Narada, the wise sage, spoke of the sacred arrangement for worship within the lotus of the heart. At the very center of this lotus, he instructed, one should honor Brahma, reverently worshipping every aspect of his form. On the eastern petal, the worship is to be offered to the lotus-naveled one, Vishnu. Moving to the southeastern petal, Prakriti, the divine mother of creation, is to be adored; and on the southern petal, Purusha, the cosmic spirit, is worshipped. To the right of Purusha, Agni, the god of fire, should be honored. In the southwestern direction, Varuna, lord of the waters, and Vayu, the wind god, are to be worshipped together. The western petal is reserved for Aditya, the sun. In the northwest, homage is paid to the Rig and Yajur Vedas, the sacred scriptures. On the northern petal, the Ishana aspect, the lord of the northeast, is to be worshipped. Encircling the first ring of petals, in the second circle, one is to worship Indra and the other principal deities, totaling sixteen. Here too, the Sama and Atharva Vedas, along with Akasha (ether), Vayu (air), Tejas (fire), and Jala (water), are honored in turn. Earth, Mind, Ear, Skin, and Eye are each worshipped, as are the Tongue and Nose. The sixteenth to be honored are the three great realms: Bhur, Bhuvah, and Svah. Beyond these, Mahar, Janas, Tapas, and Satya—the higher realms—are worshipped, along with the great Vedic sacrifices: Agnishtoma, Atiratra, Uktha, Shodashi, and Vajapeya. After properly honoring Atiratra, one should also pay homage to Aptoryama, then to Mind, Intellect, Ego, Sound, Touch, and Form. Taste and Smell are worshipped next, followed by the twenty-four petals in order: Life, the Lord of Mind, the five senses, Prakriti, and the principle of Sound. Then, the ten forms beginning with Vasudeva are to be honored, along with Mind, Ear, Skin, Eye, and Tongue. The Nose, Speech, Hands, and Feet complete the thirty-two aspects to be worshipped in the lotus petals. In the fourth enclosure, one should worship these deities along with their respective limbs and retinues. Furthermore, the anus and generative organ are to be honored, as well as the twelve lords of the months. In the outermost enclosure, worship is offered to the six groups beginning with Purushottama. In the wheel-lotus, the lords of the months are worshipped in order, followed by the eight Prakritis, then groups of six, five, and four. As the ritual proceeds, the diagram is drawn with care. The pericarp of the lotus is colored yellow, while all the petals are white and of equal size. Each petal should be as large as the width of two thumbs side by side, or half that size if measured with one thumb, all in white. The lotus is joined at its joints with white, and if desired, with black or dark blue. The filaments within are to be red and yellow, the corners filled with red, and the yogapitha—the sacred seat—decorated with all colors as the worshipper desires. The structure is adorned with motifs of creepers, canopies, leaves, and similar embellishments. At the entrance of the seat, white is used for beauty, red for splendor, and yellow is added as well. Blue is used to further enhance the decorations, while the corners are made white. This is the prescribed method for filling the Bhadraka, and the same applies to the other enclosures. The araka seeds used in the ritual are described as dark with red lines, appearing blackish from the red. Their outer lines are white, black, and red, with yellow lines on the exterior. The powders used in the ritual also have their proper colors: rice and similar grains yield white powder; safflower and the like give red; turmeric provides yellow; and burnt grains give black. Seeds from śamī leaves and similar plants are dark, and their marks are also dark. The measure for reciting mantras and accomplishing sacred knowledge is four hundred thousand. For buddhividyās, the measure is ten thousand, and for hymns, a thousand. By reciting a hundred thousand times, both the mantra and the self are purified. Another hundred thousand establish the mantra firmly in the spiritual field, and the homa, or fire offering, using these seeds, is considered equal in merit. The prior service of mantras and related practices is said to be a tenth part of the main practice. In the preliminary rites, a monthly vow should be observed. The worshipper is to keep the left foot on the ground and refrain from accepting gifts. For those who wish for greater results, doubling or tripling these practices brings the middling and highest accomplishments. Narada then promises to explain the meditation upon the mantra, by which the fruits of the mantra arise. The gross, sound-formed image is considered the external form. The subtle form is luminous, residing in the heart and made of thought; and that which is beyond thought is called the supreme. For most practitioners, the heart-based, thought-formed image is always remembered. The gross form is known as Virat, the subtle as Linga. The form free from thought is called divine—consciousness itself, the imperishable light dwelling in the lotus of the heart. One should meditate on the seed, which arises from the seed itself, in the form of a kadamba flower—like a lamp placed inside a pot, its flame gently restrained. In this way, the Lord of Mantras remains united and alone in the heart. Just as light escapes from a pot with many holes, so do the rays of the mantra’s power spread outward through the channels of the body, assuming a divine form. From the heart, these channels proceed and are accessible to the sense organs. Of these, two channels—one of the nature of fire, the other of soma—are found at the tip of the nose. Through the secret practice of yoga, by mastering the winds of the body, the practitioner devoted to recitation and meditation attains the mark of the mantra. By purifying the elements and their subtle forms, and practicing yoga with devotion, one attains the mystical powers such as aṇimā and others. Yet, by remaining detached, the yogi transcends even these. When the elements are endowed with divinity, the practitioner is freed from the grasp of the senses. At this point, Agni himself speaks, promising to explain the practice of protection for oneself and others, known as Mārjana. By this rite, a person is freed from suffering and attains happiness. Again, Agni continues, describing the rite of Pavitrārohaṇa and the fruits of worshipping Hari for a year. From the beginning of the month of Āṣāḍha to the end of Kārtika, the first day of each month is set aside for giving Pavitra. On these days, worship is offered to Śrī, Gaurī, Gaṇeśa, Sarasvatī, Guha, the Mothers of the Sun, Durgā, the Nāgas, the Ṛṣi, Hari, and Manmatha. Likewise, for Śiva and Brahmā, from the second day onward in order. For whichever deity the devotee is devoted to, that day becomes the Pavitra day for him. In the Pavitrārohaṇa rite, the procedure is similar to other rituals, with adjustments only in the mantras and details as needed. Gold, silver, copper, thread, cotton, and similar materials may be used. The thread should be spun by a Brāhmaṇa woman, or if that is not possible, by a purified person. The thread is made threefold, and with it, the Pavitra is fashioned for the sacred rite.