23 -The mode of worship of Shiva

Shaildi said:

1. Henceforth, I shall recount to you the excellent worship of Shiva. One shall worship Ha during the three Sandhyas (morning, midday and evening) and perform the sacred rites in the fire in accordance with one’s capacity.

2-3. The devotee shall at the outset perform Shivasnana (ablution pertaining to Shiva) and the purification of the Tattvas as before. With flowers in the hand he shall enter the place of worship with great concentration and mental purity. He shall then perform Pranayama three times and the rites ofDahana and Aplavana. With the hands rendered fragrant with scents, he shall perform the rite of the Nyasa of the Mahamudra (the great gesture).

4-8. With great effort he shall make his body sanctified by the nectar of Shiva as well as by the perfect knowledge of Shiva and the fire of Brahman. He shall make his body originating from Avyakta (the unmanifest), Ahamkara(ego) and the Tanmatras (subtle elements) sanctified by this perfect knwledge. he Hrudaya (heart) stands above, the umbilicus about a Vitasti (twelve Angulas) away from it. It stands about the same distance below the cerebrum. The devotee shall recognize it as the great abode of the universe. He shall meditate on the lord Sadashiva in the pericarp of the lotus of the heart in the following form. He has five faces, ten arms and three eyes in every face. He is bedecked in all ornaments. The moon adorns his crest. He is seated in the lotus pose. He resembles pure crystal. His upward face is white and the eastern face resembles saffron.

9. The southern face has blue colour. The northern face is very red. His western face is as white as cow’s milk.

10-12. In his hands on the right side he holds the javelin, axe, sword, thunderbolt and Shakti. In the hands to the left he holds the noose, goad, bell, serpent and the excellent dart or his hands show the gestures of granting boons and freedom from fear.¹⁹⁴ The rest is as mentioned before. He wears all kinds of ornaments and garments of diverse colours. He shall worship lord Shiva whose form is the Vedanga, who is the most excellent of all excellent Devas and who is the lord of Brahman. He shall worship him with all fervour.

194. Varadabhaya - hastamm— anena chaturbahudhyanam suchitam ST. The devotee shall meditate on the four-armed lord.

13. The five Brahmans have already been mentioned. Now listen to the Shivangas (the ancillaries of Shiva). O sages of good holy rites, listen also about heart etc., that are the Shaktis.

14-20. Om the lord is Ishana of all lores. Obeisance to Hrudaya the Bija of Shakti. Om the lord is Ishvara of all living beings. Obeisance to the head, containing Amruta. Om obeisance to the tuft, to the overlord of Brahma, to one in the form of black fire. Om obeisance to the Kavacha (coat of mail), to the overlord of Brahman, to the black and fierce gust of wind. Om obeisance to the eye, to Brahman, to one who swells, to the Murti of perfect knowledge. Om Phat Phat to Shiva, to Sadashiva, to the miraculous weapon Pashupata, to one who is not thwarted. Om obeisance to Sadyojata. Protect me when there is an attack from worldly existence. Obeisance to that form of' Shiva which is the source of origin of all worldly existences.

Om Obeisance to Shiva the most auspicious one, to one who has Hamsa in the tuft, to one whose physical body is learning, to one whose form is Atman and to one who is greatest with none greater. The Angas of Shiva have been mendoned. His Murdvidya (the lore of the deity) is accompanied by the ancillaries of the Murtidvidya which is an Anga of Brahman (the Vedas) also in the Shivashasana (the order laid down by Shiva).

O sage of good holy rites, I shall mention the mantras pertaining to the Sun, viz., Bashkala and others. O sage of good holy rites, the Ahgas are the gist of all the Vedas.

“Om Bhuh, Om Bhuvah, Om Svah, Om Mahah, Om Janah, Om Tapah, Orn Satyam, Om Rutam, Om Brahman.

This nine-syllabled mantra is glorified as Bashkala. It is called Akshara because is does not perish in this world. Satyam (truth) is called Akshara. It is prefixed withPranava (i. e. Om) and suffixed with Namah (obeisance). ^194a

194a. The six lines beginning with om bhuh and ending with astraya phat (N.S. Ed. p. 984) are repetitions of the same (N.S. Ed. p. 981).

21. Om Bhurbhuvah Svah. We meditate on that excellent refulgence of the lord, the refulgence that urges and guides our intellect. Obeisance to the Sun the greatest planet in the firmament.

22-24 Thus the Mula mantra of the great Atman has been mentioned. He shall worship Dipta and other Shaktis with the nine-syllabled mantra and the Sun with the Mula mantra. I shall succinctly mention the Anga mantras. The first one is mostly covered with Vedic mantras and the middle one with Pranava.

Om Bhuh obeisance to the heart, to Brahman. Om Bhuvah obeisance to the head, to Vishnu. Om Svah obeisance to the tuft, to Rudra. Om Bhurbhuvah svah obeisance to the lord having clusters of flames. Om Mahah obeisance to the Kavacha (coat of mail), toMaheshvara. Om Janah obeisance to the eyes, to Shiva. Om Tapah obeisance to the Astra (miraculous missile), to one who scorches. Thus incidentally the mantras pertaining to the Sun have been mentioned. O sage of good holy rites, the mantras pertaining to Shiva also have been succinctly mentioned along with the mode of Nyasa (fixation).

25-31. Thus, he shall worship the lord identical with the mantras, in the lotus of the heart. The Homa is to be performed after duly generating the Shiva fire in the umbilicus by means of the mind. All the holy rites are to be performed in the Shiva fire. He shall meditate on lord lshvara originating from the Angas of the five Brahmans. The Murti of Shiva is seated on the seat of red lotus. He is turned into the Sakala form assiduously. O sage of good holy rites, the Murti is meditated upon with Mula mantra and the mantras of the Vedangas, etc. The Homa with the sacrificial twigs and ghee is performed menially. He shall then remember the complete Dhara (current of nectar) originating from the abode of the moon in the lunar sphere. In accordance with the injunction regarding the Purnahuti in the Shivashasana (the treatise on Shiva) he shall meditate on Shiva Shankara in the form of refulgence in the face. He shall again remember the lord of the chiefs of Devas in the forehead or in the middle of the eyebrow. This detailed worship shall be concluded in the lotus of the heart. He shall meditate on the destroyer of worldly existence in the shape of the pure (lame of the lamp. He shall worship the lord in the Linga also or worship Sadashiva on the bare ground.