In the sacred tradition, it is said that the gods who are invited to partake in rituals are known as the children of Soma, and those who drink the divine Soma are remembered by that name. Among these celestial beings, there are three distinct groups: the Kāvyas, the Barhiṣads, and the Agniṣvāttas. The Agniṣvāttas include householders who do not perform sacrifices, and also the Ārtavas. For these Agniṣvāttas, Agni himself is considered the embodiment of the year, while Sūya represents the parivatsara, a specific yearly cycle. Rudra is regarded as the vatsara, and the five-year periods are understood to be the nature of a yuga, a larger span of time. In the heavens, those who drink nectar do so every month on the night of the new moon. Month after month, Soma flows forth, nourishing all who partake of it. This immortal, gentle nectar, along with honey and mead, provides sustenance to the gods. The thirty-three fragrant deities drink this watery essence, and as they do so, the moon gradually diminishes. At the new moon, the Suṣumnā channel is replenished in its proper order. Once the Soma has been consumed, the sun dries it up with a single ray. When only one digit of the moon remains, Soma is replenished again. The dark digits of the moon wane, while the bright ones fill it up, and on the night of the full moon, the complete, radiant disc is revealed. Soma, possessed of the ancestors, is remembered as the embodiment of the year, much like Iḍ. Now, attention is turned to the sacred days and the junctures of the fortnights. The sacred days of the half-months belong to both the bright and dark fortnights, and these days begin from the second day onward. At the start of each sacred day, at every juncture beginning with the first day, special observances are made. On the night of the full moon, only two lavas are known as the afternoon time. When evening sets in, that period is considered the time of the full moon. When the end of the age arises, half a portion of the moon remains. At the moment when both the sun and moon are together, it is called the conjunction, and this is the proper time for the vaṣaṭā ritual, which is immediately prescribed. During the night of the full moon, the moon becomes free of blemish. When both the moon and sun are full in the afternoon, that marks the true full moon. The first full moon is remembered by the name Anumati. Because of the moon's coloring, poets have called it Rākā. Rākā is the fifteenth night, and after that, the new moon is remembered. When the moon and sun are together, that marks the completion of a year. The times Kuhu, Mātra, and Dvyakṣara are remembered as the three sacred moments of these days. With half the day and night, the moon attains the sun. There are two periods and a conjunction, and at midday, the sun is fixed. In the midst of their separation, between their orbits, this is understood as the beginning of the season, the mouth of the lunar phase. Therefore, on the day of the new moon, the sun is taken. Even among these divisions, there is an increase and decrease of their watery essence. Then, both the sun and moon display themselves. For two lavas, the moon touches the sun in both day and night. Thus, the cycles of Soma, the rituals, and the sacred times are woven together, marking the rhythm of the cosmos and the nourishment of the gods, as remembered in the ancient wisdom.