O noble sage, let me recount the sacred procedure for invoking the immortals and commencing the ritual offerings. The ceremony begins with the presentation of clarified butter, barley, rice, sesame, and other wholesome grains, honoring the divine presence. For the sacrificial fire, fuel sticks are gathered from the arka, palāśa, khadira, apāmārga, pippala, udumbara, śamī, dūrvā, and kuśa plants, each selected in a prescribed order. For every deity, either eight hundred or twenty-eight sticks are offered, each blended with honey, clarified butter, and curd. The wise prepare these sticks with meticulous care—measuring a span in length, free from knots, branches, or leaves. Each god receives their fuel stick separately, accompanied by its own sacred mantra, uttered by the knower of the highest truth. Once the fuel sticks are offered, clarified butter and cooked food are presented. After reciting mantras and making ten oblations, the ritual concludes with holy utterances. The foremost Brahmins, facing north or east, offer the cooked food with mantras appropriate for each deity. Having properly completed these offerings, the ritual proceeds: for the Sun, the twice-born recite ‘ākṛṣṇeti’; for Soma, ‘āpyāyasveti’; for Earth, ‘agnirmūrdhā divo mantra’. The son of Soma is honored with ‘agne vivasvaduṣasa’, and Brihaspati with ‘paridīyā ratheneti’, as taught by the sages. For Venus, the mantras ‘śukraṃ te anyad’ and ‘śanaiścarāya’ are used, followed by oblations with ‘śaṃ no devī’. Rahu is appeased with ‘kayā naścitra ābhuvat’, and for Ketu, mantras are recited for their pacification. Rudra is honored with bali-homa accompanied by ‘ā vo rājeti’. Umā receives ‘āpo hi ṣṭha’ and ‘syoneti’, as does the Lord. For Viṣṇu, the mantra ‘viṣṇoridaṃ viṣṇuriti’ is used; for the Self-born Lord, ‘tamīśeti’; and for Indra, ‘indram iddevatāteti’, followed by oblations to Indra. Yama is honored with ‘cāyaṃ gaur’, and Kāla with ‘brahma jajñānam’. Citragupta’s mantra is ‘ājñātam’, and Agni’s is ‘agniṃ dūtaṃ vṛṇīmaha’. Varuṇa receives ‘ud uttamaṃ varuṇam’, and for Earth, ‘bhūmeḥ pṛthivyantarikṣam’ is recited from the Vedas. Viṣṇu is again honored with ‘sahasraśīrṣā puruṣa’, and Śakra with ‘indrāyendo marutvata’. The goddess is offered the mantra ‘uttānaparṇe subhage’, and Prajāpati receives ‘prajāpatiḥ’. For serpents, ‘namo 'stu sarpebhya’ is recited, and Brahmā is honored with ‘eṣa brahmā ya ṛtvigbhya’. Vināyaka’s mantra is ‘ānūnam’, while Durgā’s is ‘jātavedase sunavāma’. Āditya is honored with ‘pratnasya retasa’, Ākāśa likewise, and Vāyu with ‘krāṇā śiśurmahīnāṃ’. The Aśvins are offered ‘eṣo uṣā apūrvyā’, and a full oblation is made to the head with ‘diva’. At the culmination of the homa, the consecration mantra is sung, accompanied by musical instruments and auspicious songs. Using a full pot, the ritual is completed, facing east or north. The sacrificer, adorned with flawless limbs, golden garlands, and ornaments, is bathed by four Brahmins. May the gods consecrate you: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, Vāsudeva, Lord of the Universe, Saṃkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha—may they grant you victory. May Ākhaṇḍala, Agni, Bhagavān, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Pavana, the Lord of Wealth, Śiva, Brahmā, Śeṣa, and the guardians of the directions protect you. May fame, fortune, fortitude, intelligence, nourishment, faith, action, thought, wisdom, modesty, beauty, peace, satisfaction, and progress—the mothers, the wives of Dharma—assembled, consecrate you. May the planets—Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu—who have been propitiated, anoint you. May the gods, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, serpents, sages, ascetics, cows, and divine mothers also anoint you. May the wives of the gods, trees, elephants, demons, hosts of apsaras, all weapons and arms, kings, and vehicles anoint you. May medicinal herbs, jewels, the divisions of time, rivers, seas, mountains, sacred places, clouds, and streams anoint you for the fulfillment of all desires and purposes. Then, clad in white garments and smeared with white fragrance, you are bathed by eminent Brahmins with all herbs and scents. The sacrificer, with his wife and attentive priests, worships with gifts and effort, free from distraction. He offers a tawny cow and a conch to the Sun, a red draught animal to the Moon, and a humped bull to Mars; gold to Mercury, yellow garments to Jupiter, a white horse to the demon-guru, and a black cow to the son of the Sun. Iron is given to Rahu and an excellent goat to Ketu, with all gifts equal in value and given in gold. Alternatively, cows adorned with gold may be given to all, or simply gold, or whatever pleases the guru, with the proper mantra accompanying every gift. O tawny cow, you are worshipped by all the gods, you are Rohini, divine and sacred; grant me peace. O conch, most auspicious among the auspicious, bringer of good fortune, held by Viṣṇu; grant me peace. Thus, the ritual concludes, enveloped in reverence, auspiciousness, and the blessings of the assembled deities.