Puja or worship is of two types. 1. Baahya puja - Worship externally. 2. Antah puja - Worship internally.
Internal worship is explained in Bhavanopanishath. All perceivable things have tendency to distract your focus. So you should detach yourself from those. Use those that are present inside your body for worship.
Salilamithi saahitya karanam satvam
The main item used in a puja is water. There are three gunas in the body. They are 1. Satva, 2. Rajas and 3. Tamo. You should increase the Satva guna and reduce the other two. Satva guna represents water.
kartavyam akartavyam oudaseenyamithi viveka bhaavanaayuktha upchaarah
Upachaaras (Things to do) - Brahma is the only truth. Rest all is illusion. In baahya puja, we do various things like Raajopachaaras, Dehopachaaras, Mantropachaaras. But they don't exist in Antah puja. Antah puja is about using your wisdom to identify what is real versus what is an illusion. You have to detach your mind from the unreal and make it focus on the real (Brahma). You should not become indifferent or inactive. You should follow all dharmic activities in your life. But detach from the fruits of it.
Asthi naasthi karthavyataa anupachaarah
Anupachaaras (Things not to do) - "I don't see Brahma. I can't visualize God. So it is a fiction." Thinking like this is wrong. You should not do this in Antah puja. Brahma is everywhere. If you are not able to see it that means your consciousness is not at the level to see it.
Baahyaantahkaranaanaam roopa grahana yogyataasthee tyaavaahanam
Aavaahana: There are two types of senses in the body. 1. Internal, 2. External. Atma shines/glows through them. You have do aavaahana(invitation) of the devata form of these senses.
Tasya baahyaantahkaranaanaamekaroopa vishaya grahanamaananam
Aasanam: Aasanam means God's seat. The body has various entities like the senses, limbs, mind, intellect, ego and chit. Thinking that all these are sentient and leaving them behind is with an inclination towards Brahma is Aasanam.
Raktha shukla padaikeekaranam paadyam
Paadyamu means the water that is used to wash God's feet. We learnt that the body has prakaashaamsha and Vimarshaamsha. Thinking that both of them came from Brahma and hence they are no different is paadyam in antahpuja.
Explanation
Mother is in the Dwaadashaantha of the body. Shukla bindu is formed when Brahma entered into Atma shakti. Then Vimarsha Shakti entered into Shukla bindu and created raktha bindu. The union of Shukla bindu and Raktha bindu is called Mishrama bindu.
Fire is Shukla bindu
Moon is Raktha bindu
Sun is Mishrama bindu
From Mishrama bindu came Naadam(Om). From Naadam came all the kalas. If you imagine Kaameswari as mishrama bindu, then her right leg is the prakaashaamsha (it is white in color), her left leg is vimarshaamsha (it is in blood red color). Meditating upon these two feet thinking there is no difference between prakaasha and vimarshaamsha is paadyam in Antah puja
Ujjwavala dhaamodharaanusandhaanaamarghyam
Arghyam means to offer water to God. Before the onset of puja, we offer water to God. He washes hands and drinks some water. That is Arghyam. In Antah puja, realizing that Aatma is sridevi and align everything to Brahma is Arghyam.
Swaccham swayamsiddham ityaachamaneeyam
Achamanam means taking water while chanting mantra. It is done for internal purificaion. Atma is the purest of all forms. Being aware that this purity is self attained is equal to Aachamanam in Antah puja.
Chicchandramayee sarvaangapravanam snaanam
Snaanam(bath) - In Hindu rituals, people offer bath of panchamrutas to Gods. But in Antah puja, the ambrosia dripping down from Sahasrara is the bath. When a you practice pranayaama, it awakens the kundalini in Moolaadhaara. It then rises up through the 6 chakras and reaches the Sahasrara in the top. There is a 1000 petaled lotus in Sahasrara. Kundalini bites the kernel of this lotus. Then the ambrosia(amruth) drips down the body and drenches all the 72000 nadis of the nadi mandala. This is Snaanam in Antah puja
Chidagni swaroopa paramaananda shaktispuranam vastram
Vastram means a cloth to cover the body. Devotees offer vastram to the deity in Hindu rituals. Thinking that all the glow inside the body is a form of Divine mother is vastram in Antah puja
Pratyekgam saptavimshatitha bhinnatvenacchagnaana kriyaatmaka brahma grandhi madrasatantu brahma naadee brahma sutram
Yagnopaveetam - Sacred thread worn by dwijas. Shushumna naadi is the most important of all the naadis in the body. In Antah puja, this naadhi should be thought as yagnopaveetam.
Satyavyatiriktavastu sangarahita smaranam vibhooshanam
Ornaments - Worshippers offer decorative ornaments to the deity in Hindu rituals. Detachment is the ornament you offer to God in antah puja. Detachment from the worldly possessions. Detachment from the bonds of the body. These are the ornaments you should offer to Divine Mother in Antah puja
Satsanga paripoothaa manmaranamgandhah
Sandal power - Worshippers offer powder of sandal wood to the deity in Hindu rituals. It gives nice fragrance and also makes the ambience sacred. In antah puja, the feeling that I am the divine Atma is like offering sandal to Divine Mother.
