Jnana-puja

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Self, the indivisible whole, the Supreme with the threefold attributes of Truth,

knowledge and Bliss(Sat-cit-ananda). Mentally he merges his self with the Self

in an inseparable union and contemplates that advaita state; only such a person

is capable of performing the jnana-puja, which is kriya under jnana: The jnani

looks upon all the elements and tattvas as transient and shelters himself under

divine grace. He sees all things through grace, contemplates on the

pancaksara-mantra, beginning with the letter Si(as in the form Sivaya-namah)

and visualises His all-pervasiveness. Such a worship is the jnana-puja. Among

the Saiva nayanmars, Vayilar nayanar of Mayilapur performed this jnana-puja and

attained union with Siva. Another nayanar, by name Pusalar not only performed a

mental puja, but constructed a temple for Siva mentally and even performed a

mental kumbhabhiseka therefor; the

all-knowing Siva knew of it, and in order to make his devotion known to others,

told the ruling king, Rajasimha Pallava(688-705 A.D.) of Kanci, in a dream,

that He was going to be present at the kumbhabhiseka ceremony of Pusalar's

temple and so the King had to postpone to some other suitable day his

kumbhabhiseka of the Kanci Kailasanatha temple(newly built by him) fixed for

that day itself. Naturally this was a great recognition for the mental

construction and puja of Pusalar. People may consider this to be mere legend.

But this is recorded in an inscription of the King himself, where he is called

'he who heard the voice from the heavens.'

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