Indra himself approaches the one who knows, and through this, that person becomes endowed with power. Such is the one who perceives the sun as Kshatra and the sky as Indra—he holds a profound understanding. Now, if a Vrātya, possessing this knowledge, arrives as a guest at one’s home, the host should personally go to him and say with reverence: “Vrātya, from where have you come? Let water be brought for you; let your needs be satisfied. Vrātya, as you desire, so let it be; as you wish, so let it be; as you intend, so let it be.” But if one asks him, “Vrātya, where have you been?” he obstructs the Vrātya’s path to the gods. If he says, “Vrātya, water!” he withholds the waters from him. If he says, “Vrātya, let them satisfy you!” he thereby increases the Vrātya’s very breath. If he says, “Vrātya, as you desire, so may it be!” he grants him what is dear. The one who knows this attains what is dear and becomes beloved among the beloved. If he says, “Vrātya, as you wish, so may it be!” he grants him mastery, and thus the knower attains mastery and becomes a master among masters. If he says, “Vrātya, as your desire, so may it be!” he grants him desire, and so the knower attains desire and becomes desired among the desired. Therefore, when a learned one, with the sacred fires kindled and the Agnihotra established, receives the Vrātya as a guest, he should approach and say, “Vrātya, permit me; I will offer.” If the Vrātya grants permission, the host may offer; if not, he should refrain. One who, having received permission from a learned Vrātya, makes an offering, knows both the path of the ancestors and the path of the gods. Among the gods, his offering is never cut off, and in this world, a secure foundation remains for him. But if one offers without such permission, he knows neither the ancestral nor the divine path; among the gods, he becomes the most potent among those whose offerings are unaccepted, and in this world, he finds no secure abode. Moreover, if a person who knows thus hosts a Vrātya for one night, he secures for himself all the blessed worlds upon earth. For a second night, he gains all the blessed worlds in the atmosphere; for a third, all those in heaven; for a fourth, the most blessed of all blessed worlds. And if he lets the Vrātya stay for countless nights, he secures all the countless blessed worlds. If, however, a non-Vrātya bearing the name ‘Vrātyabru’ comes as a guest, one should both draw him in and not draw him in. One should say, “For this deity, I ask for water; let this deity dwell. I surround, I will surround this deity.” For him, in that very deity, the offering is made, for one who knows thus. Now, when this Vrātya moved toward the east, he became a troop of wind and went forth, making mind the eater of food; by mind as the eater of food, one consumes food—so knows the wise. When he moved southward, he became Indra, making strength the eater of food; by strength, one partakes of food. To the west, he became King Varuṇa, making the waters the eaters of food; by the waters, food is consumed. To the north, he became King Soma, journeying with the Seven Sages, making the offering itself the eater of food; thus, by the offering, one consumes food. Toward the fixed direction, he became Viṣṇu, making Virāj the eater of food; by Virāj, one eats food. When he moved among the animals, he became Rudra, making plants the eaters of food; by plants, food is consumed. And when he moved among the ancestors, he became King Yama, making the form of Svadhā the eater of food; by Svadhā, one eats food—so knows the one who truly understands. Thus is the sacred journey and the mystery of the Vrātya, honored guest and knower of the paths, whose presence sanctifies the home and whose knowledge reveals the ways of gods and ancestors, the worlds and the very nature of sustenance.