Agni, ever joyful and nourished like ripening barley by the offerings made to him, serves as the self-sacrificing priest for humankind. When the inspired one recites hymns, Agni brings forth abundant rewards, rich in gifts. As the rituals awaken, the fathers are invoked; the husband approaches, seeking fortune and yearning for the heart of the beloved. The fire, Agni, discerns and observes the ritual proceedings, stirring the powerful spirit, and causing hearts to tremble with thoughtful anticipation. Those mortals who declare Agni’s favor, calling upon him as the son of strength, find their prayers heard beyond earthly bounds. Agni, bearing nourishment and granting gifts—such as horses—adorns the shining days with his protective presence. The people call out to Agni, asking him to hear them in their dwellings, to harness the swift chariot of immortality, and to bring together the two worlds, daughters of the gods, so that mortals may remain close to the divine. Whenever the assembly gathers, Agni, divine among the gods and worthy of worship, is invoked. Whatever treasures he dispenses, the self-powered one is entreated to grant a rich share to those assembled. Agni, first among the gods and knower of births, follows all the Dawns together, tracing the days and the rays of the Sun, entering both heaven and earth. He reveals the Dawns, spreads the Sun’s many rays, and extends heaven and earth, illuminating the world. In the beginning, heaven and earth became renowned by truth, speaking truth. When the god inspires mortals to worship, he sits as priest before them, bringing breath and life. The god, surpassing others by truth, brings the offering—the wise, smoke-bannered, blazing, radiant, gentle, and eternal priest, most worthy in speech. The narrator praises the waters, smeared with ghee, and calls upon heaven and earth, the two worlds, to listen. When the gods sought the path of life by day, the fathers are entreated to refresh their descendants with honey. The immortal of the god, born of the cow and sustained on earth, is honored; all the gods follow his sacrificial utterance when he milks the heavenly ghee. Questions arise: what king has claimed the people, when will he arrive, what vow has been made, and who knows its purpose? Even Mitra, sacrificing, calls upon the gods; the hymn remains, its strength enduring. The evil-minded are wished to be far from the name of immortality, adorned with marks and taking various forms. Agni is asked to swiftly protect those who think well of Yama, not letting them stray. In the assembly, the gods rejoice, established in the seat of Vivasvat. They placed light in the sun, and set the shining rays ever-moving around him. The gods move in thought within him, though mortals do not know his lower nature. May Mitra, Aryaman, Savitar, and Varuna speak for the blameless here. Friends are called to seek prayer for Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, and to praise the most heroic and mighty one. Indra is renowned for his might, especially for slaying Vritra; his generosity surpasses those who worship him. Like a plough tirelessly moving over the earth, the great winds are invoked to blow upon the ground; may Mitra, Varuna, and Agni, yoked together, not send their burning heat upon the forest. The renowned, deep-seated king of peoples, formidable and mighty smiter—Rudra—is praised. Being worshipped, Rudra is asked to be gracious to the devotees, and to let others, not the worshippers, be struck by his army. Sarasvati is called upon by the worshippers at the sacrifice, in their striving, and in their good deeds; she is requested to grant the desired boon. The fathers also call upon Sarasvati, attending the sacrifice with gifts, rejoicing on the sacred grass. The sinless one is asked to bestow food upon the assembly. Sarasvati, arriving with a chariot, delighting in hymns and her own powers, together with the fathers, is entreated to grant the worshipper a thousandfold share of food and wealth. May the lower, higher, and middle fathers—the Soma-enjoyers—arise; those who departed with life, sinless and knowing truth, are asked to protect the offerings. The wise fathers, the offspring, and the stride of Vishnu are remembered; those seated on the sacred grass, partaking of the pressed Soma with their own power, are invited to come willingly. Homage is paid to the fathers—those former and later, those who have departed, and those settled in the earthly region or in the well-peopled directions. Mātali with the Kavyas, Yama with the Angirases, Brihaspati with the Rkvans, and those strengthened by the gods—may all these fathers protect the offerings. The offering is described as sweet, honeyed, strong, and full of flavor; none who have drunk of it, O Indra, can be overcome in battle. Yama, the king and gatherer of peoples, son of Vivasvat, who has traveled far and sought many paths, is honored with oblation. Yama first found the path for mortals to follow, a pasture that cannot be taken away, where the forefathers have gone, born of the same law and along the same path. The fathers seated on the sacred grass are called to come near with their aid, to accept the prepared offerings, and to bestow health and sinlessness. All the gods are asked to accept the offering, sitting with the right knee bent, and the fathers are requested not to harm the assembly for any human error. Tvaṣṭṛ makes a husband for his daughter, thus uniting the whole world. The mother of Yama, embraced, vanished as the wife of Vivasvat in greatness. The departed are urged to go forth on the ancient paths by which their forefathers have departed, where they will see Yama and Varuṇa, both kings, rejoicing in their own domain. The departed are told to move away, scatter in all directions, for the fathers have made this world for them. By days, waters, and nights, Yama grants a clear resting place. With brightness and radiance, Agni is kindled and set ablaze, bringing the fathers to the offering and sacrificial fire. May the Angirases, Navagvas, Atharvans, Bhṛgus, and Soma-rich fathers grant their good favor and gracious mind to the worshippers. Yama is called to come with the worthy Angirases, to delight with the multiform ones, and Vivasvat, his father, is invited to sit on the sacred grass. Yama is asked not to ascend the sacred grass, but to join the Angirases and the fathers; the hymns composed by sages are offered to him, and he is invited to rejoice in the offering. From here, the Angirases have ascended, risen to the heights of heaven; as victorious ones, they have gone to the sky, following the path set by the ancestors. Thus, through prayer, offering, and remembrance, the connection between mortals, gods, and ancestors is reaffirmed, invoking their blessings, guidance, and protection in the sacred assembly.