With deep reverence, the sacred stone was first anointed with fragrant sandalwood paste and gently wrapped in clean cloths, honoring its sanctity. Upon this stone, a seat of gold was offered, signifying respect and devotion. Then, in a solemn procession, the stone was carried around the sacrificial site, always moving in a clockwise direction to invoke auspiciousness. Once this circuit was complete, the stone was placed with its heart resting upon a bed or couch woven from kuśa grass, the holy grass of rituals. There, it was worshipped with devotion. With careful discernment, the devotee then began to arrange the collection of cosmic principles, starting from the earth and ascending to the highest realms. The threefold principle, which pervades the three divisions of existence, was arranged in sequence—beginning with intellect and ending with mind—each set within the subtle limits of thought and essence. From this subtle essence up to the earth, the presence of those whose very nature is Śiva-knowledge was established. The devotee worshipped these principles and their lords within the heart, invoking them through personal mantras. At places marked by garlands of flowers and other auspicious signs, the worship proceeded in order: “Om hūm, homage to the principle of Śiva; Om hūm, homage to Rudra, lord of the Śiva principle; Om hām, homage to the principle of knowledge; Om hām, homage to Viṣṇu, lord of the knowledge principle; Om hām, homage to the principle of self; Om hām, homage to Brahmā, lord of the self principle.” This was followed by the worship of the earth, fire, sacrificer, sun, water, wind, moon, and others. For each cosmic principle, eight forms were assigned to each stone, each representing aspects of Paśupati, fierce Rudra, Bhava, and Īśvara. Mahādeva and Bhīma, too, and their proper portions were honored in sequence with mantras such as, “Om, homage to the form of earth; Om, homage to the lord of earth.” In this manner, the guardians of the worlds were worshipped in order, each with the devotee’s own sacred syllables. After establishing these forms, the devotee worshipped the ritual pots using the same mantras or personal syllables. The seed syllables for Indra and the other deities were then spoken in proper sequence: “Lūṃ, ruṃ, śūṃ, pūṃ, vūṃ, yūṃ, mūṃ, hūṃ, kṣū”—thus forming the nine-stone arrangement. The stone could also be arranged fivefold, with each principle manifesting in five forms, beginning with earth and representing the five acts of creation. In these places, the five lords—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Īśvara, and Sadāśiva—were worshipped as before. The devotee recited, “Om, homage to the form of earth; Om, homage to Brahmā, lord of the form of earth,” and so on, worshipping the five ritual pots in order, each with its own name. These were sealed according to the prescribed procedure, starting from the central stone. A protective boundary was then drawn with sacred mantras, using kuśa grass and sesame seeds. The ritual energy was placed in the fire pits, where worship and oblations were offered. The forms of the principles and their lords were honored with ghee and other sacred offerings. For the purification of the Brahmā portion, the root and limbs were consecrated in order with Brahmā mantras. After filling the arrangement—sometimes up to a hundred or more stones—the devotee sprinkled them with water for peace. Touching each with kuśa grass, every principle was worshipped in sequence. Once presence and connection were established, the process of purification and consecration was repeated, moving through the three portions of the ritual as prescribed. Chanting, “Om āṃ īṃ, homage to the principles of self and knowledge,” the devotee touched the three Brahmā limbs with the roots of darbha grass and meditated upon the principles, applying both brief and extended contemplations. Then, reciting, “Om hām um, homage to the principles of knowledge and Śiva,” copper pots adorned with gems were filled with ghee and honey. The presiding deities of the world’s guardians were sprinkled with the five sacred products of the cow and with arghya offerings. Having worshipped them with personal mantras, a homa was performed in their presence. For all the stones, the devotee recalled their presiding deities—forms of knowledge, golden in hue, adorned with stones, and ritually bathed—so that any deficiency or excess of faults might be removed, and for the purification of the site and ground. Īśvara then instructed: Once the temple ground had been measured, the main hall and vestibule were marked. Sixty-four storage rooms were planned, with the altar placed evenly within the layout. In the corners, pillars were set up, and eight cords were stretched to the diagonal corners, marking the sacred geometry. There, two-footed and six-footed beings were to be worshipped according to established rules. During the worship and the laying out of walls and structures, the devotee remembered the Vāstu-purusha, his hair drawn up, lying prone in the form of a demon with his face to the north. His knees and elbows pointed toward the directions of Vāyu and Agni; his soles lay in the ancestral direction, his head in the fierce direction, and at his heart, his hands were joined in reverence. Upon the body of Vāstu-purusha, auspicious deities who had already been worshipped were established. The eight lords of the corners stood stationed in the eight half-corners. The six-footed beings, beginning with Marīci, were positioned in the directions from east onward; in the center, the four-footed Brahmā resided, while the remaining were called the one-footed. At the meeting place of all channels was the great vital spot, the source of unique results. There, the trident, the svastika, the thunderbolt, and the great svastika with its enclosure were found. The three-peaked, the wrist-joint, and the perfectly pure spot—twelve vital points in all—were to be carefully avoided in the construction of walls and other structures. Oblations were then offered: clarified butter mixed with unbroken rice to Īśa; water from a lotus to Parjanya; a bright saffron flag to Jayanta. Gem-water was offered to Mahendra; a grey canopy to the Sun; clarified butter, wheat, and rice-cakes to Satya and Bhṛśa. To Antarikṣa, uncooked meat was offered; to Śakti, a weapon; and, in the east, a ladle filled with honey, milk, curds, and clarified butter was presented to Agni. Roasted rice and pure water in gold were given to Vitatha; honey to the guardian of the house; and rice cooked with pulses to Yamarāja. Fragrance was offered to the lord of Gandharvas; the tongue of a bird to Bhringa; lotus leaves to the deer; thus, the eight deities in the southern direction were honored. To the ancestors, sesame-water, milk, and a twig for cleaning the teeth were given; to the divine doorkeeper, a cow marked with a seal. Cakes were offered to Sugrīva; darbha grass to Puṣpadanta; a red lotus to Pracetas; spirituous liquor to Asura. To Śeṣa, clarified butter and rice cooked with jaggery; to Rogā, cakes of clarified butter or roasted rice in the west, as prescribed for the eight deities. To Māruta, a yellow banner was offered; to Nāga, nāgakeśara flowers; to Bhallāṭa, the chief, well-prepared pulse soup and other foods. To Soma, milk-rice with ghee was given, and the same to Śālūka and Mūṣa. To Lopī, Maditi, and Diti, a city in the northern octant was offered. In the east, sweet cakes were offered to Brahman; a six-petaled flower to Marīci; and red flowers to Savitṛ, below the fire in the corner chamber. In the chamber below, sacred grass water was offered to Sāvitrī; on the southern side, red sandalwood to Vivasvat, who sits in the six-petaled seat. To Indra, in the chamber below the Rakṣas corner, rice cooked with turmeric was offered; and to Indrajaya, mixed food was presented below Indra in the same manner. Thus, with devotion, precision, and sacred offerings, the ritual unfolded—each act harmonizing the cosmic principles, the deities, and the very ground upon which the holy temple would stand.