Samasta vishayaanaam mananam chairyenaanusandhaanam kusumam, ahimsa prathamam pushpam, pushpamindriya nigraham, dayakshamagnaana pushpam tatah param
Flowers - Worshippers offer various flowers to the deity in Hindu rituals. In antah puja, focusing the mind on atma and refraining from sensory pleasures (that are momentary) is like offering flowers to Divine Mother. Ahimsa is the first flower. Control over the senses is the second flower. Having mercy, forgiveness and consciousness are the remaining flowers.
Teshaameva sarvadaasweekaranam dhoopah
Incense - Worshippers offer incense sticks to deity in Hindu rituals. Not succumbing to sensory pleasures is like offering dhoopa to Divine Mother
Pavanaavacchinnordhya jwalana vacchidulkaashadehoo deepah
Lamp - The entire sky is glowing with the brilliance of Brahma. Your body is also a beam of light coming from that brilliance. Thinking that this body is same as the brilliance of Brahma that filled the sky is like offerring deepam to Divine Mother
Samasta yaataayaata varnanam naivedyam
Naivedyam means to offer something to eat. In Hindu rituals, worshippers offering tasty foods to the deity. Triumphing over senses is like offering naivedyam to Divine Mother
Avasthaa trayaikeekaranam taamboolam
Taamboolam (Pan) - In Hindu rituals, worshippers offer pan to the deity after offering food. This pan has beetle leaf and beetle nut and lime. These three represent the three states in which we live. Jaagruth, Swapna and Shushupti. Dissolving them into the ultimate state of Tureeya(trance) is like offering pan to Divine Mother in Antah puja
Moolaadhaaraadhi brahma bila paryantam, brahmarandhraadhimoolaadhaara paryantam, gataagata roopena praadakshinyam
Pradakshinam (revolution) - In Hindu rituals, worshippers move around the deity in clockwise direction. This is called pradakshinam. The praanavayu moves around from Moolaadhaara to Sahasraara and Sahasraara to Moolaadhaara passing through the Shushumna naadi. This movement is like doing pradakshina to Divine mother who is in the form of Atma. This is what is called ajapaaroopa hamsa
Paramaatma represented by 'Ha' gets united with Nature represented by 'Sa' to form the subtle Brahma(Shabala brahma). This Shabala brahma enters into a body that has 9 holes and gets attached to senses and mind. It gets trapped in the body and revolves around not knowing how to get out of it. For that hamsa,
Agni and chandra mandala are wings (ida and pingala naadis)
Omkara is the head
Glabella is face
Ha and Sa (inhalation and exhalation) are legs
This means when you meditate, you control your breathe. That gives strength to shabala brahma's legs to start the journey. Chanting omkara with focus on glabella inverts the movement of vayu through the ida and pingala naadis. Then it flies away(escapes from the body it is trapped in).
'Ha' is rudra beeja and 'Sa' is Shakti beeja. Like ghee in milk, this shabala brahma is present in all beings.
Sahasraara is a 1000 petalled lotus It has 8 large petals pointing to the eight sides. Each of these petals have 125 smaller petals. Like this there are a total of 8 X 125 = 1000 petals. Below are further details of what each of these 8 petals represent
Petal pointing to east - Good intentions
Petal pointing to south east - sleep, thirst, lazyness
Petal pointing to south - cruelity
Petal pointing to south west - suffering caused by heat, inflamation etc
Petal pointing to west - Joy
Petal pointing to north west - walking, moving etc
Petal pointing to north - copulation
Petal pointing to north east - donation, generosity
Pollen of the lotus - awakened state
Kernal of the lotus - dream state
part beneath the kernel - sleep state
Deep inside the lotus - Liberation
The moment Atma leaves sahasraara, it unites with paramaatma
Tureeyaavasthaa namaskaarah
Salutations: Reaching tureeyaavastha is like saluting Divine mother
Deha shoonya pramaatrutaa nimajjanam baliharanam
Sacrifice(bali): Shunning or completely detaching from the physical body and realizing that your true form is pure consciousness is the real sacrifice
Satyamasthi kartavyammakarthavyam oudaaseenya vityaatma vilaapangm homah
Homa: Incenerating your ego, ignorance and the feeling of 'I' in the fire of Brahma. Realizing that there is only one thing and there is no second one is like offering homa
Swayam tatpaadukaa nimajjanam paripoorna dhyaanam
Dhyaanam (Meditation) - Dissolving yourself into the brilliant light emerging from Paramaatma's feet and feeling that everything is Him and He is the only real thing is dhyanam in antah puja.
Evam muhoortha trayam Bhaavanayaa yukto bhavathi, tasya devataatmaikyasiddih
Self-Realization - Those who meditate like this for span of 3 muhoorthas will realize Atma. 1 muhoortha = 48 minutes. 3 muhoorthas = 1 hour 24 minutes.
Chintitha kaaryaanyayatnena sidhyanthi sa eva sivayogeethi kathyatha ityupanishath
Result - Those who perform antahpuja like this will fulfill all the desires. They are called Shiva yogis
