The sacred ritual began with the teacher invoking the constant presence of Shiva within the disciple, affirming the child’s identity with the Lord. Recognizing the disciple as one composed of Shiva’s own radiance, the teacher imparted divine qualities to him. With reverence, he offered three oblations, praying, “May the perfections beginning with aṇimā be pleased,” and once more bestowed these qualities upon the disciple. He conferred upon the disciple omniscience, fulfillment, knowledge without beginning or end, unimpeded power, independence, infinity, and the very power itself. Seeking the deity’s permission, the teacher anointed the disciple with the principal ritual vessels and others, all the while meditating in his heart on the Lord of Devas in the proper order. Next, he seated the disciple and worshipped Shiva as before. After receiving Shiva’s permission, he instructed the disciple in the sacred Shaiva knowledge. Here, the teacher imparted the mantra, preceded by Om and ending with ‘namah’, united with Shiva and Shakti, along with the Shakti-vidya of that kind. He explained the seer, the meter, the deity, the states of Shiva and Shakti, the worship with offerings, and the seats of Shambhu. Having worshipped the Lord of Devas again, the teacher addressed Shiva: “All the auspicious acts performed by me—may you accept them.” Together with the disciple, he bowed to the deity on the ground, as low as a staff, and then dismissed the disciple from the mandala and the fire. All the worthy members of the assembly were then honored in due order. The assembly members, along with the officiating priests, were served according to one’s means, for one who desires Shiva must not act with miserliness regarding wealth. The scripture then explained the rite called sādhaka. The greatness of the mantra and the consecration had already been indicated. Having worshipped the deity in the mandala and installed him in the vessel as before, the teacher, after offering oblations, brought the disciple, with head uncovered, to the mandala on the ground. Performing the eastern part as before and offering a hundred oblations in the same manner, the best teacher satisfied the ritual with the root-mantra using the vessels. He kindled the fire, performed the sequence previously described, anointed as before, and imparted the supreme mantra. After completing the instruction of knowledge in detail and in order, he offered the Shaiva knowledge into the disciple’s hand with flowers and water. By the grace of the Supreme Lord, this great mantra bestowed all attainments and fruits, both in this world and the next. Having spoken thus and worshipped the god, the guru, after receiving permission from Shiva, instructed the aspirant in the practice and discipline of Shiva-yoga. Hearing the guru’s command, the mantra-practitioner performed the prescribed ritual application of the mantra, step by step, before the guru. The preliminary rite for the root-mantra was called puraścaraṇa, to be performed beforehand as the act known as viniyoga. The practice of mantra should not be done excessively by one seeking liberation, but even if performed, it would bring auspicious results. On an auspicious day, in a pure place, and at a faultless time, the practitioner, with clean teeth and nails, bathed and completed the morning rites. Adorned with fragrant unguents, garlands, ornaments, a turban, upper garment, and clad entirely in white, he chose a temple, home, or another delightful place and sat comfortably on a seat previously practiced. Composing his body in the Shaiva manner, following the path taught in Shiva’s scriptures, he worshipped the Lord of gods, Nakulīśa, the Supreme Lord. He offered rice pudding, performed the worship in order, bowed to the god, and, having received permission, recited the Shiva mantra ten million times, or half that, or half again, or two million, or one million, or even one hundred thousand times. Afterwards, he ate only rice pudding measured with salt and alkaline, maintaining nonviolence, patience, peace, and self-control. If rice pudding was unavailable, he ate fruits, roots, and other foods prescribed by Shiva, each successively more excellent. He might eat cooked offerings, food to be chewed, grains, barley, vegetables, milk, curds, ghee, roots, fruits, or water, always consecrating all foods and edibles with the mantra and eating with restraint of speech. The vow-holder bathed with pure water purified by reciting the mantra eight hundred times, or with river or lake water, or sprinkled himself as able. He daily offered libations and oblations into Shiva’s fire, with seven, five, or three substances, or with ghee. Thus, the Shaiva practitioner who worshipped Shiva with devotion found nothing difficult to obtain, either in this world or the next. Alternatively, one could recite the Hara mantra with a focused mind, abstaining from food, a thousand times, without the prescribed ritual. For such a person, nothing was difficult to obtain, nor did any misfortune arise; having attained knowledge, prosperity, and happiness, one also found liberation. In both regular and occasional practice, one should recite after bathing with water and ashes, and with the mantra, in proper sequence. Pure, with hair tied, wearing the sacred thread, holding the purifying ring, adorned with three lines and rudraksha beads, one recited the five-syllable mantra. Then, having prepared the disciple and established the vow of Pashupata, one consecrated him as a teacher, or otherwise according to the appropriate yoga. Having made the mandala as before and worshipped the Supreme Lord, five pots were placed at the directions and in the center, as previously instructed, completing the sacred rite.