Takman, the fever spirit, is addressed directly, along with his brother Fever and his sister Cough. They are told, together with Evil and their cousin, to depart from the afflicted mortal and go elsewhere. The command extends to the third and fourth forms of fever, to the persistent and the autumnal types. All these—Takman, the chills, the trembling, the fevers of summer and rainy seasons—are called upon to be destroyed. From the distant lands of the Gandharis, the Mūjavas, the Angas, and the Magadhas, just as one might send a person into a storehouse, so too is Takman delivered away, removed from the sufferer. Turning now to another affliction, the one who seeks healing prays for support from the vast Heaven and Earth, from the goddess Sarasvati, and from the mighty Indra and Agni, so that the worms—those unseen agents of harm—may be subdued. Indra, the lord of wealth and power, is invoked to strike down all worms, for the speaker’s words are potent enough to destroy every enemy. The prayer continues, naming the worms that creep about the eyes and nose, and those that dwell deeper within; all are to be subdued. There are worms of similar and differing forms, some black, some red, some tawny, some with tawny ears, even those likened to the vulture and the heron—all are declared slain. The pale-bodied worms, the black ones, those with pale arms, and those of every conceivable form are also subjected to this powerful incantation. The sun is called upon as the great destroyer, moving before all, seeing everything, striking down both the visible and invisible, and thus destroying all worms. Those that are white, rough, mobile, or sharp-toothed—let both the seen and unseen worms be slain. The ram among the worms, the one who dwells in the river—all are crushed utterly, as grain is crushed with a stone. Even the most monstrous, the worm with three heads and three humps, the speckled and the white, are torn apart and decapitated. Like the ancient seers Kanva and Madagna, and with the power of Agastya’s prayer, the speaker strikes down the worms. No leader is spared: the king of the worms, their chief, the mother, brother, and sister—all are slain. Their dwellings and enclosures are destroyed, and even the smallest among them are not spared. Of all worms, of every kind, their heads are broken with a stone, their mouths burned with fire. Having thus driven out and destroyed all harm, the speaker seeks protection and blessing in every aspect of the ritual. Savitar, lord of creations, is asked to protect in prayer, rite, priestly office, foundation, thought, intention, wish, and invocation. Agni, lord of the forest trees, is invoked for the same comprehensive protection. Heaven and Earth, the generous givers, are called to guard; Varuṇa, lord of the waters; Mitra and Varuṇa, lords of rain; the Maruts, lords of the mountains; Soma, lord of plants; Vāyu, lord of the midspace; Sūrya, lord of vision; the Moon, lord of the stars; Indra, lord of the sky; the father of the Maruts, lord of cattle—all are petitioned to protect in every sacred act and intention. Even Death, the lord of creatures, is asked for protection, as are Yama, lord of the ancestors, and the ancestors themselves—those who have gone before, those who came after, and those yet after them. Each is invoked to provide blessing and safety in every utterance, rite, office, foundation, intention, resolve, and invocation. Finally, the attention turns to the mystery of life itself. From mountain, sky, and womb, from limb to limb, the seed-bearers of the embryo are gathered, holding the essence as delicately as a leaf. Just as the great earth receives and nurtures the embryo of all beings, so too is the embryo placed, with a call for divine assistance. Sinīvālī and Sarasvatī are asked to place the embryo, and the twin Aśvins, garlanded with lotuses, are called upon to do the same. Mitra and Varuṇa, Bṛhaspati, Indra and Agni, and Dhātṛ are all invoked to place the embryo. Viṣṇu is asked to prepare the womb, Tvaṣṭṛ to shape the forms, Prajāpati to pour in the vital essence, and Dhātṛ to place the embryo. The knowledge of King Varuṇa, of the goddess Sarasvatī, and of Indra the Vṛtra-slayer is invoked, and the one seeking conception is urged to drink that which brings new life. The embryo of plants, of trees, and of all beings is entrusted to Agni, who is asked to place it here, ensuring the continuation and flourishing of creation.