O Indra, generous lord, the people call upon you for reward and guidance. Do not withhold your bounty from those who sing your praise—teach us, so that we may speak great words in the assembly, strong among men. For you, Indra, who conquers all, who wins wealth and light and truth, who subdues men and claims fields, horses, cows, and waters, the Soma is offered—you are most worthy of worship. To you, the overcomer and breaker, powerful and enduring, wise and mighty, blazing and unassailable, universal victor, we offer our homage. You, Indra, who consume hosts and subdue men, eager for battle, destroyer of foes and subduer of tribes, your heroic deeds are to be declared. Unopposed, the mighty bull, you strike with force, deep and lofty, wise and broad-spread, inspirer of the weak, you created the dawns and the light, O Indra, well-worshipped. By sacrifice, the eager and wise, inspired seekers, found the path to you; the Usij priests, urging their thoughts, sat with songs, seeking your riches, O Indra. Bestow upon us the highest treasures—intelligence, skill, good fortune, increase in wealth, safety, sweetness of speech, and bright days. In the Trikadruka sacrifice, the mighty bull, with barley-mixed soma, drank the pressed Soma with Vishnu as he desired. He rejoiced, preparing for a great deed—god joined with god, true Indra with true Soma. With power and might, Indra became a champion in battle, filling both worlds with his strength. He placed the other within his belly and shone forth—thus god joined with god, true Indra, true Soma. Born together with will and strength, you grew together, mighty in heroic deeds, overcoming enemies, wise among men, giver of desired wealth to the praiser—god joined with god, true Indra, true Soma. That ancient heroic deed of yours, O Indra, first and foremost in heaven, is to be proclaimed: with divine might, you struck down breath and waters, becoming all-pervading with power, O hundred-powered, finding strength and food. Now we invoke you, O Bṛhaspati, leader of hosts, sage of sages, most renowned, greatest king of prayers. Lord of Prayer, hear us and sit with your protections. The gods, with divine insight, have given you the most worthy share of sacrifice; like the dawn with the sun, you shine with radiance, creator of all hymns by your power. You drive away darkness and gloom, stand upon the radiant chariot of truth. O Bṛhaspati, formidable destroyer of foes and demons, breaker of barriers, knower of the light, you lead and protect the people with righteous guidance. Let no harm come to those who serve you; you burn with wrath against haters of prayer—your greatness is truly great. No harm, evil, or enemy, nor those acting with duplicity, can overcome the one you protect, O Brahmaṇaspati; you drive away all dangers from such a one. You are our guardian, path-maker, and wise guide; we grow old in devotion to your law. May any malice directed against us be shattered by your swift and powerful force. If any mortal, with his kin, harms us without cause—enemy or wolf in human form—O Bṛhaspati, turn him away; make our way easy by your divine favor. We call upon you as protector of our bodies, our helper, the advocate who brings us strength. Cast down the godless, do not let evil prevail, raise up for us the highest blessing. With you, O Brahmaṇaspati, may we, enriched, obtain precious gifts among men; strike down dangers and enemies, far or near, render them powerless. With you as our steadfast ally, we attain the highest vigor; let not the ill-wisher prevail. With good thoughts, may we cross over all evil. Unopposed like a bull, you go forth to battle, scorching the enemy; true to your promise, you bring low even the fierce and arrogant. Whoever, with godless mind, seeks to harm, fierce and wishing to kill—let not his blow reach us; do not let the wrath of the evil-doer overpower us. You are invoked in battle, approached with reverence, the one who aids us in contests and brings wealth. Against all hostile assailants, you scatter their attacks as chariots are broken. With your blazing heat, burn up the demons—those who oppose you, trusting in their strength. Reveal your praiseworthy power, O Bṛhaspati, and destroy the encircling darkness. When your power shines among people, O Bṛhaspati, brilliant and noble, and your energy, born of truth, blazes, bestow upon us splendid and varied wealth. Let us not fall prey to thieves or enemies who plot against us. The desires of the gods are fulfilled in the heart—no one else knows the secret of the chant. For you, Tvaṣṭṛ has fashioned wisdom, surpassing all beings. Even the debtor is freed by you, O Brahmaṇaspati, destroyer of deceit, great supporter of truth. For your glory, the mountain parted, revealing the herd of cows when the Aṅgiras released them. With Indra as your ally, you drove away the darkness and opened the ocean’s waters. O Brahmaṇaspati, you are the guide of this hymn; be attentive, inspire our offspring. May all that is good, protected by the gods, be ours; may we speak mightily in the assembly and be victorious. O Bṛhaspati, know our offering from the beginning, you who have power; with a new, mighty hymn we serve you. As a generous friend praises you, so may you fulfill our thought. He who, with surpassing strength, broke through the unyielding, who shattered the fortresses of arrogant Śambara—Brahmaṇaspati cast down what could not be shaken and entered the rich mountain. This deed, most divine among the gods, was accomplished; the firm, the resolute, the fallen did not withstand. He drove out the darkness with his song, split open Vala with his chant, revealing the light. With his strength, Brahmaṇaspati split the stone enclosure holding the honey-flowing stream. All the seers who see the light drank of it, many together drawing from the abundant spring. Some worlds have always existed, some will come to be; your years, O gods, are not limited by autumns. Moving and wandering, each in its own way, Brahmaṇaspati by his wisdom made many paths. Those who sought the hidden treasure of the Paṇis, placed far away in secret, turned back from falsehood, returned, and ascended, entering the light. The truthful, turning back from falsehood, stood firm on the great path; the wise, with their arms, kindled the fire on the stone—none are their enemies, for they have cast away darkness. Where Brahmaṇaspati, with his swift, truth-strung arrow, desires to strike, there he surely reaches. His keen-eyed arrows, born from the ear for vision, pierce their mark. He is the reconciler, guide, priest, well-praised, champion in battle—Brahmaṇaspati. When he brings the prize with his thought, the sun shines, heating many paths. Wide and mighty are the first deeds of Bṛhaspati, the wise—glorious treasures of the powerful, by which all peoples and clans partake.