुविचार सुमन । सद्गुरुचरणी वाहीन ॥

1. Thus,

The Guru is not pleased by costly flowers.

The Guru rejoices in noble thoughts.

Every good thought is a flower.

Every compassionate action is fragrance.

Every forgiving act is worship.

2. Bhagavan’s Teaching

Bhagavan’s entire life was an education in pure thinking.

Sudha Bhavana is precisely this.

3. Vivekachudamani

Every noble thought weakens Vasanas.

Every selfish thought strengthens bondage.

4. Sudha Bhavanas

Especially

• Dharma Bhavana
• Loka Bhavana
• Ekatva Bhavana

5. Daily Practice

Before sleeping ask:

“What flowers did I offer today?”

Not in the temple.

In life.

Verse 6

तूर्य तुळसीदल । तुझ्या चरणी समर्पिल ॥

1. Thus,

This is perhaps the highest poetry in the composition.

Most devotees offer Tulasi leaves.

Tulas Amma offers

Turiya itself.

She is saying,

“I offer the Fourth State of Consciousness.”

Nothing greater can be offered.

2. Bhagavan

Bhagavan lived effortlessly in Turiya.

The disciple offers not leaves,

but awakened awareness.

3. Vivekachudamani

The Self is the Fourth beyond waking, dream and sleep.

4. Sudha Bhavana

Here Sudha Bhavana culminates in

Bodhi Durlabha Bhavana.

6. Daily Practice

Remember the Guru even amidst activity.

That remembrance is the beginning of Turiya.

Verse 7

जडाचा अभिमान । जाळून धूप करूं अर्पण ॥

1. Thus,

Most incense gives fragrance.

Here,

ego itself is burnt.

The body-consciousness becomes incense.

What extraordinary symbolism!

2. Bhagavan

“Sabh Mithi.”

Body-consciousness is temporary.

Burn it.

Let fragrance remain.

3. Vivekachudamani

“I am not the body.”

This is one of Shankara’s central teachings.

4. Sudha Bhavana

• Anyatva
• Anitya
• Asarava

5. Daily Practice

Notice whenever “I” becomes important.

Burn it mentally.

Offer it.

Verse 8

तापत्रयाची वाती । लावून करूं दीपारती ॥

1. ThUS,

Most people pray,

“Remove my suffering.”

Tulas Amma says,

“My suffering shall become the wick of wisdom.”

This is magnificent.

Suffering is transformed into light.

2. Bhagavan

Every difficulty is Guru’s Grace.

It purifies.

3. Vivekachudamani

Suffering awakens Viveka.

Without dispassion,

few seek Truth.

4. Sudha Bhavana

Sansara Bhavana.

5. Daily Practice

Instead of asking,

“Why me?”

Ask,

“What is Swami teaching me?”

Verse 9

निजवस्तूचा भाव । नैवेद्य करूं सद्गुरुदेव ॥

1. Thus,

The highest Naivedya

is not food.

It is

Self-awareness.

Nothing greater can be offered.

2. Bhagavan

Guru finally asks only one offering.

The disciple himself.

3. Vivekachudamani

Self-knowledge alone satisfies.

4. Sudha Bhavana

Ekatva Bhavana.

5. Daily Practice

Offer every action before beginning it.

Verse 10

ज्ञानकापूर ज्योत । चरणी ओवाळूं आरती ॥

1. Thus,

Camphor burns completely.

Nothing remains.

Knowledge burns exactly like this.

When ignorance disappears,

only the Guru shines.

2. Bhagavan

Guru does not give information.

Guru removes ignorance.

3. Vivekachudamani

Knowledge destroys ignorance

just as light removes darkness.

4. Sudha Bhavana

Sudha Bhavana reaches completion.

5. Daily Practice

Study.

Reflect.

Meditate.

Let knowledge become experience.

Verse 11

निर्मळ आनंदी । ध्यान नित्यानंद स्वरूप ॥

1. Thus,

The worship has ended.

The worshipper has disappeared.

Only meditation remains.

Notice carefully.

Tulas Amma does not ask for

wealth,

health,

powers,

visions,

or liberation.

She simply remains absorbed in

Nityananda Swarupa.

That is the culmination of Manasa Pooja.

Conclusion

We have thus connected

Tulas Amma →

Bhagavan →

Vivekachudamani →

Sudha Bhavana

in her bhajan.

Manas Pooja

Below is a devotional Manas Pūjā (mental worship) composed in the spirit of traditional stotras like Shiva Manasa Pūjā, adapted reverentially for Bhagavan Nityananda. It blends classical Sanskrit style with contemplative visualisation, followed by a clear English rendering.

श्री सद्गुरु नित्यानन्द मानस पूजा

(Śrī Sadguru Nityānanda Mānasa Pūjā)

Sanskrit Version

ध्यानम्
नित्यानन्दं परमानन्दरूपं
शान्तं शुद्धं निरवद्यं निरञ्जनम्।
दिगम्बरं मौनमयं प्रसन्नं
वन्दे गुरुं नित्यमहं हृदिस्थम्॥१॥

आवाहनम्
आवाहयामि हृदि दिव्यरूपं
नित्यानन्दं सततं स्वभावम्।
नाहं देहो न च मे मनोऽस्ति
त्वमेव साक्षी परिपूर्णरूपः॥२॥

आसनम्
सुवर्णसिंहासनमादधामि
चित्ताकाशे निर्मले विशुद्धे।
तत्र स्थितं त्वां प्रणमामि नित्यं
योगीश्वरं निष्कलमद्वितीयम्॥३॥

पाद्य-अर्घ्य-आचमनम्
गङ्गादितीर्थोदकमादधामि
पाद्यं गृहाण प्रभो नित्यानन्द।
अर्घ्यं च दिव्यं करुणामृतं ते
आचामयस्वात्मसुखप्रदायिन्॥४॥

