With a mind absorbed in meditation, the aspirant contemplates Agni as the presiding deity. Inwardly, he withdraws the subtle element of touch, reciting the sacred syllables: “Om hrauṃ haḥ phaṭ hrūm, I withdraw the subtle element of touch, obeisance.” Again, with the same mantra, he withdraws the subtle element of sound, offering obeisance. Through these two acts of withdrawal, he envisions within himself a mandala, smoke-colored and marked by a pure moon, and by the practices of meditation and yoga, he fully draws inward both the touch and sound elements. Once more, reciting “Om hrauṃ haḥ phaṭ hrūm,” he withdraws the subtle element of sound. With a single act of withdrawal, he draws in the ether, clear as pure crystal, which is perceived at the tip of the nostrils. Through the process of drying and other purifications, the place of worship is made pure in this sequence. He meditates upon his body as dry, beginning from the feet and rising up to the crown of his head. With the syllables ‘yaṃ’ and ‘vaṃ’, he encircles his body with a garland of flames, leading his subtle form out through the supreme aperture—the doorway of Brahman. Meditating on the bindu as nectar, he floods his body with that ambrosial essence, transforming it with ashes and thus making it divine. Having performed the ritual placements (nyāsa) on his hands and body, he begins the inner worship within the lotus of his heart, offering mental flowers and other gifts to Viṣṇu and all His limbs. With the root-mantra, he worships the Lord of gods, the bestower of enjoyment and liberation, inviting Him: “Welcome, Lord of gods, O Keśava, be present here.” He offers this mental worship, properly conceived, and honors the supporting power—the Tortoise—followed by Ananta, and then the Earth herself. In the center, he contemplates fire and the other elements, together with Dharma and others, and Indra as chief among the unrighteous. There, too, are the lotus, Māyā, and Avidyā. He meditates on the principle of time, the solar and other spheres, and the king of birds. In the middle are the series of deities from Vāyu to Īśāna, along the lineage of teachers. He worships the divine group: Sarasvatī, Nārada, Nalakūbara, his own teacher, the teacher’s sandals, the supreme teacher, and those sacred sandals again. He honors the accomplished ones of the past, those yet to come, and the powers residing in the filaments of the lotus; Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Affection, Fame, Peace, and Beauty are all invoked. He contemplates Nourishment, Satisfaction, Indra and the others in the center, with Hari invoked; Steadfastness, Splendor, Delight, Beauty, and more—Acyuta is established at the root of all. Facing the deity, he offers prayers, turning to the east. After placing and offering water and similar items, he worships at the root with scents and other offerings. He prays: “Om. Terrify, terrify! Strike fear into the heart and head again; crush, crush! The topknot, in the fire and so on, the weapon and missile.” He seeks protection: “Protect, protect! Destroy, destroy! Salutation to the armor; Om hrūṃ phaṭ, salutation to the missile, and to the root seed and the limbs.” In the four directions—east, south, west, and north—he worships the forms with their coverings: Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. At the fire and other stations, he honors the forms of Śrī, Steadfastness, Delight, and Beauty, all belonging to Hari; the conch, discus, mace, and lotus are worshipped at the fire and so on, beginning from the east. He venerates the bow Śārṅga, the pestle, the sword, and the forest garland outside that circle; Indra and others, and also Ananta, and then Varuṇa in the southwest. Between Brahmā and Indra and Īśāna, outside is the covering of weapons; then Airāvata, the goat, the buffalo, the monkey, and the fish are contemplated. The deer, the hare, the bull, the tortoise, the swan, and outside them, Pṛśnigarbha, Kumuda and others, and two pairs of doorkeepers are honored. After bowing to Hari at the eastern and northern doors, he proceeds outside to offer the bali, saluting the attendants of Viṣṇu and presenting the offering at the bali-seat. He worships Viśva and Viśvaksena at the Īśāna corner, and on the god’s right hand, he ties the protective thread. To the one who grants the full fruit of worship performed throughout the year, he offers the sacred thread, reciting: “Let this auspicious token be worn—om, salutation.” He observes fasting and other disciplines in the presence of the deity, declaring: “By fasting and such discipline, I satisfy the deity.” He prays that all desires, anger, and the rest may not remain with him in any way, from that day until the special day, seeking purification. If the sacrificer is unable, the vow-holder should observe night-fasting and similar practices. After making the offering, he respectfully dismisses the deity, offers praise, and performs the auspicious daily worship. Then Agni spoke: “With this mantra, one should adorn the sacrificial place: ‘Salutations to the god of the Brahmins, to Śrīdhara, the imperishable Self.’ To Viṣṇu, who is of the form of Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman, whose very body is sound—having drawn the maṇḍala in the evening, one should gather the sacrificial materials and all that is required.” Having washed his hands and feet, the devotee places the vessel for arghya. With the arghya waters, he sprinkles his own head, and also the entrance and other places. He begins the worship at the doorways, honoring the guardians of the gateways. The sacred trees—Aśvattha, Udumbara, Vaṭa, and Plakṣa—are placed in the eastern and other directions. He recites the Ṛk named Indraśobhana in the east, the Yajus called Yamasubhadraka, the Sāman named Sudhanvan, and the Atharvan called Suhotraka of Soma. At the ends of the gateways, flags and two pots beginning with kumuda are set; at each door, he worships the respective deities by name, and in the east, he offers a full blue lotus. He worships the gentle doorkeepers: Ānanda and Nandana, Dakṣa, Vīrasena, Suṣeṇaka, Sambhava, and Prabhava. After chanting the weapon mantra and scattering flowers to drive away obstacles, he enters and performs purification of the elements, displaying the prescribed mudrā. Reciting the śikhā mantra ending with ‘phaṭ’, he places mustard seeds in the directions; with Vāsudeva, he uses cow urine; with Saṅkarṣaṇa, cow dung. With Pradyumna, he uses milk; with Nārāyaṇa, curd and ghee. For each, the quantity of ghee is increased by one share. In a vessel with ghee, all these together form the sacred pañcagavya; one portion is for sprinkling the pavilion, another for sipping. For bathing, in ten pots, he worships the guardians of the worlds, beginning with Indra. He announces the command to worship them and remains according to the order of Hari. Thus, in this sacred sequence and with deep reverence, the aspirant prepares the place, the body, and the mind for the divine presence, honoring all deities, guardians, and powers, and offering his devotion in the prescribed manner.