Methods of Worshipping Shiva

The rishis said

Suta, very fortunate disciple of Vyasa, we bow to you. You have let us hear Shiva's wonderful account, supremely purifying. We have heard the auspicious and amazing account of the origin of the greatly divine lingam. Hearing of its powers destroys all the miseries of this world. Ocean of compassion, following the conversation between Brahma and Narada, please tell us the ways of worshipping Shiva by which Shiva is pleased. Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras worship Shiva. How should they do it? Tell us what you heard from Vyasa's mouth.

Vyasa said

Hearing the sages' questions, he gladly told them everything. It agrees with the Vedas and brings peace.

Suta replied

Lords among sages, you have asked a virtuous question about a secret. I will now tell you, as my understanding and hearing allow. What you ask was once asked by Vyasa of Sanatkumara. Upamanyu heard it from him, and Vyasa heard it from him. For the welfare of the worlds Vyasa had me study the methods of worshipping Shiva. Krishna heard it from the great-souled Upamanyu.

Brahma said

Narada, I will tell you briefly about worshipping the lingam; even if I tried for a hundred years I could not describe it in detail. This is Shankara's form, bliss, pure and eternal. Worshipped with supreme devotion, it gives everything one wishes. There is no poverty, disease, misery or trouble from enemies. As long as one worships Shiva, the four kinds of sin do not exist. When Shiva is worshipped, all miseries dissolve into the god. Every kind of happiness is gained and afterward liberation. For a human, happiness mostly comes from offspring and the like. When Mahadeva is worshipped, success comes in all undertakings. Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras should follow the norms in order and worship Shankara; they will succeed in everything they desire.

One should rise in the morning at the brahma muhurta, remember the guru, then Shambhu, remember the holy places and meditate on Hara. Sage, he then remembers me, the undecaying ones and the sages, and by the norms chants an auspicious hymn. Having risen, he relieves himself toward the south, in private. Listen attentively as I tell the rule. To purify himself, a brahmana cleans himself with earth five times, a kshatriya four, a vaishya three, and a shudra twice. Or he can carefully clean the anus once and the generative organ once. The left hand is washed ten times, each foot seven times, and each hand again three times. Women, like shudras, clean themselves with earth, then wash hands and feet with earth. Depending on varna, a man then cleans his teeth with a twig: twelve angulas for a brahmana, eleven for a king, ten for a vaishya and nine for a shudra. What Manu has laid down can be set aside only in an emergency. Son, tooth-cleaning is forbidden on the sixth, ninth, vow days, Sundays and days of ancestral rites. One bathes by the norms, following the proper order at holy places. In certain places and times the bath is done with mantras.

