With deep reverence and careful preparation, the sacred rite began. The practitioner first created three lines of water, drawing one especially toward the east, with its opening facing downward. This was done while holding sacred kuśa grass and reciting the Śiva-mantra, sometimes reversing their order as tradition required. Next, invoking the mantra that makes all things firm and vajra-like, and fixing his mind on the heart, he laid out the four ritual paths using darbha grass. With the mantra for the sacred thread, he prepared the seat, again with his heart focused and pure. With mind and mantra, he invoked the goddess Vāgīśvarī to that place and began to worship the Lord. The sacred fire was brought forth with proper support and placed within a spotless vessel. Setting aside any portion meant for flesh-eaters, he purified the fire through careful inspection and other prescribed means, then united the three fires: the bodily fire, the lunar fire, and the elemental fire. Chanting “Om hūm,” he installed the consciousness of fire, using the very seed-syllable of fire itself. The fire, empowered by all the gathered mantras, was then transformed into nectar by the sacred gesture of the cow. Protected by the weapon-mantra and shielded with spiritual armor, the worshipper circumambulated the fire-pit, always turning to the right, wearing the worship-thread as prescribed. He meditated on the seed of Shiva, envisioning this within the domain of the goddess of speech, and visualized the god of speech casting that seed. Seated upon the ground with knees bent, the officiant directed this vision toward his heart, facing inward, and then gathered the seed present at his navel. With his heart, he performed the gathering, donned the ritual garment, purified himself, and sipped water as an act of sanctification. Having worshipped the fire within the womb, he protected it with a missile-mantra. He then tied the bracelet of the goddess—born from the womb—on a tender hand, and for the rite of conception, he worshipped the fire with the Sadyōjāta mantra. With the heart-mantra, he offered three sacred oblations. For the rite of producing a son, he worshipped with his left hand during the third month. Three more oblations were given, each accompanied by drops of water sprinkled on the head. In the sixth month, he performed the rite of parting the hair, worshipping the appropriate form. He offered three oblations for the topknot, using the topknot itself, then arranged the features of the mouth and carried out the rites for opening and purifying the mouth. In the tenth month, he performed the birth-rite and the man-making rite as before. He kindled the fire with darbha grass and bathed to remove the impurities of the womb. Meditating on the golden binding made for the goddess, he worshipped with all his heart. To remove impurity immediately after birth, he sprinkled water empowered with a missile-mantra. He struck the pot outside with a missile and purified it with the armor-mantra. With the missile-mantra, he touched the upper and lower ends of the ritual girdle, then placed kuśa grass outside. Once these had been properly placed and established, he expanded the sacred enclosure with his heart's intent. With the missile-mantra for the officiants, he addressed the three ends of the stalk. He offered five kindling sticks, each dipped in ghee, at both the ends and roots; with his heart, he worshipped Brahma, Shankara, Vishnu, and Ananta. With dūrvā grass and unbroken rice, he circumambulated the enclosure in order, visiting each extended place from Indra to Īśāna in proper sequence. In each direction, he worshipped those associated with Agni, thus removing obstacles and ensuring the protection of the child. At the end, he proclaimed the Śaiva command to those present. Then, taking the ladle and spoon, he arranged them so their mouths pointed upward and downward in proper order. After heating these in the fire, he touched the root, middle, and tip of the darbha grass. At the spot touched by the kuśa, he invoked the knowledge of the self and the nature of Shiva. He placed the three principles in order, intoning the syllables hāṃ, hīṃ, hūṃ, saṃ, and ra in sequence. In the ladle, he praised the power of Shambhu, having placed the essence of the heart. He worshipped the two deities whose necks were adorned with three cords, offering flowers and other offerings, and set them above the kuśa grass, at his own right side. Taking clarified butter from a cow—purified by inspection and other means—he conceived of his own form as composed of Brahman, then took that ghee. Whirling it above the altar at the level of his heart and within the fire’s range, he meditated again on the form of Vishnu and placed the ghee within the domain of Ishana. Lifting a drop of ghee with the tip of a sacred grass blade, and bowing his head slightly while uttering “svaha,” he offered one drop to Vishnu and immediately after, another to Rudra. Contemplating his own self, he held the ghee at his navel and began the floating ritual, using darbha grass of a span’s length, with the tips of his thumb and ring finger. With both hands holding the sacred grass, facing the fire, he performed the floating gesture with the weapon-mudra; then, facing his heart and self, he repeated the floating act. He obtained darbha grass scorched at the heart, purified it by casting it with a weapon-mantra, and with another blazing darbha, swept and ignited the fire anew. Again, with the weapon-mantra, he cast the scorched darbha into the fire. After this, he placed a knotted blade of kuśa grass, measuring a span, into the ghee. He envisioned two wings and three bodies for Ida and the others in the ghee, then took three portions of ghee in order with the ladle and offered them into the fire. He offered the ghee portions in the fire, dedicating the remaining ghee in order: “Om ham to Agni, svaha; Om ham to Soma, svaha; Om ham to Agni and Soma, svaha”—these for the opening of the eyes, offered to the three eyes of Agni. Filling the ladle with ghee, he offered a fourth oblation: “Om ham to Agni Svishtakrit, svaha.” Meditating with the six limbs, he awakened the fire with the gesture of the cow. Covering the ghee with the threefold body, he protected it with an arrow-gesture; casting a drop of ghee from the heart, he performed the sprinkling and purification. He united and joined the mouths, offering: “Om ham to Sadyojata, svaha; Om ham to Vamadeva, svaha; Om ham to Aghora, svaha; Om tatpurusha, svaha; Om ham to Ishana, svaha.” With each ghee offering, he touched the mouths as prescribed. He continued, connecting the mouths in order with the mantras: “Om ham to Sadyojata and Vamadeva, svaha; Om ham to Vamadeva and Aghora, svaha; Om ham to Aghora and Tatpurusha, svaha; Om ham to Tatpurusha and Ishana, svaha”—thus linking the mouths from Agni to Vayu, ending with Shiva. He established the unity of the mouths with a stream of ghee from the ladle, reciting: “Om ham to Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha, Ishana, svaha.” Thus, in the desired mouth, all mouths were included in that form. Having worshipped the fire with Ishana, and offered three oblations with the weapon-mantra, he proclaimed with full intent: “You are Shiva-fire, O Hutashana.” When the fire had been worshipped at the heart and released, and the two ancestors had been properly honored, he offered the complete oblation—with the root and the ending “vauṣuḍa”—as prescribed by tradition. Thus, with devotion and careful observance, the sacred rites unfolded, each step sanctifying the next, in a seamless flow of mantra, gesture, and offering, all for the blessing and protection of new life.