The sages then asked Suta about the Agni yagya, Brahma yagya, and Guru Puja in order of importance.
Suta said-
"Performing 'havan' by offering matter and materials into the sacred fire, is called Agni yagya. This ritual is especially meant for the brahmachari (celibates). Performing havana during the evening time brings prosperity, while performance of havana during the morning times gives long life. Making sacrifices to the deities during the daytime is called 'Deva Yagya'. A brahmin should perform 'Brahma yagya with the help of the study of the Vedas."
"First of all lord Shiva adopted an auspicious day for himself and named it Sunday. After that he named the Six remaining days of the week and attributed them to the following deities respectively - Monday (Durga), Tuesday (Skanda), Wednesday (Vishnu), Thursday (Yama), Friday (Brahma), and Saturday (Indra).
Worshipping the deities on their respective days give peace properity and all kinds of accomplishments.
APPROPRIATE PLACE AND TIME FOR WORSHIPPING SHIVA
In the Vidyeshwar Samhita of Shiva Purana, describing about the importance of place and time for worship of Shiva says-
"Worshipping Shiva at a pure place in a house gives appropriate fruits, while worship done in a cowshed gives virtue, which are ten-times more than the former one. Worshipping Shiva at the banks of a river gives, ten times more virtues than the second one. Worship of Shiva done either in temple, under the basil plant etc. or at the banks of Sapt Ganga, gives ten times more virtue than the third one. If Shiva is worshipped at the seashore than the fourth one, while worshipping Shiva on the peak of a mountain, gives ten times more virtue than the fifth one. But worship done with a fully concentrates mind, gives the best fruits.
During the Satya Yuga performance of Yagya and donations gave complete results. During the Treta Yuga it gave half, while in the present Kali Yuga it gives one-fourth results. Virtuosity performed with a pure heart does not go in vain. The other auspicious days in order of their increasing importance are 'Surya-Sankranti', Tula Sankranti and Mesh-Sankranti, Lunar eclipse and Solar eclipse respectively.
WORSHIPPING THE IDOL OF SHIVA
It has been mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of Viddyeshwar Samhita that all the desires of a man are completely fulfilled, if he worship even in earthen idol of Shiva. For making an idol of Shiva, clay should be acquired from the base of river, pond, well or any such other place. In this clay fragrant powder and milk should be added to make it into a paste. After the constructing of idol is complete, it should be worshipped by all the sixteen types of rituals Shodasopachar.
If the Shivalinga is constructed by somebody else, then three 'sera' of Naivedya should be offered to the deity, whereas if one himself has constructed the Shivalinga then the one-fourth of a 'Sera' should be offered.
If such an idol s worshipped for one thousand times, then it helps a devotee in attaining to the Satyaloka. Performing 'abhishek' of such an idol helps in self-purification, offering fragrance gives virtues, Naivedya increases the life span and worshipping it with 'Dhoop' gives wealth and prosperity respectively.
Worshipping the idol with a burning lamp gives knowledge to the devotee, whereas offering beetel leaves gives splendours.
A devotee who worships Lord Shiva in the Hindu month of Magh and on Krishna Chaturdashi achieves longevity of life. Both, worldly pleasures and salvation are achieved by worshipping Shiva.
Worshipping Shiva in the Hindu month of Kartik by going Japa, penance etc gives special fruits and the devotee becomes free from all kinds of diseases.
If a devotee worships lord Shiva on Sunday he becomes free from rebirth.
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