In plain words
Pūjā without purity of citta is a duty that has wasted time. But follow a small way of pūjā, filled with faith and Prema, and the fruit is greater. Before we appoint a clerk, we examine his qualifications. The Collector too must have qualifications: experience, a pass in examinations such as the I.A.S., and so on. In the same way, for the realisation of God, purity of citta must be there without fail. The Āzhvār called Tiruttoṇḍar has declared that he took up the worship of images with purity of citta. When we worship an image, we should behold the form, and not inquire what substance it is. There is no object apart from the form, and no form without an object. If the eye rests on the stone, God is not seen. If the eye rests on God, the stone is not seen.
The people of Bhārata do not worship God as stone and paper. Their feeling is not that God is that stone. It is that this stone, too, is God! Recognising this principle, this Satya, Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa too set himself to see the all-pervading Divinity face to face in the image of Kālī at Dakṣiṇeśvara.
Above all, to gain purity of citta, we must not waste time but spend it only in satsaṅga, in good thoughts and in good feelings. Truly, joy lies in the very doing of good karmas. When teaching the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa calls Arjuna by the name “Kurunandana”. “Kuru” means work; “nandana”, one who delights; Kurunandana means one who receives the joy that lies in working. It means one who grieves when he has no work. For you, the coming of Sunday is a joy. If it is joy, then it is not a Holiday but a Holy day.
It is enough to call to mind the names of devotees whose citta is pure. The five elements submit. To ward off a thunderbolt, it is the settled custom to recite the nine names of Arjuna. That is why, when we worship devotees such as Tyāgarāja and Kabīr, God is pleased. With purity of citta and with all our heart, we must take up Śaraṇāgati. Only then is he a true devotee. Stand before a mirror and show three fingers, and three fingers appear to you from within it. If you say, “O God! My body, mind and wealth, all of it is offered to You,” God too takes the burden of your welfare upon Himself.