He is the one who upheld the earth, sustaining all beings with her nourishment. It is he who filled the midspace with life-giving essence and, through his greatness, propped up the sky above us. By the power of that sacred Odana—the ritual rice—one may cross over the realm of death. From him, the months were shaped, each with thirty ribs; from him, the year was fashioned, turning on twelve spokes. Day and night, without end, surround him. By the strength of that Odana, one transcends death. He is the giver of breath, who became the very breath of life itself. For his sake, the worlds flow richly, as if with ghee, and all the shining realms belong to him. Through that Odana, one passes beyond death. From him arose the cooked nectar, the divine food. He became the lord of the Gāyatrī, and in him, the Vedas of every form are established. By that Odana, one crosses the threshold of mortality. Let the one who hates, who is hostile to the gods, and whoever stands as my rival, be driven away—let them be cast down. I prepare the all-conquering sacrificial rice; may the gods who honor devotion hear my call. Let Agni Vaiśvānara, the mighty bull, with his true strength, burn up those who wish us harm, those who seek to injure or attack us. Whoever plots against us, whether in thought or in deed, whoever assaults us—I consign them to the jaws of Agni Vaiśvānara. Those who hunt us within our homes, who raise their voices against us on the new moon, those flesh-eaters who attack others—I stand firm against all of them with force. I withstand the demons; I overpower them and bestow wealth. I strike down all who wish harm upon us; may my purpose be fulfilled. I am allied with the gods who laugh at the thief, who race with the sun, who dwell in rivers and mountains—with all these beings I stand united. Among demons, I am the scorching one, like a tiger among cattle; before me, as a dog before a lion, they find no refuge upon seeing me. Neither demons, nor thieves, nor forest-dwellers can overcome me; thus, demons perish from every village I enter. Wherever I go, this fierce power is mine; from that place, demons are banished and no evil draws near. Those who provoke me with their words, like flies to an elephant, I regard as evildoers among people, short-lived as they are. Let destruction seize anyone who is hostile to me, as a horse is caught by a horse-catcher; those who are angry with me shall not escape from the snares. With you, O sacred herb, the ancient Atharvans vanquished the demons; with you, Kaśyapa, Kaṇva, and Agastya also overcame them. With you, we drive away Apsarases and Gandharvas; O goat-horned plant, destroy all demons with your fragrance. Let the Apsarases depart to the rivers, to the flowing streams, to uncertain crossings; let Gulgulū, Pīlā, Naladyu—fragrant with ox-balm—and Pramandanī, let these Apsarases, now gone, be awakened elsewhere. Where the aśvattha and banyan trees, those great crested trees, stand—let those Apsarases, now departed, be awakened there. Where your green swings are, O Arjuna, and where the striking posts resound—let those Apsarases, now departed, be awakened in those places. This, the most potent of herbs and plants, has come—goat-horned, kingly, sharp-horned—let it drive away all evil. From the crested dancers, from the lord of the Gandharvas and Apsarases, I break their virility and take away their power. Fierce are Indra’s weapons, a hundred-pointed, made of iron; with these, may he drive away the Gandharvas who seize the offerings and those who lurk below. Fierce, too, are Indra’s weapons, a hundred-pointed, made of gold; with these, may he drive away the Gandharvas who seize the offerings and those that hide beneath. Drive away those who lurk below, who bring sorrow, and the spirits in the waters; O sacred plant, destroy all demons and prevail. The Gandharva, like a dog, a monkey, or a hairy boy, appears beloved to the sight and attaches himself to women; with the power of sacred knowledge, we destroy him here. Your wives are the Apsarases, and you Gandharvas are their husbands; depart, O immortals, from mortals—do not mingle with them. Now, I invoke that Apsaras, skilled and divine, who bursts forth and brings together, who makes the dice fall in the game. I call upon that Apsaras, skilled and divine, who searches and scatters, who gathers up the dice in the game. She who dances around, taking the dice from the game—may she, who gathers our dice, win for us a great prize with her skill; may she, full of abundance, come to us, and may others not win this wealth from us. I invoke that joyful and delighted Apsaras, who delights in the dice, radiant and sometimes wrathful. Those who move along the rays of the sun, or who travel on its beams—whom the swift bull, like a steed, circles all the worlds to protect—may he come here, accepting this offering, together with the steed in the midspace. Together with the steed in the midspace, O steed, protect here the calf; whether few or many, let them gather—here is your calf, here let your mind dwell. Together with the steed in the midspace, O steed, protect here the calf; here is the grass, here is the pen, here we tie the calf; as is fitting for you, so may we prosper. Svāhā. On earth, for Agni, let food be equal and abundant; as food is equal for Agni upon the earth, so may there be equal abundance for me—may all show me respect. The earth is the cow, Agni is her calf; may she, with Agni as her calf, yield me the food and strength I desire—long life, offspring, nourishment, and wealth. Svāhā. In the midspace, for Vāyu, let food be equal and abundant; as food is equal for Vāyu in the midspace, so may there be equal abundance for me—may all show me respect. The midspace is the cow, Vāyu is her calf; may she, with Vāyu as her calf, yield me the food and strength I desire—long life, offspring, nourishment, and wealth. Svāhā. In heaven, for Āditya, let food be equal and abundant; as food is equal for Āditya in heaven, so may there be equal abundance for me—may all show me respect. Heaven is the cow, Āditya is her calf; may she, with Āditya as her calf, yield me the food and strength I desire—long life, offspring, nourishment, and wealth. Svāhā.