O illustrious sages, listen to the glory of constructing and serving temples dedicated to Mahesha, Lord Shiva. Any mortal who, with devotion, builds a temple for Shiva using wood, bricks, or any other materials, earns high honor in Shiva’s own celestial realm. Such a temple should be built with all one’s effort, whether for the sake of virtue, desire, or liberation. Yet, if one is unable to erect a splendid temple, even humble acts—like sweeping the temple grounds—bring immense merit. Whoever sweeps with a soft and fine broom, even for a month, gains the fruit equal to performing a thousand Cāndrāyaṇa vows. If one purifies the temple floor with water mixed with fragrant cow dung, using a clean cloth, the reward is as great as a full year’s Cāndrāyaṇa. Consider the sacred field around the Shiva-linga: for half a krosha in every direction, this land is sanctified. Whoever surrenders even their life here, within this holy field, attains union with Shiva himself. The measure of this sacred area varies—at Svayambhu it is one measure, at Arsha half that, and in human realms, half again. This measurement applies as well to the dwellings of ascetics and, in the Rudra incarnation, to the teacher and his disciple. In the human form, it extends to the disciple and the disciple’s disciple. On the holy Shri Parvata and its edges, anyone who relinquishes life there attains union with Shiva; so too in Varanasi, and especially in Avimukta. Whoever departs from the body in Kedara, that great field, or at Prayaga or Kurukshetra, surely attains liberation. Passing away at Prabhasa, Pushkara, Avanti, Amareshvara, or among the peaks of Vani, one reaches the state of Shiva. In Varanasi, a creature who dies is never born again as a creature. The same holds true in Trivishtapa, the sanctified Kedara, or at Sangameshvara. If one leaves the body at Shalanka, Jambukeshvara, Shukreshvara, Gokarna, Bhaskaresha, or Guheshvara, or at Hiranyagarbha or Nandishvara, one attains the supreme state. If a yogi, through discipline, dries up the body and abandons it in Shiva’s field, that yogi attains Shiva’s state—be they human, god, sage, foremost ascetic, or even in Svayambhu. In the presence of the Svayambhu deity, there is no need for doubt; if, after worshipping Shiva and kindling the sacred fire, one offers one’s own body into the flames, the highest state is attained. Even by simply remaining without food as long as possible and relinquishing life in Shiva’s field, one is united with Shiva. Even if a person loses both feet, if they reside in Shiva’s field, they will reach Shiva’s state—there is no need for further deliberation. Merely beholding the field brings merit; to enter it brings a hundred times more. To touch and circumambulate the field yields a hundredfold merit, and bathing in its waters is even greater. Bathing in milk is said to be a hundred times more excellent, in curd a thousand times, in honey yet a hundredfold more, and with ghee, the merit is endless. With sugar, the merit multiplies a hundredfold again. When one reaches a river near Shiva’s field and bathes there, then forsakes food and abandons the body, one is honored in Shiva’s world. All rivers near Shiva’s field are supremely beautiful, and ponds, wells, and tanks there are remembered as Shiva’s sacred places. Bathing in them with devotion, especially at the holy tirthas, one is freed from even the greatest sins, such as killing a Brahmin—there is no doubt. Bathing at Shiva’s tirthas in the morning grants the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice and leads to Rudra’s world; at midday, the merit equals bathing in the Ganges; at sunset, one attains Shiva’s abode. Casting off the cloak of sin, a man who bathes at Shiva’s holy waters—even if a twice-born bathes thrice, or even a single person bathes once—attains union with Shiva. There is no doubt about this. Long ago, a boar, frightened by a dog, happened to enter a doorway at Shiva’s holy waters and died there. By this chance alone, O best of the twice-born, he became a leader among Shiva’s Ganas. Whoever beholds Shiva, Lord of gods, in the form of the linga in the morning, attains a state superior to all others. At midday, the sight of Mahadeva brings the fruit of sacrifice; in the evening, one gains the fruit of all sacrifices and is liberated. By mental, verbal, and bodily sins, and by great or minor transgressions, a person accumulates faults. Yet, at the crossing, seeing Lord Ishana in the form of the linga, one abandons the sins of a month and attains Shiva’s abode. On the solstices, at the equinox, or in either the southern or northern course, worshipping there leads to the supreme state. Whoever, pure in conduct, circumambulates the temple three times, following the left and right path with gentle steps, attains at every step the fruit of a horse sacrifice. Whoever always praises Shiva, the Supreme Lord, with words, also attains Shiva’s abode. Having reached it, what more remains to be said? Moreover, making a circle or sacred field with fragrant cow dung and water, or with powders of pearls, sapphires, rubies, and beautiful crystals, brings further merit and sanctifies the space for worship. Thus, the glory of serving Shiva, his temples, and his sacred fields is immeasurable, leading the devoted to the highest state.