At auspicious gatherings, during meals, or even at the time of sowing seeds, it is prescribed that one should perform the sacred birth offering a thousand times. This act, known as the dedication of one’s birth, yields the profound fruit of consecrating one’s very existence. By making this offering, one pleases Lord Shiva, who in turn bestows the highest union with Himself. Such an offering, it is said, should be presented to Shiva alone, for He is the supreme recipient. Shiva, manifest in the sacred forms of the yoni and linga, is the very determiner of birth itself. Thus, for those who seek release from the cycle of birth and death, the worship of Shiva in His birth aspect is especially prescribed. All that moves and does not move in the world is composed of bindu and nada—bindu being Shakti, the divine feminine energy, and nada being Shiva, the supreme consciousness. The universe, in its entirety, is of the nature of Shiva and Shakti, inseparably united. Bindu supports nada, and nada supports bindu; upon these two, the world is firmly established, for they are the foundation of all existence. Everything that possesses bindu and nada becomes manifest, and from this manifestation, the entire world arises—of this, there is no doubt. The linga, composed of bindu and nada, is thus declared to be the cause of the world: bindu is Devi, the Goddess, and Shiva is nada. The Shiva-linga itself is the union of these two principles. Therefore, to achieve liberation from birth, one should worship the Shiva-linga, recognizing the mother, Devi, as bindu and the father, Shiva, as nada. When both parents—the divine mother and father—are worshipped together, supreme bliss is attained. For the sake of this highest joy, one should offer worship to the Shiva-linga. Devi is the mother of all the worlds, Shiva the father of the universe; and by always serving both parents, compassion within oneself increases greatly. It is through compassion that the worshipper is granted inner sovereignty, the true rulership of the self. Thus, O best of sages, for the sake of attaining this inner bliss, one should engage in worship. The Shiva-linga should be revered as embodying both the father and mother. The term Bharga is described as the nature of Purusha, the cosmic person, and Bharga is also called Prakriti, the primordial nature. The embryo whose inner abode is unmanifest is called Purusha; when the inner abode is manifest, it is called Prakriti. The embryo is Purusha, for he is the progenitor; and from the union of Purusha with Prakriti, the first birth is said to arise. When Prakriti becomes manifest, the second birth is described; and every being born from this process is destined to experience death, having originated from Purusha. Otherwise, birth is inevitably brought about by Māyā, the power of illusion. All that is born must perish in time, and thus the embodied soul is known as jīva. Birth binds the soul in fetters, and this is the condition of the jīva. To remove this bondage, one should worship the very emblem of birth. The word ‘bhaṃ’ means to grow, and thus ‘bhaga’ is called the source. By common words and natural means, it is known as nature through the enjoyment of the senses. The primary meaning of ‘bhaga’ is enjoyment, which is its chief sense. The main ‘bhaga’ is nature, and Shiva is called the possessor of ‘bhaga’. The blessed one, Shiva, is the giver of enjoyment; no other grants enjoyment as He does. The lord of ‘bhaga’ is also called ‘bharga’ by the wise. The emblem, when joined with ‘bhaga’, or when ‘bhaga’ is united with the emblem, is for enjoyment both in this world and beyond, and indeed for perpetual enjoyment. Therefore, one should worship the blessed Mahadeva as the emblem of Shiva. Just as the sun is the creator of the world, so too does this mark arise from the act of creation. The mark that reveals the meaning of the emblem is itself called the emblem. The emblem signifies the purpose of the person, for it unites with Shiva. The union of the marks of Shiva and Shakti is known as the emblem. By worshipping one’s own mark, satisfaction arises, and the function of the mark is not lost. Yet, from the moment of birth onward, the function of the mark is ultimately removed. One should worship the emblem of Shiva with sixteen offerings, both external and internal, using ordinary means accessible to all. Thus, on the day of the sun, such worship removes the bondage of birth; and on the first day, the great emblem should be worshipped with the sacred syllable. On this first day, it is especially prescribed to perform ablution with the five sacred products of the cow: cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd, and ghee. Additionally, separate offerings of milk and its products, as well as honey and sugarcane juice, should be made as food offerings derived from cow’s milk, all accompanied by the sacred syllable. The emblem of sound is the sacred syllable itself; the emblem of resonance is self-born; the emblem of the dot is the device, and the syllable ‘ma’ is established. The syllable ‘u’ is the moving emblem, while ‘a’ is the form of the teacher. By constantly worshipping these six emblems, one becomes liberated while still living, without any doubt. Worship of Shiva with devotion grants liberation from birth for all people. By wearing rudrākṣa beads, one advances half a step toward liberation, and by wearing sacred ashes, another half step is gained. Through the recitation of mantras, three steps are achieved; and with worship offered in full devotion, both the emblem of Shiva and the devotee are worshipped, and a person attains liberation. Whoever recites or listens to this sacred teaching with concentration will find their devotion to Shiva growing ever more firm, O twice-born ones. At this point, the sages respectfully ask, “O great sage, tell us of the greatness of Praṇava, the sixfold Liṅga, and the worship of a devotee of Shiva.” The sage replies, “O ascetics, your question is most appropriate. Mahadeva alone fully knows the answer to this, and no one else. Now, by the grace of Shiva, I shall explain; may Shiva, the great Lord, protect both us and you. The wise know Praṇava—the sacred syllable Om—as a new boat for one who is born into the great ocean of worldly existence, which is caused by nature. The syllable ‘pra’ denotes the fivefold manifestation; know that Praṇava is yours, for it leads you to liberation in the highest way. For those who recite their own mantra, for yogins and worshippers of their own mantra, Praṇava destroys all karma and bestows new divine knowledge.” Thus, the path is revealed: through worship, offering, and the power of sacred sound, one draws near to Shiva and attains the highest liberation.