With reverence, the worshipper begins by bowing to Nairṛta, the lord of the southwest, to the master of waters, to Vāyu, protector of wealth, and to Īśāna who presides at the eastern beginning. He offers his salutations to Īśāna again, and to Brahman, the supreme reality, expressing his devotion to these divine powers. Next, he makes an oblation to Nairṛta and to Viṣṇu, uttering “svāhā,” and prepares an external offering for the crows and other beings. The mantras for both offerings are then dissolved inwardly, with a gesture of dissolution, signifying the completion of this part of the rite. Then, Lord Īśvara speaks, promising to explain the worship of the sacred cow, Kapilā. He instructs that with the proper mantras, one should honor the cow: “Om, Kapilā, Nandā, salutations; Om, Kapilā, Bhadrikā, salutations.” The worship continues: “Om, Kapilā, Suśīlā, salutations; Kapilā, radiant as Surabhi; Om, Kapilā, Sumanasā, salutations; Om, bestower of enjoyment and liberation, salutations.” He invokes Saurabhi, the world-mother who bestows immortality upon the gods, entreating her to accept the offering and grant the desired boon. He recalls that Kapilā has been worshipped by the great sages Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, and prays for his own sins to be removed, for the restraint of any evil deed he may have committed. He reflects: “Cows are always before me, cows are behind me as well; cows are in my heart, and I dwell among the cows.” He asks that the offering he has given be concealed, and, having recited the proper prayers, he feels purified and auspicious. After the worship, he bows respectfully to the sacred texts and to the feet of his teacher. At midday, after bathing, he prepares to worship Śiva with eight flowers, honoring the seat, the image, and the limbs of the deity, each with a flower. In the dining hall, well-plastered and clean, he brings forth the cooked food and, with the Mṛtyuñjaya mantra ending in “vauṣaṭ,” he recites it seven times. Using darbha grass and a conch, he sprinkles the food with drops of water while reciting sacred formulas. Selecting the best portion of the food, he offers it to Śiva. Then, he prepares half of the food for the cullikā fire ritual, purifying the cullikā according to proper procedure and making the offering into the fire. He offers to the navel fire, and then with the air exhaled, taking the seed of fire and placing it in the locations beginning with ‘ka’ as prescribed. Meditating, “You are Śiva’s fire,” he places the offering into the cullikā fire, saluting Agni with “Om hāṃ,” and Soma likewise. He offers salutations to Sūrya, to Bṛhaspati, to the lord of creatures, to all the gods, and to the Viśvedevas. For the completion of the sacrifice, he worships Agni in the east with “hām,” gives the offering ending in “svāhā,” asks forgiveness, and respectfully dismisses the deities. At the right side of the cullikā, he worships for Dharma, and at the left, for Adharma, placing offerings such as sour gruel in a vessel. For the transformation of taste, he makes offerings to Varuṇa and to the fire of water. At the house door, he honors the lord of obstacles, and in the grinding place, he salutes Subhaga. At the mortar, he worships the fierce one and the mountain-dweller with reverence. At the pestle, he honors the lover of strength and the weapon. On the broom, as prescribed by the gods, he makes an offering for desire; on the bedstead, and on the central pillar, he makes an offering for Skanda. Having completed the house-offering, he proceeds further. He eats from a golden vessel, or one adorned with lotus or other leaves. The teacher, the adept, and the son, after making an agreement, observe silence during the meal. He avoids the banyan, sacred fig, arka, vata, and bhallataka trees. Having taken pure water beforehand, he sips it with the vital airs, accompanied by the sacred syllable Om. He offers five oblations, each ending with “svāhā,” into the blazing inner fire, naming the nāga, the tortoise, the kṛkara, devadatta, and dhanañjaya—the bodily airs. To these upavāyus, with water sipped with “svāhā,” and after offering food and the like, he drinks the remaining water. He acknowledges, “You are the immortal covering,” and makes the prāṇāhutis: “To prāṇa, svāhā; to apāna, to samāna, likewise.” To udāna and vyāna, he offers as well. Having eaten, he performs the cullaka rite, affirming, “You are the immortal closure,” thus sanctifying the bodily airs related to food. Then the Lord explains the rite of installing the sacred thread, which completes the acts of worship and all related rituals. This rite is to be observed daily, and also on special occasions. It is prescribed to be performed on the fourteenth day beginning from Āṣāḍha, and during Śrāvaṇa and Bhādra, whether in the bright or dark fortnight, specifically on the fourteenth and eighth days. Alternatively, it may be performed on any lunar day up to Kārtikī, beginning from the first, and dedicated to Agni, Brahmā, Ambikā, the serpent, Skanda, the sun, and the wielder of the trident. The rite may also be for Durgā, Indra, Govinda, Smara, Śambhu, and the nectar-drinker. The sacred thread may be made of gold, silver, copper, or other metals, in the prescribed order. In the Kali age, one may use cotton, silk, lotus-fiber, or similar materials. The sacred syllable, the moon, fire, Brahmā, the serpent, Guha, and Hari—all the gods—should be represented in the nine threads in order. The number of threads may be one hundred and eight, or half that, or the best among them; or with eighty-one threads, or with thirty plus eight, or fifty, with equal spacing between the knots. The length should be twelve finger-breadths, or eight in width; the breadth of the liṅga may be four finger-breadths. The touch of the pedestal is the fourth measure, for all the deities. The descent of Gaṅgā should be represented with well-twisted, thoroughly washed thread. The knot is to be tied with the left hand, and then purified with the Aghora mantra. It should be dyed with red sandalwood, saffron, musk, yellow pigment, and similar substances. Ten knots are made using musk, yellow pigment, camphor, turmeric, red ochre, and the like, or according to the number of threads. The spaces between the knots should be pleasing, one, two, or four fingers in width. The basic types are masculine, heroic, and a fourth called Unconquered. Beyond these, there is Jaya, then Vijaya as the sixth, Ajita, Sadāśiva, Manonmani, and Sarvamukhi—these are auspicious knots, exceeding the usual number. They may be made for the moon, fire, sun, the sacred thread, or for Shiva; or for each individual form, for the flower-offering, for the teacher, or for the group. Thus, in this way, the sacred rites of worship, offering, and the installation of the sacred thread are performed, sanctifying the worshipper and drawing him closer to the divine.