The greatness of Shivaratri – Shiva Purana

In the chapters 38 & 39 in Section 4 of Kotirudra-saṃhita of Shiva Purana, the glory of Shivaratri is mentioned.
The four vratas that bring about salvation are the worship of Shiva, the repetition of Rudra Mantra by way of Japa, observance of fast in Shiva’s temple and death in Varaṇasi. That salvation is eternal. Aṣṭami that falls on Monday, and Chaturdasi in the dark half are sure to bring about the propitiation of Shiva. Among the four the most powerful is the rite of Shivaratri. Hence that alone shall be performed by those who desire the fruits of worldly pleasures and salvation. To those without desire, to those with specific desires, to all men of all castes and stages of life, even to women and to children, this rite is very beneficial.
In the dark half of the month of Magha, Shivaratri is specifically glorified. The rite of Shivaratri is performed when the Chaturdasi extends up-to mid-night. The observance of the rite on that Tithi quells the sin of even a crore of human slaughters.

Worship on Shivratri:
Rising in the morning, the intelligent man with great delight, shall perform his daily routine of bath with care. He shall then go to the temple of Shiva for worship. After making obeisance to Shiva, he shall observe the Ritualistic affirmation of his performance according to the prescribed course.
After this affirmation the devotee shall collect the articles of worship. The phallic image shall be taken from a good place by the devotee himself at night by going there. The phallic image shall be that which is prescribed in the Agamas. The materials of worship shall be placed on a good spot near Shiva either to the South or to the West. Then the devotee shall take bath again duly. The devotee shall perform the Acamana thrice and begin worship.
The worship shall be performed in due concordance with the material and the mantras. Shiva’s worship shall always be performed in accompaniment with the mantras. The intelligent devotee shall repeat the mantras after performing worship in the first 3-hour period with music, songs, dances and devotional services. If he knows the sacred verses, he shall make earthen images of excellent type. After performing the daily routine, he shall worship the earthen image.
The devotee shall propitiate the bull-bannered lord, with several hymns. The glory of the Vrata shall be proclaimed by the intelligent devotee. It shall be heard by the devotee desiring the completion of the Vrata.
Thus, four different idols shall be made for the four 3-hour periods. They shall be shall keep awake with pleasure and jubilation. In the morning he shall take bath again. After installing the idol, he shall perform the worship. After concluding the rites and bowing to Shiva again and again he shall pray to him with palms joined in devotion and shoulders drooping down.
“O great God, the rite I have started at your behest has been performed and concluded. It has become excellent. O lord, the idol is being ritualistically dismissed now. O lord of gods O Shiva, be satisfied with the Vrata that I have performed strenuously. Please be merciful to me.”
The devotee shall offer a handful of flowers to Shiva and make charitable gifts. After making obeisance to Shiva formally he shall conclude the rites. After feeding brahmin devotees of Shiva and ascetics in particular, as far as possible and making them satiated, the devotee shall take food himself.
During the first 3-hour period the devotee shall worship with great devotion the earthen phallic image duly installed by way of good devotional services. Shiva shall always be worshipped with the five materials at the outset. The different articles of worship shall be separately offered with their respective mantras. After offering the materials the steady water-pouring shall be made. The intelligent devotee shall consecrate the materials of worship with the steady pouring of water. He shall worship Shiva, both Nirguṇa and Saguna, by the steady pouring of water, reciting the 108 mantras.
The worship of Shiva the supreme soul shall be performed with sandal-paste, unbroken rice-grains and black gingelly seeds. Again, Shiva shall be worshipped with lotus and and Karavira flowers. The devotee shall offer the flowers with the eight Namamantras to Shiva. They are Bhava, Sarva, Rudra, Pashupati, Ugra, Mahat, Bhima and Ishana.
When the names are used for worship, they shall be prefixed with “Om”. The incense and the lamps shall be used. The food-offering shall be made thereafter. In the first 3-hour period the intelligent devotee shall make cooked rice as food-offering. Half a coconut, and Tambula shall be offered afterwards. Obeisance and meditation shall follow and the mantra taught by the preceptor shall be used for Japa. Or the devotee shall propitiate Shiva by means of the five-syllabled mantra.
The devotee shall exhibit the mystic gesture of cow and offer Tarpaṇa with pure water. He shall then feed five Brahmins or more in accordance with his capacity. Then till the end of that 3-hour period festivities shall be observed. After dedicating the fruit of the worship to the deity himself, the ritualistic dismissal shall be performed.
Then in the second 3-hour period Saṃkalpa rites shall be performed duly as before. Or the Saṃkalpa rite shall be performed once for all the four 3-hour periods. Worship shall be performed as before. After performing the worship with the materials as before, the Jaladhara shall be offered. Then the devotee shall worship Shiva with gingelly seeds, barley grains and lotus-flowers. The devotee shall worship lord Shiva particularly with the leaves of the Bilva tree. The Arghya shall be offered with citron fruit. The Naivedya shall consist of milk pudding. O Viṣṇu, the repetition of the mantra shall be twice as that of the previous one. Then the brahmins shall be fed sumptuously. Other rites shall be performd as before till the end of the second 3-hour period of time.
