For one who seeks liberation, the practice of mantra should not be performed excessively; yet, even if it is undertaken—whether here or elsewhere—it brings auspicious results to such a person. When engaging in this sacred practice, one should choose an auspicious day, a pure place, and a faultless time. With teeth and nails cleansed, having bathed and completed the morning rites, the aspirant adorns himself as best as possible with fragrant unguents, garlands, and ornaments. He wears a turban and an upper garment, and is dressed entirely in white. The devotee may sit in a temple, at home, or in another delightful place, comfortably settled upon a seat previously used for practice. With his body composed according to the Shaiva manner, as taught in the scriptures of Shiva, he prepares to worship the Lord of gods, Nakulīśa, the Supreme Lord. He offers rice pudding to the deity, performs the worship in proper order, bows to the god, and, having received permission from Him, begins the recitation of the Shiva mantra. This recitation may be ten million times, or half that, or half again, or two million, or one million, or even one hundred thousand times. Afterwards, the practitioner eats only rice pudding, seasoned with salt and alkaline, maintaining nonviolence, patience, peacefulness, and self-control. If rice pudding is unavailable, he may partake of fruits, roots, and other foods prescribed by Shiva, each successively more excellent. He may consume cooked offerings, food to be chewed, grains, barley, vegetables, milk, curds, ghee, roots, fruits, or water. All foods and edibles are consecrated with the mantra, and in this practice, he always eats with restraint of speech. The vow-holder bathes with pure water, purified by reciting the mantra eight hundred times, or with water from a river or lake, or sprinkles himself as he is able. Daily, he offers libations and oblations into Shiva’s fire, using seven, five, or three substances, or simply ghee. Thus, the Shaiva practitioner who worships Shiva with devotion finds nothing difficult to obtain, whether in this world or the next. Alternatively, one may recite the Hara mantra with a focused mind, abstaining from food, a thousand times, without the prescribed ritual for the mantra. For such a person, nothing is difficult to obtain, nor does any misfortune arise anywhere; here, having attained knowledge, prosperity, and happiness, one also finds liberation. In both regular and occasional practice, recitation follows 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, the devotee recites the five-syllable mantra. Once the disciple is prepared and the vow of Pashupata established, he is consecrated as a teacher, or otherwise according to the appropriate yoga. The mandala is created as before and the Supreme Lord worshipped. Five pots are placed at the directions and in the center, as previously: Nivritti in the front, Pratishtha in the western pot, Vidya to the south, Shanti to the north, and Parā in the center. Protection and similar rites are performed, the Dhainavi mudra is bound, and after chanting over the pots, oblations are offered as before until completion. The teacher brings the disciple into the mandala, with head uncovered, and performs the initial rites for the mantras, beginning with tarpanam, as previously. After worshipping the Lord of gods and seeking permission, the disciple is seated for consecration. The teacher makes him whole as the form of the five kalas, establishes the mantra-body, and dedicates the disciple to Shiva. Taking the pots of Nivritti and others in order, from the center, the teacher consecrates the disciple with Shiva's own hand. Then, offering Shiva's hand, the teacher places it upon the disciple's head, having attained the state of Shiva, and instructs him as a Shiva teacher. After adorning the deity and worshipping Shiva in the mandala, the teacher offers one hundred and eight oblations and gives the final offering. Again, worshipping the Lord of gods, bowing prostrate on the ground and placing hands on the head, the teacher informs Shiva: "O Lord, by your grace, this teacher has been made by me; having received your favor, O God, may you grant him divine command." Having thus informed Shiva, together with the disciple, bowing again, the teacher worships the divine Shiva scripture as Shiva himself. Seeking Shiva's permission once more, the teacher gives the book of Shiva knowledge to the disciple with both hands. The disciple places that knowledge upon his head, seats himself properly for study, and, after offering due reverence, worships it. Then the teacher gives him the royal insignia, for having attained the status of teacher, he is worthy of the kingdom as well. Next, instruction follows according to the practices of the ancients, as taught in the scriptures of Shiva, and as is honored among people. The teacher examines the students carefully by the characteristics prescribed in the scriptures of Shiva, sanctifies them, and imparts to them the knowledge of Shiva. In this way, purity, forbearance, compassion, non-attachment, and absence of envy are diligently cultivated, all without difficulty. Having thus instructed the student, the teacher dismisses him from the circle with the sign of Shiva, and also worships the assembly members such as the Shiva-pot and the fire. Then, the teacher together with his group performs the consecrations simultaneously, wherever the dual or both applications are prescribed. At the beginning, he prepares the water vessels as for the purification of the path and, having performed the vow of consecration, completes all except the anointing.