May Vivasvat, the radiant and generous lord, who is wise and long-lived, bestow his protection upon us. Under his gracious gaze, may heroes abound in our midst, rich with cattle and horses, and may prosperity always be with me. Let Vivasvat establish us in the realm of immortality. May death turn away, and may the immortal presence never depart. Let him shield these men from the ravages of old age, and may their vital breaths never journey to Yama before their time. There is one—wise and great—who upholds the midspace between heaven and earth. He is the sage among the Fathers. Let the descendants of Viśvāmitra honor him with offerings, so that Yama, the guardian of the departed, may grant us safe passage through life. O seers, ascend without fear to the highest heaven! You who have tasted Soma, this offering is made for you. We have now reached the highest light. Agni, with his great brilliance, shines forth as a signal. Like a roaring bull, he resounds between heaven and earth, rising even to the ends of the sky. The great buffalo grows strong in the lap of the waters. In the sky, when the beautiful-winged one soars, those who search with their hearts have seen him—the golden-winged messenger of Varuṇa, the swift bird dwelling in Yama’s abode. Indra, like a father to his sons, bring us strength. Teach us, O much-invoked one, the true path, so that we may reach the realm of living light. The jars, covered with cakes and filled with offerings, were placed for you by the gods. May they overflow with sweetness and ghee. The grains I scatter for you, mixed with sesame and full of offering, may they be abundant and powerful. May King Yama accept them with favor. O tree, give back what has been placed within you. As at Yama’s seat, let him sit and speak in the assembly. Jātavedas, seize with your strong brilliance. Completely consume his body, and grant him a place among the righteous. To your ancestors who have gone before, and to those yet to come, may a stream of ghee flow to them, pouring forth in a hundred streams. Ascend with the wind, purified and shining brightly in your own home. Go forth through the midst, do not turn back, to the world of the Fathers who was the first here. Ascend to the mother, O Jātavedas, along the paths of the Fathers. I cause you to ascend together. O carrier of offerings, sent forth by the oblation, bear the sacrificer, yoked, to the world of the righteous. The gods, immortal through sacrifice, prepare the offering, the sacrificial cake, the ladles, and the ritual implements. With these, proceed along the divine paths trodden by those who perform sacrifices and reach the heavenly world. O Angiras, behold the path of truth, the righteous way by which the virtuous go. With these paths, proceed to heaven, where the Adityas enjoy sweetness. Ascend to the third heaven and take your place there. Three splendid birds, guardians of the upper realm, are stationed on the ridge of heaven, in the highest expanse. The heavenly worlds are filled with immortality, yielding nourishment and strength to the sacrificer. Let the rivers flow together, let the winds unite, and let the birds gather. May this sacrifice increase and flourish; with a flowing offering, I make the oblation with words. Let us protect this sacrifice and pour it forth; may it ever grow. With a flowing offering, I make the oblation with words. Form by form, age by age, let them join and embrace this sacrifice. May the four directions increase its power; with a flowing offering, I make the oblation with words. May the waters from the Himalayas bring you well-being, as well as those from the lakes. May the settling waters and the rainy waters bring you well-being. May the waters from deserts and marshes bring you well-being, as also those drawn from the earth and those carried in jars. The cloudless, deep waters, being drawn, are profound. Among healers, these waters are most healing; let us invoke them. We have drunk the celestial waters, the flowing streams. We have drunk at the gathering; may you become swift horses. These waters are auspicious and disease-removing. As satisfaction comes, so may you grant us healing remedies. From heaven and earth, from the midspace, from trees and herbs—wherever the sacred fire is honored and welcomed—come to us. Your greatness, Agni, is in the waters, forests, herbs, animals, and in the waters within. Gather all your forms together and come to us, O giver of wealth and ever generous. Your greatness among the gods is heavenly, your form has entered among the ancestors. The prosperity you spread among humans, Agni, grant us that wealth. To the wise, the learned, and the attentive, I approach with words for favor. Where there is fear, let there be safety for us. Worship the gods, O Agni, and turn away all harm. The first offering that Atharvan made, which was born and prepared by the bearer of the sacred fire—this, the first, I invoke. May Agni, urged by these, carry the offering to Agni. Svaha. I place before me the divine impulse, auspicious and gracious, mother of thought. May she be favorable to us. The impulse I desire, let it be mine; let it enter my mind as I wish. By impulse, O Brihaspati, come near to us. Grant us a share of fortune and be gracious to us. May Brihaspati, descendant of Angiras, acknowledge these words of mine—he whose divinities became the gods. May well-guided desires follow us. Indra is king over all moving peoples and over the earth in all its forms. From that, he gives wealth to the worshipper, and, being praised, brings it near even from afar. The Person has a thousand arms, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. Encompassing the earth on every side, he extended beyond it by ten fingers’ breadth. With three steps he ascended to the sky, and with the fourth he remained here. Thus, he spread everywhere, in all that eats and does not eat. Such are his greatnesses, yet the Person is greater still. One fourth of him is all beings; three fourths are immortal in heaven. The Person alone is all this—what has been and what will be; he is also the lord of immortality, and all that grows with him. When they divided the Person, into how many did they apportion him? What was his mouth, his arms, his thighs, his feet? His mouth became the Brāhmaṇa, his arms became the Rājanya, his middle became the Vaiśya, and from his feet the Śūdra was born.