ites . ▁These ▁S ut ras , ▁dated ▁to ▁be ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁use ▁the ▁term ▁pu ja ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁hospital ity ▁to ▁honor ▁pri ests ▁who ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁one ’ s ▁home ▁to ▁lead ▁rit uals ▁for ▁depart ed ▁ancest ors . ▁As ▁with ▁v edic ▁times , ▁the ▁general ▁concept ▁of ▁pu ja ▁remained ▁the ▁same , ▁but ▁expanded ▁to ▁wel coming ▁the ▁de ity ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁de ity ' s ▁spiritual ▁ess ence ▁as ▁one ' s ▁hon ored ▁guest . ▁The ▁Pur an ic ▁cor pus ▁of ▁literature , ▁d ating ▁from ▁about ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁CE , ▁contain ▁extensive ▁outline ▁on ▁how ▁to ▁perform ▁de ity ▁pu ja ▁( de va ▁p ū j ā ). ▁De ity ▁pu ja ▁thus ▁m eld s ▁V edic ▁r ites ▁with ▁dev otion ▁to ▁de ity ▁in ▁its ▁rit ual ▁form . ▁As ▁with ▁many ▁others ▁aspects ▁of ▁H indu ism , ▁both ▁V edic ▁pu ja ▁and ▁dev ot ional ▁de ity ▁pu ja ▁continued , ▁the ▁choice ▁left ▁to ▁the ▁H indu . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁historical ▁practice , ▁p ū j ā ▁in ▁H indu ism , ▁has ▁been ▁mode led ▁around ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁hosting ▁a ▁de ity , ▁or ▁important ▁person , ▁as ▁an ▁hon ored ▁and ▁dear est ▁guest ▁in ▁the ▁best ▁way ▁one ▁can , ▁given ▁one ' s ▁resources , ▁and ▁receiving ▁their ▁happiness ▁and ▁bless ing ▁in ▁return . ▁Paul ▁Th i eme