In the sacred tradition, it is taught that when one performs worship in the household, the deities of the home should be honored with the Vastu-pati mantra. This is the prescribed method, especially important to remember when making offerings. At the conclusion of the fire ritual, or homa, it is essential to give a gift. Such an offering helps pacify sins, and the ritual itself is appeased with gifts of food—especially when food and gold are given in charity. The blessings bestowed by Brahmins are unfailing, and bathing at any holy place brings auspiciousness. Offerings of Siddharthaka seeds, barley, grains, milk, curd, and ghee are all considered especially meritorious. Milk-bearing trees and fuel wood are believed to grant all desires, while one should be mindful of nearby thorny plants, mustard, blood, and poison, for these too have their place in ritual and counter-magic. In rites of counter-magic, materials such as stone, food, weapons, and pathways are used, and offerings may include curd, charity, fruit, and, where prescribed, animal sacrifice. At this point, the sage Pushkara spoke, saying, “I will now explain the procedure of the Yajurveda, which bestows both enjoyment and liberation. Listen attentively, O Rama. The great Vyahritis, always recited with Omkara at the beginning, are essential in these rites. They destroy all sins and fulfill every desire. The wise, through a thousand offerings of clarified butter, should worship the gods.” Pushkara continued: “O Rama, whatever one desires within the heart, these rituals help fulfill those wishes. If one seeks peace, barley should be used in the offering; and if one seeks the removal of sins, sesame seeds are recommended. For the fulfillment of all desires, grains and Siddharthaka seeds are offered, and udumbara wood is used as fuel for those wishing for cattle. Curd is offered by those who desire food, and the path itself is invoked for those seeking tranquility. If one wishes for abundant gold, apamarga twigs are used as fuel.” “For those desiring a maiden, jasmine flowers anointed with ghee are offered in pairs. If prosperity for a village is sought, sesame and rice grains are the proper offering. For subjugation, the woods of śākhoṭa and apāmārga are used, and for the destruction of disease, kindling mixed with poison and blood is offered.” “If, in anger, one wishes for the destruction of enemies, an effigy of the king made entirely of various types of rice is created and offered, O twice-born. This should be done a thousand times, after which the king will come under one’s control. For those who desire garments, flowers and dūrvā grass—which also destroy disease—are offered.” “To attain Brahmic radiance, a garment is offered. In the rites of Pratyangiras, offerings are made with the ashes of tuṣakaṇṭaka. If one seeks to foster enmity, the eyelashes of a crow and the kauśika bird are offered, along with kapila ghee, especially during a lunar eclipse.” “There are other mystical acts: by bringing the vacā root at the time it falls and consuming it after reciting a thousand mantras, a man becomes intelligent. For the destruction of enemies, an iron stake eleven fingers long, or one made of khadira wood, is buried in the enemy’s house with the appropriate mantra. This is known as the expulsion of enemies. If one has lost sight, the recitation of ‘cakṣuṣpā’ restores vision. By applying the phrase ‘upayuñjata’ from the Anuvāka, and ‘tanūpāgne sad’, and offering dūrvā grass, one becomes free from disease. The offering with the Triyambakaṃ mantra increases good fortune.” “By reciting the names of maidens, one obtains maidens; and in times of fear, constant recitation brings freedom from danger. If one offers dhattūra flowers with ghee, all desires are attained. By offering guggulu, O Rama, one may see Śaṅkara in a dream.” “The ‘yuñcate mano’ Anuvāka grants long life, while the ‘viṣṇorarāṭam’ mantra destroys all afflictions, offering protection, fame, and victory. The mantra ‘ayanno agnir’ brings victory in battle. During bathing, one prays to the waters to carry away all sins. In a ritual to obtain a maiden, a ten-finger-long iron needle is buried at her door, ensuring she is not given to another. By offering in this way to god Savitṛ, one obtains food.” “O best of twice-born, one who desires strength should offer sesame, barley, and apāmārga rice into the fire with the sacred ‘svāhā’. To win the favor of people, a thousand-times-empowered pigment and cow’s gallstone are prepared, and a mark is made with it before venturing forth.” “Recitation of the Rudra mantras, which destroy all sins, and the performance of homa, accomplish all actions and bring peace everywhere. These rites benefit goats, horses, elephants, cows, humans, kings, children, and women, as well as villages, cities, and regions. For those afflicted or diseased, or when death approaches, or in the face of enemies or fear, the Rudra homa performed with milk-rice or ghee brings supreme peace.” “By offering ghee with gourds in the fire, all sins are removed. The best of men should consume barley gruel or food obtained by begging at night. Bathing outside for a month frees one from the sin of killing a Brahmin. By the mantra ‘madhuvāta’, all is obtained through homa.” “Offering oblations with the mantra ‘dadhikrāvaṇ’ ensures the birth of sons, while ‘ghṛtavatī’ with ghee grants longevity. The mantra ‘svasti na indra’ destroys all afflictions, and ‘may cows multiply here’ increases prosperity. A thousand oblations of ghee destroy misfortune, and offering apāmārga rice with the ladle, invoking the deity, frees one from deformity and sorcery. Offering Rudra’s mantra with palāśa wood brings gold.” “When the sacred fire appears, rice is offered with the mantra ‘śivo bhava’, and with the mantra ‘yāḥ senāḥ’, fear from thieves is dispelled.” Thus, the sages have instructed that through these sacred rites, mantras, and offerings, all desires may be fulfilled, sins destroyed, and peace and prosperity brought to all beings and places.