Ijjā — The Formal Act of Worship
Ijjā (Sanskrit: iṣ = to worship/desire; related to yāga = sacrificial offering; 'actual worship') is the third of the pañca kāla — the formal, ritualistic worship of Bhagavān (thiruvārādhanam) using the materials gathered in upādānam.
What Ijjā Comprises: The complete Ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā — sixteen forms of service: āvāhana (invocation), āsana (offering a seat), pādyam (water for feet), arghyam (water for hands), ācamanīyam (mouth-rinsing water), snānam (bathing), vasthram (clothing), ābharaṇam (ornaments), puṣpam (flowers), dhūpam (incense), dīpam (lamp), naivedyam (food offering), tāmbūlam (betel), pradakṣiṇa (circumambulation), namaskāra (prostration), and mantra-pushpam (concluding offerings).
The Sanctifying Power of Ijjā: 'When Bhagavān accepts the worship, the worshipper is purified, the household is purified, and the day is consecrated.' Ijjā is not merely an outward ritual — it is the moment of direct encounter between the devotee and Bhagavān.
Connection to Yāga: Ijjā is the pañca kāla equivalent of the Vedic yāga (sacrifice). In Vedic times, the householder performed elaborate yāgas; the domestic thiruvārādhanam is the accessible, daily equivalent.