With hearts full of reverence, the sages called upon Agni, the radiant fire, inviting him to come near with kindness and favor. “Be gracious to us, Agni,” they prayed, “and grant us victory over thousands, for you are the generous bestower of wealth. Svāhā.” Their prayers extended to the other gods: “May Aryaman grant to us, may Pūṣan grant to us, may Bṛhaspati grant to us. May the divine speech itself bestow blessings upon us. Svāhā.” With sacred intent, they consecrated the ritual offerings: “I place you in the impulse of the divine Savitṛ, in the protective arms of the Aśvins, and in the hands of Pūṣan. For Sarasvatī, the guide of speech, I appoint you; for Bṛhaspati, I anoint you with sovereignty.” They remembered the power of sacred speech and its syllables, each conquering a realm: “Agni, with one syllable, conquered breath; and so have I. The Aśvins, with two syllables, conquered humanity; so have I. Viṣṇu, with three syllables, conquered the three worlds; so have I. Soma, with four syllables, conquered cattle; so have I.” The invocation continued: “Pūṣan, with five syllables, conquered the five directions; I have conquered them. Savitṛ, with six syllables, conquered the six seasons; I have conquered them. The Maruts, with seven syllables, conquered the seven domestic animals; I have conquered them. Bṛhaspati, with eight syllables, conquered the Gāyatrī meter; I have conquered it.” They honored the gods who preside over the sacred meters and chants: “Mitra, with nine syllables, conquered the Trivṛt chant; I have conquered it. Varuṇa, with ten syllables, conquered the Virāj meter; I have conquered it. Indra, with eleven syllables, conquered the Triṣṭubh meter; I have conquered it. All the gods, with twelve syllables, conquered the Jagatī meter; I have conquered it.” The Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, and Aditi herself, each with their own sacred syllables, conquered the manyfold chants and meters, and so did the worshippers. Prajāpati, with seventeen syllables, conquered the seventeenfold chant; and the worshippers claimed that victory as well. They offered the proper share to Nirṛti, the goddess of dissolution, and honored the divine eyes of the gods in every direction—Agni in the east, Yama in the south, all the gods in the west, Mitra and Varuṇa or the Maruts in the north, and Soma above, blessing the blessed ones. Each received their offering with the utterance, “Svāhā.” Again, they invoked those gods who see with the eyes of Agni, Yama, all gods, Mitra and Varuṇa, or the Maruts, and Soma, honoring them in their respective directions and abodes. Turning once more to Agni, they prayed, “Endure the battles, drive away the hostile, overcome difficult adversaries, and cross the enemies; place your brilliance in our sacrificial offering.” They entrusted the offering to Savitṛ’s impulse, the Aśvins’ arms, and Pūṣan’s hands, declaring with Upāmśu’s strength that the demon is slain. “We have slain the demon; he is slain.” The gods were invoked in their proper domains: Savitṛ among the Savitṛs, Agni among householders, Soma among trees, Bṛhaspati in speech, Indra for supremacy, Rudra among cattle, Mitra among the truthful, and Varuṇa among upholders of law. They asked the gods, “Make this one free from rivals, well-married, destined for great dominion, supremacy, and sovereignty over people, with Indra’s power. This one, the son of that man and woman, for this clan—he is your king. Soma is our king, the king of the Brahmins.” They recalled how the gods once seized the waters—full of honey, vigor, radiance, and royalty—and with these waters, Mitra and Varuṇa anointed, leading Indra beyond his enemies. To the waters they prayed: “You are the bull’s wave, the bull-armored, the desired, the full of vigor, the flowing, the lord and embryo of waters—grant me and grant him the realm. Svāhā.” They honored the waters in all their forms—of solar skin and splendor, gentle, protectors of the march, neighing, mighty, of the Śakvarī meter, sustainers of people and all, sovereign—asking for the realm to be granted to themselves and to the king. “Let the honeyed ones be joined with the