स्नानम्
मन्त्रामृतैः स्नापयामि त्वदीयं
निर्मलरूपं परमान्तरात्मन्।
नित्यशुद्धं निर्मलं निर्विकल्पं
न स्नानयोग्यं तथापि भजामि॥५॥

वस्त्रम्
श्वेतं कौपीनमिदं ददामि
त्यागस्वरूपं तव योगिवेषम्।
दिगम्बरत्वेऽपि मम भक्तिभावात्
स्वीकरोतु त्वं कृपया गुरो मे॥६॥

गन्धान्
चन्दनतैलं सुरभिं सुगन्धं
लेपयामि त्वच्चरणारविन्दे।
शीतलं शान्तिदमिन्द्रियाणां
भवबन्धनविनाशकारि॥७॥

पुष्पम्
तुलसीदलैर्मञ्जरीसंयुतैश्च
बिल्वपत्रैः पूजयामि नित्यं।
नानाविधैर्भावपुष्पैः समेता
भक्तिर्मे त्वत्पदयोर्निविष्टा॥८॥

धूपम्
ज्ञानाग्निधूपं प्रददामि नित्यं
वासना दाहकरं पवित्रम्।
आत्मप्रकाशं वहति स्वभावात्
अज्ञानतिमिरनाशनम्॥९॥

दीपम्
दीपं दर्शयामि हृदि प्रकाशं
नित्यानन्दं स्वप्रकाशस्वरूपम्।
येन तमो नाशमुपैति शीघ्रं
ज्ञानप्रदीपो भवतादभीष्टः॥१०॥

नैवेद्यम्
अन्नं न मे न च भोगवासना
आत्मार्पणं ते करुणानिधान।
भक्तिर्मे नैवेद्यमनुत्तमं ते
स्वीकरोतु त्वं हृदयस्थितः॥११॥

ताम्बूलम्
ताम्बूलमिदं मनसा प्रदत्तं
स्वीकरोतु त्वं मम भावपूर्णम्।
नानारसैर्भावितमन्तरात्मा
तृप्तिं प्रयातु गुरो प्रसन्नः॥१२॥

प्रदक्षिणा-नमस्कारः
आत्मा त्वमेव प्रदक्षिणा मे
नान्यत्प्रपश्यामि जगत्त्रयेऽपि।
नमामि नित्यं शिरसा त्वदीयं
नित्यानन्दं गुरुमेकमेव॥१३॥

क्षमा प्रार्थना
यदकिञ्चिदपि पूजनदोषयुक्तं
मया कृतं भाववशेन नाथ।
तत्सर्वमेव क्षमस्व दयालो
त्वमेव माता च पिता गुरूश्च॥१४॥

English 

Meditation

I bow to Bhagavan Nityananda—
the embodiment of eternal bliss,
pure, silent, ever-content,
clad in simplicity, absorbed in the Self,
ever shining in the heart.

Invocation

I invoke Him within my heart—
not as form alone, but as the witnessing consciousness,
beyond body and mind,
the पूर्ण (complete) Self.

Offering of Seat

In the pure space of my inner awareness,
I offer a radiant seat—
and behold Him seated there,
the formless Yogi, beyond duality.

Washing of Feet

I offer sacred waters—
symbol of surrender and purification—
at His lotus feet.

Bathing

Though ever pure and beyond all need,
I bathe Him in the nectar of mantra and devotion.

Clothing

I offer the white kaupina—
symbol of renunciation, simplicity, and freedom—
though He is ever beyond all coverings.

Fragrance

I anoint Him with sandalwood oil—
cooling, fragrant, and sacred—
as was lovingly offered by devotees.

Flowers

I offer Tulsi with manjiri,
and Bilva leaves,
along with the inner flowers of devotion, humility, and surrender.

Incense

I offer the incense of knowledge—
that burns all tendencies and ignorance.

Light

I wave the light of awareness—
He Himself is that प्रकाश (inner light)
which destroys all darkness.

Offering of Food

I offer not food, but my ego,
my actions, my identity—
as the highest Naivedya.

Tāmbūlam

I offer symbolic completion—
with fullness of heart and gratitude.

Circumambulation & Prostration

You alone are everything—
I revolve around You as the Self.
I bow again and again.

Prayer for Forgiveness

Whatever errors are there in this worship,
forgive them—
You are the compassionate Guru,
my refuge, my all.

Closing Reflection

This Manas Pūjā is not merely ritual—it is inner alignment.

• Sandalwood → cooling the mind
• Tulsi & Bilva → purity and surrender
• Kaupina → renunciation
• Silence → His true teaching

Conclusion

Manasa Pooja is the Inner Worship of the Sadguru

External worship purifies our actions.

Japa purifies our speech.

Meditation purifies our awareness.

Manasa Pooja purifies the Heart.

Bhagavan Nityananda repeatedly reminded devotees that the true temple is within. The Guru resides in the Hridaya Akasha (Heart-space), the Chidakasha, where the individual consciousness gradually merges into the Universal Consciousness.

When the Guru is worshipped in the Heart, every article of worship ceases to be an external object and becomes an inner transformation.

The seat becomes our purified intellect.

The water becomes purity of heart.

The sandal paste becomes the cooling of passions.

The flowers become noble virtues.

The incense becomes the burning away of ego.

The lamp becomes awakened knowledge.

The food becomes surrender of the ego.

The Arati becomes illumination of Consciousness.

Thus, the object of Manasa Pooja is not to please the Guru; it is to transform the disciple.

Ultimately, the highest worship of Bhagavan Nityananda is:

to abide in the Self—just as He did.