With careful reverence, the teacher begins the sacred rite by sanctifying the ritual pot with the mantra "Oṣadhi," invoking the sacredness of herbs and the healing powers of nature. He then anoints the pot with waters drawn from the ocean, further purifying it, and once again offers arghya—an offering of water—signifying respect and welcome to the divine presence. Next, the teacher prepares garments in accordance with his own scriptural tradition, and as he does so, he utters, "You are youthful," recognizing the ever-fresh and auspicious nature of these sacred vestments. With the mantra "For Śambhu," he respectfully arranges the garments upon the ceremonial bed, preparing a worthy seat for the divine. Standing firm in the supreme principle, the teacher then performs the placement of mantras, aligning the space and the objects with spiritual energy. He covers the image with cloth, and thus veiled, the image is ready to be worshipped with devotion. He then wraps the image with a pair of garments, chanting the praṇava—Om—enfolding it in the primal sound. Standing near the altar, he establishes the sacred fire, the heart of the ritual. Now, he recites the Śrīsūkta, Pāvamānya, Vāsadāmya, and Asavajin hymns, invoking prosperity, purity, and well-being. The teacher continues with the Rudra hymn, the Puruṣasūkta, and the Śukriya hymn, drawing on the power of Vedic verses and chapters. He then recites the Vedic vow, the Vāmadeva, the Jyeṣṭhasāman, and the Rathantara, weaving a tapestry of sound that sanctifies the entire space. Further, he invokes the Atharvaśirasa and the Kumbhasūkta from the Atharva Veda, bringing completeness to the ritual recitation. With special care, the teacher sprinkles the altar using the weapon-mantra, invoking divine protection. He then brings forth Jātavedas, the fire deity, and places it at the front, establishing it as the witness and carrier of offerings. The teacher, having made the fire as pure and sweet as nectar through the power of all the mantras, employs the Vaiṣṇava method of yoga to cast forth the supreme radiance, infusing the rite with divine light. Whether with a common mantra or one prescribed by his tradition, the teacher worships Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Hara, and Īśāna, the great deities, with unified devotion. Even one who lacks a mantra is purified by the touch of darbha grass and water, for the sanctity of the rite is accessible to all. When the fire is surrounded by spread-out darbha grass, it manifests fully, becoming present for the ritual. Some teachers choose to perform this immediately following the birth-rite and similar ceremonies. The teacher then examines and consecrates the clarified butter with mantras, preparing it for offering. He makes five sets of five oblations with ghee, each accompanied by mantras from his own scriptures and the sacred syllable Om. In this way, the fire thus produced brings success to all rites. To Indra and the other deities, he offers a hundred oblations each, using their own mantras. Then, the officiant places his own oblation among the ghee offerings in the vessel, focusing his mind single-pointedly before making the full offering. These offerings are made for the benefit of all beings—humans, gods, and nāgas—according to the prescribed rite. Ghee serves as both assistant and principal in these offerings, depending on the vessel used for each. The Jyeṣṭha-sāman and Bhāruṇḍa hymns are then led in the western direction, further sanctifying the space. Having offered a thousand oblations to each god, the teacher establishes their presence upon the head of the image, bestowing honor and completion. He offers oblations at the various places of the head, entering the mantras in their proper order. Alternatively, O twice-born ones, he may use mantras prescribed by his own scriptures or the Gāyatrī, as tradition allows. Having performed the rite of oblation in this manner, the teacher places the mantras upon the image: "Agni, come!" on both shanks; "May the gods grant us well-being" on the knees; "Long life to you" on the heart; and "Splendor to you" on the throat. "Become the head" is placed upon the head itself, and after completing these placements, he performs the homa, the fire offering. With the words "Veda" and "Auspicious day," he circumambulates the temples, affirming the sanctity of time and space. Finally, he honors the guardians of the directions, along with offerings of gems, metals, and herbs, completing the rite with fullness and reverence.