सद्योजातं प्रपद्यामि निक्षिपेदथ पादयोः । उद्धूलयेत्समस्तांगे प्रणवेन विचक्षणः
Reciting 'Sadyojātaṃ prapadyāmi', one should place [ashes] on the feet; then, with the syllable Om, the wise should sprinkle ashes over the whole body.
त्रैवर्णिकानामुदितः स्नानादिविधिरुत्तमः । शूद्रादीनां प्रवक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं गुरुणा तथा
This supreme procedure of bathing and related rites is prescribed for the three higher castes; now I will describe, as taught by the teacher, what applies to Śūdras and others.
शिवेति पदमुच्चार्य भस्मसंमंत्रयेत्सुधीः । सप्तवारमथादाय शिवायेति शिरः क्षिपेत्
Uttering the word 'Śiva', the wise should sanctify the ashes; then, taking them seven times, he should place them on the head with the word 'Śivāya'.
शंकराय मुखे प्रोक्तं सर्वज्ञाय हृदि क्षिपेत् । स्थाणवे नम इत्युक्त्वा गुह्ये चापि स्वयंभुवे
Reciting 'Śaṃkarāya', one should apply [ashes] to the mouth; reciting 'Sarvajñāya', to the heart; reciting 'Sthāṇave namaḥ', to the secret part, and likewise to Svayaṃbhu.
उच्चार्य पादयोः क्षिप्त्वा भस्मशुद्धमतः परम् । नमः शिवायेत्युच्चार्य सर्वांगोद्धूलनं स्मृतम्
Reciting [the mantra], one should apply the purified ashes to the feet; then, uttering 'Namaḥ Śivāya', the sprinkling over the whole body is to be performed.
तदभावे तु दूर्वाः स्युस्तदभावे तु राजतम् । संध्योपास्तिं जपं देव्याः कृत्वा देवगृहं व्रजेत्
In the absence of [ashes], one may use dūrvā grass; if that is also unavailable, silver; after performing the twilight worship and recitation to the Goddess, one should go to the temple.
देववेदिमथो वापि कल्पितं स्थंडिलं तु वा । मृण्मयं कल्पितं शुद्धं पद्मादिरचनायुतम्
Either at the altar of the deity, or at a prepared platform, or at a clean, prepared clay surface adorned with lotuses and other designs—
चातुर्वर्णक रंगैश्च श्वेतेनैकेन वा पुनः । विचित्राणि च पद्मानि स्वस्तिकादि तथैव च
With colored powders of the four castes, or with only white, and with various designs of lotuses, svastikas, and the like—
उत्पलादि गदा शंख त्रिशूलं डमरुं तथा । सरोक्तपंचप्रासादं शिवलिंगमथैव च
With designs of blue lotuses, maces, conches, tridents, drums, the five-spired temple, and also the Śiva-liṅga—
सर्वकामफलं वृक्षं कुलकं कोलकं तथा । षट्कोणंचत्रिकोणंचनवकोणमथापिवा
With the wish-fulfilling tree, clusters, small heaps, six-pointed, three-pointed, or nine-pointed figures—
कोणद्वादशकांदोलां पादुकाव्यजनानि च । चामरच्छत्रयुगलं विष्णुब्रह्मादिकं तथा
With twelve-cornered swings, sandals, fans, pairs of yak-tail whisks and umbrellas, and also images of Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and others—
चूर्णैर्विरचयेद्वेद्यां धीमान्देवालयेऽपि वा । यत्रापि देवपूजा स्यात्तत्रैवं कल्पयेद्बुधः
The wise should create these designs on the altar or even in the temple with powders; wherever there is worship of the deity, one should arrange it thus.
स्वहस्तरचितं मुख्यं क्रीतं चैव तु मध्यमम् । याचितं तु कनिष्ठं स्याद्बलात्कारमथाधमम्
That which is made by one's own hand is principal; that which is purchased is secondary; that which is begged is inferior; and that which is taken by force is the lowest.
