On the night of the new moon, when darkness veiled the world, there arose those who preyed upon cattle, the thieves who crept through shadows. Among them, Agni, the sacred fire, stood as the fourth—destroyer of hidden paths and protector. May Agni speak for us, shielding us from harm. To ward off the threat of lead, Varuṇa is invoked, and Agni is called upon; Indra, the mighty, has driven away the peril of lead. Let this act be the disperser of sorcery and evil. With these powers, we repel harmful growths and drive away those who bring harm. By their strength, we withstand all beings born as fiends. Should anyone harm our cow, our horse, or any man among us, we vow to strike them with lead, ensuring our cattle remain safe and unharmed. There are women who go forth, adorned in red garments, unaccompanied by husbands, like sisters-in-law. Let them stand, bereft of vigor. Stand firm, eldest; stand, you who are next; stand, middle one; let the youngest also stand—let the whole line stand strong. Of a hundred vessels and a thousand treasures, these middle ones have stood firm; together with the ends, they are arranged in order. Around you, the mighty bow strung with sand has been drawn—stand firm, remain steady, and be well. We drive away misfortune, ill omens, and poverty, and call forth auspicious blessings to our offspring. May enmity depart from us. Savitṛ has driven strife from our feet and hands; Varuṇa, Mitra, and Aryaman have removed it; Anumati, favoring us, has driven it away. The gods grant us prosperity. Whatever is fierce in your body, your hair, or any part, we destroy with words; may Savitṛ lay it low. The one with the foot of a lynx, the strong, the cow-thief, the destroyer—whatever is ill-marked or evil, we drive away from us. Let not the piercers strike us, nor the over-piercers; Indra, cast far away the arrows that come from all sides. Let arrows fall away from us in all directions, whether near or far; divine and human missiles, scatter our enemies. Whoever among us is our own, a stranger, a relative, or an outsider who attacks us—may Rudra scatter all enemies with his arrows. Whoever is a rival, or not a rival, or whoever hates and attacks us—may all the gods destroy them; let prayer be our inner armor. Let Soma, the god, be gracious in this sacrifice; O Maruts, show us mercy. Let not the hostile one overpower us, nor let any evil or hateful act befall us. Whoever today raises a weapon against the sinful, O Mitra and Varuṇa, drive him far away from us. From here or there, whatever danger exists, O Varuṇa, drive it away; spread your great shield and ward off harm. He is thus commanded—mighty, unconquered, victorious over foes; his friend is never slain, nor is he ever defeated. May Indra, giver of well-being, lord of the people, slayer of obstacles, mighty and powerful, who drinks Soma and brings fearlessness, come to us within the city. O Indra, scatter the obstacles, subdue and cast down the hostile ones; send into darkness whoever attacks us. Scatter the demons, break the jaws of adversaries; O Indra, slayer of Vṛtra, disperse the wrath of the enemy who assaults us. Drive away the mind of the hostile, drive away the intent of the jealous, remove the great covering, grant us the greater path, and ward off harm. Let the radiance of your heart follow the rising sun and your golden hue; with the color of the red cow, we envelop you. We surround you with red hues for long life, so you may be unaging and never become pale. Those divine red cows, each with their own form and age, we surround you with them. We place your golden color among the white ones, and also in the turmeric plants, we place your golden color. You are born at night, O herb—lovely, dark, and black. This is the dye for the night, for what is leprous and gray. Destroy the leprosy and grayness, O black one; let your own color enter you, and cast away the whiteness. Your abode is blackness, your foundation is blackness; O black herb, destroy the leprosy and the grayness. Whatever is leprous of the bone, flesh, or skin, the mark made by the Brahman—let the white blemish be removed. The eagle was born first; you became its bile. Then the demoness, conquered in battle, shaped the forms of the trees. She first made this remedy for leprosy, the destroyer of leprosy; she made the skin uniform, free from blemish. Your mother is called Uniform, your father is called Uniform; O herb, you are made uniform, so make this uniform. The dark one, maker of uniformity, raised from the earth—let her accomplish this, restore the forms anew. Where fire and water entered and burned, where the bearers of law made their obeisance, there is said to be the highest origin; may the wise one remove fever from us. Whether you are flame or burning, spark or your origin, you are called Hrūḍu, god of the green; may the wise one remove fever from us. Whether you are Sorrow, or the absence of Sorrow, or the son of King Varuṇa—you are called Hrūḍu, god of the green one—knowing us, remove the fever from us. Homage to the cold fever, homage to the fierce burning one; reverence to the fever that comes on alternate days, or every day, or every third day—let there be homage to that fever. Thus, through invocation, prayer, and sacred remedies, the forces of darkness, disease, and adversity are driven away, and blessings, protection, and harmony are called forth for all.