Let us contemplate the sacred horse, whose very body is woven with divinity and cosmic order. Its shoulders are dedicated to the Maruts, fierce storm gods; its foremost parts belong to all the gods together, while its armpits are given to the Rudras. The second portion of its being is offered to the Ādityas, and the third to Vāyu, the wind. The tail is shared between Agni and Soma, fire and the nectar of immortality. The horse’s thighs are for the Kṛuñca birds, its hips for Indra, lord of might, and Bṛhaspati, the wise priest. Its knees are given to Mitra and Varuṇa, upholders of truth, its shanks to the Ākramaṇas, its strength to the Sthūras, and its skin to the Kuṣṭhas. Within the horse, Pūṣan claims the anus, the blind spirits inhabit the large intestine, and the serpents dwell in the rectum. The wandering spirits move within the intestines, while the Waters reside in the bladder. The virile spirits are in the testicles, the swift in the generative organ, and the seed is the domain of progeny. The crows are associated with the bile, the discharges with the anus, and the owls with the excrement. Indra’s lap is found in the horse, as is Aditi’s strength, the shoulders of the directions, and Aditi’s healing power. The hearts of the clouds, the lungs with the midspace, the sky with the stomach, and the chakravāka birds with the kidneys—all are present. The mountains dwell in the spleen, the stones in the pancreas, the anthills in the glands, the streams in the gall, the lakes in the liver, the ocean in the belly, and Vaiśvānara, the universal fire, in the ashes. The navel is the seat of support, the sap is firmness, the Waters are warmth, the sun’s rays are the drops, and the mist is heat. Cold resides in the fat, dew in the tears, the roaring ones in the humors, the tendons are protections, the variegated are the limbs, the stars are the form, and the earth is the skin. All these are invoked, and to Jumbaka, we offer our salutations. In the beginning, the Golden Embryo arose—he was the one lord of all that is born. He established the earth and the sky. Unto which god, then, should we offer our oblation? He alone is the king of all that breathes and blinks, ruler over the world—unto which god should we offer our oblation? His greatness is proclaimed by the snowy mountains and the ocean with its rivers, the directions, and the arms—unto which god should we offer our oblation? He who gives the soul and strength, whom all gods worship as their lord, whose shadow is immortality and whose shadow is death—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, and may their generosity return to us. May we approach the friendship of the gods, and may they grant us long life. With ancient invocation, we call upon Bhaga, Mitra, Aditi, unwearied Dakṣa, Aryaman, Varuṇa, Soma, and the Aśvins. May Sarasvatī, rich in blessings, bring us happiness. May Vāta, bringer of delight, bring us healing; may Mother Earth and Father Sky do the same. May the pressing stones, children of Soma, bring us joy, and may you, Aśvins, mighty ones, listen to us. We call for help upon the Lord, ruler of all that moves and is still, inspirer of thought. May Pūṣan, knower of the paths, make us prosper, guarding and protecting us unfailingly. May Indra of great fame bring us well-being, as well as Pūṣan, Tārkṣya with unbroken wheel, and Bṛhaspati. The Maruts, with dappled horses, born of Pṛśni, shining in their assemblies, and the Men with tongues of fire and the Sun as their eye—may all the gods come here to our aid. May we hear what is auspicious with our ears, O gods; may we see what is auspicious with our eyes, O worshipful ones. With firm limbs and bodies, may we sing your praise and live out the life allotted by you. May the gods grant a hundred autumns of life, so that the wheels of aging do not wear out our bodies, so that sons become fathers, and our lifespan is not cut short. Aditi is the sky, the atmosphere, mother, father, and son; all the gods are Aditi, the five peoples are Aditi, all that is born is Aditi, and creation itself is Aditi. May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman, Indra, the Ṛbhus, and the Maruts not diminish our life. As we recount the deeds of the swift-born gods, let us declare their heroic acts in the assembly. When, with the guiding line, the prize is led forth from the mouth of the covered one, the well-guided goat, bearing all forms, approaches the beloved path of Indra and Pūṣan. This goat, led forth with the swift horse, is Pūṣan’s portion, carried for all the gods. As the beloved sacrificial cake is brought by the horse, Tvaṣṭṛ quickens it for Sauśravas. When, at the proper time, the offering for the gods is thrice led around the horse by men, then Pūṣan’s first portion goes forth, and the goat announces the sacrifice to the gods. The Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, the one who kindles Agni, the stone-holder, and the wise reciter—all, through this well-ordered, well-offered sacrifice, fill the containers with nourishment. Those who prepare the yūpa posts, who carry and shape them, and those who gather the cooking for the horse—may their praise not go unanswered. May my prayer proceed well, may the hope of the gods be fulfilled, may it reach the woven seat. The sages and seers rejoice in him, and we have made him a strong friend in the abundance of the gods. Whatever is the horse’s harness, its binding, the head-rope, the rein, or the grass placed in its mouth—all these belong to the gods. Whatever of the horse’s flesh is touched by flies, whatever is scraped by the axe or knife, whatever is in the hands of the preparer or in its hooves—all these too belong to the gods. Whatever is removed from the horse’s belly as waste, whatever scent arises from its flesh, let the skilled preparers handle it, and let them cook the sacrificial meat well. Whatever pain remains in you from the fire’s cooking, whatever wound persists from being struck—let it not rest on the earth or on the grass; let it be given to the gods and the sacrificial flames. Those who observe the cooked horse, who say it is fragrant and carried away, who seek meat from the horse—may their praise not go unanswered. Whatever is the vessel for cooking, the pots, the ladles, the covers, the marks on the dishes—all these surround the horse. Let not the fire, smoky and fragrant, harm you; let not the embers burn your limbs. What is desired, praised, and offered with the vaṣaṭ-call, the gods accept—the horse. Whatever is the horse’s stepping, sitting, turning, its stable, whatever it drank, whatever grass it ate—all these belong to the gods. Whatever clothing is spread for the horse, whatever gold is given to it, its harness, its stable, its beloved things—all these are sent to the gods. Whatever pain has been caused by the whip, spur, or goad, just as the ladle touches the offerings, all these I remove from you by the power of sacred speech. Thirty-four ribs, the divine bonds of the steed, the curved blade of the horse’s axe—these come together; unbroken limbs, shaped by skill, rough and smooth, are praised with song. One is the slaughterer of Tvaṣṭṛ’s horse, two are its drivers, and so the season turns. Whatever of your limbs I shape according to the season, those portions I offer into the fire. Let not the beloved heat afflict you, nor the axe stand against your body; let not the greedy, seeking to surpass the unskilled, cut your broken limbs with the knife. You do not die, nor are you harmed; you go on the paths of the gods, easy to traverse. The bay mares are yoked for you, they become dappled, and the steed stands at the yoke of the ass. May our steed bring us good cattle, good horses, sons, and all kinds of wealth; may Aditi grant us innocence; may our horse, bearing offerings, win us sovereignty.