What does Chapter 26 teach about the practice of worship, and which form is considered superior?

Chapter 26 describes a form of internal worship that it deems superior to external rituals. The author details this devotional practice by poetically stating, "We shall wash Your feet with warm tears of joy; we shall apply the sandalwood paste of pure love and clothe You with true faith." This chapter explicitly clarifies that this internal ritual of worship is superior to external offerings. The ideal practice involves offering the "eight-petaled lotus of the eight-fold sattvic emotions," which is pure and whole, with a focused mind. This internal devotion, aimed at pleasing the Guru and achieving life's true purpose, is presented as more valuable than any physical offering.