O best of listeners, hear now a sacred account of the proper offerings and rituals as prescribed by the ancient sages. When making offerings, each item is to be accompanied by its appropriate invocation: clarified butter is offered with the mantra ‘Tejosi’, the lamp with ‘śukraṃ’, the honey mixture with ‘madhuparkaṃ’, and curds with ‘dadhīti’. For these and other offerings, the eight verses dedicated to Hiraṇyagarbha are to be recited. In addition to these, one should offer food and fragrant drinks, and present items such as a fan, whisk, footwear, umbrella, vehicle, and seat, each with due respect. All such offerings, beginning in this manner, are to be made with the recitation of the Sāvitrī mantra, and the appropriate mantras must be spoken for each item as it is presented. If an image of the deity is not available, the altar may serve as the focus of worship, or even the joined palms, a full water-pot, the riverbank, or a lotus. By worshipping Viṣṇu in any of these forms, peace is surely attained. When the time comes for the fire offering, it should be performed while the fire blazes brightly. The area must be cleansed, sprinkled, and prepared with the prescribed materials. With a pure heart, the best portion of every food should be set aside and offered to Vāsudeva, the Lord, the imperishable One. Along with Viṣṇu, offerings are also to be made to Agni, Soma, Mitra, Varuṇa, and Indra, the greatly fortunate, as well as to Indra and Agni together. Homage is paid to all the gods, to Prajāpati the Lord of creatures, to Anumati, to Rāma, and to Dhanvantari. Next, offerings are made to Vāstoṣpati, to the goddess, and to Agni as the maker of the sacrificial rite. Each should receive their portion by name, and the offering should be presented accordingly. To the east of the fire, offerings are given to the carpenter and his assistant, as well as to the horses and sheep. Further, Nirundhī, Dhūmriṇīkā, Asvapantī, and Meghapatnī—all these receive their due offerings. Thereafter, in due order, offerings are placed upon the weapons for deities beginning with Āgneyī, and then to Nandinī, Subhāgyā, and Sumaṅgalyā. Bhadrakālī, the sacrificial post, Śrī, Hiraṇyakeśī, and the forest trees are also honored with offerings. At the two doors, offerings are made to Dharma and Adharma; in the center of the house, to Dhruva; outside, to Mṛtyu; and at the water place, to Varuṇa. Outside, offerings are given to the spirits, and at the shelter, to Dhanada. Indra and the Indra-beings are honored to the east. Similarly, to Yama and the Yama-beings, offerings are made to the south; to Varuṇa and his beings, to the west; to Soma and his beings, to the north; and to Brahmā and his beings, in the center. In the sky and above, as well as on the earth to Sthaṇḍila, offerings are made. By day, to the day-roaming beings, and by night, to the night-roaming beings. Every day, at evening and morning, offerings are to be given outside. The offering of rice-balls (piṇḍa) should be performed in the morning, never in the evening. First the offering is made to the father, then the grandfather, the great-grandfather, the mother’s father, and the mother’s mother. In this manner, offerings are made to the ancestors upon blades of sacred grass placed at the southern end, for those associated with Indra, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Yama, or Nairriti. The crows are invited to accept the rice-ball offering, and a rice-ball is also given for the dogs, accompanied by the proper mantra. It is said that in the family of Vivasvat are born two dogs, one dark and one spotted; to them, a rice-ball is offered, seeking their protection on the path. The cows, mothers of the three worlds, are also to be offered food, and after making this offering for auspiciousness, alms are given. Only after honoring guests and the poor may the householder himself partake of the meal. Now, listen to the words of Agni regarding the bath that brings all aims to fulfillment and grants peace. The wise should bathe the planets on the riverbank, as well as Viṣṇu. In a temple, this bath is performed when afflicted by fever, disease, or troubles caused by Vinayaka or planetary influences. For a student, it is done in a pond at home; for one seeking victory, at a sacred ford. A woman whose womb is to be cleansed should bathe in a lotus pond, and one who has lost a child should bathe in the presence of an Ashoka tree. Those desiring flowers should bathe where flowers abound; those wishing for sons, in the ocean; and all who seek household prosperity, in the presence of Viṣṇu. The most auspicious time for all is to bathe on the days of Revati or Pushya in the month of Vaiśākha, and one intending such a bath should purify himself for seven days beforehand. For the bath, the following herbs and substances are to be used: punarnava, rochana, shatānga, guruni bark, madhuka, two kinds of turmeric, tagara, and nāga-keśara. In addition, amber, manjishta, mamsi, yāsaka, priyaṅgu, mustard, kushtha, ambalā, brahmi, and saffron are to be included. The body should be anointed with a mixture of the five products of the cow and flour, then bathed. In the center of the bathing area, Viṣṇu and a Brahmin are to be worshipped. Bathing circles are to be drawn in all directions and intermediate directions, and arghya and oblations are offered to Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, and others as their weapons. For each deity, one hundred and eight sticks of sacred wood, sesame seeds, and ghee are to be used. Pots named Bhadra, Subhadra, Siddhārtha, and Kalasha, along with those that increase prosperity—Amogha, Citrabānu, Parjanya, and Sudarshana—are to be established, along with the Ashvins, Rudra, and the Maruts. May all the gods, as well as demons, Vasus, sages, and other deities enter these vessels with joy. Into the pot, herbs such as Jayantī, Vijaya, Jaya, Shatavari, Shatapuspa, Vishnukranta, and Aparājita are placed, along with luminous and potent sandalwood, usīra, saffron, musk, camphor, bālaka, patra, and bark. Jāti fruit, clove, clay, and the five products of the cow are also added. These are placed upon an auspicious seat, and, prepared in this manner, the twice-born should bathe the person with due ceremony and vigor. Thus, by following these sacred instructions, one attains purity, auspiciousness, and the blessings of the gods and ancestors.