In the sacred ritual, the Hotar, the priest of the fire, begins his worship by invoking the divine Hotars, calling upon the vigilant Aśvins and mighty Indra, who watch over day and night, bringing remedies and healing. Sarasvatī, the healer, is honored, milking forth strength, as offerings of milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are prepared. With reverence, the Hotar presents the oblation. Next, the Hotar turns to the three goddesses, offering remedies and threefold gifts. He recognizes the golden form within Indra, offers for the Aśvins and Iḍā, and invokes Bhāratī with speech. Sarasvatī is praised for milking greatness for Indra, and all are honored with strength, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey. The oblation is offered. The worship continues, as the Hotar honors Surera, the bull, the noble offering, Tvaṣṭar, Indra, and the Aśvins, with remedies and vigor. Sarasvatī is invoked for her strength, and the wolf is honored for his force. The healer is praised for her glory, and surā, remedies, splendor, milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are offered. The Hotar presents the oblation. The lord of the forest, the pacifier, Śatakratu, the mighty wrath, the king, and the tiger are worshipped. The Hotar offers reverence for the Aśvins, and fierce Sarasvatī the healer, who milks strength for Indra. Milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey are presented as the oblation. Agni is worshipped with clarified butter, the young ones with fat, separately: the goat for the Aśvins, the ram for Sarasvatī, the bull for Indra, the lion for strength. Agni is invoked with remedies, Soma for strength, Indra the strong, Savitā, Varuṇa the lord of remedies, the forest lord, and the beloved waters with remedies. The gods who accept clarified butter are honored. Agni, with remedies, is offered milk, Soma, clarified butter, and honey. The Hotar offers the oblation. The Hotar now worships the Aśvins with the flesh of the goat and fat, asking them to accept the oblation. Sarasvatī is worshipped with the flesh of the ram and fat; Indra with the flesh of the bull and fat. Each is asked to accept the offering. The Hotṛ invokes the Aśvins, Sarasvatī, and Indra the well-knowing. Somas pressed with goats, sheep, bulls, and shoots—not with husks—are offered. The grains are great, exhilarating, well-purified, bright, rich in milk, immortal, flowing with honey. The Aśvins, Sarasvatī, and Indra the well-knowing, slayer of Vṛtra, are asked to be pleased and to drink the Soma sweetness. The Hotṛ offers the oblation. The Hotṛ invokes the Aśvins to accept the middle portion of the goat offering, the fat raised and kept away from haters, from what is handled by men, now placed in the ghee of first-pressed grains, of the well-praised, of the hundred Rudras, of those who have tasted fire, of those who have made rich offerings. From each limb as it is cut, may the Aśvins be pleased. The Hotṛ offers. Sarasvatī is invoked to accept the middle portion of the sheep offering, its fat raised and protected, placed in ghee, from each limb as it is cut. May Sarasvatī be pleased. The Hotṛ offers. Indra is invoked to accept the middle portion of the bull offering, its fat raised and protected, placed in ghee, from each limb as it is cut. May Indra be pleased. The Hotṛ offers. The Lord of the Forest is invoked, bound with the strongest cord. The Hotṛ asks where the dear abodes of the 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, the gods who drink clarified butter, and Agni the Hotṛ are. There, as prepared and praised, let him bring these, making them most abundant. May the divine Lord of the Forest be pleased. The Hotṛ offers. Agni, the maker of the proper offering, is invoked. Let him accept the dear abodes of the 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, the gods who drink clarified butter, and Agni the Hotṛ. Let him invoke his own greatness, grant food, and be pleased as Jātavedas, the knower of all. The Hotṛ offers. Sarasvatī, the sacred grass, is divine and well-placed for Indra and the Aśvins. Like the light of the eye, they have placed power upon the sacred grass for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The divine doors, the Aśvins, the healers, Indra, Sarasvatī, are invoked. Like breath and strength, the doors have placed power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The divine dawns, the Aśvins, Indra the well-knowing, Sarasvatī, are invoked. Like strength and speech in the mouth, the dawns have placed power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The divine enjoyer, Sarasvatī, the Aśvins, and Indra have increased. Like hearing in the ears and fame, the enjoyers have placed power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The divine givers of nourishment, yielding richly for Indra, Sarasvatī, and the Aśvins, the healing pair, are invoked. Like brightness and light in the breasts, the offerings have placed power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The gods, physicians of the gods, the Hotṛs, Indra, the