O beautiful one, listen as I recount the sacred order of the sages and the divine arrangement of the mantra. Gautama, Atri, Viśvāmitra, Aṅgiras, and Bharadvāja—these venerable sages are remembered in sequence, each associated with the syllables of the mantra. The meters—Gāyatrī, Anuṣṭup, Triṣṭup, Bṛhatī, and Virāṭ—are their respective chandas, and the deities presiding over them are Indra, Rudra, Hari, Brahmā, and Skanda. It is said that I, Śiva, have five faces, and from the east upward, the five sacred syllables beginning with ‘na’ are arranged in their proper places. The first syllable is unaspirated, the fourth is the second, the fifth is intoned (svarita), and the third is suppressed (nihata). Know, O beautiful-faced one, that the root-vidyā, Śiva himself, the Śaiva sūtra, the five-syllable mantra, and my many names—these are the very heart of my Śaiva essence. Each syllable has its own significance: ‘na’ is the head, ‘ma’ is the crest, ‘śi’ serves as the armor, ‘va’ is the eye, and ‘ya’ is the missile. When the auspicious words—‘namaḥ’, ‘svāhā’, ‘vaṣaṭ’, ‘huṃ’, ‘vauṣaṭ’, and ‘phaṭ’—are attached to the end of the mantra, they become its limbs. Even within this, the root-mantra may appear with some variations, with the fifth syllable adorned by twelve vowels. With this mantra, one should worship us—by mind, by speech, by body, through recitation, offering, and all related acts—according to one’s understanding, time, scriptural knowledge, capacity, ability, resources, fitness, and inclination. Whenever, wherever, by whomever, and in whatever manner worship is performed with devotion, O goddess, it leads to liberation. Whatever is done with a mind attached to me—whether performed in perfect order or not—if it is dear to me and auspicious, I accept it. Yet, for my devotees who are not utterly helpless, I have established proper rules in all scriptures. Now, let me explain the auspicious collection of mantras: without these, recitation is fruitless, but with them, it becomes fruitful. A recitation that lacks proper command, lacks correct action, lacks faith, is performed without purpose or offering, or is done mechanically and always—such a recitation is fruitless. But when it is established by the guru’s command, performed with right action, filled with faith, and accompanied by offering, then the mantra succeeds and yields great fruit. To begin, one should approach a guru—a learned Brahmin, a teacher who knows the truth, who is virtuous and devoted to meditation and yoga. With pure intent, one should strive to please the guru in every way—by speech, mind, body, and even wealth. A Brahmin should always worship the teacher with utmost effort, offering gifts such as elephants, horses, chariots, jewels, lands, and houses if he has the means. Ornaments, garments, grains, and wealth should also be given with devotion. One who desires success should not be miserly but should dedicate himself and all his possessions to the guru. Having thus worshipped the guru properly and to the best of his ability, without deceit, the disciple should receive the mantra and knowledge step by step from the teacher. When the guru is pleased with the disciple—who serves, is humble, pure, bathed, and disciplined—he should purify him with a ritual bath using clarified butter from a full vessel, water sanctified by mantras, and other auspicious substances. The disciple is then adorned in fine attire, with perfumes, garlands, clothes, and ornaments, while auspicious hymns are recited and Brahmins are honored. This initiation may take place on the seashore, by a river, in a cowshed, in a temple, in a pure place, or even at home, at a time and date that brings success. Under a favorable star and auspicious conjunction, free from all defects, the guru should then impart knowledge according to the proper method. With a clear voice, in solitude, with a delighted mind, the guru should recite and cause the disciple to recite the supreme mantra of us both. He should bestow the mantra and command with blessings: “May there be auspiciousness, goodness, beauty, and affection.” Having received the mantra and command from the guru, the disciple should, with focused mind, resolve to recite it daily, preceded by the prescribed rites. He should recite daily, throughout his life, one thousand and eight times, devoted to nothing else; thus he attains the highest state. He should also recite one hundred thousand syllables, or four times that amount with devotion; one who eats only at night and is self-restrained is known as a true performer of the rite. He who, having performed the preliminary rites, becomes a constant reciter—there is no one equal to him in the world; he is accomplished and becomes a bestower of accomplishment. Having bathed and in a pure place, with a serene mind, one should contemplate me in the heart, and then likewise his own teacher. Facing north or east, maintaining silence, with concentrated mind, and having purified the five elements by means such as fire and water, one should perform the placing of the mantra and related rites, making the body fruitful, meditating on both our forms, and restraining the breath. One should recall the seat of the mantra, its own form, the seer, the meter, the presiding deity, the seed, the power, and the statement, and then recite the five-syllabled mantra. Mental recitation is said to be the highest; muttered recitation is intermediate; and spoken recitation is the lowest, as taught by those learned in the scriptures. The highest form has Rudra as its deity, the intermediate has Viṣṇu, and the lowest has Brahmā, in that order. When the mantra is pronounced aloud, with high and low tones, with clear or unclear syllables and words, this is known as spoken recitation. Thus, O beautiful one, is the sacred order and practice of mantra, worship, and initiation, as established by the wise and as pleasing to me.