Within the city, the people called upon mighty Indra, the giver of well-being, lord of the people, and slayer of obstacles. They prayed for his presence, for he is powerful and fearless, the drinker of Soma, who brings courage to his devotees. “Indra,” they invoked, “scatter all that stands in our way. Subdue and cast down those who are hostile to us; send into darkness anyone who attacks us.” With reverence, they continued, “Indra, scatter the demons and obstacles, break the jaws of our adversaries. O slayer of Vṛtra, disperse the wrath of those who would do us harm. Drive away the minds of the hostile and the intentions of the jealous. Remove the great covering that blocks our path, grant us the greater way, and keep harm far from us.” Turning to the dawn, they sought the blessings of radiance. “Let the brilliance of your heart rise with the sun and your golden hue shine forth. With the color of the red cow, we envelop you.” They surrounded their beloved with red hues for long life, so that age and pallor would never touch them. “With these divine red cows, each with its own form and age, we encircle you. We place your golden color among the white ones, and in the turmeric plants, your golden color is found.” They honored the sacred herbs as well. “You, O herb, are born in the night, lovely and black. You are the dye for the night, for what is leprous and gray. Destroy the leprosy and the 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, remove the leprosy and the whiteness from bone, flesh, or skin, the mark made by the Brahman. Let the white blemish be gone.” They remembered the ancient origins: “The eagle was born first, and you became its bile. Then the demoness, vanquished in battle, shaped the forms of the trees. She first made this remedy for leprosy, the destroyer of blemishes, making the skin uniform and free from disease. Your mother is called Uniform, your father is called Uniform; O herb, you are made uniform, so make this one uniform. The dark one, maker of uniformity, raised from the earth, let her accomplish this and restore the forms anew.” In their prayers, they sought relief from fever: “Where fire and water entered and burned, where the bearers of law bowed in reverence, there is the highest origin. May the wise one remove fever from us. Whether you are flame or spark, or whatever your origin, you are called Hrūḍu, god of the green. May the wise one remove fever from us. Whether you are Sorrow or its absence, or the son of King Varuṇa, you are Hrūḍu, the green god. Knowing us, remove the fever. Homage to the cold fever, and to the fierce, burning one. To the fever that comes on alternate days, each day, or every third day—homage to that fever.” They pleaded for protection: “May that weapon be far from us, O gods, let it not exist. May the stone of Yama be far away. May generosity be our friend; may Indra and Bhaga be our friends. May Savitṛ, the giver of splendid gifts, be our friend. Maruts, sons of the shining one, grant us broad protection as you move forward. Be gracious, show us mercy, and bring joy to our children.” They remembered the immortal ones: “Those three times seven, on the far shore, are without old age; with their vitality, may we cross over the destroyers and the obstacles of decay. Cutting through, holding the bow like a string, turning in every direction, the unsuccessful, the destroyers, return again. Not many could withstand them, nor could the children endure; like reeds scattered all around, the unsuccessful, the destroyers. Go forth, move your feet, carry away, fill the houses; let Indra and the first-conquered, the dwellers in the city, come.” Agni, the god of fire, was invoked to advance and drive away demons and evildoers, burning up the double-tongued, the sorcerers, and the malicious. “Burn up the sorcerers, burn up the malicious ones, O god; burn up all the sorceresses with black streaks. She who cursed with a curse, who brought harm or madness, who was born to steal the sap—let her eat her own offspring. Let the sorceress eat her own son, her sister, and her niece; then let the wild-haired ones destroy each other, let the sorceresses perish, let the enemies waste away.” For strength and sovereignty, they sought the victorious amulet by which Indra grew strong. “With that, O Brahmaṇaspati, make us grow for sovereignty. Having overcome our rivals and enemies, stand firm against those who contend with us. The god Savitṛ has strengthened you, Soma has strengthened you; all beings have strengthened you, for you are victorious. Let the victorious, rival-destroying amulet be bound for sovereignty, for the defeat of my rivals. The sun has risen, and my voice is heard; may I become an enemy-slayer, without rivals, destroyer of adversaries. May I be a bull, a ruler, one who conquers poison and destroys rivals; may I shine among these heroes and among the people.” Finally, they prayed for the protection of life itself. “May all the gods, the Vasus, protect this one; may the Ādityas awaken for him. May neither those of the same lineage nor others bring upon him the death meant for men. O gods, ancestors, and sons, may you who are conscious hear this spoken word of mine. To all of you I offer this for well-being; carry him safely to old age.” Thus, with hearts full of devotion and hope, the people invoked the gods, herbs, and divine powers for protection, healing, strength, and the blessing of a long, harmonious life.