Therefore, it is taught that one should renounce the qualities and pleasures associated with gods, demons, and kings as if they were no more than dry straw. By doing so, the seeker opens the way for the highest attainment in yoga to manifest. Yet, if a sage so wishes, out of compassion for the world, he may move among people, partaking of qualities and enjoyments as he pleases, and still, in the end, attain liberation. Now, hear with full attention as the procedure of yoga is explained. One should choose an auspicious moment and a sacred, tranquil place—especially one hallowed by Shiva, or a secluded spot, free from the presence of living beings, where silence prevails and disturbances are absent. The ground should be well-prepared and pleasing, anointed with fragrant substances, perfumed with incense, strewn with fresh flowers, and adorned with canopies and beautiful decorations. The place is to be supplied with kusa grass, flowers, sacred twigs, water, fruits, and roots. Whether it is by the side of a fire, near water, or even on a heap of dry leaves, the spot must be pure. However, one should avoid places teeming with biting insects or mosquitoes, those infested by snakes or wild beasts, or where wicked animals dwell. Places of fear, or those surrounded by evil people, are to be shunned. Likewise, one should not practice yoga in cremation grounds, deserted mounds, dilapidated houses, crossroads, riverbanks, shores of streams or oceans, or in the midst of streets. Old gardens, cowsheds, and all places considered inauspicious or disreputable must be avoided. One should not begin after consuming indigestible or sour foods, nor in places soiled with excrement or urine. Yoga practice should not take place when one is vomiting, suffering from diarrhea, after overeating, when exhausted, troubled by worry, or when excessively hungry or thirsty. Nor should it be undertaken while engaged in one’s own or the guru’s duties. Moderation is essential—in food, recreation, and all actions. One should be balanced in sleep and wakefulness and shun all forms of excess. Seated on a soft, pleasant, spacious, level, and clean seat, one should assume a posture such as the lotus or svastika. With reverence, one should first offer respects to one’s teachers and elders in the proper order. The neck, head, and chest are to be held straight, the gaze gentle—not staring, the head slightly raised, and the teeth apart. The tongue should rest motionless at the tip of the teeth, and the heels should gently protect the generative organ. The arms are to be crossed with care above the thighs, the right hand’s back resting on the left palm. The back is raised gently, the chest kept firm, and the gaze fixed steadily at the tip of the nose, without glancing elsewhere. The breath should be gathered and steady, the body motionless as stone, while one contemplates Shiva within the innermost sanctuary of the heart. In the center of the heart’s lotus-seat, one should worship by the sacrifice of meditation—focusing at the base, the tip of the nose, the navel, the throat, or the palate. Alternatively, attention may be directed to the space between the eyebrows, the gateway, the forehead, or the crown—establishing in due order the supreme seat of Shiva and the Goddess. Within these places, whether veiled or unveiled, the yogi visualizes lotuses with varying numbers of petals: two, sixteen, twelve, ten, six, or four, as prescribed. Between the eyebrows is a lotus of two petals, radiant like lightning. Within this lotus, at the center, are two petals—one on the right, one on the left—each shining with the hue of lightning, each at the end of a letter. The sixteen petals represent the sixteen vowels, arranged beginning from the east; this lotus is found at the root of the bulb. The letters from ‘ka’ to ‘tha’ are inscribed upon the petals in sequence. On the pure white lotus, the letters from ‘ḍa’ to ‘pha’ are placed in order. On the lotus glowing like smokeless fire, the letters from ‘ba’ to ‘la’ are arranged; while on the golden lotus at the root center, the letters from ‘va’ to ‘sa’ are established on the petals in their proper order. Among all these lotuses, wherever the mind is most absorbed, there one should contemplate the god and the goddess with unwavering understanding. One should visualize a pure form, radiant on all sides, about the size of a thumb, shaped like a clear lamp flame, and adorned with its own inherent power. This form may appear as a crescent moon, a star, a grain of rice, or the fiber of a lotus stalk. It might resemble a ball of kadamba flowers or a drop of frost. If mastery over the elements is desired, one should meditate in this way. For each element, the meditator contemplates its presiding deity in a tangible form, up to Sadāśiva—Brahmā and the others, up to the eighth form, beginning with creation. The gross forms of Shiva are described in the scriptures: fierce, mixed, and peaceful, as declared by the great sages. These are to be contemplated by those who are free from desire for results and skilled in meditation. Meditating on the fierce forms destroys sin and disease; meditating on the mixed or gentle forms brings liberation, though not immediately or after a long time. But with the gentle form, liberation, peace, and wisdom are especially attained. In this way, the attainments arise in due order—of this, there is no doubt. Some yogis, believing that by remembering Lord Śrīkaṇṭha all desired attainments are swiftly accomplished, meditate upon him. Others, seeking steadiness of mind, practice meditation on gross forms; once the mind is fixed on the gross, it becomes steady in the subtle as well. When Shiva is meditated upon, all attainments come directly; when other forms are meditated upon, one should contemplate the form of Shiva within them. One should observe the steadiness of the mind, and repeatedly meditate upon that. In the beginning, meditation is with an object; later, it is said to be without an object. Yet, among the wise, it is taught that meditation without an object does not truly exist, for any continuous flow of the intellect is called meditation.