First rinsing his mouth, he puts on a washed garment, sits alone in a good spot and does the sandhya rites. After the proper rites he sets about the worship. He steadies his mind before entering the place of puja. Having gathered all that the puja needs, he sits on his seat. After the nyasa, he follows the order of worshipping Hara. First Ganadhisha, the gate guardians and the guardians of the directions are worshipped. Then he thinks of the pedestal, or draws an eight-petalled lotus. He sits with the puja articles beside him and seats Lord Shiva. He rinses his mouth three times and washes his hands, does pranayama three times and meditates on Tryambaka in the middle: five faces, ten arms, complexion like pure crystal, adorned with every ornament, an upper garment of tiger skin. If a man gains sarupya with him, all his sins burn away. Having invoked Shiva so, he worships Parameshvara. He purifies his mind and in order does nyasa with the root mantra, and with Pranava nyasa in six limbs. After touching the heart the puja begins. Vessels are pictured for foot water, arghya and rinsing water. An intelligent person places nine pots by the norms on darbha grass, sprinkling them with water by darbha, cool water on each, chanting Pranava, looking at the things and sprinkling. Ushira or sandalwood paste can be used for foot water. As fitting, powdered jati, kankola, camphor, banyan root and tamalaka are sprinkled in the water for rinsing. All the pots are sprinkled with sandalwood powder. Beside the lord of the gods, Nandisha is worshipped. Shiva is worshipped with fragrances, incense and many lamps. Having purified the lingam, one gladly chants various mantras beginning with Pranava and ending with namah. With Pranava the seat is pictured inside the lotus or the svastika. The eastern direction stands for anima, the southern laghima, the western mahima, the northern prapti, the south-eastern petal prakamya, the south-western ishitva, the north-western petal vashitva, the north-eastern sarvajnatva, and the pericarp is said to be Soma. Surya is below Soma and fire below that. In order, Dharma and the other lords are thought of. In four undetermined directions the three gunas and Soma are pictured. Parameshvara is invoked with the Sadyojata mantra and seated with a mantra to Vamadeva; the nearness rite uses the Rudra Gayatri and the restraint rite the Aghora mantra. Ishana is worshipped with the mantra called sarvavidya. By the norms, foot water, rinsing water and arghya are offered. Rudra is bathed with water mixed with fragrances and sandalwood powder. Again by the norms a vessel is taken, mantras are said over it, and he is bathed with the five products of the cow. Then, with Pranava, he is bathed with cow's milk, curd, honey, sugarcane juice and ghee. Worshipped so, he gives everything desired. Mahadeva's bath is done with auspicious things while Pranava is chanted. The water in a vessel is sanctified with mantras and used for sprinkling; purified properly, it is strained through white cloth. Until water has been sprinkled with sandalwood powder it should not be used. One gladly worships Shankara with fine rice and many rare flowers: apamarga, camphor, jati, champaka, patala, white karavira, mallika, lotus, blue lotus and sandalwood. Many vessels are used to pour streams of water on Parameshvara. The god Maheshvara is bathed properly. If the puja is done with mantras, every kind of fruit is gained.

Son, I will briefly tell you the mantras that ensure success in every aim; listen attentively. These mantras are read or chanted from memory: the Rudra mantra; the Nila Rudra mantra; auspicious mantras of the White Yajur Veda; mantras used by hotris; the Atharvashirsha; repetitions of peace mantras; mantras to Aruna and those without reference to Aruna; desired mantras of the Sama Veda used for vows to gods; the rathantara of the Sama Veda; the flower hymn; the Mahamrityunjaya mantra; and the five-syllable mantra. The water is poured a thousand or 108 times, naming the god, following the Vedic path. Sandalwood paste and flowers are placed on Shiva. Chanting Pranava, articles for freshening the mouth are offered. After this the lingam is worshipped. The god is like crystal, partless and undecaying, cause of all the worlds, with all the worlds pervaded by the supreme. Brahma, Indra, Upendra, Vishnu and the other gods cannot perceive him. Those who know the Vedas know that Vedanta calls him incomprehensible. He has no beginning, middle or end and is the medicine for every disease. The thing called Shiva tattva is present in Shiva's lingam. By the norms the lingam is worshipped with Pranava, incense, lamps, food offerings, lovely betel leaves and the lovely lamp-waving. In addition, with many kinds of mantras, praise and bowing are done. Arghya is offered, and flowers laid at the feet. One bows before the lord of the gods and worships Shiva, then stands with flowers in cupped hands and with mantras prays again to Ishana Shankara: "Shankara, I have done this japa and puja knowingly or ignorantly. By your favour let it yield good fruit." Reading this, the flowers are gladly placed on Shiva. The norms for peace and blessing are followed. Then one asks Shiva's forgiveness, rinses the mouth, and bows. With the bow, one speaks the mantra for cleansing sins. Then full of devotion one prays again: "May I have devotion to Shiva. May I have devotion to Shiva in every birth. May I have devotion to Shiva. There is no other refuge. You alone are my refuge." Praying to the lord of the gods like this brings every success. The puja is done with supreme devotion and in a loud voice. With family members, one then bows. If one gladly does this, one gains unmatched happiness. A person full of devotion to Shiva who does this puja daily gains every success at every step. He is born eloquent and certainly gains every desire of his mind. He suffers no disease, unhappiness, grief, artificial anxiety, crookedness, poison or other hardship. If a person is supremely devoted to Shiva, Shiva destroys his miseries. His good fortune grows like the moon in the bright fortnight. If he worships Shankara, doubtless his good qualities increase. Supreme among sages, so I have told you the method of worshipping Shambhu. Narada, what else do you wish to hear?