Listen, then, to the sacred duties and the profound acts of worship prescribed for the wise. First among these is the Bhūta-yajña—the offering of food to all beings—which nourishes and sustains all embodied creatures. In the same spirit, when one bows with reverence to learned Brahmins accompanied by their wives, who are well-versed in the Vedas and the principles of dharma, and offers them food, this is known as the Manuṣya-yajña. When offerings are made with the ancestors in mind, this is called the Pitṛ-yajña. Thus, the five great sacrifices—Bhūta-yajña, Manuṣya-yajña, Pitṛ-yajña, Deva-yajña, and Brahma-yajña—should all be performed for the fulfillment of every purpose in life. Among all these sacrifices, the Brahma-yajña is held supreme. A mortal who is devoted to the Brahma-yajña earns honor in the world of Brahma. By performing this sacrifice, all the gods, including Indra, as well as the blessed Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śaṅkara—the blue-throated Lord—are satisfied. The Vedas and the ancestors, too, are pleased, and there should be no doubt about this. Even if a Brahmin has left his village, he should not neglect the Brahma-yajña. Wherever a man’s gaze can reach—across the thatched roofs of huts, to the east, the north, the northeast, or any direction—there he should perform the auspicious act of sipping water, purifying himself for the Brahma-yajña. For the pleasure of the divine, Brahmins sip water three times, rinsing with the Ṛgveda. Then, wiping themselves with the Yajurveda and washing again, they touch their heads with the Sāmaveda for sanctification. Their eyes are touched with the Atharvaveda and the Āṅgirasa hymns, their noses too, and they repeatedly wash their limbs with water. In the same manner, the worshipper touches himself, invoking the Brahmā and the deities of the eighteen Purāṇas, as well as the Upapurāṇas like the Saurapurāṇa, in their proper order. The ears are touched with the auspicious Itihāsas—such as the Śaiva and others—and finally, the region of the heart. One who knows all the Kalpas should touch himself with all the Kalpas. Having thus sipped water and spread a mat of darbha grass, the wise man sits, placing his right hand to the north, adorned with a golden ring, whether or not he wears the sacred thread. If he is twice-born, wearing the sacred thread, he should perform the Brahma-yajña as prescribed, with intent and composure. A sage who neglects the five great sacrifices cannot be called truly noble. Neglecting these sacred acts may lead one to be reborn in the womb of swine; therefore, one who seeks auspiciousness must perform these rites with all diligence. After the Brahma-yajña, one should bathe with full attention, gather water as prescribed, and enter the dwelling with self-control. Outside the house, he should wash his feet and hands with water, and then perform the ash-bath for purification. The ash should be purified according to rule, using the Praṇava, and taken from the Agnihotra fire. In the morning, at sunrise, one should offer oblations with the mantra 'Jyotiḥ Sūrya.' In the evening, before sunset, one should likewise offer to the fire with the mantra 'Jyotir Agni.' The ash that remains from the sunrise oblation is pure and auspicious. There is nothing equal to truth, for untruth is sin. With the Īśāna mantra, one should anoint the head; with the Tatpuruṣa mantra, the face; with the Aghora mantra, the chest; with the Vāmadeva mantra, the secret parts; with the Sadyojāta mantra, the feet; and with the Praṇava, the whole body. Then, the knower of Brahman should wash his hands and feet, take up the ash after removing impurities, and remember the Lord of gods. Afterward, one should perform the mantra-bath in the proper order, using the 'Āpo hiṣṭhā' and other purifying mantras, as well as sacred mantras from the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas. Thus, for the welfare of the twice-born, this bath has been prescribed. Whoever performs it even once attains the supreme state. Now, hear the procedure for worshipping the Liṅga, which in its fullness cannot be described even in a hundred years. Having bathed in the prescribed way and entered the place of worship, one should practice the threefold regulation of breath and meditate on the three-eyed God. He is five-faced, ten-armed, shining like pure crystal, adorned with every ornament, and clothed in splendid garments. Assuming that divine form, and adopting the Śaiva body through rites of burning and bathing, one should worship the Supreme Lord. After purifying the body, the worshipper should place the root mantra everywhere, accompanied by the Praṇava and the Brahma mantras as appropriate. In the sacred thread, the mantra 'Namaḥ Śivāya' is present; the meters and mantras in their subtle forms are established within it. Just as the mighty banyan tree is contained within its seed, so too is the great Brahman established, in subtle form, within the sacred thread. Next, the place of worship is sprinkled with water mixed with fragrant sandalwood, and all the materials are purified by washing, sprinkling, and other acts. These acts are performed with the sacred syllable Om. The vessels for sprinkling, for offering arghya, and for water for the feet are arranged in order. The vessel for sipping water is placed properly, covered as appropriate by the wise. Each vessel is covered with darbha grass and sprinkled with pure water, then filled with cool water. With the syllable Om, the wise place the materials into the vessels after examining them. For the water for the feet, vetiver and sandalwood are added. For the vessel for sipping water, nutmeg, kankola, camphor, bahumula, and tamala are ground and added. In all the vessels, sandalwood, camphor, and various flowers are placed. In the vessel for arghya, tips of kusa grass, unbroken grains of rice, barley, sesame, clarified butter, mustard seeds, flowers, and sacred ash are added. Thus, with reverence and precision, the devotee prepares for the worship of the Supreme Lord, ensuring that every act is pure, auspicious, and in harmony with the sacred tradition.