With the sacred ladle held in hand, life’s breath steady, and the sacrificial post adorned with the proper implements, the ritual is performed, accompanied by the solemn utterance of “vaṣaṭ.” In this sacred gathering, the priests—some beloved, some less so—guide the honored guests toward the heavenly realm, fulfilling their roles as mediators between earth and sky. One who understands the true nature of this offering must take care: he should never eat with hatred in his heart, nor partake of food from one who harbors animosity, nor from one whose intentions are unexamined, nor from one who scrutinizes him in turn. For all the sin associated with eating falls upon the provider of food, if his food is consumed; but if his food is not eaten, the burden of that sin does not rest upon him. At every moment, the one who stands ready with the pressing stone, who purifies with moisture, who extends the sacrifice, brings offerings on behalf of the sacrificer. The sacrifice of such a giver truly extends from Prajāpati himself, for he who offers the oblation walks in the very footsteps of Prajāpati. Within the household, the fires are alive with meaning: the fire for the guest is the sacred Āhavanīya, the fire in the home is the Gārhapatya, and the fire upon which food is cooked is the Dakṣiṇāgni. To eat before the guest has partaken is to claim for oneself the fruits of sacrifice and charity, the nourishment of milk and essence, abundance and sustenance, offspring and cattle, fame and renown, prosperity and wisdom—all these accrue to the one who disregards the guest. But the guest, especially the learned Brahmin, is to be revered as the very embodiment of the sacred guest. Therefore, one must not eat before the guest has been honored and fed. Only after the guest has eaten should one partake, thereby preserving the essence and unbroken continuity of the sacrifice—such is the established rule. And whatever is especially delectable—curds, milk, meat—these, too, must not be consumed before the guest. The wise one who, understanding this, offers milk with the oblation attains the prosperity that comes from performing the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. The same is true for clarified butter, which brings the rewards of the Atirātra; for honey, which grants the fruits of the Sattrasatya; and for meat, which bestows the gains of the Dvādaśāha. Even water, when offered with knowledge, leads to the generation of offspring, to stability, and to the affection of one’s descendants. Such a knower becomes the resting place of wealth, offspring, and cattle. Therefore, just as the sun, when it rises, utters the hiṅkāra, praises in the mid-morning, sings at midday, recites in the afternoon, and at sunset becomes the resting place—so too does the wise one become the resting place of all prosperity. Likewise, when clouds form, they utter the hiṅkāra; when they thunder, they praise; when they flash, they recite; when they rain, they sing; and as they gather, they become the resting place. In this way, the one who knows becomes the resting place of wealth, offspring, and cattle. He who honors his guests greets them, utters the hiṅ sound, speaks to them, praises them, asks for water, sings forth, serves, returns, and clears away the remnants. These remnants themselves become for him the source of wealth, offspring, and cattle. Whatever steward he calls, he causes that one to hear; whatever he listens to, he causes that to be heard in return. All those who serve with vessels in hand—whether earlier or later—are as the ladles of the Adhvaryu priest, but among them, none is the Hotṛ. Or, when the lord of guests, having served his guests, enters his house, he approaches the Avabhṛtha, the ritual bath at the sacrifice’s end. Whatever he apportions, he gives as gifts; whatever he performs, he truly accomplishes. When he is invited to eat upon the earth, all forms of the earth are present in him; when invited in the atmosphere, all forms of the sky are in him; when invited in heaven, all the heavenly forms are in him; when invited among the gods or among the worlds, all celestial forms are within him. He is ever invited, ever welcomed. Thus, by honoring the guest and performing these acts with knowledge and devotion, he attains both this world and the next.