Shiva's Worship according to the Sacred Texts

Upamanyu said

With the basic mantra the place of worship is purified by sprinkling it with water mixed with fragrances and sandalwood, and flowers are scattered over it. The armour of the astra mantra is used to shroud it from all obstacles. With all directions protected, the ground is prepared for worship and darbha grass spread over it. All the vessels and articles of worship are purified by sprinkling water. Four vessels must be purified in this way: the sprinkling vessel, the arghya vessel, the padya vessel and the vessel for rinsing the mouth. After they are examined, auspicious water is sprinkled on them. All the auspicious articles available are placed there: jewels, gold, silver, fragrances, flowers, unbroken rice, fruits, sprouts, darbha grass and many other sacred things. The water for bathing and drinking must be especially fragrant, cool and pleasant, with flowers and other things put in it. The padya contains ushira and sandalwood. Powdered jati, kankola, camphor, the root of the banyan and tamalaka are specially sprinkled into the water for rinsing the mouth. All the vessels may hold cardamom seeds, camphor and sandalwood. The arghya vessel holds tips of kusha blades, unbroken rice, barley, vrihi, sesame, ghee, white mustard, flowers and ash. The sprinkling vessel holds kusha, flowers, barley, vrihi, banyan root, tamalaka and ash. Mantras are said over each vessel, which must be guarded outwardly with the armour. Then they are protected with the astra mantra and the dhenu mudra shown. All the articles of worship are sprinkled with water from the sprinkling vessel, with the basic mantra, and purified by the procedures. If vessels are not available, the sprinkling vessel may be used in all the rites. The excellent practitioner uses water from this general vessel for arghya and other rites.

By the norms the god Vinayaka is worshipped with food articles. Nandi, lord of the inner quarters, is worshipped to the south, next to the door. He is like a golden mountain, adorned with all ornaments, with the crescent moon as his diadem, gentle, three-eyed and four-armed. The lord holds a deer, a blazing trident and a fierce cane. His face is like the lunar disc and also like a monkey's. His wife Suyasha, daughter of the Maruts, is worshipped next to the northern gate, devoted to her bows and to massaging Amba's feet. Having worshipped, he enters Parameshthi's abode and worships the lingam with flowers and other things. A pure, consecrated flower is placed on the head. With a flower in hand and as his capacity allows, he does japa of the mantra, which he uses to consecrate. Chanda is worshipped in the north-east and a garland offered. Then, in order, seats are pictured for Adhara and the others. Adhara Shakti is auspicious, dark in colour; he meditates on her form standing on the ground. Ananta's coil lies just in front of her, white, his five hoods seeming to lick the sky. Just above him is a seat in the form of a four-footed lion. The feet are dharma, knowledge, non-attachment and glory, in four directions from the south-east, coloured white, red, yellow and black. Adharma and the others stand in four directions from the east to the north, their bodies pictured as like the rajavarta jewel. Above these is a seat of a white, shining lotus with eight petals, said to stand for the eight powers, anima and the rest. The filaments are Vama and the other Rudras with Vaamaa and the other Shaktis; the seeds are the other Shaktis, Manonmani and the rest. The pericarp is non-attachment and the stalk is knowledge of Shiva. With Shiva's dharma in his self, he pictures three circles at the end of the pericarp, with the three tattvas in them, each with its seat. Above these is a seat spread with a colourful covering. He pictures this divine radiant seat of pure knowledge. Showing separate mudras, he does the rites of invocation, installation, restraint, viewing and salutation. Then he offers padya, water for rinsing, arghya, fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps and betel leaves, and bathes Shiva and Shivaa. Or he can picture a single figure, the seat joined to the image, containing all the brahmanas. With Devi he invokes Shiva, the supreme cause, who is like pure crystal, motionless and undecaying, cause of all the worlds, supreme and pervading all worlds, established inside and outside, smaller than an atom and greater than the greatest. If devotees make an effort, they can see Ishvara, who has no decay. Brahma, Indra, Vishnu, Rudra and the others cannot see the divinity. He is the essence of the Vedas, and the learned have said in the shrutis that he is beyond comprehension. He has no beginning, middle or end. He is the physician for the disease of worldly existence. This is known as Shiva's tattva, established to ensure the universe's well-being.