In the third 3-hour period the worship shall be done as before. But instead of barley, wheat grains shall be used and the flowers of the sun-plant shall be offered. Incenses and lamps shall be of various types. The Naivedya shall consist of fried pies and various vegetable dishes. The waving of light, as part of worship, shall be performed with camphor. The Arghya shall consist of the pomegranate. The Japa repetition shall be thrice that of the previous. The feeding of brahmins shall follow along with the monetary gifts. Till the end of that period, festivities shall be celebrated as before.
When the fourth 3-hour period arrives the ritualistic dismissal of the previous worship shall be performed. The worship shall be performed duly with due ritualistic gestures. The devotee shall worship lord Shiva with black gram, green gram, Priyangu grains or any of the seven cereals, the flowers of Sankhi and the leaves of Bilva. The Naivedya shall be offered with different sweets or cooked black gram and rice in order to propitiate Sada-Shiva. Arghya shall be offered to Shiva with the plantain fruit or with different types of fruits.
The exellent man shall perform the mantra japa twice in number of that on the previous occasion. The intelligent devotee shall decide on the number of brahmins to be fed. Till day-break the devotee shall pass time in songs of prayer, musical instruments, devotional dances and other festivities along with his fellow devotees.
When the sun rises, he shall take his bath and then worship Shiva. The ablution of the deity shall be performed with devout services and adorations. Charitable gifts shall be offered, brahmins and ascetics shall be fed with different dishes, their number being in accordance with what was decided before.
After making obeisance to Shiva, handful of flowers shall be offered. The skilful devotee shall then pray after eulogising the lord with the mantras: --
“O Mṛḍa, the storehouse of mercy, knowing that I belong to you, my very life is embedded in you and my mind is dedicated to you, please do what is proper. O lord of living beings, be favourable to me viewing sympathetically at the Japa and worship conducted by me with the requisite knowledge or in ignorance. May lord Shiva the bestower of happiness be pleased with the fruit arising out of this fast and other rite. O lord Shiva, may your worship flourish in my family always. Let me not be born in the family where you are not a deity.”
After offering Puṣpanjali and accepting the Tilakas and blessings from the brahmins, the devotee shall ritualistically dismiss the deity. If the rite is performed thus, Shiva is not inaccessible to him. The fruit that he derives is inexplicable. There is nothing which I shall not give in return. If this excellent rite is performed without attachment, salvation will come to him in the form of seed. There is no scope for any doubt in this matter. This Vrata shall be performed with great devotion every month. After performing the concluding rite, the devotee shall reap the fruit with subsidiary benefits. Certainly, for the performance of this Vrata, Shiva, the destroyer of all miseries grants all desired benefits, worldly pleasures and salvation.
Udyapana (formal concluding):
The auspicious Shivaratri vrata shall be performed for fourteen years. On the Trayodashi day only one meal shall be taken and a complete fast shall be observed on the Chaturdashi day.
On the Shivaratri day after performing the routine, the devotee shall go to the temple of Shiva and perform worship. He shall make the mystical diagram famous in the three worlds by the name of Gauritilaka. In the middle of the mystical diagram Lingatobhadra and Sarvatobhadra shall be delineated. (Gauritilaka, Lingatobhadra and Sarvatobhadra are the circular diagrams of particular type depicting the positions of the deities to be invoked therein for offering worship, propitiation, eulogy etc.)
As in the Prajapatya rite, auspicious water-pots shall be placed wrapped in cloth, with a cocoanut above and the Dakṣiṇa in. The pots shall be carefully placed at the sides of the altar. In middle either a discus or a gold-pot shall be placed. The devotee shall make an idol of Shiva accompanied by Uma, of gold a pala in weight. According to his capacity the weight may be reduced to half of a pala. Shiva shall be on the left side and Shiva on the right. The devotee shall worship the idol at night.
He shall keep awake during the night performing worship in the different 3-hour periods and singing songs of prayer or devoutly dancing. After performing the worship thus in accordance with the injunctions he shall propitiate the lord. He shall worship again in the morning and perform Homa duly. He shall perform the Prajapatya rites according to his ability. With pleasure he shall feed brahmins and with devotion he shall make charitable gifts. He shall give the Ṛtviks and their wives good clothes and ornaments for bedecking themselves and make gifts to them separately. Saying “May Shiva be pleased”, he shall make the gift of a cow and a calf together with the essential requisites to the preceptor.
He shall pray to lord Śiva the great lord with great pleasure, with palms joined in reverence, with shoulders drooping and words choked with emotion.
“O great lord, lord of the gods, favourably disposed to the devotees, be merciful to me, thanks to this Vrata. O Shiva, this Vrata is performed by me according to my ability. O lord, if it is deficient in any respect let it become perfect by your favour. Japa and worship and other things have been performed partly in ignorance and partly with knowledge by me. May these be fruitful, O Shiva, by your mercy.”
After saying this the flower-offering shall be made to Shiva the great soul. He shall make obeisance and pray again. If the Vrata is performed thus it will be complete and no deficiency will remain. The devotee will attain Siddhi desired by him. There is no doubt in it.