In ancient times, the sages performed sacred rites, invoking the powers and presences of the universe through offerings that honored the divine in all its myriad forms. The ritual began with Agni, the fire god of many faces, for whom the firstborn was obtained from the Maruts. The Maruts themselves, bringers of heat and storm, were offered the Savāti; the Maruts of the householder received the Baṣkihā; those who played were given the mingled offerings; and those who possessed their own received the following ones. These deities were recognized as the moving ones: the pair Indra-Agni, the horned ones, the great Mahendra, and the many-formed Viśvakarman. Among the ancestors, the smoky, tawny-colored offerings were for the Fathers who have Soma; the tawny, tawny-colored for those who sit on the sacred grass; the black, tawny-colored for those consumed by fire; and the black, speckled for the Triambakas. Again, the moving ones were declared: those of Śunāsīra, the white of Vāyu, and the white of Sūrya. The cycle of seasons was honored with birds: francolins for spring, lapwings for summer, partridges for the rains, quails for autumn, crows for winter, and jackdaws for the cool season. For the ocean, porpoises were offered; for Parjanya, frogs; for the waters, fish; for Mitra, the kulīpaya birds; and for Varuṇa, crocodiles. Soma received swans, Vāyu cranes, Indra and Agni curlews, Mitra grebes, and Varuṇa ruddy shelducks. Agni was given woodpeckers; the forest trees, owls; Agni and Soma, jays; the Aśvins, peacocks; Mitra and Varuṇa, pigeons. Soma received lapwings; Tvaṣṭṛ, the kaulīka birds; the cowsheds, the birds of the wives of the gods; Agni, the lord of the house, the pāruṣṇa birds. Doves were offered for the day, the sīcāpū bird for the night, the jatū bird for the junctions, the dātyuha for the months, and the great eagle for the year. From the earth, rats were obtained; for the midspace, groups of mongooses; for the sky, shrews; for the directions, mongooses and civets; and for the intermediate directions, striped mongooses. The Vasus were honored with antelopes; the Rudras with spotted deer; the Ādityas with nyanku deer; all the gods with spotted antelopes; and the Sādhyas with kulunga deer. Īśāna received parasvata animals; Mitra, cows; Varuṇa, buffaloes; Bṛhaspati, wild oxen; and Tvaṣṭṛ, camels. Prajāpati was offered men; Hastī, elephants; Vāc, the pluṣi bird; Cakṣuṣ, flies; and Śrotra, bees. Prajāpati and Vāyu were honored with cattle and wild animals; Varuṇa with the forest ram; Yama with the black antelope; the king of men with the monkey; the tiger with the red cow; the bull with the wild cow; the swift hawk with the quail; the blue-necked one with the worm; the ocean with the porpoise; and the snowy mountain with the elephant. The peacock belonged to Prajāpati; the owl to Halikṣṇa; the vṛṣadamsha fly to Dhātri; the heron to the directions; the cuckoo to Agni; the kalaviṅka bird to Lohitāhi; the puṣkarasāda bird to Tvaṣṭṛ; and the crane to Vāc. Soma received the kulunga deer; the forest, the wild goat; Nakula, the mongoose; Śaka, the pauṣṇa birds; the jackal, the peacock; Indra, the wild cow; Pidva, the nyanku deer; Kakkaṭa, the crab; Anumati, the pratishrutkā bird; and Cakravāka, the ruddy shelduck. The balākā crane belonged to Sūrya; the śārga bird to Sṛjaya; the śayāṇḍaka bird to the Maitrā; the śāri bird to Sarasvatī; the puruṣavāk bird to the dog; the śārdūla tiger to the earth; the wolf to Pṛdāku; the parrot to Manyu; the śuka parrot to Sarasvatī; and the puruṣavāk bird to the man. The suparṇa bird belonged to Parjanya; the ātirvāhasa bird to Darvida; the vulture to Vāyu; the kalaviṅka bird to Agni; the puṣkarasāda bird to Tvaṣṭṛ; the crane to Vāc; the plava bird to the midspace; the madgu bird and the fish to the lord of rivers; and the tortoise to Dyāvāpṛthivī. The puruṣamṛga belonged to the moon; the iguana to Kālakā; the dārvāghāṭa bird to the lords of the forest; the kṛkavāku bird to Sāvitr; the swan to Vāta; the nākra crocodile to Makara; the kulīpaya bird to Akūpāra; and the śalpa bird to Hri. The eṇi antelope belonged to the day; the frog to the night; the mouse to the partridge; the snake to the Aśvins; the black one to the night; the bear to the jatū; the suṣilīkā bird to the other people; and the jahaka bird to Viṣṇu. The anyavāpa bird belonged to the half-months; the ṛśya antelope to the peacock; the suparṇa bird to the Gandharvas; the otter to the waters; the kaśyapa turtle to the months; the red fish to Kuṇḍṛṇācī; the golattikā bird to the Apsarases; and the asita black bird to Death. The varṣāhū bird belonged to the seasons; the rat to the shrew; the mānthāla bird to the ancestors; the python to the Vasus; the francolin to the pigeons; the owl to the hare; the forest ram to Nirṛti and Varuṇa. The śvitra bird belonged to the Ādityas; the camel to the shining one; the vulture to Matī; the sṛmara to the forest; the