With deep reverence, the ritualist begins by taking a sacred drop with the tip of kuśa grass, uttering the syllable “svāhā,” and, with the utmost subtlety, offers this drop first to Viṣṇu and then immediately to the form of Rudra. Turning inward, he contemplates his own self, holding the energy at his navel, and lets it float gently. Using a piece of darbha grass the length of a finger, he touches it with the tips of his thumb and ring finger, maintaining mindfulness throughout. With both hands, he faces the fire and enacts the floating gesture with the sacred weapon, performing this from the heart and self, as prescribed. The darbha grass, burned by the fire of the heart, is purified by casting it with the weapon-mantra. Taking another blazing piece of darbha, he sweeps and ignites it, ensuring all is made pure. Again, with the weapon-mantra, the darbha grass is burned in the fire. After casting it, he selects a darbha stalk tied with a knot and finger-length, placing it into the ghee. Meditating on the two wings and the three channels—iḍā and the others—within the ghee, he takes three measures of ghee with the sruva ladle and offers them in sequence. He offers the first portion of ghee into the fire, then the remaining portions in order, reciting: “Om hāṃ, to Agni, svāhā; Om hāṃ, to Soma, svāhā; Om hāṃ, to Agni and Soma, svāhā.” For the opening of the eyes, he makes offerings to Agni’s three eyes. Filling the sruva with ghee, he makes the fourth oblation: “Om hāṃ, to Agni, for the sviṣṭakṛt, svāhā,” and, invoking the six limbs, he enlivens them with the gesture of the cow. He covers the ghee with three sacred threads, shielding it with the subtlety of the arrow, and scatters drops of ghee from the heart, purifying by sprinkling. He performs the joining and unification of the “mouths,” offering: “Om hāṃ, to Sadyojāta, svāhā; Om hāṃ, to Vāmadeva, svāhā; Om hāṃ, to Aghora, svāhā; Om tatpuruṣa, svāhā; Om hāṃ, to Īśāna, svāhā.” With each ghee offering, he joins the mouths, thus uniting the faces. He continues: “Om ham, to Sadyojata and Vamadeva, svāhā. Om ham, to Vamadeva and Aghora, svāhā. Om ham, to Aghora and Tatpurusha, svāhā. Om ham, to Tatpurusha and Ishana, svāhā.” In this way, he contemplates the faces in order, from Agni to Vāyu, and finally to Nirrti and Śiva. Bringing together all the faces, he pours ghee with the ladle, reciting: “Om ham, to Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha, and Ishana, svāhā.” Thus, he establishes the inclusion of all faces and their forms in the chosen aspect. Having worshipped Agni with Īśāna and made three oblations with the astra-mantra, he recites with devotion: “You are Śiva, the fire, the consumer of offerings.” In his heart, he establishes the fire and offers the complete prescribed oblation to the ancestors, using the root mantra ending with “vauṣaṭ,” as tradition dictates. In the radiant lotus of his heart, with all its parts and retinue, he invokes and worships as before. Having sought permission, he offers to Śiva. He connects the channels of the sacrificial fire and Śiva within himself, performing the homa with the root mantra and its components, offering one-tenth portions of each item. The offerings are measured precisely: one karsha each for ghee, milk, and honey; a shellful for curds; a prasriti for rice pudding. For all foods and grains, a handful suffices; for roots and fruits, three pieces each, according to their nature. Cooked foods are offered as half a mouthful; fine substances in five portions; sugarcane by its upper joint; creepers by two finger-widths. Flowers and leaves are given in their proper measure; kindling sticks, ten finger-widths. Camphor, sandalwood, saffron, musk, and resin are measured like a kalaya pea; guggulu like a jujube seed; tubers, one-eighth part. Thus, the homa is performed with the seed syllables of Brahman. The ladle is then placed face down in the vessel of ghee. A flower is set at the tip of the ladle, held first with the left hand, then with both in the gesture of a conch. Half-rising, feet together and upright, the gesture is brought to the navel, eyes fixed on the ladle’s tip. Withdrawing the mind from all causes, beginning with Brahma, he leads the energy through the Sushumna to the left breast, attentively placing the root there. He recites the root mantra softly, ending with “vauṣaṭ,” and offers ghee into the fire in the measure of a barley grain. After sipping water, offering sandalwood, and betel and the like, he honors the divine glory with devotion and performs the supreme salutation. He worships the fire with the astra-mantra ending in “phat,” seals the rite with the gesture of destruction and humbly asks forgiveness. He establishes the radiant enclosing fires using his breath, heart, and subtle self, with supreme faith, within the lotus of his heart. Taking the foremost of offerings, he makes two circles and offers the oblation both inside and outside, before the fire-pit dedicated to Agni. He offers: “Om hām, to the Rudras, svāhā;” in the east, to the Mothers; in the south, likewise; in the west, “hām, to the hosts of Varuṇa, svāhā”—this is their offering. In the north, “hām, to the Yakṣas;” in the northeast, “hām, to the Grahas;” in the fire, “hām, to the Asuras;” in the southwest, to the Rākṣasas. In the northwest, “hām, to the Nāgas;” in the center, to the Nakṣatras; “hām, to the Rāśis, svāhā;” in the fire, to all, and again in the southwest. In the west, the inner offering is for the Kṣetrapāla; in the outer circle, for Indra, Agni, and Yama. He offers to Nairṛta, the lord of waters, Vāyu, the guardian of wealth, Īśāna at the head of the east, and Īśāna as Brahman, with obeisance. “To Nairṛta, to Viṣṇu, svāhā;” the outer offering is for crows and others. The mantras for these offerings are dissolved within, with the gesture of withdrawal. Now, Īśvara instructs: Bearing the arghya vessel, one should approach the fire-house, well-enclosed, and prepare all ritual implements with divine vision. Facing north, the fire-pit is inspected, sprinkled, and struck with kuśa grass. The prescribed acts are performed with the armor-mantra, and the place is sprinkled for protection. With a sword, the excavated earth is removed, refilled, and leveled. The spot is sprinkled with the armor-mantra and pounded with the arrow-mantra. One always sweeps, smears, and arranges the ritual forms, dons the triple thread, and worships with the armor, thus sanctifying the sacred space for the rite to unfold.