With reverence and devotion, the worshippers called upon Agni, the divine fire, as their vigilant guardian. “Protect us, Agni, with one, with two, with threefold sacred words, O Lord of strength and giver of wealth. Guard us with four as well.” To the Offspring of Strength, the bringer, they offered their heartfelt oblations, praying that he accept their devotion, protect them in contest, increase their prosperity, and save their very beings. They recognized in Agni and the divine presence the very rhythm of time itself: “You are the year and the cycle, the half-year and the season, the month and the fortnight, the day and night, the dawns. May all these be readied for you, may the year be prepared for you. As you depart and return, move together and onward. You are even the Suparṇa; by the power of the Angiras, take your firm seat.” At the altar, the Hotṛ priest invoked the gods with clarified butter, beginning with Samidha-Indra at the place of Iḍā, at the earth’s navel, asking him to blaze forth from the heavens, mighty and victorious among people. He then called Tanūnapāt, the unconquered victor with his powers, and Indra, the god who knows the light, to come by the sweetest paths with the strength of men. The Hotṛ offered the clarified butter again and again. Indra was summoned, praised by Iḍā, immortal, called with the ladle, mighty among gods, wielder of the thunderbolt, destroyer of cities. He was invited to his seat on the sacred grass, the bull among men, accompanied by the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas, all well-yoked. The Hotṛ invoked the vigor, strength, and might—the very doors that empowered Indra—praying that these doors, grown strong in truth, open wide for Indra’s gracious presence at the sacrifice. The nourishing cows of Indra, the two great mothers, ever-yielding and swift as the wind, were called to nourish Indra as a calf. The divine Hotṛs, the healers and friends, were invoked to heal Indra, and the wise gods, the prudent, were asked to grant him strength. The Hotṛ then called the three goddesses, healers all—the triple-born streams Iḍā, Sarasvatī, and Bhāratī, the great ones and wives of Indra, rich in offerings. Tvaṣṭṛ, the generous god of many forms and good seed, was invoked to grant Indra his powers. The Lord of the Forest, the pacifier of a hundred powers, enjoyer of thoughts, was called to sweeten the sacrifice with honey and ghee. With each invocation, the Hotṛ offered clarified butter with svāhā—of butter, of fat, of drops, of all offerings, and of hymns—so that the gods, drinkers of ghee, would be pleased and Indra would accept the offering. The gods themselves spread the sacred grass for Indra, the excellent god, along with the other gods, all rich in heroes. The grass, chosen and extended, abundant in riches, was laid for the possessor of wealth, and the sacrificer was encouraged to seek the wealth of the wealthy. The divine doors, together with the gods, increased Indra in the assembly as he advanced with heroic men. With the calf, the young one, and the boy, they drove away all defilement, so the sacrificer might seek wealth. The divine dawns and nights called Indra to the sacrifice, leading the way, well-pleased and well-offered. The divine enjoyer, bestower of wealth, increased Indra, driving away hatreds and bringing forth desirable wealth for the wise sacrificer. The divine givers of nourishment, pouring forth milk, increased Indra—one brought food and strength, another abundance and fullness; the new gave first, the old gave anew, both granting strength and nourishment to the instructed sacrificer. The divine priests, with the goddess, increased Indra, striking down haters and slanderers. Three goddesses—Bhāratī, Sarasvatī, and Iḍā—three times increased their lord Indra; Bhāratī touched the sky, Sarasvatī and Iḍā, with the Rudras and Vasumatī, blessed the houses. Indra, with Narāśaṃsa, threefold-protected and threefold-bound, was increased by the gods. Placed with a hundred white-backed horses, he proceeded with a thousand, with Mitra and Varuṇa as priests, Bṛhaspati as singer, and the Aśvins as Adhvaryus. The divine tree, golden-leaved and honey-branched, bearing good fruit, increased Indra, its top touching the sky, strengthening the atmosphere and earth. The sacred grass of the waters increased Indra—some grasses placed near him, others spread out. Agni, the maker of the proper offering, increased Indra; the priests prayed that the offering be made proper for them that day. The sacrificer chose Agni as priest, prepared sacrificial foods and cake, and bound the goat for Indra. The divine tree became the soup-stand, the fat was cooked and increased by the sacrificial cake. The sacrificer chose the bull, descendant of seers, as his desirable wealth among the gods, and prayed for all divine gifts to be granted, for the priest to recite hymns of auspicious praise. The priest was instructed to worship Tanūnapāt, the sprouting one whom Aditi bore, the pure Indra, bestower of strength, with the Gāyatrī meter, the Indriya, a three-year-old cow, and strength, seeking clarified butter. Again, with the Uṣṇih meter and a two-year-old cow; then the praiseworthy Indra, slayer of Vṛtra, with the Anuṣṭubh meter and a five-year-old cow; then the possessor of nourishment, immortal Indra, with the Bṛhatī meter and a three-year-old cow; then the shining, truth-increasing divine doors and priestly Indra, with the Paṅkti meter and a four-year-old cow; and then the well-adorned Night and Dawn, all-pervading Indra, with the Triṣṭubh meter and a six-year-old cow—all with prayers for clarified butter. The Hotar invoked the gods with wisdom and the highest glory, calling the divine poets to bring Indra, bearer of strength, with the Jagati meter and the unyoked cow, offering matured ghee. He called the three radiant goddesses—golden Bharati, Bṛhati, Mahī—and Indra, with the Virāj meter and the milch cow, offering matured ghee. Tvaṣṭar, increaser of nourishment, was invoked with the Dvipadā meter and the bull; the lord of the forest, the mighty Indra, with the Kakubh meter and the draught cow; the forms of Svāhā, Agni, Varuṇa, and Indra, with the Aticchandas meter and the great bull, all with matured offerings of ghee. The divine Barhis, bearer of strength, increased Indra with the Gāyatrī meter and the eye, granting strength and wealth to the sacrificer. The divine doors, bearers of strength, purified and increased Indra with the Uṣṇih meter and breath. The divine dawns and nights, the god Indra, bearer of strength, increased the god with the Anuṣṭubh meter and vigor. In all these acts, the bestower of wealth was invoked to grant the wealth-offering, and the sacrifice was performed in fullness and faith. Thus, through sacred words, offerings, and invocations, the sacrificers sought the guardianship, strength, and abundance of Indra and the gods, honoring the divine order and seeking blessings for prosperity, protection, and fulfillment.