spotted deer to Rudra; the kvayi bird to Kuṭarur; the dātyauha bird to the steeds; the pika bird to Kāma. The rhinoceros belonged to the Viśvadevas; the black dog to Karṇa; the donkey to Tarakṣu; the bear to the Rakṣasas; the boar to Indra; the lion to the Maruts; the kṛkalāsa bird to Pippaka; the śakuni bird to the missile; and the spotted antelope to all the gods. In the sacred ritual, the śādaṃ bird was offered with curds, the avakā plant with roots of teeth, clay with barley, the tegā plant with tusks, Sarasvatī with the tip of the tongue, the base of the tongue with the uvula, the palate with the jaws, water with the mouth, the virile member with the testicles, the Ādityas with the beard, the path with the eyebrows, Dyāvāpṛthivī with the eyelids, lightning with the eyelashes. White and black were offered to Svāhā; the upper and lower eyelids were set as barriers. Wind was honored with inhalation and exhalation, the nostrils with the approach, the lower lip with goodness, the upper with shining, the inner with lesser shining, the outer with placing, the head with thunder, the brain with lightning, the ears with hearing, and hearing with the ears. The lower throat was honored with water, the dry throat with the mind, the neck with Aditi, the head with Nirṛti, the head with the loud sound, the breath with the hair, and the heap with the body. Mosquitoes were linked with the hair, Indra with sleep, Bṛhaspati with the bird's seat, tortoises with their shells, the step with the thighs, the bear with the calves, francolins with speed, the journey with the arms, arani wood with the jaw, Agni with the forearms, Pūṣan with the arms, the Aśvins with the shoulders, and Rudra with the howling. Parts of the ritual were distributed: the first to Agni, the second to Vāyu, the third to Indra, the fourth to Soma, the fifth to Aditi, the sixth to Indrāṇī, the seventh to the Maruts, the eighth to Bṛhaspati, the ninth to Aryaman, the tenth to Dhātu, the eleventh to Indra, the twelfth to Varuṇa, and the thirteenth to Yama. Another division: the first part to Indra and Agni, the second to Sarasvatī, the third to Mitra, the fourth to the Waters, the fifth to Nirṛti, the sixth to Agni and Soma, the seventh to the Serpents, the eighth to Viṣṇu, the ninth to Pūṣan, the tenth to Tvaṣṭṛ, the eleventh to Indra, the twelfth to Varuṇa, the thirteenth to Yamī; the southern side to Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, the northern to all the gods. The shoulders belonged to the Maruts, the first to all the gods, the armpits to the Rudras, the second to the Ādityas, the third to Vāyu. The tail was for Agni and Soma, the thighs for the Kṛuñcas, the hips for Indra and Bṛhaspati, the knees for Mitra and Varuṇa, the shanks for the Ākramaṇas, the strength for the Sthūras, and the skin for the Kuṣṭhas. Pūṣan was honored with the anus, the blind with the large intestine, the serpents with the rectum, the wandering ones with the intestines, the Waters with the bladder, the virile with the testicles, the swift with the penis, offspring with the seed, crows with the bile, discharges with the anus, and owls with the excrement. Indra's lap, Aditi's strength, the regions' shoulders, Aditi's healing, the clouds' hearts, the midspace with the lungs, the sky with the stomach, chakravāka birds with the kidneys, mountains with the spleen, stones with the pancreas, anthills with the glands, streams with the gall, lakes with the liver, the ocean with the belly, Vaiśvānara with the ashes. Support was honored with the navel, firmness with the sap, the Waters with warmth, rays with drops, mist with heat, cold with fat, dew with tears, roaring ones with humors, tendons with protections, variegated with limbs, stars with form, and earth with skin. To Jumbaka, hail! Then, the sages remembered the origins: In the beginning, the Golden Embryo arose, the one lord of all that is born. He established the earth and sky—unto which god should we offer our oblation? He alone is king of all that breathes and blinks, ruler over the world—unto which god should we offer our oblation? His greatness is declared by the snowy mountains and the ocean with its rivers; his are the directions and the arms—unto which god should we offer our oblation? He gives soul and strength, whom all the gods worship as their lord; immortality is his shadow, death is his shadow—unto which god should we offer our oblation? May auspicious thoughts come to us from every side, unimpeded, ever new and creative. May the gods always be our protectors, day by day, granting us increase and guarding us from harm. May the gracious favor of the gods be with us; may their generosity return to us. May we approach their friendship; may the gods grant us long life for living. Thus, in reverence and gratitude, the ritual concluded, honoring the divine in every aspect of creation, seeking blessings for harmony, protection, and life.