Listen, as the wondrous nature of the liṅga and the sacred ash is revealed. Within the body and throughout the three worlds, there exist subtle, moving liṅgas—at the navel, the tongue, the tip of the nose, the crown of the head, the waist, and other places. These are not fixed in stone or earth, but are the internal, living presences of the liṅga. In the world, mountains are known as pauruṣa—of conscious origin—while the earth itself is considered natural. Likewise, among plants, trees are pauruṣa, while shrubs and similar growths are natural. Among grains, the sixty-fold ṣāṣṭika is natural, but śāli rice, wheat (godhūma), and those of pauruṣa kind are also recognized. The pauruṣa is said to be divine, bestowing the eight great siddhis beginning with aṇimā (minuteness). Natural things, say the faithful, are associated with good women, wealth, and other objects. Among moving liṅgas, the rasa-liṅga is foremost. This rasa-liṅga grants all blessings to Brāhmaṇas who seek them. For Kṣatriyas, the auspicious bāṇa-liṅga bestows sovereignty and power. Vaiśyas are to worship the golden liṅga, which brings wealth and lordship. For Śūdras, the stone liṅga is pure and auspicious, purifying the worshiper. Yet, the sphāṭika (crystal) and bāṇa liṅgas are said to grant all desires to all people, regardless of their station. If one’s own liṅga is not present, it is not forbidden to worship with another’s; such worship is accepted. For women, the earthly liṅga is especially prescribed. For widows who remain active in the world, the sphāṭika liṅga is praised; for those who are inactive, the rasa-liṅga is recommended. This is true for the devoted in childhood, youth, or old age. The pure sphāṭika liṅga bestows all enjoyments upon women. For those who are active, worship performed on a pedestal brings all blessings on earth. Those who are active should always perform worship using a vessel, pouring abhiṣeka and making offerings with rice food. When worship concludes, the liṅga should be placed in a container or a separate house. Inactive worshipers should offer their own food to the liṅga. For the inactive, the subtle liṅga is especially praised. Worship should be performed with vibhūti, sacred ash, and the offering too should be vibhūti. After worship, one should always place the liṅga upon the head in reverence. Vibhūti is threefold: from worldly fire, from Vedic fire, and from the fire of Shiva. Ash from worldly fire is used for purifying substances—clay, wood, metal images, grains, and similar things. Ash from sesame, cloth, and even stale items is used for purification. For those defiled by dogs or other sources of impurity, purification with ash is desired, with or without water as appropriate. Ash from Vedic fire is to be worn after rituals, taken from the fire by mantra and rite. By wearing this ash, the ritual becomes established within oneself. With the aghora mantra, one should burn bilva wood, creating what is called Shiva fire. The ash from this fire is Shiva’s own sacred ash. To prepare it, one uses the dung of a tawny cow, or simply cow dung. Ash produced from burning the sacred woods—shami, asvattha, palasha, audumbara, vata, bilva, and similar trees—in the fire of Shiva, and properly purified, is known as bhasma, born from Shiva’s fire. Alternatively, darbha grass or suitable woods may be burned while reciting the Shiva mantra, and the fresh ashes, once purified with a clean cloth, are placed in a new vessel. This ash, collected for its brilliance, is fit for worship. This is the meaning of bhasma, for Shiva himself once did thus. Just as a king takes the essence from his domain, or people extract the best from grains by burning, or as the digestive fire in the belly takes the finest essence from food, so too does Shiva, the Supreme Lord, burn up the essence of the manifest world and take it into himself. Having burned the universe, Shiva smeared himself with that ash—thus, under the pretext of smearing, he took up the essence of all things. He established his own jewel-essence in his body: his hair embodies the essence of space, his face the essence of wind, his heart the essence of fire, his skin the essence of earth, his knees the essence of water, and so for all his limbs. The essence of Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra is the tripundra—the threefold mark of sacred ash—which Maheshvara, the Great Lord, wears upon his forehead. He sees all this as his own expansion; thus, the essence of the universe is subdued by him. Therefore, he is called the subduer of all, just as the lion is lord among beasts. As all animals fear the lion, so too does all creation bow to Shiva. The syllable ‘sha’ means happiness and bliss, ‘ma’ is the person (purusha), and ‘va’ is Shakti, immortality, and union. Thus, to worship Shiva is to make one’s own self Shiva. Therefore, before smearing the sacred ash, one should wear the tripundra in the highest manner—at the time of worship, with water for purification or without, by day or night, whether woman or man. For worship, the tripundra of bhasma with water is to be worn. Whoever does so and worships attains the complete fruit of Shiva worship. By wearing the bhasma with the Shiva mantra, one truly becomes an ascetic and a follower of Shiva, devoted solely to him. For such a devotee, there is no need to observe impurity or birth pollution; a mark of sacred ash should be worn on the forehead, applied with earth. Whether applied by one’s own hand or by that of the guru, this is the sign of a Shiva devotee. It is said to restrain the qualities (guṇas), and this is the true meaning of ‘guru’.