With a heart full of devotion, the worshipper begins the sacred rite by gathering pure materials: kusa grass, fragrant kusa flowers, grains of barley, rice, the roots called bahumula, and the dark tamala leaves. All these are reverently placed into the vessel meant for sprinkling, each item consecrated with the utterance of the sacred syllable Om. Into this vessel, too, is placed the power of mantras: the five-syllabled mantra, the luminous Gayatri, the presence of the deity Rudra, or simply Om itself—the supreme essence of the Veda. The worshipper then sprinkles these offerings, intoning Om and the five mantras beginning with Ishana, thereby sanctifying the materials. To the side of the Lord of gods, the devotee worships Nandin, who blazes like fire, with three eyes, crowned by the crescent moon, bearing the face of Hari, four-armed, gentle, adorned with a garland of flowers and all manner of ornaments, the lord among the gods. To the north, the worshipper honors his virtuous wife—auspicious among the Maruts, renowned for her good vows and fame, the devoted mother, ever eager to adorn the Lord’s feet. Having thus worshipped the companions of the Lord, the devotee enters the innermost chamber of the Supreme, and with deep devotion, offers a handful of flowers to the five-faced Lord. With sandalwood, flowers, and many kinds of incense, the worshipper adores Shankara, Skanda, Vinayaka, and the Goddess, and purifies the linga with these offerings. All the mantras, beginning with Om and ending with Namah, are recited as the worshipper prepares the divine seat called the lotus, visualizing it through the syllable Om. Each petal of this lotus-seat carries a sacred power: the eastern petal is the power of aṇimā, the southern is laghimā, and the western is mahimā. Acquisition graces the eastern petal, irresistible will sits on the southern petal of Fire, lordship rests on the western petal of Nirṛti, and control is on the northern petal, in the realm of Wind. In the northeast shines omniscience, the pericarp is Soma, beneath Soma is the Sun, and below that, Fire itself. In the intermediate directions reside righteousness and other virtues. The worshipper contemplates the infinite, in the four cardinal and four intermediate directions, beginning from the unmanifest. At the end of Soma are the three qualities, and above them are the three aspects of the self. At their summit is the seat of Śiva. Invoking the Supreme Lord with the mantra, “I approach Sadyojāta,” the worshipper establishes Him upon this seat with the Vāmadeva mantra, invites His presence with the Rudra Gayatri, and restrains with the Aghora mantra. With “Īśānaḥ sarvavidyānām,” water is offered for washing the feet, for sipping, and arghya to the Lord. Rudra is then bathed according to sacred rites, with water scented by sandal and other fragrances, and with the five products of the cow, consecrated in a vessel. Bathed with the Praṇava, the Lord receives clarified butter, honey, and sweet sugarcane juice. The worshipper then anoints the Great God with auspicious substances and pure water, using vessels cleansed by purifying mantras. Wearing a white cloth, the devotee uses kusa grass, apāmārga, camphor, jati flowers, and campaka blossoms. White oleander, jasmine, lotuses, and blue water-lilies are gathered, filling the vessel with beautiful flowers and sandalwood. Into this water, the mantras beginning with Sadyojāta are placed, using a vessel of gold or silver—or, if not, a copper vessel, a lotus leaf, a palāśa leaf, a conch, a purified clay vessel, or any other auspicious container. With kusa grass and flowers, the worshipper bathes the Lord with the proper mantras. The text declares that even a single ablution of the linga with these mantras frees a person. The Pavamāna mantra is recited, as is the Vāmīyaka mantra, the Rudra, Nīlarudra, the auspicious Śrīsūkta, the Rajanīsūkta, and the Camaka. Further, the Hotāra, Śirasa, the auspicious Atharva, the Śānti hymns, Bhāruṇḍa, Aruṇa, the Vāruṇa, Jyeṣṭha, Vedavrata, and the Puruṣa hymn are all offered. At this moment, swiftly, Rudra—the matted-haired one—appears, together with the monkey-faced one and Viṣṇu as Bṛhaccandra, invoked with the Sāman, all saying, “Let it be established.” The Lord is invoked by Virūpākṣa, by Skanda, by the many forms of Śiva, and by the five Brahmas, with the Sūtra and the pure Praṇava. The worshipper bathes the Lord of gods and lords for the pacification of all sins, and offers cloth, the sacred thread of Śiva, and water for sipping. In proper order, the worshipper presents fragrance, flowers, incense, a lamp, food, fragrant water, and again water for sipping. A beautiful, covered crown and ornaments are offered, and with the Praṇava, mouth-perfume and other delights. Now, the worshipper contemplates the Lord—shining like crystal, without parts, imperishable, the cause of all gods, pervading all worlds, the supreme. He is beyond the perception of Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, Rudra, and all seers and gods; as the Veda declares, even those who know the Vedas and Vedānta cannot reach Him. He is without beginning, middle, or end; the remedy for those afflicted by worldly existence; the principle of Śiva, established in the Śivaliṅga. With the Praṇava mantra, the worshipper venerates the top of the Liṅga, recites hymns according to prescription, and offers obeisance and circumambulation. After offering arghya and scattering flowers at the Lord’s feet, bowing low, the devotee meditates upon Śiva, the Lord of gods, as established within his own heart. Thus, the supreme worship of the Liṅga is completed. Now, the text turns to the subtle, internal worship. The worshipper is instructed to meditate upon the fiery, solar, and immortal disc, and above it, the three guṇas in the heart, and then, in order, the three aspects of the self.