With a mind intent on purification and healing, the practitioner begins by meditating at the tip of the tongue, visualizing a radiant mass of light that dispels disease and affliction. Having washed the feet and anointed the hands with cooling sandal paste, the ritual proceeds with the sacred hand-nyāsa, starting with the careful purification of the hands. Nyāsa itself is threefold, corresponding to the cosmic functions of maintenance, creation, and dissolution. For householders, maintenance-nyāsa is prescribed; for celibates, the creation-nyāsa; while ascetics and forest-dwellers are to perform dissolution-nyāsa. Even a married woman whose husband is absent should follow maintenance-nyāsa, whereas for maidens, the creation-nyāsa is proper. The characteristics of these nyāsas are revealed through the hands: maintenance-nyāsa runs from the thumb to the little finger; creation-nyāsa begins at the right thumb and ends at the left, while dissolution-nyāsa traces the reverse path. Upon the fingers, one places the syllables from ‘na’ to ‘ma,’ each with its bindu, and upon the palms and ring fingers, Śiva himself is invoked. Next comes the weapon-nyāsa, where the mantra of the weapon is established in all ten directions, and the five kalās—beginning with nivṛtti and embodying the five elements—are invoked along with their elemental lords, each marked by its distinct sign. These are situated within the heart, throat, palate, between the brows, and at the crown of the head. Each kalā is bound with its own seed-syllable and contemplated in its seed, purified by reciting the five-syllabled mantra. The breath is then restrained according to the number of guṇas, and with the weapon-mantra and its corresponding gesture, the elemental knots are severed. Guiding the breath through the suṣumnā channel, the practitioner sends the self upward, merging it—upon exiting through the crown of the head—with the effulgence of Śiva. With the body dried by the breath and consumed in the fire of time, the upward movement gathers the kalās. The body, thus dissolved and burned, is touched by the ocean of nectar, flooding it and restoring it to its rightful state. Even when nothing remains but ashes, the nectar floods and revives, without the recreation of the kalās. Within this body of pure knowledge, the self—shining like a lamp’s flame and born from Śiva—is united with the Brahmarandhra. Meditating on this presence within the lotus of the heart, the practitioner again anoints the body of knowledge with a gentle shower of nectar. The ritual continues with the assignment of the hands, always preceded by purification, followed by the assignment of the body with the great seal. The limbs are assigned in the manner taught by Śiva, and the letters are placed at the joints of hands, feet, and other significant points. The six limbs and their classes are assigned, and the directions are bound in order, beginning with the southeast. Alternatively, one may perform only the assignment of the five limbs, starting with the head, and the six limbs, omitting the elemental purification if desired. In this concise way, body and self are purified, and having attained the state of Śiva, the practitioner is ready to worship the Supreme Lord. If time is short or the mind is unsettled, the rite of assignment may be performed in detail as prescribed. The sequence is as follows: first, the assignment of the letters; second, the assignment of Brahman; third, the praṇava assignment; fourth, the assignment of Haṃsa; and fifth, as taught by the wise, the assignment of the five-syllabled mantra. Any one or several of these may be performed during worship or other sacred acts. The letters are assigned thus: ‘a’ upon the head, ‘ā’ on the forehead, ‘i’ and ‘ī’ on the two eyes, ‘u’ and ‘ū’ on the ears, ‘ṛ’ and ‘ṝ’ on the cheeks, ‘ḷ’ and ‘ḹ’ on the nostrils, ‘e’ and ‘ai’ on the lips, ‘o’ and ‘au’ on the rows of teeth, and ‘aṃ’ on the tongue and palate. The ‘ka’ group is placed at the five joints of the right hand, the ‘ca’ group at the joints of the left hand, and the ‘ṭa’ and ‘ta’ groups at the joints of both feet. ‘Pa’ and ‘pha’ are placed on the sides and back, ‘ba’ and ‘bha’ on the navel, and ‘ma’ on the heart and other parts in order, on the skin and elsewhere. The letters from ‘ya’ to ‘sa’ are assigned to the seven bodily substances, ‘haṃ’ within the heart, and ‘kṣa’ between the eyebrows. Following the path of the fifty Rudras, the practitioner assigns the letters, and then the five Brahmans, according to the divisions of limbs, mouth, and other parts. These may be set upon the head, mouth, heart, secret parts, and feet. Above, the faces are arranged facing upward and westward; the five energies of Īśāna are placed, one by one, in the five white regions. In the four faces, the four energies of Puruṣa are established, following the cardinal directions from the east. The eight energies of Aghora are placed in the heart, throat, shoulders, navel, belly, back, chest, and also in the feet and hands. In the sides, anus, genitals, knees, shanks, hips, waist, and flanks, the ten energies of Vāmadeva are contemplated. The knower of this arrangement assigns energies at the nose, head, and arms, thus placing thirty-eight energies in sequence. Then, understanding the method of praṇava, the practitioner performs the praṇava placement on both arms, elbows, and wrists, as well as on the sides, belly, thighs, shanks, and the backs of the feet, completing the praṇava arrangement. Finally, the haṃsa placement is performed as prescribed in the scripture of Śiva, dividing the seed-syllable of haṃsa at the two eyes and the nostrils. Thus, with devotion and precision, the sacred assignments are completed, preparing the practitioner for the worship of the Supreme Lord, Śiva.