With a heart full of reverence, the seeker begins by bowing to all the Mothers, invoking their blessings, and then turns inward to practice control of the breath. With the sacred syllable “Om hām,” the mind contemplates the great Lord, meditating upon Rudra whose speech is supremely pure, and prays for inspiration from him. After this, the worship of the Sun is performed with deep devotion, using solar mantras: “Om ham,” saluting the Sun-form, radiant and swift as a meteor in the sky. The seeker then recalls the presence of Daṇḍin, Piṅgala, and the great beings, honoring their guidance. Next, the worship of the divine energies proceeds: Padmā is worshiped with the syllable “rāṃ,” Dīptā with “rīṃ,” Sūkṣmā with “rūṃ,” and Jayā with “reṃ.” Vidyut, in the east and at the center, is honored with “rāṃ,” facing all directions to encompass the whole universe. The heart is offered to the Sun with “Om āṃ”; the head and crown are sanctified with the three worlds—“bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ om.” All deities are worshipped with the Sūrya-hṛdaya, and the sounds “soṃ,” “somaṃ,” and “maṃ” are uttered for auspiciousness. Rāhu is worshipped with “rāṃ” and Ketu with “kaṃ,” paying homage to the radiant and fierce among them. The heart is protected with “hām,” the crown with “hūṃ,” armor with “haim,” and the eyes with “haum.” With the arghya vessel prepared, it is sprinkled with pure water and worshipped as an offering. The seeker visualizes themselves seated upon a lotus, and, with “hauṃ,” salutes Shiva, feeling his presence outside and within. Śrīvatsa, the lord of the dwelling, Brahmā with his retinue, and the revered teacher are all honored. The ritual recognizes the beginning, even where unrighteousness once was, at the start of the sacred fire, in the center, and at the lotus’s pericarp. With “Om hauṃ,” the one who transforms sound and strength is invoked. With a focused mind, all these are worshipped in the middle of the altar, before the presence of Shiva. The rituals of invocation, installation, presence, and restraint are performed with care and devotion. The seeker then undertakes the acts of sipping, anointing, unction, bathing, and purification. Sipping again, cleansing the mouth, offering betel, and washing the hands follow, ensuring all is made pure for the divine. If the worship is for a symbolic image, a one-day recitation and its offering are performed. The fire, the lord of arrows, is honored in the northwest, at the center, and the ritual begins from the east. The protector of the cave, the most secret Lord, is asked to accept the recitation and offerings made. Whatever action is performed, whether good or bad, is humbly dedicated to Shiva, who is the giver, the enjoyer, and the very essence of the world. All that has been done, all that will be done, and all that is good, is offered to him. Now, the worship of Shiva is explained in another way. The wind-weapon, or the Lord at the door, is recognized, and the elements beginning from the east are honored: light, wind, space, scent, taste, form, and sound. The senses—eye, tongue, nose, mind, intellect, and the sense of “I”—along with nature itself, are all acknowledged. Maya, pure knowledge, Ishvara, and Sadashiva are remembered, as is the truth that Shiva is also Hari and Brahma; ultimately, the seeker recognizes, “I am that Brahman, O Shankara.” The process of purifying the elements is then described, by which Shiva is made pure. The two channels, Piṅgalā and Iḍā, and the two vital winds, Prāṇa and Apāna, are contemplated. The air, marked by the mouth, is visualized as arrows with a single, raised quality. With “Oṃ hrīṃ” for establishment, “hrūṃ hraḥ phaṭ,” the seeker recognizes the support of eighty-four crores and the earth principle. Within this, the tree of existence and the self are contemplated. Vāmādevī is established as the foundation, and Suṣumnā as the supporter. The qualities are elevated, the Vedas are remembered, and the seeker enters the pure, white meditation. The lotus, marked with a padma and spreading over twenty-two crores, is recalled. The sacred place at the palate and the lotus, the abode of Aghora endowed with knowledge, is meditated upon, completing the ritual with the fullness of devotion and wisdom.