Therefore, it is taught that to receive the grace of Shiva, one should worship him with proper rites and observances—through performing acts dedicated to Shiva, engaging in austerities, and continually reciting his sacred mantra. This devotion is not occasional, but constant: one should cultivate knowledge of Shiva and deepen meditation upon him ever more, so that from the moment of waking until the final breath, the mind remains absorbed in contemplation of Shiva. Now, let me explain in every way the procedure for Shiva’s worship, beginning with his emblem, the liṅga. Listen attentively, O twice-born, as I describe the circle of emblems. The foremost emblem is the praṇava, the sacred syllable Om, which fulfills all desires. In its subtle, unmanifest form, it is the subtle praṇava—Om itself. The manifest, tangible liṅga is the gross form, known as the five-syllabled mantra. Both the subtle and gross forms are to be worshipped and honored with austerity, for they directly bestow liberation. These two forms embody both Puruṣa and Prakṛti, and there are many other kinds of liṅgas as well. Of all these, only Shiva himself knows their full and detailed nature, but I shall speak of those liṅgas that are modifications of the earth. The self-born (svayaṃbhū) liṅga is the first, followed by the bindu-liṅga as the second. The established (sthira) and the moving (cara) liṅgas are the third and fourth, and the guru-liṅga is the fifth. Pleased by the austerities of gods and sages, Śarva (Shiva) placed his seed—the essence of sound—within the earth, so that his presence might be manifest. Breaking forth from the earth like a sprout, this seed becomes visible; that which is self-manifested and arises in this way is known as the self-born liṅga. Worship of this liṅga, whether it is made of gold, silver, other metals, or even earth or clay, naturally increases knowledge within the worshipper. A liṅga drawn by one’s own hand, accompanied by the pure praṇava mantra, is called a yantra-liṅga. After drawing it, one should perform its installation and invocation. A liṅga composed of bindu and nāda, whether fixed or movable, is formed by contemplation and is perceived by Shiva himself, without any doubt. Wherever Śambhu (Shiva) is sincerely invoked, there he bestows the fruits of worship, whether the liṅga is drawn by one’s own hand on a yantra, or exists in a fixed or natural form. In worship, one should invoke and honor Śambhu with sixteen offerings. Through one’s own effort, lordship is attained, and through practice, knowledge arises. For the sake of self-realization, gods and sages create a pure liṅga within a pure circle (maṇḍala), using mantras and their own hands. A liṅga established with pure contemplation is considered the highest; this is known as the pauruṣa liṅga, the established emblem. Constant worship of such a liṅga grants lordship among men, and even great brāhmaṇas, kings, and the wealthy attain excellence through it. A liṅga fashioned by an artisan and established with mantra is called established and natural; it grants the enjoyments and powers of the natural world. The powerful and enduring is called pauruṣa; the weak and impermanent is called natural (prākṛta). The liṅga that resides at the navel, tongue, tip of the nose, crown, waist, and other places throughout the three worlds is the internal, moving liṅga. Among natural objects, mountains are said to be pauruṣa, while the earth itself is natural; trees are pauruṣa, while shrubs and the like are natural. The sixty-fold (ṣāṣṭika) is to be understood as natural, while śāli, godhūma, and pauruṣa types are also recognized; the pauruṣa is divine, granting the eight great siddhis, beginning with aṇimā. The natural liṅga, as taught by the faithful, pertains to good women, wealth, and other desirable objects. Among the moving liṅgas, the rasa-liṅga is described first. This rasa-liṅga grants all desired blessings to Brāhmaṇas, while the bāṇa-liṅga, auspicious and bestowing sovereignty, is for Kṣatriyas. The golden liṅga is for Vaiśyas, granting wealth and lordship; the stone liṅga, auspicious and purifying, is for Śūdras. The sphāṭika (crystal) and bāṇa liṅgas grant all desires to all; if one’s own liṅga is absent, worshipping another’s is permitted and not forbidden. For women, the earthly liṅga is especially prescribed; for active widows, the sphāṭika liṅga is praised. For inactive widows, the rasa-liṅga is distinguished, and whether in childhood, youth, or old age, women of good vows are included. The pure sphāṭika liṅga grants all enjoyments to women; for those who are active, worship on a pedestal bestows all desired blessings on earth. The active worshipper should perform all worship using a vessel, and abhiṣeka and offerings should be done with rice food. At the end of worship, the liṅga should be placed in a container or a separate house; for the inactive, their own food should be offered. For inactive women, the subtle liṅga is especially distinguished; worship should be done with vibhūti (sacred ash), and vibhūti should also be offered. After worship, one should always place the liṅga on the head. Vibhūti is said to be threefold, arising from worldly fire, Vedic fire, and Shiva fire. Ash produced from worldly fire is used for purifying substances—of clay, wood, metal, grains, and the like. It is also used for sesame and other substances, for cloth and the like, and for those that are stale; purification by ash is desired for all these. For those defiled by contact with dogs or other impure things, purification by ash is prescribed; it may be applied with or without water, as appropriate. Ash produced from Vedic fire should be worn at the end of rituals; this is ash generated by mantra and ritual, taken from the sacred fire. By wearing this ash, the ritual is established within oneself. With the aghora mantra, one should burn bilva wood to produce what is called Shiva fire; the ash made from this is Shiva-fire ash. For this purpose, the dung of a tawny cow—or simply cow dung—should first be used. In this way, the worship of Shiva is to be understood and performed, honoring his emblems in their many forms, and receiving his boundless grace.