I call upon Indra, the mighty protector and ever-ready helper, the valiant hero who responds to every invocation. May this generous Indra, so often invoked, grant us well-being. To Rudra, who dwells as Agni, who is present within the waters, who has entered the plants and herbs, and who has shaped all these worlds—to that Rudra, to Agni, I offer homage. Depart, O enemy, for you are an enemy indeed. Poison, do not mingle with poison nor unite with it. Leave this one as a snake departs—strike and be gone. I have sought the celestial waters and mingled with their essence. May Agni, rich in milk, come to us; do not let him depart, but grant him radiance. O Agni, release to me that radiance, and with it, offspring and long life. May the gods—Indra and the sages—witness my lightning. Let these pure waters wash away all that is harmful and impure, every deceit, falsehood, or curse that has been uttered. You, Agni, are fuel and kindling, you are brightness itself—place that brightness within me. Cut away, as in times of old, what is hidden like a secret vow; subdue the strength of the servant. We divide what has been gathered, sharing Indra’s wealth. I weaken your shining brilliance with Varuna’s vow. As curses depart and women are freed from misfortune, as the knotted root of the Shankura loosens, so may all that is stretched be released, and what is raised be laid down. May Indra, wise, self-sufficient, and all-knowing, be gracious to us with his aid. May he drive away hatred and grant us fearlessness, so that we may be lords of heroic strength. May Indra, ever wise and self-reliant, remove hatred even from among our kin, and may we dwell in the good favor and happy mind of the worshipful one. With Indra’s wrath, may we overcome the hostile, striking down adversaries without resistance. With steadfast offering, we lead Soma with devotion, so that Indra may unite all peoples in harmony. His two grey, wandering, greedy ones soared like the sky, shining and resplendent, radiating from the heart. I alone rose up, like two weary cows at rest, like two birds calling, like two wolves howling. Piercing and striking, yet also joining together, I do not approach his member—whoever, man or woman, has seized it. The cows settled in their dwelling, the birds returned to their nest, the mountains stood firm in their places, and I stood in the wolf’s abode. Today, in this sacrifice, we have chosen you, O wise Hotar. Come here, come to the sacrifice, to Soma, with firmness and strength. O Indra, guide us with mind, with cattle, with nobles, with the tawny ones, and with well-being. With prayer and all that is divine, with the favor of the worshipful gods, lead us. O Agni, bring here those eager gods and set them in your own abode. May they, having partaken of the sweet offerings, bestow their treasures upon us. O gods, we have made your seats easy, you who have come to the pressing with favor—bearing your own riches, ascend to the warm heaven with wealth. Go to the sacrifice, go to the lord of sacrifice, go to your own source—svāhā. This is your sacrifice, O lord of sacrifice, spoken with a thousand hymns; may it bring good fortune—svāhā. To those who have been offered with vaṣaṭ and those who have not, O gods who know the path, having found the path, go on your way. O lord of mind, may this sacrifice of ours among the gods in heaven be accepted—svāhā in heaven, svāhā on earth, svāhā in the midspace, svāhā in the wind, svāhā. Let the strewn grass, the offering, and the ghee be united; united with Indra’s wealth, with the Maruts, with all the gods—may the offering reach Indra—svāhā. Spread around, lay around the altar; do not take away the kin, nor the one lying with the root. The seat of the Hotṛ, green and golden, are the ornaments in the world of the sacrificer. Turn away from evil dreams, sinful dreams, and misfortune. I create a barrier with sacred utterance—let the faces of dreams turn away and be pure. Whatever food I eat in a dream, which does not appear in the morning, let all that be auspicious for me, for it is not seen by day. Having bowed to Heaven and Earth, to the midspace, to Death, I look up, standing upright—may the lords not harm me. Who will drive away this harmful, injurious one who desires the wealth of a warrior? Who, seeking sacrifice and fulfillment, which of the gods will grant long life? Who, having received the speckled cow given by Varuṇa to Atharvan—ever-yielding, always with a calf, cherishing friendship with Bṛhaspati—arranges his body as he wishes? Turning away from human speech, I choose the divine speech; return with right guidance, together with all your friends. Whatever forgetfulness we have committed, O Agni Jātavedas, knowingly or unknowingly, from that protect us, O wise one. May immortality be ours among good friends. The seven rays of the sun carry away the darkness of day; the streams of the oceanic waters have removed the dart. Whoever wishes to harm us, openly or secretly, O Agni—whether known or unknown to us—may the returning, giving one keep them away; O Agni, let not their offspring remain. Whoever attacks us, sleeping or awake, standing or moving, O Jātavedas, with Vaiśvānara as your ally, burn them up, facing them, O Jātavedas. Homage to the fierce, tawny one who is master over himself at the dice; with ghee I appease the losing throw—may he be gracious to us in this matter. Carry away, O Agni, the dust from the dice, the sand and the grit, with ghee for the Apsarases. As the gods, rejoicing, accept their share of the oblation, may they delight in both kinds of offerings.