As the sages gathered and invoked the sacred powers, they began by uniting all evil dreams, just as a healer joins together a part, a hoof, or a tendon. With this act, they bound the troubling visions and led them far away from their people, casting them toward the enemy so that peace might reign among their own. At the morning pressing, they called upon Agni, the universal fire, creator of all and bringer of happiness. They prayed that he, the purifier, would grant them wealth, protect them, and let them live long, sharing food together in harmony. At the second pressing, they invoked all the gods—especially the Maruts and Indra—asking not to be abandoned. Speaking words dear to the gods, they sought favor and longevity. Now came the third pressing, prepared by the wise, who filled the sacred cup with nectar. They invited the shining, unaging Saudhanvanā to bring forth the most excellent offering. In the ritual, they grasped the implements: the falcon, with the Gāyatrī meter, for prosperity upon the upward path of sacrifice; the Ṛbhu, with the Jagatī meter, for prosperity; and the bull, with the Triṣṭubh meter, again seeking prosperity as the sacrifice ascended. They reflected on Agni’s mysterious nature: no mortal could harm his form. He was like a monkey, consuming his own offspring as a cow absorbs her afterbirth. Like a ram, Agni was praised when his jaws—upper and lower—devoured, and with his head, he struck the heads of the waters, consuming their fibers with his green flames. All around, the winged ones uttered speech, the black ones cried out in the fields, and seeds were scattered, resting upon the sun. The people then called upon the Aśvins to strike down the pests: the tarda, samaṅka, and ākhuma. They prayed for the heads and backs of these creatures to be crushed, their mouths closed so they could cause no harm. Thus, they sought safety and abundant grain. They named the various pests—tarda, pataṅga, jabhya, upakvasa—and likened their barley grains to sacred offerings, untouched and unharmed in the Brahman's abode. They addressed the lords of these pests, subduing all forest and field pests with their prayers. Soma, purified by the wind, moved swiftly forward, yoked as a friend with Indra. The people asked the waters, their mothers, to cleanse them, and for the rich, ghee-bearing waters to purify them. They trusted the divine waters to carry away all defilement, approaching them purified. Whatever offense they had committed, knowingly or unknowingly, among the gods or mortals, they begged Varuṇa, the wise one, to release them from sin and spare them suffering. As the sun rose from the womb of heaven, he drove away the Rakṣasas, the unseen beings, from the mountains. The Āditya, visible to all, destroyed the hidden threats. With the arrival of day, the cows settled in their pens, wild animals withdrew, the rivers subsided, and the unseen melted away. Into this peace, they brought life, wisdom, the renowned Kanva plant, and all-healing remedies to pacify any lingering unseen forces. Heaven and Earth, both wise, were invoked to protect the people with their shining, great right hand. The deities—Soma, Agni, Vāyu, Savitṛ, and Bhaga—were asked to guard them in proper order. They prayed for breath, self, sight, and life to return, and for Vaiśvānara, the unfailing fire within, to drive away all misfortune. They wished to be united with brilliance, strength, body, mind, and auspiciousness. Tvaṣṭṛ was asked to grant greater power and wipe away defects. They glorified the supreme power yoked for Indra, seeking victory and for his sovereignty and prosperity to flourish like grass after rain. Agni and Soma were asked to establish sovereignty and wealth for their chosen one, and to destroy all who opposed them, whether kin or not, for the sacrificer who poured the offering. They remembered the many paths of the gods, which traverse between heaven and earth, and prayed for the gods’ protection for all who sought to follow those tracks. They asked the seasons—summer, winter, cold, spring, autumn, and rains—to bestow their whiteness and blessings upon them, their cattle, and their children, so they might dwell in shelter. For this year and the next, they offered great homage, seeking the favor of the gods, good thoughts, and well-being. They prayed that the gods would prevent the serpent from striking them, their households, or companions. They offered salutations to all forms of the serpent—black, striped, tawny, and long-living—giving homage to the divine beings. They bound the serpent’s tongue and closed its mouth, striking it together with all who supported it, subduing its harm. They spoke of a powerful remedy—Rudra’s remedy—that once drove away a hundred arrows from a single person. They sprinkled with the remedy for net-poison, seeking mercy and life. They asked for happiness and delight, that nothing be harmful, and that the earth forgive. May all be a remedy for them. Indra, the generous, was invoked to grant glory, as were Heaven and Earth, and Savitar. They wished to be dear to the giver of rewards. As Indra was glorious among gods, and as waters and plants are glorious, so too did they wish for glory among all beings. They celebrated the glory of Indra, Agni, and Soma, affirming their own place among the glorious. To the bulls, they offered respect, to the cows, they invoked Arundhati, seeking protection for the barren, the young, and all four-footed creatures. The plant, together with Arundhati, was asked to grant protection, fill the cattle-pen with milk, free from disease, and ensure the well-being of men. They called upon the all-formed, fortunate one to lead away from the cows any missile of Rudra. Finally, Aryaman came forward, shining and adorned with praise, seeking a husband for the maiden and a wife for the groom, bringing harmony and fulfillment to all. Thus, in reverence and unity, the people offered their prayers and rituals, seeking protection, prosperity, forgiveness, healing, and blessings for themselves, their cattle, their fields, and their future generations.