` ïI mhag[ptye nm> ` ïI gué_yae nm> ` \i;_yae nm>

om çré mahägaëapataye namaù om çré gurubhyo namaù om åñibhyo namaù

Simplest Shiva Homa

Introduction

Lord Shiva is a personification of detachment, auspiciousness and self-mastery. His homa can be done every day or every
Monday (or weekend) or on a Chaturdasi tithi.

Preparation

Find a standard homa kunda or simply a small vessel/utensil made of copper/silver/bronze/steel, in

Find some ghee (clarified butter). If not available, use sesame oil or some other oil. Find a copper/silver/steel
cup/tumbler/vessel to keep melted ghee. Find a copper/silver/steel spoon for offering ghee.

Find another tumbler and spoon for water. Keep a matchbox and camphor (if available) ready.

If possible, get some dry coconut (copra) halves at a nearby store and make small pieces (roughly 1 inch x 1 inch). If not,
collect some fallen dry twigs from nearby trees (or other firewood). If you have dried cowdung pieces, you can use those
too.

If you have black/brown/white sesame seeds and any unsalted plain nuts (e.g. cashews, almonds etc), you can use them
too.

Some Precautions

Do NOT consume meat or alcohol or drugs on the previous day. Sleep well and get up early on the day of homa. Take
bath and wear clean clothes that you feel comfortable in (no need for traditional clothes if they make you uncomfortable,
as being in a calm state of mind is more important than externalities).

If possible, it is ideal to do homa in an open space outdoors. When doing in a closed room, one should have enough
ventilation to avoid accumulation of smoke in the room, resulting in smoke inhalation. One should also take precautions
and avoid fire hazards like inflammable substances near the homa.

Procedure: Pre-Fire Stage

Sit down facing east and place the homa kunda in front of you.

Place some water in your right palm. If you are not comfortable with Sanskrit, say this:

For the establishment of Dharma on earth and for the well-being and peace of all people, I shall do a Shiva Homa within
my abilities.

If you are comfortable with Sanskrit, say this:

ÉUlaeke xmR Swapnaw¡ sveR;a< jnana< suo zaiNt isÏ(w¡ izv haemkmR ywazi´ kir:ye
bhüloke dharma sthäpanärthaà sarveñäà janänäà sukha çänti siddhyarthaà çiva homakarma
yathäçakti kariñye

After saying it, drop the water in front of you, over the tips of fingers.

Place a couple of copra pieces (or twigs) in homa kunda and light them with a matchstick (use a camphor for ease if you
have), while saying the following and imagining that Holy Fire will cooperate in this ritual:

` ÉUÉuRvSsuvraem!
om bhürbhuvassuvarom

Procedure: Initial Offerings in Fire

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your consciousness to Prajapati, via
Holy Fire:

` àjaptye Svaha
om prajäpataye svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your faculty of inspired perception to
Indra, via Holy Fire:

` #NÔay Svaha
om indräya svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your faculty of logical and structured
thinking to Agni, via Holy Fire:

` A¶ye Svaha
om agnaye svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your faculty of feeling and intuition to
Soma, via Holy Fire:

` saemay Svaha
om somäya svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your awareness of physical, mental and
spiritual realms to Prajapati, via Holy Fire:

` ÉUÉuRvSsuv> Svaha
om bhürbhuvassuvaù svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your ability to plan and avoid obstacles
to Ganesha, via Holy Fire:

` g< g[ptye nm> Svaha

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your ability to persist and overcome
problems to Varuna, via Holy Fire:

` v< vé[ay nm> Svaha

Procedure: Offerings to Main Deity

Imagine that lord Shiva has entered Holy Fire and accepting your offerings.

Say one of the following 3 mantras and offer a drop of ghee (or sesame seeds or nuts) in fire while imagining that Lord
Shiva is accepting it:

` nmiZzvay Svaha
om namaççiväya svähä
` ÿI— nmiZzvay Svaha
om hréà namaççiväya svähä

Warning: Ignore the mantra below if you are uncomfortable with Vedic intonation (swara). You can chant flat also.
` Èy?Mbk< yjamhe sug/iNx< pu?iò/vxR?n<, %/vaR/é/kim?v/ bNx?naNm&/TyaemuR?]Iy/ mam&tašt!, Svahaš.
om trya×mbakaà yajämahe sugaÞndhià pu×ñöiÞvardha×naà| uÞrväÞruÞkami×vaÞ bandha×nänmåÞtyormu×kñéyaÞ mämåtä÷t|
svähä÷||

You can do this as many times as you can. You can do one mantra for sometime and the other for some more stime. You
can also use any other mantras you are attached to.

Don't rush. Imagine that lord is in fire, accepting your offerings and mantra. Imagine that his blessings are coming to you.
Try to develop that feeling and enjoy it.

Procedure: Final Offerings in Fire

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your physical experiences to Agni, via
Holy Fire:

` ÉU> A¶ye Svaha

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your mental experiences to Vayu, via
Holy Fire:

` Éuv> vayve Svaha

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering your spiritual experiences to Surya, via
Holy Fire:

` suv> sUyaRy Svaha

` ÉUÉuRvSsuv> Svaha
om bhürbhuvassuvaù svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering everything physical, mental and
spiritual that is being sustained inside you, to Vishnu, via Holy Fire:

` iv:[ve Svaha
om viñëave svähä

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are surrendering everything physical, mental and
spiritual that is being destroyed inside you, to Rudra, via Holy Fire:

` éÔay Svaha
om rudräya svähä

Procedure: Poornahuti (Complete Offering)

Say this and offer a big copra piece or a nut or a twig or a big drop of ghee in fire while imagining that you are
surrendering your sense of being to Lord Shiva:

` ÿI— nmiZzvay Svaha

Say this and offer a drop of ghee in fire while imagining that Holy Fire with seven tongues is pleased:

` A¶ye sÝvte Svaha

Meditation

Now, meditate as long as you can, with the following mantra (or any other mantra you like).

` ÿI— nmiZzvay
om hréà namaççiväya

At the end, say this while imagining that peace descends on you and others:

` zaiNt> zaiNt> zaiNt>