In the earliest days, a mighty one struck down the serpent that lay coiled upon the mountain heights. Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine craftsman, fashioned for him a thunderbolt of the heavens, and when it was wielded, the waters—like cows loosed from their pens—rushed forth, streaming freely toward the sea. Longing for strength, the great Maghavan chose Soma, and among the Trikadrukas he drank the pressed juice. Empowered, he took up the arrow-like thunderbolt and slew the serpent, the firstborn of the earth. Turning to Agni, the prayers continued: “May the seasons together nurture you, O Agni; may the years and the seers, those who are true, increase your strength. Shine with celestial brilliance and illuminate all four directions. Unite yourself, O Agni, and may we help you grow even more; stand tall for the sake of great fortune. May none who approach you bring you harm; let your priests be honored and renowned. You are chosen by these priests, O Agni—be gracious in your protection. Slayer of foes, conqueror of adversaries, keep watch over our home with ever-alert eyes. With your own power strive, O Agni; with friendship act as our true friend. Among your kin and among kings, be the most honored and shine brightly here. Overcome what is hidden, all obstacles, the heedless, and the hostile; truly, O Agni, cross over all evils. Then grant us, together with heroes, abundant wealth.” The prayers then turned to the waters and the sanctity of oaths: “Hated by evil, born of the gods, shining and brought upon the path of the oath—may the waters look upon all oath-breakers as upon filth. Whether it is a rival’s oath, a kinsman’s, or one uttered in anger by a priest—may all such falsehood fall beneath us. The root of heaven stretches out, the uppermost of earth; with that thousand-branched one, protect us on every side. Protect me, protect my offspring, protect our wealth; let enmity not cross us, nor hostile adversaries overcome us. Let the curse return to the curser, whoever acts with ill intent against us; the eye of the spell, the evil-hearted, even their backs we shall hear.” A new dawn was invoked to banish disease from the fields: “Let the blessed one arise at dawn, at the name of the star; let her release the lowest and highest snare of the field-disease. Let the night depart, let the dew depart, let the harmful ones depart; let the field-disease be destroyed, let the field be released. Of the tawny barley, of the white barley stalk, of your straw, of sesame, and of the sesame husk—let the field-disease be destroyed, let the field be released. Homage to the ploughs, to the yokes and their harnesses; let the field-disease be destroyed, let the field be released. Homage to those who gather with sickles, to the messengers, to the lord of the field—let the field-disease be destroyed, let the field be released.” Attention then turned to healing: “O ten trees, release this one whom the demons have seized at the joints; and you, O lord of the forest, lead him up to the world of the living. He has come, he has arisen; this host of living beings has also come forth. He became the father of sons and of men, most divine. He has studied, he has arisen; he has entered the city of life. Indeed, he has a hundred physicians and a thousand herbs. The gods, the Brahmans, and the plants have known the remedy. All the gods have known the remedy upon the earth. He who made it, he departed; he alone is the best of healers. He alone, pure one, prepares remedies for you, O physician.” Further prayers sought release from all bonds and harm: “From the field, from destruction, from the curse of kin, from harm, I release you from Varuṇa’s noose. I make you guiltless through the Brahman; may both Heaven and Earth be auspicious for you. May Agni be auspicious to you with his companions, may Soma be auspicious to you with the healing herbs. May the wind in the midspace be auspicious to you, may the four directions be favorable to you. These four divine directions, wives of the wind, the sun surveys. In them I place you, hidden within; let disease and destruction go far away. You are released from disease, from misfortune, from blame, from the noose of harm, and from all that is grasping. Today you have found freedom from enmity, you have become pleasant, you have entered the world of the fortunate. The gods, releasing you from the grasp of darkness, set you forth, sinless, into the immortal light of the sun.” The sacred weapons and charms were then addressed: “You are a purifier, a weapon; you are a missile, a defender. Attain greater good, proceed together in harmony. You are a sling, a counter-charm, a counter-curse. Go against him who hates us, whom we hate. You are wise, endowed with power, a protector of the body. You are bright, radiant, luminous, you are light. Attain greater good, proceed together in harmony.” Finally, the prayers embraced the vastness of the cosmos: “Heaven and Earth, the broad midspace, the field’s mistress, vast and wondrous, and the wide midspace protected by the wind—may they burn here as I burn. Hear this, O gods, you who are worthy of sacrifice; Bharadvāja proclaims hymns for me. May the one among us whose mind brings us harm be bound fast in the snare of evil. Hear this, O Indra, drinker of Soma, whom I call with a grieving heart. I cut off that one, as with the thunderbolt a tree, whose mind among us brings us harm. With eighty and three singers, with the Ādityas, the Vasus, and the Angirases, may the offerings and good deeds of our ancestors protect us; I give this with divine force. May Heaven and Earth shine upon me; may all the gods support me. May the Angirasa ancestors, full of Soma, drive away the evil of the one who acts with ill intent.” Thus, through mighty deeds, prayers, and invocations, the gods and wise ones brought forth strength, healing, protection, and prosperity, weaving together the forces of nature, the sanctity of truth, and the blessings of the cosmos for the well-being of all.