In ancient times, when the gods gathered to shape the world and its creatures, they set about fashioning the bull, that noble lord of cattle. To Sinīvālī, they gave the intestines; the skin, radiant and protective, was said to be of Sūryā. Those wise ones who raised the bull declared, “Let him have a step,” granting him the power to move upon the earth. The loins were made for Jāmiśaṃsa, and the bladder was consecrated for Soma’s purpose. Thus, when the gods assembled, they crafted the bull in his entirety, each part bestowed with divine intention. The hooves of this mighty animal were given to Sarama, the celestial hound, while the nails were set aside for the tortoises, creatures of steadfastness. His hair was assigned to the insects and the burrowing beings of the earth, spreading life in many forms. With his horns, the bull protects; with his tail, he drives away harm; with his eyes, he strikes down what is unworthy; and with his ears, he listens for what is good. Thus stands the bull, the lord of cows and of those yet untamed. It is said that one who makes a hundred offerings in sacrifice remains untouched by the fires of destruction; all the gods look kindly upon the one who offers the bull to the Brahmin. Such a giver’s mind grows more excellent, and he witnesses the prosperity of his cows increase within his own cattle-pen. Blessings are invoked: may there be cows, may there be offspring, may bodily strength flourish. May all the gods consent to these prayers for the one who gives the bull. To Indra, the mighty, the request is made: “May this bull, as he drinks, grant intelligence to the herd. May he yield a cow, ever abundant in milk, always with a calf, wise and surpassing even the heavens.” The bull of tawny form, holding the winds of the sky, is Indra’s force in manifold shapes. May he bestow long life, offspring, and wealth in abundance, and remain ever with us. The invitation is issued: “Come near, O bull, enter the enclosure for the offering. Come close to us, to the seed and the strength that is yours, O Indra.” To the young one is the dedication made: “With him, play and move about as you will. Do not forsake us, O fortunate one, but remain with us, bringing wealth and abundance.” Turning to another sacred offering, the goat is led forth. “Lead him here,” the priests say, “let him go to the world of the righteous, knowing and aware. Let him cross the great darkness in many forms and ascend to the third heaven.” The goat is led around for Indra’s share in the sacrifice, for the patron who gives. May the enemies of the sacrificer be seized, while the innocent patron is protected. The priests pray that the goat’s feet remain unstained by any evil deeds, and that he step forth with pure hooves, seeing clearly. Having crossed many darknesses, let him ascend to the third heaven. The skin is carefully removed, as with a jointed knife, so as not to harm; let there be no harshness or malice in the preparation. Instead, let the goat rest in the third heaven. With sacred verses, the goat is placed in the vessel at the heart of the fire, and water is poured over him. The fire priests surround and calm him, and the cooked one is sent to the world of the righteous. Whether raw or cooked, the goat is sent forth, ascending above to the third heaven. Born of fire, the goat returns to fire and is urged to conquer the world of light. The goat, they say, is Agni himself, the embodiment of light, and should be given to the Brahmin while living. This act drives away darkness, especially when performed with faith. The five portions of rice offered with the goat proceed in five ways toward the three realms of light, striving for the world of the righteous, to rest ultimately in the third heaven. The goat is urged onward, like a wild ram, overcoming all obstacles, to reach the world of the righteous. The five-rice-offering, when given to the Brahmin, brings contentment to the giver. The goat, in the three heavens and the triple sky, upon the back of heaven, carries the offering. The five-rice-offering is the all-formed cow, the wish-fulfilling one, the only one. The ancestors are invoked: “Fathers, this is your third light; the five-rice-offering, the goat, is given to the Brahmin. As the goat is given with faith, may it drive away darkness far from us.” Yearning for the world of the righteous, the five-rice-offering, the goat, is given to the Brahmin; may the giver’s world expand and may the offering be auspicious. It is said the goat was born from Agni’s heat, the inspired from the inspired, the powerful, the wise. May the gods arrange all that is desired, fulfilled, and completed, and may the vaṣaṭ-offering be made in due season. One should give an uncut garment and gold as the sacrificial gift, thus attaining all worlds, celestial and earthly. The divine streams approach Soma, flowing with honey and ghee, upholding earth and sky, reaching the summit of heaven, upon the seven-rayed. Soma is the unborn, the very heaven itself; through him, Angiras attained the world. May we know that auspicious world. Agni is invoked, for by him a thousand is carried, by him all the Vedas. With Agni’s help, the sacrifice is carried to the heavenly realms. The cooked goat establishes itself in the heavenly world, offering five rice portions and driving away destruction. By this, the sacrificer conquers the worlds of the sun. All that is placed in the Brahmin, all that is in the villages, and the moisture of the rice offerings of the goat—may Agni know these for us in the world of the virtuous, at the meeting of the paths. The goat, O Agni, has stepped forth: its upper part became the sky; the mid-region is its middle; the directions are its sides; the oceans are its womb. Truth and order are its eyes; all is truth; faith is its breath; the radiant is its head. This is the boundless sacrifice: the goat with five rice portions. He who gives the goat with five rice portions as the sacrificial gift of light attains an unlimited sacrifice and encompasses an unlimited world. One must not break the goat’s bones nor extract its marrow; it should be taken whole and offered completely, for this is its true form. With this offering, the giver receives nourishment and strength. Five gold pieces, five new garments, and five wish-granting cows are given to him who makes this gift. These five gold pieces become his light; the armor and garments become his protection. He who gives the goat with five rice portions as the sacrificial gift of light attains the heavenly world. Even for a woman who, having lost her husband, finds another, if the goat with five rice portions is given to her, she does not depart from her new husband. He who gives the goat with five rice portions as the sacrificial gift of light is reborn into an equal world with a new partner. Finally, those who give a cow with a calf, a draught ox, a seat, a garment, and gold, ascend to the highest heaven, blessed by their generous and faithful offerings.