शिवेति पदमुच्चार्य भस्मसंमंत्रयेत्सुधीः । सप्तवारमथादाय शिवायेति शिरः क्षिपेत्
Uttering the word 'Śiva', the wise one should consecrate the ash; after taking it seven times, one should apply it to the head, saying 'Śivāya'.
शंकराय मुखे प्रोक्तं सर्वज्ञाय हृदि क्षिपेत् । स्थाणवे नम इत्युक्त्वा गुह्ये चापि स्वयंभुवे
Saying 'Śaṃkarāya', one should apply it to the mouth; to the all-knowing one, to the heart; reciting 'Sthāṇave namaḥ', one should apply it to the secret place, to the self-born.
उच्चार्य पादयोः क्षिप्त्वा भस्मशुद्धमतः परम् । नमः शिवायेत्युच्चार्य सर्वांगोद्धूलनं स्मृतम्
After reciting, one should place purified ashes upon the feet; then, uttering 'Salutations to Shiva,' the ritual of cleansing the whole body is considered complete.
तदभावे तु दूर्वाः स्युस्तदभावे तु राजतम् । संध्योपास्तिं जपं देव्याः कृत्वा देवगृहं व्रजेत्
If that is unavailable, use blades of durva grass; if those are also unavailable, use silver. After performing the twilight worship and recitation for the Goddess, one should proceed 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 clay structure made pure and adorned with designs such as lotuses and others.
चातुर्वर्णक रंगैश्च श्वेतेनैकेन वा पुनः । विचित्राणि च पद्मानि स्वस्तिकादि तथैव च
With four-colored powders or with only white, and again with various lotuses, swastikas, and similar designs.
उत्पलादि गदा शंख त्रिशूलं डमरुं तथा । सरोक्तपंचप्रासादं शिवलिंगमथैव च
With images of blue lotuses and other flowers, mace, conch, trident, drum, the five towers as prescribed, and the Shiva linga as well.
सर्वकामफलं वृक्षं कुलकं कोलकं तथा । षट्कोणंचत्रिकोणंचनवकोणमथापिवा
With the tree granting all desires, with clusters and small heaps, with hexagons, triangles, and nonagons as well.
कोणद्वादशकांदोलां पादुकाव्यजनानि च । चामरच्छत्रयुगलं विष्णुब्रह्मादिकं तथा
With twelve-cornered swings, sandals, fans, pairs of fly-whisks and umbrellas, and also figures of Vishnu, Brahma, and others.
चूर्णैर्विरचयेद्वेद्यां धीमान्देवालयेऽपि वा । यत्रापि देवपूजा स्यात्तत्रैवं कल्पयेद्बुधः
The wise should decorate the altar with powders, even in the temple; wherever worship of the deity is performed, 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 foremost; that which is purchased is middling; that which is begged is inferior; that which is taken by force is lowest.
अर्हेषु यत्त्वनर्हेषु बलात्कारात्तु निष्फलम् । रक्तशालि जपा स्थाण कलमासित रक्तकैः
What is offered to the worthy yields results, but to the unworthy, when taken by force, it is fruitless. Red rice, hibiscus, standing grain, black beans, and red items.
तंदुलैर्व्रीहिमात्रोत्थैः कर्णैश्चैव यथाक्रमम् । उत्तमैर्मध्यमैश्चैव कथितैरधमैस्तथा
With grains such as rice, barley, and their ears, as appropriate, using superior, middling, or inferior as described.
पद्मादिस्थापनैरेव तत्सम्यग्यागमाचरेत् । प्रागुत्तरमुखो वापि यदि वा प्राङ्मुखो भवेत्
By placing lotuses and other items, one should properly perform the ritual according to scripture, facing east or north, or if possible, facing east.
आसनं च प्रवक्ष्यामि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । कौशं चार्म्मं चैलतुल्यं दारवं ताडपत्रकम्
I will now describe the seat, as seen and heard: it may be made of kusa grass, leather, cloth, wood, or palm leaves.
कांबलं कांचनं चैव राजतं ताम्रमेव च । गोकरीषार्कजैर्वापि आसनं परिकल्पयेत्
It may be made of wool, gold, silver, copper, or from cow dung and sun-dried clay; one should prepare the seat accordingly.