The excellent lingam can be devoutly worshipped with five kinds of upachara. Shiva is the supreme self, and this is Mahesha's image as a lingam. While bathing it, auspicious shouts of "Victory" are raised. The lingam is bathed with the five products of the cow, ghee, milk, curd, honey, powdered roots, the essence of fruits, sesame, mustard, saktu, barley seeds, approved black gram flour and pure water. After the bath it is smeared with a paste, and to take away any bad smell it is rubbed with bilva leaves. It is bathed again and served with offerings like fragrant amalaka and turmeric paste, then cleaned again with water and bilva leaves. After bathing, it is sprinkled with fragrant water, water holding kusha grass and flowers, or water with gold and jewels in it, and mantras are said in order. If some articles cannot be had, whatever is available is used. Full of devotion, one may bathe Shiva with only water sanctified by mantras, poured from a pot, a conch, the sprinkling vessel, or kusha grass or flowers held in the hand. Mantras must be recited during the bath. For bathing the divinity, Shiva, lord of the gods, the names Pavamana, Rudra, Nila and Tvarita are used, with the Lingasukta, hymns from the Atharvashiras Upanishad, and hymns from the Rig and Sama Vedas on Shiva and the five brahmanas, and also Pranava. Since the two are alike, there is no particular difference in the procedure for bathing Deva and Devi. The rites for bathing Deva are done first and those for Devi afterward, by the command of the lord of the gods. When Arddhanarishvara is worshipped, there is no set order for the rites, and the same holds for the upacharas, whether for the lingam or elsewhere.

When the lingam's abhisheka is done, it is wiped with a fragrant, pure cloth. A garment and sacred thread are offered, then padya, water for rinsing, arghya, fragrances, flowers, ornaments, incense, lamps, food, drinking water and a mouth freshener, with rinsing water and a mouth freshener again. An excellent auspicious crown set with every kind of jewel is offered, and ornaments, many sacred garlands, a fan, a whisk, a palm-leaf umbrella and a mirror. After the lamp is waved, all auspicious sounds are made: singing, dancing and shouts of "Victory." An auspicious vessel of gold, silver, copper or clay is filled with lotuses, seeds, flowers, curd, unbroken rice and cow dung. A nandyavarta, the shrivatsa mark, a svastika, a mirror, a vajra, a fire symbol and so on are included. Eight lamps surround it and an excellent lamp is set in the centre. He pictures the nine Shaktis, Vaamaa and the rest, and worships them there. For protection the astra mantra is used as a guard in every direction. Showing the dhenu mudra, both hands raise the vessel. Instead of the vessel, five lamps may be used in order, four in the four directions and one in the centre, or even a single lamp. Raising the vessel, in the manner of circumambulation, the devotee with the basic mantra makes it circle three times above the lingam. Arghya is offered and fragrant ash applied to the top of the lingam. After an offering of flowers the gifts are offered, then drinking water and rinsing water. Betel leaves with the five fragrances are offered. Everything is sprinkled with water from the sprinkling vessel, and arrangements are made for singing and dancing. Thinking of Shiva and Shivaa as present in the lingam, he does japa of Shiva and Shakti. He circles, bows and offers his self, humbly submits whatever act he wishes done, and with his hand showing the proper mudras offers arghya and flowers from the hollow of his hands. Then, begging pardon, he gives the divinity leave to go, while holding him in mind. In times of great difficulty the offerings may be limited to those from padya to the mouth freshener, or devout flowers alone; even that, done with devotion, suffices for supreme dharma.

As long as he lives, he must not eat without first worshipping Shiva. If he deliberately commits the sin of eating, there is no salvation for him. If he ate because he was distracted, he should vomit it out, bathe and worship Deva and Devi twice. Fasting, he must chant Shiva's name ten thousand times, also keeping brahmacharya. On the next day, as he can, he gives gold and other things to a devotee of Shiva in Shiva's name. Then he purifies himself with a great act of worship.