अर्हेषु यत्त्वनर्हेषु बलात्कारात्तु निष्फलम् । रक्तशालि जपा स्थाण कलमासित रक्तकैः
What is offered to the worthy yields results, but what is forcibly taken from the unworthy is fruitless; with red rice, hibiscus, stationary objects, black gram, and red items—
तंदुलैर्व्रीहिमात्रोत्थैः कर्णैश्चैव यथाक्रमम् । उत्तमैर्मध्यमैश्चैव कथितैरधमैस्तथा
With grains of rice, barley, or their ears, as appropriate, using the best, middling, or inferior as described—
पद्मादिस्थापनैरेव तत्सम्यग्यागमाचरेत् । प्रागुत्तरमुखो वापि यदि वा प्राङ्मुखो भवेत्
One should properly perform the installation with lotuses and other items; whether facing east or north, or even simply facing east.
आसनं च प्रवक्ष्यामि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । कौशं चार्म्मं चैलतुल्यं दारवं ताडपत्रकम्
I will now describe the seat, as seen and as heard: it may be made of kusa grass, leather, cloth, wood, or palm leaf.
कांबलं कांचनं चैव राजतं ताम्रमेव च । गोकरीषार्कजैर्वापि आसनं परिकल्पयेत्
One may also prepare a seat from wool, gold, silver, copper, or even from cow dung dried by sunlight.
वैयाघ्रं रौरवं चैव हारिणं मार्गमेव च । चार्मं चतुर्विधं ज्ञेयमथ बंधुकमेव च
The four types of animal skins to be known are tiger, deer, antelope, and road-killed; and also the banduka skin.
यथासंभवमेतेषु ह्यासनं परिकल्पयेत् । कृतपद्मासनो वापि स्वास्तिकासन एव च
One should prepare the seat from these materials as available, and then sit in the padmasana or the svastika posture.
दर्भभस्मसमासीनः प्राणानायम्य वाग्यतः । तावत्स देवतारूपो ध्यानं चान्तः समाचरेत्
Seated on darbha grass or ashes, controlling the breath and speech, one should meditate inwardly upon the form of the deity.
शिखांते द्वादशांगुल्ये स्थितं सूक्ष्मतनुं शिवम् । अंतश्चरंतं भूतेषु गुहायां विश्वमूर्तिषु
At the tip of the hair, in the space of twelve finger-widths, resides the subtle form of Shiva, moving within beings, hidden in the forms of the universe.
सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तमणिमादि गुणान्वितम् । ध्यात्वा तं धारयेच्चित्ते तद्व्याप्त्या पूरयेत्तनूम्
Meditating upon him, adorned with all ornaments and endowed with gems and virtues, one should hold him in the mind and fill the body with his presence.
तया दीप्त्या शरीरस्थं पापं नाशमुपागतम् । स्वर्णं पारदसंपर्काद्रक्तं श्वेतं यथा भवेत्
By that radiance, the sin residing in the body is destroyed, just as gold turns red or white when touched by mercury.
तद्द्वादशदलावृत्तमष्टपंचत्रिरेव वा । परिकल्प्यासनं शुद्धं तत्र लिंगं निधाय च
One should prepare a pure seat shaped with twelve, eight, five, or three petals, and place the linga there.
गुहास्थितं महेशानं लिंगे संचिंतयेत्तथा । शोधिते कलशे तोयं शोधितं गंधवासितम्
One should contemplate Maheshvara, dwelling in the cave, within the linga; and in a purified vessel, place water scented with fragrance.
सुगंधपुष्पं निक्षिप्य प्रणवेनाभिमंत्रितम् । प्राणायामश्च प्रणवः शूद्रेषु न विधीयते
Placing fragrant flowers, consecrated with the syllable Om, one should perform pranayama; but Om is not prescribed for Shudras.
प्राणायामपदे ध्यानं शिवेत्योङ्कारमंत्रणम् । गंधपुष्पाक्षतादीनि पूजाद्रव्याणि यानि च
During pranayama, one should meditate with the mantra 'Shiva' and Om; and use the substances for worship such as fragrance, flowers, rice grains, and others.
तानि स्थाप्य समीपे तु ततः संकल्पयिष्यते । शिवपूजां करिष्यामि शिवतुष्ट्यर्थमेव च
These should be placed nearby, and then one should resolve: 'I will perform the worship of Shiva for the sake of pleasing Shiva.'
इति संकल्पयित्वा तु तत आवाहनादिकम् । कृत्वा तु स्नानपर्यंतं ततः स्नानं प्रकल्पयेत्
Having made this resolve, then beginning with invocation and so forth, and performing up to the bathing ritual, one should then arrange the bath.