Having washed his feet, rinsed his mouth, and purified himself in body and mind, the devotee sits with focus, ready to begin the sacred rite. On both hands, upon all ten fingertips in their proper order, he prepares himself, ensuring that all is clean and his attention unwavering. Facing east or north, he invokes the ancient tradition of placement, first recalling in his heart the seer who revealed the mantra, the meter in which it is set, the presiding deity, and the primordial seed-syllable. He also remembers the mantra’s power, the Supreme Self, and the revered teacher—each one honored in turn, O beautiful-faced one. Rubbing his hands together, he intones the sacred praṇava, letting it resonate through his palms. Upon all the fingers—at their bases, tips, and the five middle joints—he places the seed-syllables, each marked with a dot, according to the prescribed order. Following the threefold origin and the stages of life, he moves methodically, placing these syllables from the soles of his feet up to the crown of his head, using both hands. Touching his body with the mantra and enclosing himself with the praṇava, he places the sacred sounds upon his head, mouth, throat, heart, and the secret place. The praṇava and the other syllables are then placed upon both feet, the secret part, the heart, the throat, the center of the mouth, and the head, as tradition ordains. Again, on the heart, the secret part, the feet, the head, the speech, and the throat, he places the praṇava and the others, following the threefold distinction. When the placement of the limbs is complete, he arranges the faces—beginning from the east and continuing through all directions up to the uppermost—reciting the sequence that starts with ‘na’ and continues in order. Then, with care and devotion, he places the six limbs, each in its proper place, accompanied by the syllables namaḥ, svāhā, vaṣaṭ, hūṃ, vauṣaṭ, and phaṭ. He knows the praṇava as the heart, ‘na’ as the head, ‘ma’ as the crest, ‘śi’ as the hair tuft, and ‘ka’ as the armor. ‘A’ is the eye, and ‘ya’ is the weapon. Having thus completed the placing of the limbs, he seals the directions, ensuring all is protected. In the corners—beginning with the southeast and continuing through all four—he invokes Ganesha, the Mothers, Durgā, the field-knower, and the deities of the directions. With the tips of his thumb and forefinger, he establishes the auspicious and beautiful face, bowing to each and saying, “Protect!” at every turn. At the middle of the throat, on the thumb, and on the forefinger and other fingers, the wise practitioner performs the hand placement with the thumb, as tradition prescribes. Thus, this sacred placement is accomplished—a rite that removes all sins, is auspicious, brings all accomplishments, bestows merit and protection, and is supremely beneficial. When the mantra is thus placed, O fortunate one, the devotee becomes like Śaṅkara himself; even the sins of previous births are destroyed at that very moment. Having completed this placement, the pure and steadfast one, firm in his vow, should recite the five-syllabled mantra, having received the teacher’s grace. Now, listen as the collection of mantras is explained—without this, daily practice is fruitless, but with it, the practice bears fruit. A mantra recited without the teacher’s command, without proper action, without faith, sincerity, or offering, and recited merely as a habit, is fruitless. But a mantra accomplished with command, proper action, faith, a pure mind, and offerings is successful in every way. One should approach a guru—a learned brāhmaṇa, wise in the essence and meaning of mantras, virtuous, and devoted to meditation and yoga. The disciple should please the guru with utmost effort, with purity of heart, speech, mind, body, and even wealth. Always, the disciple should worship the teacher with care, offering elephants, horses, chariots, jewels, fields, and houses if able; and also ornaments, garments, and various grains, with devotion and sincerity. He should not act with deceit regarding wealth if he desires his own accomplishment. Afterwards, O goddess, he should dedicate himself and his possessions to the guru. Thus, having worshipped properly to the best of his ability and without deception, he should receive the mantra and knowledge from the guru in due order. When the guru is satisfied—having been worshipped for a year, seeing the disciple attentive, humble, fasting, and pure—he bathes the disciple and worships the brāhmaṇas, whether at the seashore, by a river, in a cowshed, or in a temple. In a pure place, at home or elsewhere, at an auspicious time, date, constellation, or conjunction that brings accomplishment and is free from defects, the guru blesses the disciple and imparts the supreme knowledge of Śiva, pronouncing it clearly with his own voice, even in solitude, with a serene mind. Having pronounced the mantra, the teacher himself grants success, saying: “May Śiva be present, may auspiciousness be present, may beauty be present, may affection be present.” Having thus obtained the supreme mantra and knowledge from the guru, the disciple should recite it daily with intention and perform the prescribed rites. He should recite it every day throughout his life, one thousand and eight times, abstaining from food and remaining devoted; thus, he attains the highest state. One who recites a hundred thousand syllables, or four times that amount, with devotion, observing night-fasting and self-restraint, is known as a performer of puraścaraṇa. Whether one performs puraścaraṇa recitation or is a daily reciter, either quickly attains the desired accomplishment. But he who, having completed puraścaraṇa, becomes a daily reciter—there is no one equal to him in this world; he is accomplished, bestows accomplishment, and is self-controlled. Having arranged a pleasant seat, remaining silent, with mind concentrated, facing east or north, one should recite the supreme mantra. At the beginning and end of the recitation, one should practice breath control, and at the end, recite the seed-mantra one hundred and eight times, which is auspicious. Having completed forty cycles of breath control, one should remember the five-syllable mantra; this is called prāṇāyāma.