Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

बालेन्दुमुकुटं सौम्यं त्रिनेत्रं च चतुर्भुजम् दीप्तशूलमृगीटंकतिग्मवेत्रधरं प्रभुम्

He is gentle, crowned with the crescent moon, has three eyes and four arms, holds a glowing trident, a deer, a sharp rod, and is the master.

चन्द्रबिम्बाभवदनं हरिवक्त्रमथापि वा उत्तरे द्वारपार्श्वस्य भार्यां च मरुतां सुताम्

His face is like the moon's disk, or like Hari's face; at the northern side of the entrance, worship his wife, the daughter of the winds.

सुयशां सुव्रतामम्बां पादमण्डनतत्पराम् पूजयित्वा प्रविश्यान्तर्भवनं परमेष्ठिनः

Worship the mother, Suyaśā, who is virtuous, devoted to vows, and intent on adorning the feet; then enter the inner chamber of the Supreme Lord.

संपूज्य लिङ्गं तैर्द्रव्यैर्निर्माल्यमपनोदयेत् प्रक्षाल्य पुष्पं शिरसि न्यसेत्तस्य विशुद्धये

Having worshipped the liṅga with those substances, one should remove the used offerings, wash the liṅga, and place a flower upon its head for its purification.

पुष्पहस्तो जपेच्छक्त्या मन्त्रं मन्त्रविशुद्धये ऐशान्यां चण्दमाराध्य निर्माल्यं तस्य दापयेत्

Holding the flower, one should recite the mantra with power for the purification of the mantra; worshiping Caṇḍa in the northeast, one should have the used offerings taken away.

कल्पयेदासनं पश्चादाधारादि यथाक्रमम् आधारशक्तिं कल्याणीं श्यामां ध्यायेदधो भुवि

Next, one should arrange the seat and, in due order, the support and so forth; one should meditate below the earth on the auspicious, dark-hued support-power.

तस्याः पुरस्तादुत्कंठमनंतं कुण्डलाकृतिम् धवलं पञ्चफणिनं लेलिहानमिवाम्बरम्

In front of her, one should visualize the endless, coiled form, white, with five hoods, licking as if the sky.

तस्योपर्यासनं भद्रं कण्ठीरवचतुष्पदम् धर्मो ज्ञानं च वैराग्यमैश्वर्यञ्च पदानि वै

Above her is the auspicious seat, four-footed like a wooden stool; the four supports are dharma, knowledge, detachment, and sovereignty.

आग्नेयादिश्वेतरक्तपीतश्यामानि वर्णतः अधर्मादीनि पूर्वादीन्युत्तरांतान्यनुक्रमात्

These supports are colored white, red, yellow, and dark, corresponding to the directions starting from the southeast; unrighteousness and the rest are placed in order from the east to the north.

राजावर्तमणिप्रख्यान्न्यस्य गात्राणि भावयेत् अस्योर्ध्वच्छादनं पद्ममासनं विमलं सितम्

One should imagine the limbs as resembling kingly jewels; above this, the pure white lotus seat is the covering.

अष्टपत्राणि तस्याहुरणिमादिगुणाष्टकम् केसराणि च वामाद्या रुद्रावामादिशक्तिभिः

They say it has eight petals, the eight powers beginning with aṇimā; the filaments, starting from the left, are the Rudra and leftward energies.

बीजान्यपि च ता एव शक्तयोंतर्मनोन्मनीः कर्णिकापरवैराग्यं नालं ज्ञानं शिवात्मकम्

The seeds are also those very energies within, up to Unmanī; the inner receptacle is supreme detachment, the stalk is knowledge, of the nature of Śiva.

कन्दश्च शिवधर्मात्मा कर्णिकान्ते त्रिमण्डले त्रिमण्डलोपर्यात्मादि तत्त्वत्रितयमासनम्

The bulb, whose nature is Śiva and dharma, is at the end of the inner receptacle in three circles; above the three circles, the three principles—self and so on—are the seat.

सर्वासनोपरि सुखं विचित्रास्तरणास्तृतम् आसनं कल्पयेद्दिव्यं शुद्धविद्यासमुज्ज्वलम्

Above all the seats, one should arrange a comfortable seat, spread with various coverings, a divine seat shining with pure knowledge.

