During the sacred Kārtika māsa, the great Lord Mahādēva is to be worshiped in four forms by upāsakas of Mahātripurasundarī following the path into ūrdhvāmnāya through the Paścimāmanāya krama of Navaratna Kubjikā.
The first week, the Lord is invoked during brahma-muhūrta as Mahāsvacchanda Bhairava along with Bhagavatī Guhyakālī – through the first nine āvaraṇas of sr̥ṣṭi Dakṣiṇāmūrti śrīcakra. Red flowers and raktacandana are offered to the divine couple. This vidhi grants the upāsaka freedom from all obstacles of the body, mind, and celestial causes.
The second Monday, the Lord is invoked as Mūla Dakṣiṇāmūrti with Parā as his Saubhāgyahr̥daya – through the first ten āvaraṇas of the śrīcakra. This grants the upāsaka kāya, yoga, and vāksiddhi. White flowers are offered during worship. He represents the Guru, Parama Guru, Paramēṣṭhi Guru, Parāpara Guru and Kāraṇa Guru.
On the third Monday, the Lord is invoked as Mahākāla along with Dakṣiṇā Kālī through the tripañcāśadakṣarī vidyā of Mahākāla. The worship happens in the fifteen āvaraṇas of the śrīcakra following the combined āvaraṇas of Dakṣiṇākālī and Mahākāla. While the worship of the Goddess is via Kādi krama of Dakṣiṇāmnāya, the Lord is worshiped through sādi krama of Uttarāmnāya following the procedures of Manthānabhairava Tantra. Blue flowers are offered in worship. This vidhi grants the upāsaka Mantra Siddhi. Based on the āmnāya, the dhyāna varies (there is a third version of the mantra in paścimāmnāya as well, as a parivāra of Navātman, but this mantra is not imparted in our lineage). The versions given below are for Dakṣiṇa and Uttarāmnāya mantras (28 and 53 letters).
पित्रावासे शयानः प्रमथपरिवृतः कालिकाप्राणनाथः
नालम्बीवादनोल्लासहनविधुहुताशाक्ष औज्वल्यमूर्तिः ।
नृत्यन्त्याः कालिकायाः पदकमलधरोरःप्रदेशप्रकाशः
ध्येयः प्रेम्णा ह्यजस्रं हृदि स कुणपरूपो महाकालदेवः ॥
नीलजीमूतसङ्काशं महाभयत्रिलोचनम्
नीलकण्ठं खड्गचर्मवराभयधरं भुजैः ।
पिनाकशूलखट्वाङ्गतोमरान् बिभ्रतं विभुम्
प्रासपट्टिसहस्तं वै महाकालं स्मरामि अहम् ॥
Final week, the Lord is invoked as Ardhanārīśvara through the Mahāprāsāda mantra. The worship occurs in the sixteen āvaraṇas of the śrīcakra. The worship of prāsādaparā occurs in sr̥ṣṭikrama and that of parāprāsādā in saṁhārakrama. In sthitikrama, yuganaddha form is propitiated. Red and White flowers are offered during the worship. The worship is concluded with balidāna to Gaṇapati, Chaṇḍēśvara, Kukkuṭēśvara, Durgā, and Kālabhairava.