In the sacred unfolding of the ritual, the divine powers and cosmic forces assemble to take their honored places. The great directions themselves, resplendent and all-encompassing, are joined by Bṛhaspati, the divine priest, and the Paṅkti meter, forming the fourth strength. The cow, symbol of abundance, and the very essence of vital power are embraced by their presence. With the coming of the dawns, ever-youthful and radiant, all the immortal gods gather. The Triṣṭup meter is invoked, signifying the sixth strength, while again the cow and vital power are received as offerings and blessings. Next, the two divine Hotṛs—healers by nature—unite with mighty Indra. The Jagatī meter is established, bringing forth strength. Both the bull and the cow are honored, and the vital power is taken up, reaffirming the union of male and female energies. The three goddesses—Iḍā, Sarasvatī, and Bhāratī—are invoked, accompanied by the Maruts and the assembled clans. The Virāṭ meter and the seventh strength are established. The cow, now as a milch-cow, is celebrated, and the vital power is embraced once more. Tvaṣṭṛ, the wondrous shaper, joins with Indra and Agni, who increase nourishment. The Dvipadā meter and strength itself are invoked. The bull and the cow, in their fullness, and the vital power are all taken up by these creative forces. The vanaspati, lord of the forest and pacifier, is invoked alongside Savitṛ, who bestows fortune. The Kakubh meter and the eighth strength are established, while the cow, this time as a heifer, and the vital power are received. Varuṇa, upholder of good rule, is called upon to ensure the sacrifice’s success with the sacred utterance ‘svāhā’ and to grant remedy. The Aticchandā meter, the great bull, the cow, and the vital power are all taken up in this sacred act. As the seasons turn, each brings its own deities and praises. In spring, the gods and Vasus are celebrated with the threefold hymn, their brilliance shining as Rathantara. The oblation is offered to Indra, and the vital power is bestowed. In summer, the gods and Rudras are honored in the fifteenth hymn. Their great glory and strength are offered to Indra, who receives vitality as a blessing. The rainy season sees the Ādityas praised with the seventeenth hymn. Their manifold might is directed to Indra through oblation, granting vitality. Autumn brings the Ṛbhus, praised in the twenty-first hymn, whose splendid majesty bestows prosperity. The offering to Indra brings vitality. In winter, the Maruts are honored with the thirty-ninth hymn. Their strength and power are directed to Indra, and vitality is bestowed. The cool season is celebrated with the Immortal gods, praised in the thirty-third hymn. With truth and abundance, they grant sovereignty to Indra through oblation, bestowing vitality. The ritual continues as the Hotar, the priest, is called to worship Agni with kindling at the sacred place of Iḍā, accompanied by the Aśvins, Indra, Sarasvatī, and the dark ram. Offerings of barley, remedies, honey, tender grass, vigor, strength, milk, Soma, and clarified butter are made, and the oblation is offered. Tanūnapāt and Sarasvatī are worshipped with the bright ram and remedies, bringing strength for the Aśvins and Indra. Jujube fruits, upavākā herbs, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered in the oblation. Narāśaṃsa, the naked lord, is worshipped with surā, remedies, the ram, Sarasvatī the healer, the chariot of the Aśvins, Indra’s flesh, jujube fruits, upavākā herbs, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey, all offered as oblation. Iḍā, the invoked one, and Sarasvatī are worshipped, increasing Indra’s strength with the bull’s power, for the Aśvins and Indra. Remedies, barley, karkandhu fruits, honey, roasted grains, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. The sacred grass, the wool-bearing healer, the Aśvins, the horse, the healing cow, and Sarasvatī the healer are honored, milking remedies for Indra. Milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. The distant directions, swift and far-reaching, are worshipped for the Aśvins, Indra, the two worlds, the milking cow, and Sarasvatī. Remedies, brightness, strength, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. Night