The Worship We offer

What does the worship we offer during festivals such as Navaratri remind us of?

"The Lord has to be realised through sadhana. Sadhana does not mean adoring God in a particular place or in a particular form. It means thinking of God in all that you do, wherever you may be. It may be asked whether this is possible. The answer is that it is possible by dedicating every action to God. 

During Navaratri, there is a form of worship called Angarpana puja. In this form of worship, all the limbs of the body are offered to the Divine in a spirit of surrender, Sharanagati. Surrender means offering everything to the Divine and giving up the idea of separation between oneself and the Divine. There can be no true surrender if there is a sense of separation. Mantras like Netram samarpayami are intended to indicate that one is using his eyes only to see God. The real significance of the mantra is that you think of the divine in whatever you see or do. 

Therefore, the true meaning of the Angarpana puja is to declare that you offer all your limbs in the service of the Lord. This means that whatever work you do should be done as an offering to God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - Oct 06, 1992)

⁠

Every limb and every sense organ that God has given you is meant for a sacred purpose. You should put them to proper use and experience oneness. – BABA