The verses of
Shri Shiva Manasa Puja remind me of stages in my
sadhana. In the beginning stages, I offered tangible and beautiful gifts: oils, flowers, incense.
Then, as in verse four, I became aware that offering my actions, especially through the practice of
seva, is the greatest of the offerings I can make. And, once I realized this, I didn’t stop making tangible offerings; I simply added them to my offering of
seva. I found that bringing all of the offerings under the umbrella of
seva made
seva and those offerings sweeter and more endearing.
New York, United States
For over thirty years, I worked as a high school classroom educator. Each day I would arrive at my classroom at least an hour early, so that I could unlock a special cabinet that I had turned into a
puja. Before I performed any task related to my job, I would stand before my altar and sing the
Sri Shiva Manasa Puja with devotion. Regardless of what happened during the course of the day, I always felt the protection and grace of this practice.
Thank you, beloved Gurumayi, for giving me access to such a powerful and meaningful prayer.
Georgia, USA