and day, beautiful and ever-turning, are worshipped with the Aśvins, the radiance of Sarasvatī, and Indra. Remedies, splendor, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. The divine Hotars, the Aśvins, and Indra, vigilant by day and night, are worshipped with remedies and Sarasvatī the healer, milking strength. Milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. The three goddesses, with threefold offerings and the golden form in Indra, for the Aśvins and Iḍā, Bhāratī with speech, Sarasvatī, milking greatness for Indra, are worshipped with strength, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey. Surera, the bull, the noble offering, Tvaṣṭar, Indra, the Aśvins, are worshipped with remedies, Sarasvatī, vigor, invocation, strength, the wolf with force, the healer with glory, surā, splendor, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey. The lord of the forest, the pacifier, Śatakratu, the mighty wrath, the king, and the tiger are worshipped with reverence for the Aśvins. The fierce Sarasvatī the healer milks strength for Indra. Milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. Agni is worshipped with clarified butter; the young ones with fat; the goat for the Aśvins, the ram for Sarasvatī, the bull for Indra, the lion for strength. Agni is honored with remedies, Soma for strength, Indra the strong, Savitā, Varuṇa the lord of remedies, the forest lord, the beloved waters, and the gods who receive clarified butter. Milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. The Aśvins are worshipped with the flesh of the goat and fat, Sarasvatī with the flesh of the ram and fat, and Indra with the flesh of the bull and fat. May each accept their offering. The Hotṛ invokes the Aśvins, Sarasvatī, and Indra the well-knowing. The Somas, pressed with goats, sheep, bulls, shoots, and grains, bright and pure, rich in milk and honey, are offered so that the Aśvins, Sarasvatī, and Indra may delight in their sweetness. The Aśvins are invoked to accept the middle portion of the goat offering, fat raised up and kept pure, placed in ghee from the first-pressed grains, from each limb as it is cut, so that they may be pleased. Sarasvatī is invoked to accept the middle portion of the sheep offering, similarly raised and purified, so that she may be pleased. Indra is invoked to accept the middle portion of the bull offering, raised and purified, so that he may be pleased. The Hotṛ invokes the Lord of the Forest, bound with the most splendid cord, asking where the dear abodes of each deity are—Aśvins for the goat, Sarasvatī for the sheep, Indra for the bull, Agni, Soma, Indra the well-knowing, Savitṛ, Varuṇa, the Lord of the Forest himself, the gods who drink clarified butter, and Agni the Hotṛ. In those abodes, may the offerings be brought and the Lord of the Forest be pleased. Agni, the maker of proper offerings, is invoked to accept all these dear abodes and paths, and his own greatness, granting food and being pleased with the oblation. Sarasvatī, the sacred grass, is praised as divine and well-placed for Indra and the Aśvins, bestowing power and wealth. The divine doors, the Aśvins, Indra, and Sarasvatī, like breath and strength, bestow power for wealth and enjoyment. The divine dawns, Aśvins, Indra the well-knowing, and Sarasvatī, like speech and strength, bestow power for wealth and enjoyment. The divine enjoyer, Sarasvatī, the Aśvins, and Indra, increase like hearing and fame, placing power for wealth and enjoyment. The divine givers of nourishment, Indra, Sarasvatī, and the Aśvins, yield richly, bestowing brightness and light, placing power for wealth and enjoyment. The gods, the physicians of the gods, the Hotṛs, Indra, and the Aśvins, with Sarasvatī and the vaṣaṭ exclamation, like energy and thought, place power for wealth and enjoyment. Three divine ones, three goddesses—the Aśvins, Iḍā, and Sarasvatī—like sap in the navel, place power for Indra and wealth. Indra, Naraśaṃsa, Trivarūtha, with Sarasvatī and the Aśvins, are borne on the chariot; the immortal origin, Tvaṣṭṛ, places powers for Indra, for the possessor of wealth, for the gaining of wealth. May all these enjoy the offerings, and may the ritual’s blessings flow abundantly.