The priest stood at his sacred task, his actions guided by the wisdom of Varuna, the knower of the path whom all seekers pursue. With a heart full of insight, Varuna unfolded new thoughts, and from this, a fresh truth was born. The priest recognized that his true possession was none other than these two worlds—heaven and earth. He spoke of the mysterious path the sun had traced in the heavens, a path revered in speech. None of the gods dared to transgress it, and mortals, with their limited vision, could not even see it. Yet, the priest knew: these two worlds were his possession. He remembered Trita, who, when placed in the depths of a well, called out to the gods for rescue. Brihaspati heard his plea, and with divine power, made the hard path easy and broad, affirming once more that these two worlds belonged to the seeker. Once, traveling along that hidden path, the priest was seen by the reddish wolf, who rose up from a lowly place, just as a skilled craftsman emerges from behind his chariot. Still, the priest’s possession was unchanged: these two worlds. Armed with the goad of resolve and the might of Indra, the priest and his companions advanced into the assembly, heroic and steadfast. They prayed that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, Sindhu, Earth, and Heaven would not harm them. With full devotion, they invoked Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, the Maruts, Aditi, and the Vasus—the generous ones—for help. “Like a chariot freed from difficulty, O Vasus, O givers, deliver us from every distress,” they cried. They called upon the Adityas for universal protection and asked that the gods be favorable in the defeat of their foes. Again, they pleaded, “Like a chariot from difficulty, O Vasus, O givers, deliver us from every distress.” The priest remembered the well-spoken fathers and the divine daughters, children of the gods, who had grown strong in truth. He sought their protection, repeating, “Like a chariot from difficulty, O Vasus, O givers, deliver us from every distress.” Narashansa, the winner of prizes and provider of strength, was invoked, along with Pushan, bringer of blessings. The refrain rang out: “Like a chariot from difficulty, O Vasus, O givers, deliver us from every distress.” Brihaspati was called to make the path easy and to grant happiness. The priest and his people sought that which Manu himself had desired, ever repeating their plea for deliverance. The sage Kutsa summoned Indra, the slayer of Vritra and lord of power, at Kāṭa. “O generous Vasus, deliver us from every distress as a chariot is freed from difficulty.” They prayed that Aditi, the goddess, would guard them with the gods, and that the divine guardian would shield them without delay. They asked that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the river, the earth, and the sky cause them no harm. As the sacrifice approached, seeking the favor of the gods, the priest called upon the Adityas for mercy. He prayed for their graciousness to draw near and to grant the path that overcomes hardship. He sang to the gods, hoping they would come with their aid, praised by the songs of the Angirasas. Indra with his powers, the Maruts with their company, and Aditi with the Adityas were all invoked for protection. He prayed that Indra, Varuna, Agni, Aryaman, and Savitar would grant his requests, and again, that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the river, the earth, and the sky would not harm them. Turning to Indra and Agni, he described their splendid chariot, which surveys all the worlds. With this chariot, he invited them to come together, stand firm, and drink the pressed Soma. He reminded them that as vast and deep as the world itself, so was the Soma prepared for their delight. Their names, made auspicious together, had become renowned as the slayers of Vritra. So he invited Indra and Agni to sit together and drink the strong Soma. When the fires were kindled, the ladle ready, and the sacred grass spread, he called Indra and Agni to come for joy, surrounded by the strength of Soma. He recalled their heroic deeds, their forms, and their mighty acts, as well as the ancient, auspicious friendships they had forged. With these, he invited them to partake of the Soma. He remembered his first choice: “This Soma is to be invoked by us with the lords.” Trusting in that truth, he called them to drink the pressed Soma. He invited them to come from wherever they found joy—whether in their own home or at the king’s sacred rite—and to drink. He called them from among all the peoples: Yadus, Turvashas, Druhyus, Anus, or Purus. He summoned them from the lowest, middle, or highest realms of earth, from the sky, the mountains, the plants, or the waters. Wherever they rejoiced in the rising sun, in the midst of heaven, by their own power, he asked them to come and drink the pressed Soma. With this, he prayed that Indra and Agni, having drunk the Soma, would win all treasures for the people, and that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the river, the earth, and the sky would do no harm. The priest’s mind, desiring wealth, sought to know both what is manifest and what is hidden from Indra and Agni, for there was no delight for him as dear as they. He shaped his thought into a hymn of strength for them. He recalled their abundant giving, as heard from the offspring of the wise and others. With Soma pressed, he now generated a new hymn of praise for Indra and Agni. He urged his people not to cut off the reins of tradition, but to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. He wondered in whom the mighty Indra and Agni found delight, for the sacred stones lay at the lap of the altar. By the power of Indra and Agni, the divine altar, longing for intoxication, pressed the Soma. He called the Ashvins, with their auspicious hands, to come running and mix sweetness into the waters. He remembered that Indra and Agni were the most powerful in dividing wealth and in the slaying of Vritra. Seated on the sacred grass at the sacrifice, he invited them to delight in the pressed Soma among the people. Their light shone forth for the peoples in battles, spreading over earth and sky. They excelled among rivers and mountains, surpassing all worlds in greatness. He pleaded with them to come, teach, and guide, to protect with their powers, for these were the rays of the Sun by which the fathers had attained kinship with the divine. He called them destroyers of cities, thunderbolt-handed ones, asking for their protection in battles. Again, he prayed that Mitra, Varuna, Aditi, the river, the earth, and the sky would not harm them. The priest’s prayer was stretched out, protecting him once more, and the sweetest thought was praised in the hymn. The ocean of offering was set out for all the gods, and the Ribhus were invited to be satisfied with offerings made with “svaha.” He noted that when some wished to enjoy the abundance, some of his waters flowed away, turned aside. He called the Ribhus of the Sudhanvanas to come with greatness to the house of the worshipper of Savitar. He prayed that Savitar would grant the Ribhus immortality, the hidden thing they had made known. They had even made one drinking cup of the god into four, though it was only one. Though mortal, by their skill and swiftness, the Ribhus of the Sudhanvanas attained immortality. With the vision of the sun, they were questioned together in a year by their own thoughts. Thus, through prayer, invocation, and the offering of Soma, the priest sought the favor, protection, and blessings of the gods, ever mindful that his true possession was these two worlds—heaven and earth.