May the auspicious Sadyojāta, god of gods and wielder of the mighty Pināka bow, be pleased by these sacred acts. With devotion, one should invite pure-hearted brāhmaṇas, honor and satisfy them, partake of clarified butter, and then rest upon the ground facing north, as a mark of humility and reverence. On the fifteenth day, after worshipping the brāhmaṇas, one should eat in silence, maintaining inner stillness. This observance is also to be performed on every Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśī, the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight. Indeed, on each of these fourteenth days throughout the year, the worship is to be conducted as before. Yet, listen now to the special observances prescribed for each month. Beginning with the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, one should recite, in proper order, salutations such as: “Salutations to Śaṃkara, salutations to Karavīraka; salutations to Tryambaka, salutations to the supreme Maheśvara; salutations to Mahādeva, and then to Sthāṇu; salutations to Paśupati, O Lord; salutations again to Śambhu; salutations to the supremely blissful one, salutations to the bearer of the crescent moon; salutations to Bhīma.” Thus, one seeks refuge in the Lord. For ritual purity, one should partake in order of the five sacred products of the cow—cow urine, cow dung, milk, curd, and ghee—along with water touched by kuśa grass. Then, one should ritually consume bilva leaves, camphor, aguru, barley, and black sesame, each on the respective Caturdaśī of the month. In worship, the devotee offers mandāra and mālatī flowers, as well as dhattūra, sinduvāra, aśoka, mallikā, and pāṭala. Similarly, arka, kadamba, śatapatra, and lotus flowers are offered to the Lord of Pārvatī, one kind each on every Caturdaśī, as prescribed. When the sacred month of Kārttika arrives, the devotee should again satisfy the brāhmaṇas with varieties of food, delicacies, garments, garlands, and ornaments. Following scriptural injunctions, one offers a blue bull, and further presents a golden bull with cows to Umā and Maheśvara. A bed, adorned with eight pearls, covered with a white cloth for the eyes, furnished with all necessary accessories and a water jar, is to be given. Upon a copper vessel filled with rice grains, this offering is presented to a tranquil Brahmin devoted to Vedic vows—ideally to one who knows the Jyeṣṭha Sāma, or is newly initiated in vows, or is skilled in virtues, a Śrotriya, or a teacher who knows the truth. The recipient should be a gentle one, with all limbs whole, always engaged in ritual, and accompanied by his wife; after honoring him with garments, garlands, and ornaments, the gifts are bestowed. If the teacher is present, the offering should go to him; if not, to a twice-born Brahmin. One must not act deceitfully regarding wealth, for wrongful conduct leads to downfall. Whoever performs the Śiva Caturdaśī with this procedure attains the merit of a thousand horse sacrifices. Any sin, even the gravest such as killing a Brahmin, committed by oneself, ancestors, or brothers, is destroyed by this observance. The devotee gains long life, health, family prosperity, inexhaustible food, and, after enjoying lordship over Gaṇas and dwelling in heaven for hundreds of kalpa cycles, ultimately attains the abode of Śambhu, assuming a four-armed divine form. The fruits of this observance are so vast that even Bṛhaspati, Indra, Pitāmaha, the Siddhas, or even the speaker himself, with countless tongues, could never fully describe them. Whoever, beloved of the immortals, recites, remembers, or attentively listens to this liberating Śiva Caturdaśī—praised by innumerable heavenly maidens—and acts accordingly, remains untouched by blame. Any woman who performs the vow with devotion, after seeking the consent of her husband, children, or teachers, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, also attains the supreme abode of Pinākapāṇi. O Nārada, now hear the greatness of the fruit of renunciation, which is imperishable and supreme in this world, bestowing all desired results. In the auspicious month of Mārgaśīrṣa, on the third, twelfth, eighth, or fourteenth day of the bright fortnight, one should begin this vow, after having a Brahmin recite the necessary texts. In other auspicious months as well, the devotee should feed Brahmins with sweet rice, according to capacity, always with proper gifts. For one year, except for medicinal needs, one should avoid the eighteen kinds of grains, as well as other fruits and roots, and should have images of Rudra and Dharmarāja made with a bull and gold. Among the fruits to be offered are gourd, citron, eggplant, jackfruit, amrataka, wood apple, and the fruit called kaliṅga or vālukam; coconut, sacred fig, jujube, lemon, banana, kashmara, and pomegranate—sixteen fruits in all, cleansed and prepared according to one’s ability. Additionally, radish, Indian gooseberry, jambū, tamarind, amardaka, kaṅkola, cardamom, tuṇḍīra, karīra, kuṭaja, and śamī are included. One should have, made of silver, a fig (audumbara), a coconut, two grapes, and two eggplants, completing the set of sixteen fruits. Similarly, made of copper, one should prepare a palmyra fruit, an agasti fruit, a pinda fruit, a kashmari fruit, and a surana tuber; also a red yam, a kanakāhva fruit, a cirbhiṭa, a citravalli fruit, and a silk-cotton fruit; a mango, niṣpāva, licorice, banyan, mudga, and patola—again, sixteen in all, as one’s means allow. Two water pots are prepared, with grain placed atop and covered with fine cloth, and bedding arranged above with the finest garments. Three vessels for food are set out, accompanied by a bull of Yama and Rudra, together with a cow. On an auspicious day, a peaceful Brahmin with a family, along with his wife, is honored and presented with these offerings. Just as countless immortals dwell within all these fruits, so may devotion to Shiva arise in the devotee through the vow of giving all fruits. As Shiva and Dharma ever grant endless fruits, so may they grant boons to the giver accordingly. Just as the fruits of devotion to Shiva are endless at all times, so may the devotee attain endless rewards, birth after birth. Finally, just as no difference is seen among Shiva, Vishnu, the Sun, and the Lotus-born Brahmā, so may Śaṃkara, the Soul of the Universe, always be present in the devotee’s heart.