आवाहनं स्थापनं च सन्निरोधं निरीक्षणम् नमस्कारं च कुर्वीत बध्वा मुद्राः पृथक्पृथक्

One should perform the invocation, establishment, containment, and gazing, as well as salutation, making the gestures separately.

पाद्यमाचमनं चार्घ्यं गंधं पुष्पं ततः परम् धूपं दीपं च तांबूलं दत्त्वाथ स्वापयेच्छिवौ

Then one should offer water for the feet, sipping water, offering, fragrance, and flowers; then incense, lamp, and betel, and afterwards put Śiva to rest.

अथवा परिकल्प्यैवमासनं मूर्तिमेव च सकलीकृत्य मूलेन ब्रह्माभिश्चापरैस्तथा

Or, having thus arranged the seat and the image, making it complete with the root and also with the other Brahmā mantras,

आवाहयेत्ततो देव्या शिवं परमकारणम् शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशं देवं निश्चलमक्षरम्

Then one should invoke Śiva, the supreme cause, with the goddess; the god, unmoving, imperishable, shining like pure crystal.

कारणं सर्वलोकानां सर्वलोकमयं परम्

He is the cause of all worlds, the supreme one who is the essence of all worlds.

भक्तानामप्रयत्नेन दृश्यमीश्वरमव्ययम् ब्रह्मेंद्रविष्णुरुद्राद्यैरपि देवैरगोचरम्

He is seen effortlessly by devotees, the imperishable Lord, yet is beyond the reach of gods like Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, and Rudra.

देवसारं च विद्वद्भिरगोचरमिति श्रुतम् आदिमध्यान्तरहितं भेषजं भवरोगिणाम्

He is known by the wise as the essence of the gods, yet is said to be beyond perception; without beginning, middle, or end, he is the remedy for those afflicted by worldly existence.

शिवतत्त्वमिति ख्यातं शिवार्थं जगति स्थिरम् पञ्चोपचारवद्भक्त्या पूजयेल्लिंगमुत्तमम्

This is known as the principle of Shiva, the enduring purpose of Shiva in the world; one should worship the supreme liṅga with fivefold offerings and devotion.

लिंगमूर्तिर्महेशस्य शिवस्य परमात्मनः स्नानकाले प्रकुर्वीत जयशब्दादिमंगलम्

The liṅga is the form of the great Lord, Shiva, the supreme Self; during the time of bathing, one should perform auspicious rites beginning with the sound of victory.

पञ्चगव्यघृतक्षीरदधिमध्वादिपूर्वकैः मूलैः फलानां सारैश्च तिलसर्षपसक्तुभिः

With the five products of the cow—ghee, milk, curd, honey, and so on—along with roots, the essences of fruits, and with sesame, mustard, and flour preparations,

बीजैर्यवादिभिश्शस्तैश्चूर्णैर्माषादिसंभवैः संस्नाप्यालिप्य पिष्टाद्यैः स्नापयेदुष्णवारिभिः

With wholesome seeds such as barley, with powders derived from black gram and others, one should bathe and anoint the liṅga with pastes and then bathe it with warm water.

घर्षयेद्विल्वपत्राद्यैर्लेपगंधापनुत्तये पुनः संस्नाप्य सलिलैश्चक्रवर्त्युपचारतः

One should rub with bilva leaves and the like to remove any residue of ointments and fragrances; then, bathing again with water, one should proceed according to the rites of a king.

सुगंधामलकं दद्याद्धरिद्रां च यथाक्रमम् ततः संशोध्य सलिलैर्लिंगं बेरमथापि वा

One should offer fragrant amalaki and turmeric in due order; then, purifying the liṅga or the image with water,

स्नापयेद्गंधतोयेन कुशपुष्पोदकेन च हिरण्यरत्नतोयैश्च मंत्रसिद्धैर्यथाक्रमम्

One should bathe it with fragrant water, with water containing kuśa grass and flowers, and with water infused with gold and jewels, empowered by mantras, in the proper sequence.

असंभवे तु द्रव्याणां यथासंभवसंभृतैः केवलैर्मंत्रतोयैर्वा स्नापयेच्छ्रद्धया शिवम्

If the substances are not available, then with whatever is obtainable, or even with water alone empowered by mantras, one should bathe Shiva with faith.