Karma for the World Hereafter

Upamanyu said

Now I will speak only of the procedures for the world hereafter. No karma in the three worlds equals it. It is extremely sacred and has been performed by all the gods, particularly Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra; Indra and the guardians of the worlds; the nine planets, Surya and the rest; Vishvamitra, Vasishtha and other great sages who know the brahman; Shveta, Agastya, Dadhicha and others like us who have taken refuge in Shiva; Nandishvara, Mahakala, Bhringisha and other lords of the ganas; daityas and great serpents like Shesha who live in the nether regions; and siddhas, yakshas, gandharvas, rakshasas, bhutas and pishachas. To gain their own respective positions, all of them practised it. By following this procedure all the gods gained their status as gods: Brahma became Brahma, Vishnu became Vishnu, Rudra became Rudra, Indra became Indra, and Ganesha gained his status as lord of the ganas.

The lingam is bathed with water mixed with white sandalwood paste. Having worshipped Shiva and Shivaa with white blooming lotuses, the person bows to them. He devises a beautiful lotus seat, auspicious and full of every fragrance, made, if he has wealth and according to his capacity, of powdered gold and gems. A small lingam, a finger long, beautiful and auspicious with every fragrance, is placed in the centre of the net of filaments. It is placed in the south and worshipped with bilva leaves. Aguru is applied on the southern side, red arsenic on the west, sandalwood paste on the north and yellow orpiment on the east. It is worshipped with beautiful, colourful, fragrant flowers. With guggula, incense, black aguru and everything else, soft and dazzling garments, sweet milk rice mixed with ghee and ghee lamps are offered. After offering everything with mantras he circles it and devoutly bows to the lord of the gods, praises him, and at the end asks forgiveness. Every offering is submitted to the lingam, offered to Shiva with mantras to Shiva. The devotee takes refuge in Dakshinamurti. A person who constantly worships this way, using five auspicious fragrances, is freed from all sins and gains greatness in Shiva's world. This excellent vrata is secret. It is the great vrata of worshipping Shiva's lingam. It can be revealed only to devotees and should be told to no one else. Shiva described it in ancient times and it should be given to Shiva's devotees.