He who commits a terrible act against the sacred—such as taking what belongs to the Brāhmaṇa, the cow of Brahman—brings about a grievous severance. All the limbs, joints, and roots of the earth herself seem to be cut by his hand. He breaks the bonds of kinship, severing both paternal and maternal lines, and in the wake of his deed, marriages and all family ties are destroyed. The cow of Brahman, and even the Brahman-wife, if not returned by the Kṣatriya, become the source of this devastation. The wrongdoer is rendered homeless and bereft, left without family, offspring, or refuge, diminished in every way. Whoever, knowing the gravity of such an act, still takes the sacred cow from the Brāhmaṇa, brings swift and dire consequences upon himself. At her killing, vultures descend rapidly, making carrion of what remains. At her burning, wild-haired women gather and dance, striking the evil carcass with their hands upon her chest. In the very place she once dwelled, wolves quickly come to feast. People soon gather, questioning what happened, debating this or that, but the destruction is clear. Relentless cries arise: "Cut, cut, cut forth! Destroy, destroy completely!" The call goes out to Angirasa—to take up the Brahma-slayer and deliver him to his fate. The sacred energy, Vaisvadevi, bound with the ritual cord, is invoked. She who burns and consumes together becomes the thunderbolt of Brahman, the razor-edged one, transformed into death itself, rushing forth to fulfill justice. This thunderbolt grants victory and brilliance, bestows desired offerings and fulfilled wishes. Once victory is taken, it is bestowed in this world upon the worthy. The sinless goddess is asked to become the path, leading away from the curse of the Brahmin, to become a mark for arrows, a destroyer of the destroyer. She is called to strike off the head of the Brahma-slayer—the wrongdoer, the god-hated, the evildoer—so that Agni may burn up the evil deed, already crushed and trampled by her power. Again the cry is raised: "Cut, cut forth, cut together; burn, burn forth, burn together!" The goddess is implored to burn up the Brahma-slayer from the very root, to send him far away from evil worlds, as if from Yama's abode. For the Brahma-slayer, the wrongdoer, the god-hated, the evildoer, the goddess wields the hundred-jointed thunderbolt and the sharp razor-blade. She strikes off his shoulders and his head, cuts off his hair, strips his skin, slices his flesh, tears away his sinews, crushes his bones, and extracts his marrow. All his limbs and joints are dislocated. Agni is called to drive this flesh-eater from the earth, Vāyu to expel him from the broad atmosphere, and Sūrya to drive him from the sky, casting him down from all realms. Then, a new invocation rises—a call to the mighty one within the waters: "Rise up, O powerful one, and enter this realm, abounding in fair speech. May the Red One, who created all, bear you well-supported for the kingdom." The vigorous one is called forth from the waters to ascend to his abodes. Bearing Soma, the waters, plants, cattle, and all beings—both four-footed and two-footed—are settled here. The fierce Maruts, born of Pṛśni, together with Indra, are invoked to destroy the enemies. The Red One, rich in gifts, is asked to listen; the thrice seven Maruts, sweetly mingled, lend their strength. The Red One rises and ascends, his presence entering all beings. The embryo reaches the wombs of creatures, and with this, they find the impassioned one. Seeing the path, the six broad ones establish the realm here. Here, the Red One brings the kingdom, driving away the foes so that the people remain unharmed. For him, Heaven and Earth, rich in treasures, are called to grant his desires with their abundant gifts. The Red One generated Heaven and Earth, stretching out the supreme thread across the cosmos. There, the unborn, one-footed being takes his seat, and by his might, Heaven and Earth are made firm. By the Red One's power, Heaven and Earth stand secure, as does the sky and the measured regions; by him, even the gods found immortality. He pervades all forms, growing and causing growth. Ascending the sky with great majesty, the Red One unites the kingdom with milk and ghee, bestowing abundance and nourishment upon all.