With reverence, the ritual begins: the gracious goddess, sprinkled with ghee, is readied to ascend to the gods. She is called the hundred-feeding one, the uninjurable, and is entreated not to harm the cook as she rises heavenward. Her gifts are promised to all the gods—those dwelling in heaven, in the atmosphere, and upon earth. To them, she shall always yield milk, clarified butter, and honey. Her body, too, is invoked: her head, mouth, ears, jaws, lips, nostrils, horns, and eyes—all are asked to bestow milk, clarified butter, and honey upon the recipient. Even her spleen, heart, lungs, and throat are called to offer these nourishing gifts. Homage is paid to her as she is born and as she comes into being. Her calves, hooves, and form are honored, for she is the uninjurable one. Only those who know the seven inlets and outlets, and the head of the sacrifice, may take hold of the cow. One declares: "I know the seven inlets, the seven outlets, and the head of the sacrifice; I see the Soma placed within her." It is by her that heaven, earth, and the waters are protected; she is the thousand-streamed cow, invoked for the blessing of Brahman. Upon her back are a hundred vessels, a hundred milkers, a hundred guardians, and within her, the gods breathe as one. She is the path of sacrifice, her eyes filled with milk, her breath Svadhā, dwelling in greatness. The cow, wife of Parjanya, comes to the gods with Brahman. Agni has entered her, Soma dwells within, Parjanya has given her a good udder, and lightning is her breast. She first milked the waters, then the fertile land, and then the people, for food and milk are within her. When the Ādityas invoked her, she stood by the seasons, and Indra made her drink a thousand vessels of Soma. When the bull, summoned by the Anūci and Indramā, called her, the slayer of Vṛtra, angered, took her milk. When the lord of wealth took her milk in anger, it was guarded in three vessels in the sky. In these three vessels, the goddess cow took the Soma, where Atharvan, consecrated, sat on golden grass. She came together with Soma and all the paths, standing in the midst of the ocean with the Gandharvas and the Kalis. She joined with the wind and all the birds, dancing in the ocean, bearing the Ṛc and Sāman hymns. She came together with the sun and all sight, crossing the ocean, bearing auspicious lights. Covered in gold, she stood by the order; the horse became the ocean and mounted upon her. Then the blessed ones gathered—the cow, the bestower, and Svadhā—where Atharvan sat consecrated on golden grass. The cow is the mother of the king, the mother of Svadhā. From her arose the sacrificial implement, and from that, the mind was born. The upward-pointing drop came forth, set on the summit of Brahman; from there, the cow was born, and from there, the Hotṛ priest. Songs arose for her, and from the Ushnih verses came strength under her control. From the breast of Pajasa was born the sacrifice, and from her breasts, rays of light. From her thighs came movement, from her hips, power; from her entrails arose the atri, and from her belly, the plants. When she entered the belly of Varuna, under her own power, Brahma called to her, knowing her eye. All trembled in the womb—from the one being born, from the one giving birth. She gave birth, and they called her Vasha, prepared by the Brahmans, for he is her kin. One alone creates in battle and is master here; sacrifices became his stars, and the vision of the strong became Vasha. Vasha received the sacrifice and sustained the sun; within Vasha, the offering was clarified together with Brahman. Vasha is called immortality and worshipped as death; all—gods, humans, asuras, ancestors, and sages—became Vasha. Whoever knows this should receive Vasha, for the sacrifice yields all its fruits to the giver, unfailingly. Within her shine three tongues of Varuna, blazing; among them, the one ruling in the middle is Vasha, difficult to receive. The seed of Vasha became fourfold: the waters, immortality, sacrifice, and cattle. Vasha is heaven, earth, Vishnu, Prajapati; the Sadhyas and Vasus drank the milk of Vasha. Having drunk her milk, they worship the milk of Bradhna's dwelling. Some milk Soma from her, some worship ghee; those who give Vasha to the knower ascend to the third heaven. By giving Vasha to the Brahmans, one attains all worlds, for truth, Brahman, and austerity are established in her. The gods and humans live by Vasha; all became Vasha, as long as the sun perceives. Then, the fire ritual is invoked: "O Agni, be born; Aditi is your protector. She cooks this Brahma-porridge for those desiring children. The seven sages, creators of beings, churn you here together with offspring." Thus, the sacred cycle of nourishment, sacrifice, and creation continues, sustained by the cow, the goddess, and the divine forces she embodies.