With the coming of radiant days and the fall of nourishing drops, the people called upon the Ashvins, the divine physicians, to dispel ignorance and bring forth abundance with their blessings of cows and prosperity. They invoked mighty Indra as well, wishing, united and free from hatred, to strike down their foes and attain wealth together, sharing in many delights and the company of shining ones. With the strength of the divine—heroic vigor, foremost cows and swift horses—they yearned for Indra’s favor, to be led into surpassing abundance. They remembered how Indra, gladdened by the exhilarating Somas and the powers of the bull, had, in the slaying of Vritra, the great foe, brought joy to those who worshipped him. For the faithful sacrificer, Indra had struck down ten unassailable Vritras and cast down thousands, his might unmatched. Battle after battle, city after city, Indra advanced with boldness, destroying enemy strongholds and casting down Namuci, the master of illusion, even in distant lands, ever a worthy friend to those devoted to him. Indra’s deeds were many: he slew Karandja and Parṇaya with his most powerful weapon along Atithigva’s path, shattered a hundred cities of Vaṅgṛdas, drove away their defenders, and cleared the way for Ṛjiśvan. He approached the two kings of the people, along with their ten brothers and the renowned Suśravas, and with the wheel of his chariot, struck down sixty thousand and ninety-nine famed warriors, subduing the difficult and the proud. Indra’s protection was steadfast. He aided Suśravas and Tūrvayāṇa, granting them safety and victory. He bestowed life upon Kutsa, Atithigva, the great youthful king, and the one who never failed in battle. Those who are friends of Indra, the divine guardians, are most auspicious and harmonious, and the people praised him, longing for his alliance so that they might possess heroic sons, enjoy long life, and cross safely through every peril. To Indra, the mighty bull, the pressed Soma was poured forth, inviting him to drink and be satisfied, to partake of the exhilaration. The people prayed that the foolish or envious would not harm him, nor the mockers oppress, nor those who hate the sacred utterance prevail. With the guardians of the cows, they sought to gladden Indra for great reward, bidding him drink as a bull drinks from a lake. They sang to Indra, lord of the cows, as was fitting for the son of truth, the true lord. The bays, his ruddy steeds, were released upon the sacred grass where the people assembled. For Indra, the cows gave forth pure sweetness, milking it for the wielder of the bolt when he discovered it in the hidden place. Again and again, the people called to Indra, eager for him to come and drink the Soma, his favorite libation, and to arrive with his two bays, the stone-splitter. The priest sat down, spreading the sacred grass in order, and the morning pressings of Soma were yoked. Hymns, bearers of prayer, were composed, and Indra was invited to sit upon the sacred grass and enjoy the foremost offering. They rejoiced with Indra in the libations, praising him as the slayer of Vritra and the lover of song, delighting in his hymns. The mothers of the Soma-drinker cherished Indra as mothers cherish a calf. They urged him to delight in the pressed Soma for his greatness and strength, praying that he would not cast aside his worshippers. Devoted to Indra, they offered oblations and grew old in his service, confident in his friendly generosity. They prayed that his beloved steeds would not depart, but that Indra would draw near with his own power and rejoice among them. They wished for the curly-haired ones to carry Indra in a pleasant chariot, and for the butter-smeared grass to be his seat. Once more, they called Indra to drink the pressed Soma, rich in cows, with his steeds, as their friend. They invited him to the exhilarating Soma, pressed with stones and set upon the sacred grass, hoping to satisfy him. Their inspired words called Indra to drink, and with hymns and praises, they invoked him as the Kuśikas had done of old, seeking his help. They offered the pressed Somas to Indra, the hundred-powered, who delights in strength, knowing him as the winner of wealth, steadfast in contests. They asked him to drink the Soma, rich in cows and barley, and to come with his bull-like strength to the pressed offering. In his own dwelling, they urged Soma for Indra to drink, wishing that this delight would stir his heart. Wherever the sacred grass was spread for prosperity, wherever the hymn resounded in the sky, wherever the pressing stone spoke and the inspired poet chanted, there Indra delighted in the offerings. The foremost mortal, with Indra’s help, moved among the cows, filled with abundant wealth, just as wise rivers approach the sea. The divine waters approached the sacrificial priest, seeing the vast expanse as the sky, and the gods led the devotee forward, delighting in the sacred word. Upon the two—perhaps the sacrificial fires or the honored deities—the hymn and the speech were placed by those who served, and Indra, unbound in his vow, prospered, granting auspicious power to the sacrificer. The Angiras, the ancient seers, first established the way; the kindled fires and the skillful, righteous ones found all the wealth of the Paṇi—food, horses, cows, and cattle. By sacrifices, Atharvan first established the paths, and from him was born the Sun, Vena, the observer of vows. Kāvyā Uśanā came together with the cows, and the people worshipped the immortal offspring of Yama. At every gathering where the sacred grass was spread and the hymn resounded, where the pressing stone spoke and the poet chanted, Indra was delighted. For him, the people poured out the strong, true draught, inviting Indra of the tawny steeds to drink and rejoice among the cows, praised by every act of power. In every union, in every contest for strength and prize, the people called upon Indra, their friend, for help—trusting in his might, his generosity, and his unwavering protection.