वैयाघ्रं रौरवं चैव हारिणं मार्गमेव च । चार्मं चतुर्विधं ज्ञेयमथ बंधुकमेव च
It may be made of tiger skin, deer skin, antelope skin, or road-killed animal skin; four types of leather are known, and also the banduka.
यथासंभवमेतेषु ह्यासनं परिकल्पयेत् । कृतपद्मासनो वापि स्वास्तिकासन एव च
According to availability, one should prepare the seat from these; whether in the lotus posture or the svastika posture.
दर्भभस्मसमासीनः प्राणानायम्य वाग्यतः । तावत्स देवतारूपो ध्यानं चान्तः समाचरेत्
Seated on darbha grass and ashes, controlling the breath and speech, one should meditate within as long as one assumes the form of the deity.
शिखांते द्वादशांगुल्ये स्थितं सूक्ष्मतनुं शिवम् । अंतश्चरंतं भूतेषु गुहायां विश्वमूर्तिषु
At the tip of the hair tuft, twelve fingers above, resides the subtle form of Shiva, moving within beings, in the cave, among forms of the universe.
सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तमणिमादि गुणान्वितम् । ध्यात्वा तं धारयेच्चित्ते तद्व्याप्त्या पूरयेत्तनूम्
Meditating on that form, adorned with all ornaments and endowed with jewels and other virtues, one should hold it in the mind and, by its pervasion, fill the body.
तया दीप्त्या शरीरस्थं पापं नाशमुपागतम् । स्वर्णं पारदसंपर्काद्रक्तं श्वेतं यथा भवेत्
By that radiance, the sin residing in the body is destroyed, just as gold, when touched by mercury, or red becomes white.
तद्द्वादशदलावृत्तमष्टपंचत्रिरेव वा । परिकल्प्यासनं शुद्धं तत्र लिंगं निधाय च
One should conceive a pure seat, either with twelve, eight, or fifteen petals, and there establish the liṅga.
गुहास्थितं महेशानं लिंगे संचिंतयेत्तथा । शोधिते कलशे तोयं शोधितं गंधवासितम्
One should contemplate Maheśāna, who dwells in the cave, within the liṅga; and in a purified vessel, place purified water scented with fragrance.
सुगंधपुष्पं निक्षिप्य प्रणवेनाभिमंत्रितम् । प्राणायामश्च प्रणवः शूद्रेषु न विधीयते
Placing fragrant flowers, consecrated with the praṇava, one should perform; but praṇāyāma and praṇava are not prescribed for Śūdras.
प्राणायामपदे ध्यानं शिवेत्योङ्कारमंत्रणम् । गंधपुष्पाक्षतादीनि पूजाद्रव्याणि यानि च
At the stage of praṇāyāma, meditation is performed, and the mantra 'Śiva' or 'Oṃ' is uttered; the substances for worship, such as fragrance, flowers, and rice, are also prepared.
तानि स्थाप्य समीपे तु ततः संकल्पयिष्यते । शिवपूजां करिष्यामि शिवतुष्ट्यर्थमेव च
Placing those items nearby, one should then make the resolve: 'I will perform the worship of Śiva for the sake of pleasing Śiva.'
इति संकल्पयित्वा तु तत आवाहनादिकम् । कृत्वा तु स्नानपर्यंतं ततः स्नानं प्रकल्पयेत्
Having made this resolve, one should then perform the invocation and related rites, and after completing up to the bathing, then arrange the bath.
नमस्तेत्यादिमंत्रेण शतरुद्रियविधानतः । अविच्छिन्ना तु या धारा मुक्तिधारेति कीर्तिता
With the mantra beginning with 'namas', according to the procedure of the Śatarudriya, the uninterrupted stream is called the stream of liberation.
तया यः स्नापयेन्मासं जपन्रुद्रमुपांशु वा । एकवारं त्रिवारं च पंच सप्त नवापि वा
He who bathes (the liṅga) for a month with that stream, reciting the Rudra either silently or aloud, once, three, five, seven, or nine times,