Aśvins, and Sarasvatī, with the exclamation vaṣaṭ, are invoked. Like energy in the heart and thought, the Hotṛs have placed power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. Three divine ones, three goddesses—the Aśvins, Iḍā, Sarasvatī—are invoked. Like sap in the navel, they have placed power for Indra, for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. Indra, Naraśaṃsa, Trivarūtha, with Sarasvatī and the Aśvins, are borne on the chariot. Like seed and form, the immortal origin, Tvaṣṭṛ has placed powers for Indra, for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The divine Lord of the Forest, with the gods, golden-leaved, with the Aśvins, with Sarasvatī, the well-fruited, is cooked as honey for Indra. Like vigor, speed, the bull, and radiance, may the Lord of the Forest place powers for us, for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. The divine sacred grass, spread for the waters in the sacrifice, for the Aśvins, for the wool-soft, for Sarasvatī, for Indra, is a pleasant seat. For the queen, for mastery, the sacred grass has placed power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. Agni, the maker of the proper offering, worships the gods as is fitting: the Hotṛs, Indra, the Aśvins, speech for speech, Sarasvatī, Agni, Soma, the proper offering, the proper Indra, the well-knowing, Savitṛ, Varuṇa the healer, the desired divine Lord of the Forest, the proper gods who drink clarified butter, the proper Agni, with Agni as Hotṛ for the Hotṛ, the proper offering. Like fame, may he place power, nourishment, honor, and self-power for the possessor of wealth, for gaining wealth. May they enjoy. The offering is made. On this day, the sacrificer chooses Agni as Hotṛ, cooking the portions and sacrificial cakes. The goat is bound for the Aśvins, the sheep for Sarasvatī, the bull for Indra. Sura and Soma are pressed for the Aśvins, Sarasvatī, and Indra the well-knowing. Today the divine Lord of the Forest is ready for the offering: the goat for the Aśvins, the ram for Sarasvatī, the bull for Indra. These portions of fat are accepted and cooked well. They are grasped and grow with sacrificial cakes. The Aśvins, Sarasvatī, Indra, the well-threaded, the gods, and the Soma-drinkers fill up the offerings. The Hotṛ is acknowledged as the Ṛṣa, the offspring of Ṛṣis. The sacrificer has chosen him among the many assembled, declaring, "This is my precious wealth among the gods." The gods are asked to grant divine gifts, to instruct and protect. The Hotṛ, inspired by the Guru, sent forth for auspicious speech, human, uttering the sacred hymns, is called upon to recite. The Hotṛ is addressed: "You are brilliance, pure, immortal, the giver of life—protect my life. I place you by the impulse of Savitṛ, by the arms of the Aśvins, by the hands of Pūṣan." The cord of truth, ancient, is grasped in the assemblies of the wise. May she, who has become ours in this pressed Soma, be the companion of truth, running with Saramā. The Hotṛ is reminded: "You are speech, you are the world, you are the guide, you are the supporter. So you, Agni Vaiśvānara, spread forth—go, invoked with svāhā." For the gods, for Prajāpati, the Brahman declares, "I will break the horse for the gods, for Prajāpati—may I prosper by him. Bind him for the gods, for Prajāpati—may you prosper by him." To Prajāpati, Indra and Agni, Vāyu, and all the gods, the offering is sprinkled and accepted. Whoever wishes to harm the horse, Varuṇa strikes down—be he mortal or dog. The ritual continues: "Svāhā to Agni. Svāhā to Soma. Svāhā to the joy of the waters. Svāhā to Savitṛ. Svāhā to Vāyu. Svāhā to Viṣṇu. Svāhā to Indra. Svāhā to Bṛhaspati. Svāhā to Mitra. Svāhā to Varuṇa." Further invocations are made: to the one who makes the hiṅkāra sound, to the one who responds, to the one who cries, to the one who answers, to the one who bellows, to the one who answers, to fragrance, to the one who smells, to the one who sits down, sits near, assembles, leaps, sits, lies down, sleeps, wakes, calls, awakens, stretches, moves, gathers, is present, goes, and sets out. Each is honored with svāhā. More invocations follow: to the one who goes, runs, drives away, leaps up, roots, is rooted, sits down, rises, is swift, strong, turns, has turned, shakes, is shaken, listens, hears, looks, is seen, is observed, blinks, eats, drinks, urinates, does, and has done. Each is honored with svāhā. The Hotṛ now meditates on the adorable radiance of Savitṛ, the god, praying that he inspire their thoughts. Savitar, with golden hands, is called upon for prosperity, for he knows the path of the gods. The great understanding of Savitṛ is invoked, whose bounty is true and generous. The well-praised, generous favor of Savitṛ is sought, the god who knows thoughts. Savitṛ, lord of gifts, is called upon for abundance, for the drink that leads to the gods. With thought, the wisdom, the drink, the all-divine blessing of Savitṛ is desired. Thus, through these sacred invocations and offerings, the ritual proceeds, honoring the gods, seeking their favor, and requesting their gifts and protection.