Hear now, O best of sages, the wondrous ways in which the gods and beings of every order worship the auspicious liṅga of Shiva, each with forms and materials suited to their nature. Viṣṇu, the preserver of the worlds, ever worships a liṅga fashioned from radiant sapphire. Śakra, the mighty Indra, offers his devotion to one of glowing ruby. The son of Viśravas, Kubera, lord of wealth, chooses a golden liṅga for his veneration. The Viśvedevas, a host of universal deities, worship a liṅga of shining silver, while the Vasus, resplendent and beautiful, honor a liṅga of dazzling brilliance. Vāyu, the wind god, selects a liṅga of yellow orpiment, and the twin Aśvins, divine physicians, offer their prayers to a liṅga made of earth. King Varuṇa, lord of the waters, worships a liṅga of pure crystal. The Ādityas, radiant sons of Aditi, honor one made of copper, and the wise Soma, lord of the moon, reveres a peerless liṅga of pearl. The great serpents, beginning with Ananta, bow before a beautiful coral liṅga. The Daityas, ancient titans, worship one of iron, while the noble-hearted Rākṣasas too have their own forms of veneration. The Guhyakas, mysterious beings, worship a liṅga composed of three metals; Shiva’s Gaṇas, his devoted attendants, honor a liṅga made of all metals. Cāmuṇḍā, fierce goddess, worships a sand liṅga, and the Mothers, O twice-born sage, have their own forms of worship as well. Nairṛti, lord of the southwest, offers devotion to a wooden liṅga, while Yama, god of death, chooses a beautiful emerald one. The Rudras, beginning with Nīla, worship a pure and auspicious liṅga of sacred ash. Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, venerates a liṅga made from the Lakṣmī tree. Guha, the youthful Skanda, worships one formed of cow dung, and the ancient sages, O best of ascetics, honor an excellent liṅga made of kuśa grass. The goddesses, led by Vāmā, worship a liṅga made of flowers; Manonmanī, the divine mother, venerates a fragrant liṅga; and Sarasvatī, goddess of wisdom, worships a jewel liṅga for Rudra, O lord of speech. Durga, the golden and supreme Mahādeva, is worshipped together with her altar, fierce and made of flour, with all mantras and the auspicious offering of ghee. All the Vedas are symbolized by curd, the spirits are fashioned from lead, and each being attained their proper place through the grace of Brahmā. What need is there for many words? All that moves and does not move in this world—having worshipped the Shiva-liṅga—remains established and fulfilled; there is no doubt in this, O sage. The liṅga is said to be of six kinds, distinguished by their materials, and their divisions are declared to be forty-four, described in fourfold ways. The first is stone-born, and it has four divisions; the second is gem-born, with seven forms; the third is the metal-born liṅga, eightfold as taught by the Supreme; the fourth is wooden, said to be sixteenfold. The fifth is the clay liṅga, divided in two, and the sixth is the temporary liṅga, spoken of as sevenfold. Each liṅga bestows its own blessing: the gem-born liṅga grants prosperity; the stone-born, all accomplishments; the metal-born, wealth; the wooden, enjoyment. The clay liṅga is auspicious and grants all attainments. Of these, the stone-born is the highest, while the metal-born is considered middling. There are many kinds of liṅgas, but nine are summarized: at the base is Brahmā, in the middle is Viṣṇu, lord of the three worlds, and above is Rudra, Mahādeva, known as Praṇava and Sadāśiva. The altar of the liṅga is Mahādevī, threefold, the triple-formed Ambikā. Whoever worships the liṅga with her, whether it be stone, gem, metal, or wood, or even clay or temporary, established with devotion, attains auspicious fruits—blessed by the lords of gods, lotuses, fire, water, and wealth. Praised by accomplished beings, Vidyādharas, serpent kings, Yakṣas, demons, and Kinnaras, the supremely virtuous soul, accompanied by the sound of divine drums, illumines the worlds—earth, atmosphere, heaven, and higher realms—surpassing the highest tapas and truth, shining with his own radiance. One who has properly established the liṅga, following the right path, swiftly pierces the cosmic egg with the sword of knowledge and emerges beyond hesitation. Abandoning partial forms—stone, gem, metal, wood, clay, and temporary—one should establish the entire form of the Lord. When the rite is performed in Skanda’s month, and the liṅga is established shining like jasmine and cow’s milk, it is most auspicious. Rudra himself, without doubt, abides there, having assumed a human form; by seeing and touching him, people attain fulfillment. Even with hundreds of ages, O foremost Brahmins, it is not possible to fully describe the merit of such worship. Therefore, one should establish the liṅga with devotion. The divine, auspicious form of the Lord is suitable for contemplation by all mortals; but for yogis alone, he is formless. He is formless, pure, and eternal—how then did he attain the state of having forms? Listen as it was heard before. Some who know the highest truth say he has the form of the sacred syllable; having heard this, they call it knowledge, born from the highest scripture. Knowledge concerning objects such as sound is called knowledge; some declare this knowledge, free from error, while others say otherwise. That knowledge which is pure, spotless, without differentiation or dependence, which reveals the teacher, is called true knowledge by some sages and Brahmins. Liberation comes only through knowledge; grace is for the attainment of knowledge; by both, the yogi is freed and filled with bliss. Some sages say that through action, his connection is established; having withdrawn the imagined form, he acts solely by his own will. The sky is the head of the Lord; space is the navel of the Supreme; moon, sun, and fire are his eyes; the directions are the ears of the great soul. The netherworld is his feet, the ocean his garment; all the gods are his arms, and the stars are his ornaments. Nature is his wife, and the person is called the liṅga; from his mouth are all Brahmins and Brahmā, the blessed Lord. Indra and Upendra arise from his arms, the Kṣatriyas from his great soul; the Vaiśyas from his thighs, and the Śūdras from the feet of the Pināka-holder. Lotus-whorl and other types are his hair, it is said; winds arise from his nose, movement from hearing, and likewise memory. Thus, all creation is encompassed in him, the supreme Lord, the formless and the formed, the source and the goal, worshipped by all.