In the ancient days, the hero joined the navel of the two upper worlds, forging a connection between realms. With the first-born ones, he moved forward, swift and thunderbolt-wielding. The wives of heroes poured forth nourishing milk, carrying water in their vessels, sustaining life. Whenever Indra’s guidance was seen from afar, the wise would go straight to the home of the Dasyu, seeking victory. The people prayed to Indra, the generous one, to protect them with his praise, asking him not to withhold his gifts like a miser. They sought his favor whether in the sun or in the waters, begging him to grant sinless prosperity and life, never to withhold his powerful arm from them, for their faith was set upon his great strength. The people reflected: faith had indeed been placed in them. They urged Indra, the mighty one, to bestow great wealth, imploring him not to leave them hungry in his seat nor deprive them of sustenance. They pleaded with Indra not to strike them down or drive them away, not to take their beloved food, not to break their eggs nor shatter their vessels, for he was born together with them. As the Soma was pressed, they called Indra near, inviting him to drink and delight. They asked him to fill his belly widely, and, like a father, to hear their calls. In the vast cosmos, the moon resided within the waters, and the eagle soared across the sky. The gods’ golden-wheeled tracks were elusive, but their sign was lightning. The narrator knew the two worlds of the divine. The seeker found what was sought, the young wife found her husband, and the cow yielded nourishing milk, giving forth its essence. All these, too, belonged to the two worlds known to the narrator. The people prayed that the sunless one would not fall from the sky, and that they would never be deprived of the delightful Soma. They wondered about the last sacrifice, seeking the messenger who would declare it, questioning where the ancient rite had gone and who upheld it now. They pondered the gods dwelling in the three luminous realms of heaven, asking when was right, when was wrong, and where the ancient offering was. They yearned to hold the support of truth and the vision of Varuṇa, to cross the path of Aryaman’s greatness. The narrator remembered speaking at the ritual in former times, confident that the wealthy could not hinder him, just as a wolf does not thirst for a deer. His possession was these two worlds. Yet, he felt surrounded and burned, like rival wives with their sides, gnawed at like a mouse gnaws at a root. Still, his possession remained these two worlds. The seven rays shone, and his navel was stretched across realms. Trita knew this attainment and cried out for kinship, for these two worlds were his possession. Five oxen stood in the midst of the great heaven, where the gods gathered and spoke. Those with beautiful wings sat in the middle enclosure of heaven, blocking the paths like a wolf crossing mighty waters. The gods spoke a new, beneficial hymn, carried by the rivers, and the sun stretched forth the real. Agni’s hymn among the gods was to be accepted; Agni, like a man, would lead and guide, knowing the gods well. Agni was established as priest, gladly receiving the offerings, wise among the gods. Varuna, the knower of the path, unfolded thought with his heart, and the new truth was born. The path made by the sun in heaven was spoken of, never transgressed by gods nor seen by mortals. Trita, placed in the well, called upon the gods for help. Brihaspati heard, making the difficult easy and wide. The reddish wolf saw the narrator once, traveling the path, rising up from the low place like a craftsman from the back of a chariot. With the goad of Indra’s power, the people advanced in the assembly, all heroic. They prayed that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven would not harm them. They invoked Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, the Maruts, Aditi, the Vasus, and all the generous ones for help. Like a chariot freed from difficulty, they sought deliverance from every distress. They called for the Adityas to offer universal protection, for the gods to be favorable in the slaying of foes. Their fathers, well-spoken, and the divine daughters, children of gods grown in truth, were asked to protect them. They sought Narashansa, the winner of prizes and provider of strength, and Pushan with blessings. Brihaspati was asked to make their path easy and grant happiness, for what Manu desired, they too sought. Kutsa the sage called upon Indra, slayer of Vritra and lord of power, for help at Kāṭa. The generous Vasus were implored to deliver them from distress, as a chariot is freed from difficulty. They prayed that Aditi and the gods would protect them, that the guardian god would shield them without delay, and that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the river, the earth, and the sky would not harm them. The sacrifice approached the favor of the gods, and the people asked the Adityas to be merciful, to grant them the path to overcome hardship. They sought the gods’ aid, praised by the songs of the Angirasas. Indra with his powers, the Maruts with their company, and Aditi with the Adityas, were asked to grant protection. They prayed for Indra, Varuna, Agni, Aryaman, and Savitar to grant their wishes, and for Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the river, the earth, and the sky not to harm them. Indra and Agni’s splendid chariot surveyed all the worlds. Together, they were invited to come, stand firm, and drink the pressed Soma. As vast and deep as the entire world was, so was the Soma prepared for their delight. Indra and Agni, whose names were made auspicious together, were slayers of Vritra; they were asked to sit and drink the strong Soma. When the fires were kindled, the offering ladle ready, and the sacred grass spread, Indra and Agni were called to come for joy, surrounded by strong Soma. Whatever heroic deeds, forms, and mighty acts Indra and Agni had performed, and whatever ancient, auspicious friendships they possessed, with all these, they were invited to drink the pressed Soma, mighty ones among the gods. Thus, the people’s prayers, praises, and invocations wove together the worlds, seeking protection, guidance, and blessings from the gods, and celebrating the ancient connections and offerings that sustain the universe.