In the ancient days, the sacred bull was revered as the father of calves, the lord of cows, and the progenitor of the mighty roaring ones. Wrapped in the delicate membrane, the calf would yield nourishing milk, which was seen as butter—the very seed of treasure. This offering brought close the share for the gods, carrying within it the essence of waters, plants, and clarified butter. Shakra, known as Indra, chose the food of Soma, and the great mountain itself became his body. The vessel filled with Soma was borne, its form shaped by Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine creator of forms and cattle. Those who were fruitful and present were called to be auspicious, and blessings were sought for both those here and those afar. The bull carried clarified butter, his seed was ghee, and his abundance multiplied a thousandfold. He was celebrated as the sacrifice itself; the bull, clothed in fat, reflected the form of Indra. With prayers, the gods were entreated to send him as a gracious gift. His strength was that of Indra, his arms belonged to Varuṇa, his shoulders to the Aśvins, and his hump to the Maruts. The wise, the poets, and the thinkers acknowledged this as the gathered form of Bṛhaspati. The bull extended himself with the milky essence of the divine hosts, and was called Indra and Sarasvat. Whoever offered the bull to the Brahmin gave a thousand with a single mouth. Bṛhaspati and Savitṛ granted him wings, while the vital breath of Tvaṣṭṛ surrounded him. With focused mind, he was offered in the midspace, and it was wished that heaven and earth would stand firm upon the sacred grass. Among the gods and cows, he spoke out like Indra, and the Brahman was asked to praise the limbs of that bull with a blessing. The bull’s sides belonged to Anumati, his thighs to Bhaga, and Mitra declared that these two, having bones, were his alone. His buttocks belonged to the Ādityas, his hips to Bṛhaspati, and his tail to Vāta, the wind god, by which he shook the plants. His intestines were of Sinīvālī, his skin was said to be of Sūryā, and those who raised the bull declared, “Let him have a step.” His loins belonged to Jāmiśaṃsa, his bladder was held for Soma, and when the gods assembled, they fashioned the bull completely. His hooves were given to Sarama, his nails to the tortoises, and his hair was assigned to insects and burrowing creatures. With his horns he protected, with his tail he drove away, with his eyes he struck, and with his ears he heard what was good—he was the lord of cows and of the unyoked ones. Those who sacrificed with a hundred offerings were unharmed by fire, and all the gods favored the one who offered the bull to the Brahmin. The giver, having presented the bull, made his mind more excellent and saw prosperity among his own cattle. Prayers were offered for cows, offspring, bodily strength, and the consent of all the gods for the giver. It was wished that, drinking, Indra would grant intelligence to the herd, and that the bull would yield a cow, rich in milk, always with a calf, wise and surpassing heaven. Of tawny form, holding the winds of the sky, Indra’s force in all forms came to grant long life, offspring, and wealth in abundance. The bull was invited to come near, to the enclosure, to the offering, to the seed, and to the strength of Indra. The young one was dedicated, and with him, the people played and moved about, following the divine will. They prayed not to be abandoned, to remain endowed with good fortune, wealth, and abundance. Then, the goat was led, seized, and guided to the world of the righteous, knowing. Having crossed the great darknesses in many forms, the goat was to ascend to the third heaven. For Indra, the goat was led around in the sacrifice, as a share for the patron. Those who hated were to be seized in turn, innocent for the patron’s sake. The goat’s feet were prayed not to be stained by evil conduct; with pure hooves, it stepped forth, knowing. Having crossed the many great darknesses, seeing clearly, the goat ascended to the third heaven. The skin was removed with care, as one would with a jointed knife, so as not to harm. Without harshness or malice, the goat was prepared and rested in the third heaven. With a verse, the goat was placed in the vessel, in the midst of fire, and water was poured over it. Those who calmed with fire surrounded it, and the cooked one was sent to the world of the righteous. Whether uncooked or cooked, the goat departed, ascending above to the third heaven. From fire it became fire, conquering the world full of light. The goat was Agni, the goat was light, and while living, the goat was to be given to the Brahman. The goat drove away darkness far off, given in this world with faith. The five-rice-offering proceeded in five ways, striving toward the three lights, and went desiring the world of the righteous, resting in the third heaven. The goat ascended to the world of the righteous, like a wild ram, overcoming difficult places. The five-rice-offering, given to the Brahman, satisfied the giver with contentment. In the three heavens, in the triple sky, on the back of heaven, the goat placed the offering. The five-rice-offering, given to the Brahman, was the all-formed cow, the wish-fulfilling one, the only one. The Fathers’ light was the third; the five-rice-offering, the goat, was given to the Brahman. The goat drove away darkness far off, given in this world with faith. Desiring the world of the righteous, the five-rice-offering, the goat, was given to the Brahman, and it was prayed that he would conquer the world with expansion, and that the accepted one would be auspicious. The goat was born from Agni’s heat, the inspired from the inspired, the powerful, the wise. May the gods arrange the desired, the fulfilled, the well-completed, and the vaṣaṭ-offering in due season. An uncut garment and gold were given as the sacrificial gift, so that all worlds, celestial and earthly, would be attained. Streams approached Soma, divine, ghee-backed, flowing with honey; they upheld earth and sky and reached the summit of heaven, upon the seven-rayed. Soma was unborn, heaven itself, through whom Angiras attained the world. The wish was to know that auspicious world. By Agni, a thousand was carried, by Agni, all the Vedas; with Agni, the sacrifice was carried, so that the heavenly realms might be reached. The goat, cooked, established itself in the heavenly world, offering five portions of rice and driving away destruction; by this, the worlds of the sun could be conquered. All that was placed in the Brahmin, in the villages, and the moisture of the rice offerings of the goat—Agni was asked to know all this in the world of the virtuous, at the meeting of the paths. Thus, through these sacred offerings and prayers, the connection between the divine, the sacrificial animals, and the world was woven, ensuring prosperity, righteousness, and blessings for all who participated in the sacred rites.