O swift and noble horse, your hidden energy lies veiled in secret places—sometimes in the eagle soaring high, sometimes in the restless wind, and sometimes as you circle the course. With that strength, mighty one, may you win the contest and run ahead of all rivals. Let your own true form guide your body forward; may favor come to us and protection to you. May the god, calm and unhurried, measure out for you great support, just as the light in the sky measures itself. As the divine hosts arise—Yama, Death, Aghamāra, Nirṛti, Babhru, Sharva, Astā, and Nīlaśikhaṇḍa—may they guard our heroes from all harm. With mind, with offerings, and with ghee, I honor Sharva, Astra, and King Bhava; to them I bow, to them I offer reverence, that they may lead away the bringers of harm. Protect us, all gods, from danger and slaughter—Maruts, all-knowing ones, Agni and Soma, Varuṇa of pure skill, and may we remain in the favor of Vāta and Parjanya. May your minds, your vows, and your intentions be united; even those among you who are divided, I draw into unity. With my mind I hold your minds; let my thought enter your thoughts. I make your hearts subject to me—follow my path wherever you go. Heaven and earth are woven into me, and so too is the goddess Sarasvatī; Indra and Agni are woven into me—may Sarasvatī grant me success in this endeavor. The sacred fig tree stands as the dwelling of the gods, a third realm in the boundless sky. There, the gods discovered the healing kuṣṭha, the vision of immortality. A golden ship, adorned with gold, sailed across the sky; there, too, the gods found the flower of immortality, the healing kuṣṭha. This kuṣṭha is the embryo of plants, the embryo of the snowy mountains, the embryo of all that exists—let it be made a healing remedy for me. O herbs, queens of Soma, many and far-seeing, born of Bṛhaspati, release us from harm. May you free me from curses, from Varuṇa’s bonds, from Yama’s fetters, and from every divine offense. Whatever we have done—by eye, by mind, by speech—whether awake or asleep, may Soma cleanse it all from us by his power. The sacrifice is victorious, Agni is victorious, Soma is victorious, Indra is victorious. May I overcome all battles as they arise; let us perform the Agnihotra, this sacred offering. May Mitra and Varuna, wise and fruitful, grant strength here and pour forth sweetness. Drive far away misfortune and release us from any wrongs that may have been committed. Rejoice, friends, in mighty Indra; unite in his strength. He conquers in battle, wins cattle, wields the thunderbolt, is victorious in contests, and crushes his foes with power. Indra is victorious; let none else prevail. He is the supreme king among kings, to be praised, honored, approached, and worshipped here. You, Indra, are the supreme king, renowned and mighty among people; you rule over these divine clans, and may your royal power, endowed with life, never decay. From the east you are king, Indra; from the north you are the slayer of Vritra, destroyer of enemies. Wherever the streams flow, there is your victory; from the south, O bull, you approach the offering. As our ancestors did, I call upon you, Indra, from afar. I invoke the mighty one, the discerner, renowned among many, the unique. If any enemy seeks to harm us today, let him not rise up; we place Indra’s arms all around. We set Indra’s arms around us for protection—may the savior guard us. O god Savitar, king Soma, grant us a good mind for our well-being. The gods gave, the sun gave, the sky gave, the earth gave. Sarasvatī, with her mind, gave three times, removing the poison. Whatever water you gods poured onto the desert, with that, born from the gods, purify this poison. You are the daughter of the Asuras, the sister of the gods, born from heaven and earth. You have made the sap, the poison. Pour forth, breathe, grow, and expand. Let the manhood grow as is fitting; with it, may he conquer the woman. With that which makes the lean fat and subdues the sick, O Brahmanaspati, stretch forth his manhood like a bowstring. I stretch it forth as a bowstring on a bow—advance, like a red bull, never failing, always. As a team of horses moves together in harmony, may your mind come together with mine and move in harmony. I draw your mind to me as a royal horse is drawn to the yoke; as grass is bound together, so may your mind be bound to me. With ointment, honey, costus, and spikenard, I draw forth the favor of Bhaga with both hands. May Bṛhaspati, Savitṛ, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, and the Aśvins bind you together. May the highest, lowest, and middlemost be united; Indra, with his might, has surrounded them—Agni, unite them for us. Those who come to battle, banners set before them, Indra has surrounded with his might—Agni, unite them for us. By taking and binding, we bring our enemies under control; those whose breaths and lives are departing, let them become unconscious. This taking I have performed, with austerity and with Indra’s assent; those who are our enemies here, Agni, bring them under control. May Indra and Agni, Soma, and the king of the earth strike them down; may Indra, with the Maruts, take away the possessions of our enemies for us. As the mind, swift as thought, flies far away with its desires, so may you, O cough, fly away, following the course of the mind. As an arrow, well-sharpened, flies swiftly away, so may you, O cough, fly away, following the path of the earth.