From the radiant heart of creation, the great Mother moves among mortals—she who is the mother of the Adityas, daughter of the Vasus, breath of all beings, and the very navel of immortality. Golden in hue, likened to a honey-reed, clothed in clarified butter, she shines forth as a mighty brilliance, ever present among humankind. The gods, in their wisdom, brought forth this honey-reed from honey itself, and within her, the seed took on every form imaginable. As a nurturing mother, she sustains her child at birth, and, once born, he gazes upon all the worlds in wonder. But who truly knows him? Who perceives his essence? Only the one whose heart’s vessel, filled with Soma, remains unbroken. The wise Brahman, endowed with insight, should rejoice in this mystery. He alone knows and perceives the source, whose two breasts—unceasing and abundant with a thousand streams—never fail to provide nourishment. Their bounty is endless. Resounding and mighty, she approaches with a voice that bestows strength, bound by her sacred vow. She measures out three libations, thereby extending life and nourishing all with her milk. The swelling waters draw near to her, accompanied by the Shakvaris and the self-luminous bulls. They rain down, causing rain to fall; and whoever understands this, finds their desires and nourishment fulfilled by the waters. O Lord of Creatures, your thunder is speech itself. As a powerful bull, you hurl your might upon the earth. From Agni and the winds was born the honey-tongued one, fierce offspring of the Maruts. As Soma is cherished by the Aśvins at the morning pressing, so may you, O Aśvins, establish brilliance within me. As Soma is dear to Indra and Agni at the second pressing, so may you, O Indra and Agni, establish brilliance within me. As Soma is beloved of the Ṛbhus at the third pressing, so may you, O Ṛbhus, grant me that same brilliance. May I be born sweet, may I become sweet; may I, rich in milk, approach Agni—let him unite me with brilliance. O Agni, unite me with brilliance, with offspring, with long life. May the gods know this for me; may Indra know it together with the seers. As honey-makers gather honey in abundance, so may you, O Aśvins, establish brilliance within me. As bees deposit their honey in abundance, so may you, O Aśvins, grant me brilliance, radiance, strength, and vigor. May all the honey that resides in hills, in mountains, among cows and horses, and in the flowing surā—may all that sweetness be within me. O Aśvins, anoint me with the essence of honey, O lords of beauty, so that my words among people may shine with brilliance. Your thunder is speech, O Lord of Creatures; as a bull, you hurl your power upon earth and heaven. By this, all cattle live; with this, fill me with the remainder of strength. The earth serves as the staff, the atmosphere as the womb, the sky as the lash, and lightning is the golden light, the drop. Whoever knows the seven kinds of honey of the lash becomes honey-filled: the priest, the king, the cow, the goat, rice, barley, and honey itself as the seventh. Such a one becomes honey-filled; all his food becomes honey-filled. He conquers the worlds of honey—such is the reward for one who knows thus. When it thunders within the womb, the Lord of Creatures appears among his offspring. Therefore, one should stand with the sacred thread over the right shoulder, thinking, “May I awaken with Prajāpati.” Thus, whoever knows this, awakens with Prajāpati and his offspring. Now, seeking favor, I approach the mighty bull who slays rivals, with offerings of ghee and clarified butter. With your great power, cast my rivals down, O praised one. Whatever is not pleasing to my mind, whatever my eye does not delight in, whatever my tongue does not enjoy—may I release those evil dreams. May my rival, though praised, be shattered and broken. O mighty lord, free us from evil dreams, desires, misfortunes, barrenness, darkness, and misguidance—especially from the harm sought by those who hate us. Drive away desire, drive it away; let my rivals turn from me. O Agni, burn up their lowest and darkest dwellings, those who have been cast down. That desire, your daughter, is called the cow, whom the wise declare to be brilliant speech. With her, surround my rivals, so that breath, cattle, and life may choose me instead. By the strength of Kāma, by Indra, Varuṇa the king, Viṣṇu, and the impulse of Savitṛ, and by Agni’s offering, drive away my rivals, as a skillful one pushes a boat from its mooring into the waters. Let Kāma, the mighty overseer, make me free from rivals. May all the gods be my protectors, may they answer my invocation. O foremost in desire, rejoice here in this clarified butter; delight in it. Make me alone, without rivals. Indra and Agni, be together with desire for me; press my rivals down low. O Agni, burn up the lowest, darkest dwellings of those who have been cast down. Strike down, O desire, those who are my rivals; cast them into blind darkness, make them fall. Let them become powerless, devoid of essence; let none survive, not even for a single day. Let desire slay my rivals; let him create for me a broad world, fit for wisdom. Let the four directions bow to me; let six broad streams of clarified butter flow to me. Let them, once cast down, drift away like a boat cut loose from its mooring. For those struck by arrows, there is no return. Agni is barley, Indra is barley, Soma is barley. May the gods who delight in barley drive this one away. Let my rival, cast down, wander without offspring, hated, shunned by friends and kin. Let him sink into the earth like a thunderbolt; may the mighty god strike down my rivals. This great one has fallen, and the lightning that does not fall bears all the thunderings. As the sun rises with wealth and brilliance, may the mighty one drive my rivals down. That triple-shielded protection of yours, O desire, that unfailing armor stretched out by the Brahman—surround my rivals with it, so that breath, cattle, and life may choose me over them. By which the gods drove away the Asuras, by which Indra led the Dasyus into the lowest darkness—with that, O desire, drive away my rivals far from this world. As the gods drove away the Asuras, as Indra overcame the Dasyus and the lowest darkness, so, O desire, drive away my rivals far from this world. Desire was born first; neither the gods, nor the ancestors, nor mortals attained him. Therefore, you are greater, all-conquering, mighty. To you, O desire, I offer my reverent salutation.