Why do we perform rituals such as puja, havan?

To attain purity of mind.

That is the highest goal.

Even when you are doing them, asking for health, wealth, eventually, you are realizing the role of the divinity in all these.

You pray for money.

You are blessed, your prayer is answered.

Even though your motive is selfish, self-centered, still you are realizing the importance of the supreme power and its role and involvement in everything.

The very fact that you are approaching God to pray for money itself means that you have realized that it is not your skill and effort that is everything.

So, as you go on recognizing the role of the divinity more and more in everything, your ego becomes lighter and lighter.

You don’t take hard stands anymore, you are not judgemental anymore, you are not vindictive anymore, you don’t become angry with people anymore.

Your desires become less and less.

You don’t amass, you are not greedy anymore.

You are not arrogant anymore about your money or power or position.

You are not jealous anymore, you don’t want to beat anyone in the race.

This is what is called purity of mind.

This doesn’t come by reading books.

This comes through spiritual practices such as puja, nama-japa, mantra chanting, havan, bhajan.

Once the mind is decluttered, then knowledge comes on its own.

Just as Sun rises, knowledge rises on its own.

This is not the kind of knowledge which will enable you to quote from scriptures and prove your point.

That is just academic.

It can impress an audience or get you a degree.

But beyond that, it doesn’t help you much in your life.

The knowledge that I am talking about is real knowledge: about how everything functions, how you should function.

This knowledge is the knowledge about the greatness of Bhagavan.

Once this knowledge has risen in your mind, then immense love for him comes.

This is bhakti.

So this happens in three stages: kriya, jnana, and bhakti.

Bhakti being the ultimate goal.

It is this that the Gayatri-Veda-Bhagavata relationship also indicates.

Gayatri is the seed, Veda is the tree, and Bhagavata is its fruit.

Gayatri is a mantra; mantra is meant for chanting.

Mantra-chanting gives rise to knowledge.

Mantra chanting is kriya.

The knowledge that it gives is Veda, the knowledge which is the content of Veda.

And this knowledge gives rise to bhakti, which is the essence of Bhagavata.

This is also why rituals such as idol worship are so important.

You may not have bhakti.

You may not feel bhakti.

You may be doing all this mechanically, as a matter of habit, maybe even for years together.

But still, they will have an effect on you.

They will go on purifying your mind.

Then knowledge will rise on its own.

I am at times surprised; shopkeepers, villagers, uneducated, illiterate but sometimes what they speak, unbelievable.

They are not quoting from any scripture.

They can hardly read or write, but genuine knowledge.

Where has this come from?

From puja.

Not a technically correct and perfect puja; but they do it without fail, every day.

That purifies them.

From bhajan, from katha-shravana, all these.

So, never ignore your day to day puja or sadhana.

That is the very foundation of your spiritual growth.