Upasana — Worship and Contemplation
Upasana (contemplation, devotional meditation on the divine attributes) is the Vedantic practice of approaching Brahman through sustained, loving concentration on its qualities — a bridge between Bhakti and Jnana.
Upasana (from Upa = near, Asana = sitting/approaching) is the practice of approaching the divine through sustained contemplation of its attributes — sitting near the divine, mentally inhabiting its qualities, meditating on its nature with focused attention and devotion. The Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads describe many forms of Upasana: meditating on Brahman as the self of all beings (sarvatma), as the inner light in the heart (hridaya akasha), as the sun (Aditya), as Prana (life force). Upasana is considered a step higher than ritual worship (which requires physical implements) and a step below the direct Jnana of Advaita (which requires no object of meditation at all). It refines the mind's capacity for sustained, one-pointed awareness and gradually dissolves the boundary between worshipper and worshipped — preparing the ground for direct Brahman-recognition. Shankara's Upadesasahasri discusses Upasana extensively as a transitional practice.
Through Upasana, the mind approaches Brahman and gradually becomes like Brahman — purified, expanded, luminous.
The Chandogya Upanishad's teaching that a person is made of conviction (kratu) — 'as is one's kratu in this life, so one becomes on departing' — is the classical basis for Upasana: by dwelling steadily on a chosen form or quality of the divine, the meditator's own mind is gradually shaped toward it.
Chandogya Upanishad