Once the auspicious day has been declared, the teacher returns to the sacred task of worshipping Śaṅkara. With reverence, he prays to the Lord, seeking divine blessings for his disciples: “Be gracious, Lord of gods, enter my body; O Lord of the universe, O ocean of compassion, release him with your mercy.” Having received the Lord’s permission, the teacher brings forth the disciple, who has either fasted or is consuming sacrificial food. The disciple, disciplined in his conduct, eats only once a day, restrains himself, bathes, performs his morning duties, recites the praṇava, meditates upon the Lord, and completes all auspicious rites. The teacher seats the disciple, facing north, upon a darbha grass seat positioned at the front of the western or southern entrance to the maṇḍala. Standing himself upright and facing east, with hands joined in reverence, the teacher sprinkles consecrated water upon the disciple’s head, using the astra gesture. He then gently strikes the disciple with a flower offering and binds the disciple’s eyes with half of a new, consecrated cloth. Guided by the teacher, the disciple is led into the maṇḍala through its entrance and circumambulates Śambhu three times. Afterwards, the disciple offers a handful of flowers mixed with gold to the Lord, then prostrates himself full-length on the ground, facing east or north. Once more, the teacher sprinkles the disciple’s head with the root mantra and the astra gesture, strikes, and then removes the binding from the disciple’s eyes. Upon seeing the maṇḍala, the disciple bows again to the Lord with joined palms. The Śiva teacher, now seated at the southern side of the maṇḍala, seats the disciple to his own left on a darbha seat. Having worshipped Mahādeva, he forms the Śiva hand gesture, imbuing his hand with the radiance of Śiva. Filled with devotion, he recites the Śiva mantra and places his hand upon the disciple’s head. The teacher then performs the full-body support gesture; the disciple, recognizing the teacher as the embodiment of the Lord, prostrates himself on the ground. After properly worshipping the Lord in the Śiva fire and seating the disciple as before, following the threefold offering, the teacher continues the ritual. He touches the disciple with the tips of darbha grass and, through knowledge, enters into the disciple. After bowing to Mahādeva, he performs the joining of the channels. Following the method taught in the Śiva scriptures, he causes his breath to exit and enters the disciple’s body, then satisfies the mantras through remembrance. For the satisfaction of the root mantra, he makes ten offerings, and three for each limb, each accompanied by their respective mantras in proper order. After the expiatory offering, the teacher, skilled in mantras, makes another ten offerings with the root mantra. Again, he worships the Lord of gods and, after proper purification and offerings, uplifts the Vaiśya to his own caste. In the same manner, he generates Kṣatriya status, and then Brāhmaṇa status for the disciple. Having uplifted the Rājanya and made him a Brāhmaṇa, the teacher then generates Rudra-hood in both; within the Brāhmaṇa, he establishes the name of Rudra. After sprinkling and striking the child, the teacher contemplates within himself that his own self is of the nature of Shiva, perceiving it as flashing like a spark. Following the prescribed method, the teacher expels his breath through the channel as instructed and enters into the heart of the disciple. There, he contemplates the disciple’s consciousness, seeing it as a shining blue point, purified of impurity by his own radiance. Using the channel, the teacher withdraws that consciousness—not establishing it with inhalation—but holding it for the purpose of unification with his own self. Then, with retention and exhalation as before, he returns and establishes it in the heart of the disciple. Having received this from Shiva, the teacher gives the sacred thread to the disciple and, after offering three oblations, presents the full oblation. He seats the disciple to the south of the deity on an excellent seat, covered with kusa grass and flowers, with hands joined and facing north. The teacher himself sits on an excellent seat facing east, assuming the svastika posture, and recites the mantras with great auspicious resonance. Taking a purified pot, meditating on Shiva, the teacher anoints the disciple. Afterwards, the disciple bathes and puts on white garments, performs purification, adorns himself, and, with joined palms, approaches the pavilion. Seated as before on a darbha grass seat, the teacher worships the deity in the mandala and performs the ritual gestures with his hands. Meditating on the deity with ashes in mind, the teacher touches the child and utters ‘Shiva.’ Then, having performed burning, washing, and other rites, he completes the ritual according to the path of the matrika-nyasa. Meditating on the seat of Shiva, the teacher invokes Shiva upon the disciple’s head and worships him there mentally according to the proper method. With joined palms, the teacher prays to the deity: “Always remain present here.” Having thus requested, he remembers the brilliance of Shambhu. After worshipping Shiva and receiving the Shaiva command, which is of Shiva’s nature, the teacher softly utters the Shiva-mantra into the disciple’s ear. The disciple, hands joined, listens to the mantra and, with his mind absorbed in it, slowly recites it as instructed by the Shiva-teacher. Finally, the expert in mantras instructs the disciple in the Shakta mantra, pronounces it, and blesses him with well-being.