Having offered heartfelt prayers, the devotee should then give food and gifts to the twice-born, honoring them as part of the sacred ritual. When this annual worship is performed properly, with due reverence and care, it brings great merit. After completing the ritual worship with sacred threads and other offerings, and meditating upon the Supreme Brahman, the devotee becomes one with Hari Himself. The wise are instructed to restrain both speech and mind, turning their focus inward to worship that pure knowledge which resides within the self. In this state, one becomes free from all attachments—the body, the senses, the mind, intellect, breath, and ego are all transcended. What remains is the self-luminous, formless, and eternal reality—the very source of self-control and all virtues. This is the truth to be realized. The fourth, imperishable syllable is Brahman itself, and that supreme state is declared as one’s own true nature. To aid understanding, know the self as the charioteer, the body as the chariot, the senses as the horses, and the sense-objects as the fields they traverse. The wise declare that the self, when joined with mind and senses, is the true experiencer of life. When such a one attains realization, he is no longer subject to birth. He crosses to the far shore of the celestial river, reaching the supreme abode of Viṣṇu. In meditation, the posture is to be taken upon the lotus or other sacred seats, while mastery over the breath is essential. Concentration is the steady holding of the mind, and absorption is the merging of awareness into Brahman. In the center of the lotus of the heart, the devotee beholds the Lord, bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus. This Lord is eternal, pure, glorious, and is known as Truth and Bliss, the Supreme. He manifests in twenty-four divine forms, abiding within the sacred śālagrāma stone. When the devotee attains the object of his heart’s desire through such worship, he becomes celestial, blessed with divine qualities. Thus concludes the forty-fourth chapter of the Śrī Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa’s First Section, known as the Ācārakāṇḍa, specifically the “Description of Meditation on the Form of Brahman.” Now, as a continuation, the characteristics of the śālagrāma stone are described. The Lord who holds the conch, discus, mace, and lotus is called Keśava, the mighty bearer of the mace. When the Lord holds the discus, conch, lotus, and mace, He is Mādhava, resplendent and glorious. Obeisance is offered to Viṣṇu’s many forms—He who holds the lotus, conch, and is the enemy of Mura, and so on. Salutations are offered to the bearer of the mace, the enemy of the mace, to the one with conch and lotus, and to Trivikrama, who strides across the universe. The form of Śrīdhara is praised, marked by the discus, lotus, conch, and mace. Reverence is given to Padmanabha, whose form is adorned with the lotus, discus, mace, and conch. To Vasudeva, who bears the arrow, conch, mace, and lotus, salutations are offered. Pradyumna is worshipped, holding the auspicious conch, mace, lotus, and bow. The Supreme Person is recognized by the lotus, conch, mace, and discus. Narasimha, the fierce form, holds the lotus, mace, conch, and bow. O Janardana, who holds the conch, discus, lotus, and mace—may You protect me always. The form of Hari shines forth, adorned with the auspicious discus, lotus, mace, and conch. The śālagrāma stones themselves bear these divine marks. Some have two discus symbols at their entrance, while others have two joined discus marks, reddish in hue, with a full eastern side. Some are long with a head-like opening; Aniruddha is round in shape. In the center, a line like a trench and a navel-like discus, greatly elevated, may be seen. Alternatively, five dots may be present—such forms are especially suitable for worship by celibates. The Kurma form is blue, thick, marked by three lines and a dot. Śrīdhara is marked by five lines, while Dvanamali is identified by a trench. Anantaka appears in various colors and forms, adorned with serpents. Brahma is recognized by a narrow entrance and a deep red hue. Thus are the sacred forms and characteristics of the śālagrāma stones, each one a manifestation of the Supreme Lord, to be worshipped with devotion and reverence.