With reverence and devotion, the ancient sages gathered, invoking the powers of healing and prosperity for all beings. They began with a prayer for relief, calling upon the remedy of Kashyapa to drive out disease from every limb, every hair, and every joint, seeking the complete removal of afflictions of the skin. Their thoughts then turned to the Lord of cattle, the sovereign of all four-footed and two-footed creatures. They invited this exalted being, the one set apart, to partake in the sacrificial share, praying that prosperity and abundance might attend the sacrificer. In unity, they called upon the gods to release the seed of the world and grant safe passage to the sacrificer, wishing that all which is prepared and all which rests—everything dear to the gods—might reach the sacred path. The wise ones remembered those who, with mind and eye, had witnessed the one being bound. They prayed that Agni, the divine Maker of all who stands at the forefront, would release him, bringing joy with offspring. The domestic animals, diverse in form but united in essence, were also remembered. The sages invoked Vāyu, the divine Lord of creatures, to stand before them and grant release, rejoicing with offspring. Turning their thoughts to the ancestors, the sages asked that those who know their descendants might receive the one who moves with breath around the limbs. They wished for him to ascend to heaven, stand firm in his body, and proceed to the heavenly world along the gods’ paths. The sages honored those who, though consuming, acted righteously, followed by the fires and sacred seats. They prayed that any discord or ill-will among them might be made right by the Maker of all. They recalled how the lord of sacrifice was once called sinful by the sages and abandoned by the suffering people, and how harm was done to children by churning. For all these, they asked the Maker of all to restore what was lost and bring everyone together again. If one, thinking himself not a giver or drinker of soma, wise in sacrifice but not steadfast, had committed a sin and was bound, the sages pleaded with the Maker of all to release him for his well-being. They paid homage to the terrible seers, wishing that their vision and minds remain true, and offered reverence to Bṛhaspati and the Maker of all, seeking their protection. With speech, hearing, and mind, they offered the eye, the beginning, and the mouth of the sacrifice, inviting the well-disposed gods to come to this extended sacrifice, made possible by the Maker of all. Next, they invoked Agni, asking him to come with goodwill and support, and called upon the maiden of fortune to bring happiness. They wished for her to be favored in assemblies and delight, and to find joy in her marriage. With Soma’s blessing and the sacred utterance, gathered by Aryaman and Bhaga, and by the truth of the divine Creator, they declared the union of marriage. They prayed that Agni would help the woman find a worthy husband, that Soma the king would make her fortunate, and that she would bear sons and be a queen, shining in good fortune in her new home. As the donkey, dear to Maghavan, became pleasing to wild animals and easy to seat, so too did they wish this woman, favored by Bhaga, to be dear to her husband, never offending him. They encouraged her to climb the ever-moving boat of Bhaga and approach her suitor, wishing the lord of wealth to make the suitor eager and all circumstances favorable. They offered gold, an amulet, a bull, and the favor of Bhaga as gifts for the husband to recognize his bride. They prayed that Savitṛ and her husband would lead her, and that a sacred herb would place her with him. Turning to protection in times of conflict, the sages called upon Agni to confront their enemies, burning up curses and hostility, and asked Jātavedas to bewilder the opposing armies and weaken their hands. The fierce Maruts were summoned to aid, to slay and help, with Agni as their knowing messenger. They invoked Maghavan and Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra, to burn and destroy the hostile army, and for Indra’s thunderbolt to strike down enemies near and far, making their minds unstable. They prayed for Indra and the Maruts to confound and scatter the enemy armies by the force of Agni and Vāta, and for Agni to take away the sight of their foes, causing the defeated to return in confusion. They asked Indra to bewilder the enemy’s mind, for the Maruts to strike with strength, and for Agni to blind them, so that none would recognize another. Again, they called upon Agni as the wise messenger to burn away curses and hostility, for Jātavedas to confuse the minds of adversaries and render them powerless. They wished for Agni to bewilder the thoughts in the hearts of their foes, to blow away their dwellings, and to disperse them entirely. Indra was invoked to bewilder the minds of enemies, to scatter and destroy adversaries with the forces of Agni and Vāta. They prayed for confusion in their enemies’ intentions and for whatever was in their hearts to be driven away. The sages asked to seize the minds of the adversaries, bewilder them, and depart from their bodies, burning them with anguish and striking them with darkness. The army of the Maruts belonging to others, which came against them in competition, was to be struck with darkness and deception, so complete that none among them would know another. At dawn, they called upon Agni to awaken, to shine widely across the spacious heavens. They wished for the Maruts to harness and lead Agni to the offering, and for the ruddy ones to stir Indra from afar, for the sage to move in friendship, recalling the time when the gods established the sacred hymns for him. They prayed for King Varuṇa to summon them from the waters, Soma from the mountains, and Indra from the settlements, so that, like a falcon, they might descend among the people. They wished for the falcon to carry the offering from distant fields unobstructed, for the Aśvins to make the path easy, and for those of the same lineage to enter together. All peoples and friends were called to summon and welcome them, with Indra, Agni, and all the gods establishing safety among the people. For any who disputed their call or were hostile, they prayed that Indra would make them powerless and bring them forth. Finally, they called upon the chosen one to take up the kingdom with strength and brilliance, to rule as the sole lord of the people, revered and supreme. They asked that all directions summon the king, and that he become worthy of reverence. The peoples and the five divine regions were to choose him for kingship, and he was to settle at the summit of the kingdom, distributing wealth without harshness. They prayed that offerings, together with their kin, would approach the king, that Agni, the swift messenger, would move with them, and that his wife and children would be of good mind. They wished for him to see abundant tribute brought before him. They invoked the Aśvins, Mitra, Varuṇa, all the gods, and the Maruts to call the king first, encouraging him to set his mind on acquiring wealth and then, in his might, to distribute riches among the people. Thus, through sacred invocation, the sages wove prayers for healing, prosperity, harmony, marriage, protection, and righteous rule, trusting in the gods and the Maker of all to guide and bless their endeavors.