For those beset by poverty, whether it is a lack of wealth or grain, their misfortunes are dispelled through the right offerings. If one suffers from scarcity of water or oil, the simple gifts of cow’s milk and water remove their troubles. For protection of the body and similar needs, the wise are to offer milk, curd, and ghee, understanding that these nourish and sustain. The gift of land, O twice-born, serves to establish one’s well-being both in this world and the next. The offering of sesame brings strength and is even said to conquer the power of death. Gold, when given, stokes the digestive fire and brings vigor, while ghee bestows nourishment and cloth grants the blessing of long life. Grain and food ensure prosperity, jaggery provides sweet nourishment, silver increases virility, and salt satisfies all six tastes. All these gifts together bring every form of prosperity. The humble gourd, too, is praised for its nourishing qualities, granting enjoyment in this life and beyond. The gift of a maiden, once bestowed, brings lifelong joy, just as the fruits of trees—jackfruit, mango, wood-apple—bring delight. Bananas, medicinal plants, black gram, green gram, and various vegetables all yield their own fruits, and each, when given in its season, brings blessings. According to the time of year, one should offer vegetables and condiments such as black pepper and mustard, as well as whatever fruits are available. The wise know that one should always provide satisfaction to the senses—hearing, sight, and the rest—by offering objects of enjoyment, and also extend this satisfaction to the directions and to the deities who preside over them. Taking up the Vedas and scriptures, having learned them directly from the teacher, and understanding that every action bears fruit—this is true faith. Faith that arises merely from fear of relatives or rulers is of a lesser kind. Yet even those who have nothing at all should worship, whether by word or by deed. Verbal worship consists in the recitation of mantras, hymns, and japa, while bodily worship is found in pilgrimage, vows, and similar acts. Whatever is offered, whether little or much, if dedicated with sincere intention to the deity, becomes fit for sacred enjoyment. Austerity and charity should always be practiced, and one should provide shelter, adorned with the qualities appropriate to one’s station in life. For the satisfaction of the gods, the wise declare that offering all enjoyments yields the highest results in this world and the next. When one offers with the intention of dedicating to the Lord, the fruit of liberation is attained. Whoever recites or listens to this teaching gains right understanding and the accomplishment of knowledge. At this point, a noble soul inquires, “O wise one, tell me the procedure for worshipping an earthen image—by which, through proper worship, all desires may be fulfilled.” The sage replies, “You have asked well, for this worship always grants all goals and removes suffering instantly. It wards off untimely death and destroys the threat of death itself. It brings wives, sons, wealth, and grain without delay. All food, enjoyments, clothing, and everything else arise from such worship. Therefore, worshipping an image made of clay or similar material fulfills all earthly desires. Both men and women have the right to perform this worship. One should collect clay from a river, pond, or well, purify it with fragrant powder, and grind it well in a clean pavilion. Then, by hand, the image should be fashioned, well-prepared with milk. The image should be complete in all its limbs and sub-limbs, furnished with weapons, and placed in the lotus posture. Thereafter, it should be worshipped with reverence. One should always worship the images of Gaṇeśa, the Sun, Viṣṇu, the Mother Goddess, and Śiva, as well as the liṅga of Śiva. To achieve the desired result, worship should be performed with sixteen offerings, flowers should be sprinkled, and ablutions performed with mantras. The food offering should be of rice, measured by a kuḍava; in a household, this is the standard measure, but for humans a prastha is prescribed. For the divine, three prasthas are suitable; for the self-born, five prasthas. The greater the offering, the greater the result—two or three more measures yield even more. By performing a thousand worships, a twice-born attains the world of truth. The measure is twelve finger-breadths, or even twice that. Above one finger-breadth, the measure is three sets of five. A vessel made of iron or wood is called ‘śiva’ by the wise. One-eighth of a prastha is also considered a prastha, and this is regarded as four kuḍavas, ten prasthas, a hundred prasthas, or even a thousand prasthas. For water, oil, and other fragrant substances, the measure should be as appropriate, and for humans, sages, and the self-born, this is known as the great worship. From ablution comes self-purification, from fragrance comes merit, from the food offering comes long life and satisfaction, and from incense comes attainment of purpose. The lamp brings knowledge, betel brings enjoyment. Therefore, one should diligently prepare the sixfold ritual, beginning with bathing. Salutation and recitation both grant all desired results, and at the end of worship, these should always be performed by those seeking enjoyment or liberation. Having first worshipped with the mind, one should perform each act, for by worshipping the gods, one attains the corresponding world. In that intermediate world, one enjoys as desired. The distinctions among these worlds I will explain—listen with faith, O twice-born. By properly worshipping Vighneśa, one attains desired things in the earthly world, especially on a Friday or on the fourth day in the bright half of Śrāvaṇa or Bhādrapada. In the constellation of the physician, in the month of Dhanu, one should worship Vighneśa according to the rules, whether a hundred or a thousand worships, completing them in as many days as required. With faith, worship of the gods and the sacred fire always grants sons and desired things to men, removes all sins, and destroys every misfortune.