In the ancient days, when the sacred fires burned bright and the gods were near, a worshipper approached the altar with devotion in his heart. He called to Agni, the radiant fire, offering ghee with reverence. “Agni,” he prayed, “lead this one upward. Endow him with brilliance, and let his line be blessed with many children.” He turned to Indra, the mighty, asking, “Make him the foremost among his kin, a lord among companions. Grant him wealth, nourishment, long life, and the blessing of old age.” The offerings continued, and the worshipper invoked Agni again, “For the one for whom we make this oblation at home, increase his fortunes, Agni. Let Soma speak for him, and let Bṛhaspati, the wise, lend his voice as well.” Yet, the world held dangers. The worshipper called out to Bṛhaspati, “If any, not a god, stands against us, strike him down for the sake of your devotee.” To Soma he prayed, “If any speak ill or curse us, let your thunderbolt silence them; let those who oppose us be crushed and depart.” And again, “If any enemy, near or far, attacks us, Soma, take away his strength, as the vast sky withholds its might.” Seeking favor, the worshipper invoked the pure path of Aditi, Soma, and Mitra, asking, “By that honest path, come to us in grace.” He remembered how Soma had once struck down the Asuras and pleaded, “By that same power, speak for us.” To all the gods he entreated, “By the strength with which you overcame the Asuras, grant us your protection.” Turning to matters of the heart, the worshipper sought union and affection. “As the creeper embraces the tree,” he whispered, “so may you embrace me. As women desire me, as my mind clings to itself, so may your mind cling to me.” He pressed further, “As the eagle strikes the earth with its wings, so do I strike your mind; as women desire me, as my mind never departs from me.” And, “As the heavens and earth, and the sun swiftly encompass all, so do I encompass your mind; as women desire me, as my mind never leaves me.” His prayers grew more intimate. “May her body, her feet, her eyes, her thighs all desire me. May the hair of the passionate one wither with longing for me.” He wove her into his thoughts, “I place you in my mind at dusk, in my heart at night, so that you, desiring one, may come to my intention, to my mind.” He invoked the ancient powers, “Those whose navel is the place of rising, whose heart is the seat of union—may the cows, mothers of ghee, bring that union to me.” The worshipper then offered to the directions and the powers: “To the earth for hearing, to the plants, to Agni, to the lord—svāhā. To the breath for the midspace, to the ages, to Vāyu, to the lord—svāhā. To the sky for sight, to the stars, to Sūrya, to the lord—svāhā.” He recalled the sacred rite of puṃsuvana, placed on the śamī and aśvattha trees, the knowledge of the son, placed among women. “In the man, the seed arises and is poured into the woman. This is the knowledge of the son, as Prajāpati declared.” And he remembered how Prajāpati, Anumati, and Sinīvālī arranged the roles, placing the feminine elsewhere and the masculine here. He called upon the sun, “As the sun encircles the sky, I have reached the birth of serpents. Day and night, whatever is destroyed, with that I ward off poison from you.” He invoked ancient wisdom, “What was known by Brāhmaṇas, by Ṛṣis, by gods in ancient times—what was, what will be, what exists—by that I ward off poison from you.” He filled the world with honey, “With honey I fill rivers, mountains, hills; honey for Paruṣṇī, for Śīpālā. May there be peace for us, peace for the heart.” He paid homage to the mysterious powers: “Homage to the slayers of gods, to the slayers of kings, to those who slay among people, and to you, Death, homage.” He honored Death, “To you, lord of speech, lord of distant speech; to your good mind, Death, and to your evil mind—this homage.” He bowed to the yātudhānas, to the medicines, and to Death at the roots, and to the Brāhmaṇas. Seeking healing, he prayed, “Let bone-wasting, flesh-wasting, heart-disease, and all balāsa be destroyed from the limbs and joints.” He drove out balāsa, “I remove it from the sufferer as one removes a root; I cut its binding as one uproots a plant.” He sent it away, “Let balāsa fly from here like a young bird; let it flee, destroyer of strength.” He sought the highest power of herbs and trees, “Let that support be ours against whoever attacks us.” He asked for preeminence, “Whether among kin or not, whoever attacks us, may I be the highest, like the trees.” He wished, “As Soma is highest among plants and best of offerings, so may I be highest among trees, like the tala and asha.” He prepared the offerings, “The juices that harm and those that do not, the strong juices—these are yours. With these, we prepare your porridge.” He named the ancestors of the plant: “Your father is Vihahla, your mother is Madavati. You harm yourself, you are your own enemy.” He called out to the spirits—Tauvilika, Velaya, Ayamailaba, Ailayit, Babhru, and Babhrukarna—to depart and vanish. He named the plant’s forms in the directions: Alasala in the east, Silanjala in the north, and Nilagalasala. Finally, he invoked the earth’s steadfastness for fertility and birth. “As this great earth has taken the embryo of beings, so may your embryo be held firm, to be brought forth at the right time.” He repeated, “As this great earth supports these trees, so may your embryo be held firm, to be brought forth at the right time.” And again, “As this great earth supports mountains and hills, so may your embryo be held firm, to be brought forth at the right time.” Thus, through prayer, offering, and invocation, the worshipper sought blessing, protection, healing, love, and the continuity of life, honoring the gods, the earth, and all that sustains creation.