O mighty god of resounding power, lord of a thousand prosperities, you are the sovereign ruler. We come before you with reverence, seeking a share in your abundance, and pray that you bestow your blessings upon us, that our devotion to you may be unwavering. In the vastness of the midspace soars a divine presence, proclaiming the existence of all beings. To you, O radiant one, we offer this sacred oblation, honoring your immense power. There, stationed in the sky, are three dark ones, shining like gods; we call upon all of them, seeking their aid and our unharmed protection. Your origin, O divine one, is in the waters, your seat is in the sky, your greatness pervades the ocean and spreads across the earth. For your vast power, we offer this oblation with devotion. You are the restrainer, holding back with your mighty hands and driving away the forces of darkness. You safeguard our offspring and wealth; your restraining hand has risen to protect us. O restraining hand, hold firm the womb that it may bear children, keep the son within safe bounds, and return him to us again and again. That restraining hand, which Aditi herself bore in her longing for a son—Tvaṣṭṛ bound it to her, as one binds a child to be born. Now, I accept the name of the one who has come near, and I seek the favor of Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra, Vāsava, wielder of a hundred powers. Along the path by which Sāvitrī led the Sun, and the Aśvins guided the way, Bhaga spoke to me, saying, “Take a wife.” O Indra, with your great and golden goad, bestower of wealth, let a wife be granted to me; O lord of strength, bestow her upon me. Let all disease fall away, cast off like a bird from its nest. May the Sun bring healing and the Moon draw out affliction. Among the destroyers of men—one pale, one dark, one red, and two roan—I call upon the names of all these: depart from us! The woman in labor, the one afflicted, the one with a swollen throat, and the one with a goiter—all will cast off their disease. Accept this offering of mine, intent in mind and heart, with svāhā; with focused mind I make this oblation. To those who sit in terror, I offer this for the release of the bound. People call you Earth, but I know you in all directions as Nirṛti. Become possessed of oblation among beings; this is your share—release these here from sin, svāhā. O Nirṛti, be free from sin for us; break apart the iron bonds. Yama gives you back to me—homage to Yama, to Death. O iron one, O wooden one, O one pierced, here named among a thousand deaths—may you ascend with Yama and the ancestors to the highest heaven. The Varana tree, divine lord of the forest, stands guard, warding off whatever illness may have entered this one; the gods have driven it away. By the command of Indra, Mitra, and Varuna, and by the word of all the gods, we ward off illness from you. Just as the waters held back Vritra, restraining all his might, so with Agni, with Vaiśvānara, I ward off illness from you. Indra, the mighty one, is the bull of heaven; this one is the bull of the earth—be you the single bull of all that exists. The ocean is lord of flowing streams, Agni is master of earth, the moon is lord of the stars—be you the single bull among them. You are sovereign of the gods, leader of men, with a share among the gods—be you the single bull. I have brought you here from within; stand firm and unmoving. May all people desire you, and may your rule never fall away. Remain here, do not depart, stand firm like a mountain. Like Indra, stand steady and uphold your rule here. Indra upheld this, the firm, with a steadfast offering; Soma and Brahmanaspati both affirmed it. Heaven is firm, earth is firm, all this world is firm; these mountains are firm, and the king of the people is firm. Your king Varuna is firm, Brihaspati is firm; may Indra and Agni together uphold your rule firmly. O steadfast one, strike down your enemies, subdue those hostile to you; may all directions be united in purpose, and may your assembly be firmly established. This excellent head, given by Soma with strength, from that, and from what is born of it, we burn away what troubles your heart. We burn away what burdens your heart and mind; as wind disperses smoke, so may all that troubles your mind depart from me. For me, may Mitra and Varuna, may the goddess Sarasvati, and the middle space of earth, both ends, be united. Whatever arrow Rudra has loosed against your limbs or heart, this very day, O twin-born one, we drive away that disease. Whatever hundreds of darts are fixed in your limbs, we call them out, deprived of their poison. Homage to you, Rudra; homage to the opposed, to the released, and to the fallen. With these eightfold and sixfold mixtures, this barley has been prepared; by this, may the stains of your body be washed away and flow off to the west. The wind blows downward, the sun burns downward, the unmilked cow gives milk downward—may your impurity also become downward and depart. Waters are indeed healing, waters drive away disease, waters are the remedy for all—may these healing waters bring you health. Become swift as the wind, O steed, yoked and ready; go with Indra’s urging, swift as thought. Let the Maruts, all-knowing, harness you, and may Tvaṣṭṛ place speed in your feet in battle.