Form or content?

Adi (first) Shankara 700s, was the founder of Advaita Vedanta, one of India’s greatest philosophical orientations.

He composed a hymn to Shiva called Shiva Manasa Puja. Below is one of its verses. 

Manasa Puja means mental invocation / worship as opposed to Puja (worship) which is done physically. 

Reformations have taken place in Vedic invocation / worship as rituals have ceased to have content and form has become important. 

To the extent that one can at all speak of modern Yoga as an expression of the invocation / worship, one can undeniably criticize it for having let the form take over the meaning from the content. 

Ultimately, Yoga is the identification of the Self with Everything, the insight into the unity we are one with. This verse reminds us of this.

Shiva manas Puja, verse 4

Atma tvam girijah matih sahachara

Pranah shariram griham

Pujate vishayopa bhoga rachanaa

Nidra samadhi stitihi

Sancharah padayoh pradakshina vidhih

Stotrani sarva giro

Yadyat-karma karomi tattad akhilam

Shambo tavara-dhanam

You are my Self, 

My mind is you mountain range 

My breaths is your companions,

My body is your temple

Whatever I enjoy or create are offerings to you

Sleep is my Samadhi

When I walk I go around you

All my speech is your praise

Whatever I do, all that

All that is an offering to you,

Glorious one! 

Music: Pilgrim heart, Krishna Das.