honeyed, granting dominion to the flourishing Kṣatriya. Sit down, unassailable, with strength, granting great dominion.” They recognized the brilliance of Soma, desiring it for themselves. Offerings were made to Agni, Soma, Savitṛ, Sarasvatī, Pūṣan, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Ghoṣa, Śloka, Aṃśa, Bhaga, and Aryaman, each with “Svāhā.” Standing in the filter, the two belonging to Viṣṇu were purified with the impulse of Savitṛ, the rays of the sun, and the unbroken filter. “You are unblemished, kin of speech, born of austerity, the gift of Soma—royal.” The shining, invincible waters, companions at the feast, arrived, and Varuṇa established his seat among the dwellings; the child of the waters rested within the mothers. The ritual objects were addressed: “You are the strength, vigor, womb, and navel of dominion. You are Indra’s slayer of Vṛtra, of Mitra, of Varuṇa. By you, may this one slay Vṛtra. You are firm, breaker, earth itself. Guard him to every direction.” The young men, Agni the house-lord, Indra famed among elders, Mitra and Varuṇa steadfast, Pūṣan the knower, heaven and earth the blessers, and Aditi of wide shelter—all were made manifest. Ascending in each direction, the worshippers invoked the protection of the sacred meters, Sāman chants, Stoma hymns, seasons, and blessings: to the south with Triṣṭubh, Bṛhat Sāman, Pañcadaśa Stoma, and dominion; to the west with Jagatī, Vairūpa Sāman, Saptadaśa Stoma, and the people; to the north with Anuṣṭubh, Vairāja Sāman, Ekaviṃśa Stoma, and the fruit; upward with Paṅkti, Śākvara and Raivata Sāmans, Triṇava and Trayastrinśa Stomas, brilliance, and the knowledge that the head of Namuci is laid low. Again, they called for Soma’s brilliance to become their own, for protection from death, for vigor, might, and immortality. They hailed the golden dawns, the rising of both Indras and the sun, and called Varuṇa and Mitra to ascend to their seats and behold Aditi and Diti. “You are Mitra, you are Varuṇa.” The anointing was performed with the glory of Soma, the brilliance of Agni, the splendor of the sun, and the power of Indra. “Be lord among rulers; shine forth and protect.” Again, they prayed for freedom from rivals, for good marriage, for great dominion and sovereignty, and for the power of Indra, affirming, “This one is your king. Soma is our king, the king of the Brahmins.” They pictured the sisters, like boats, moving from the backs of the mountain bull, ascending from below, following the deep serpent onward. “You are the stride of Viṣṇu, the great stride, the step.” To the Lord of creatures, Prajāpati, they prayed: “None but you encompasses all forms. May your desires for which we offer be fulfilled. May we be masters of riches. Svāhā. O Rudra, in your highest name let the offering be placed; you are the desired one. Svāhā.” The thunderbolt of Indra was invoked as the instrument of command for Mitra and Varuṇa, for safety and strength, to conquer with the impulse of the Maruts and the mind of the waters, with united sense. They prayed to Indra: “Let us not become weak, unyoked, or ignorant of sacred word. Stand upon the chariot, O thunderbolt-wielder, grasp the reins for your own horses.” Offerings were made to Agni, lord of the house; Soma, lord of the forest; the strength of the Maruts; the power of Indra; and to Mother Earth, with a promise of mutual non-harm. They praised the swan dwelling in purity, the shining one in the midspace, the priest at the altar, the guest in the house, the one abiding among men, among the best, in truth, in the sky—born of water, cows, truth, and mountains—truth, the vast. They asked that the life and vigor of the ritual be placed in themselves, the nourishment and strength of Indra empowering their arms. They honored the seat of sovereignty: “You are pleasant, well-seated, the womb of sovereignty. Sit in pleasantness, in well-being, in the womb of sovereignty.” Varuṇa, devoted to the ghee-offering, took his seat among the dwellings, with good purpose, for sovereignty. They prayed, “May these five directions be subject to you, O all-conquering one. O Brahman, you are Brahmā, Savitṛ of true impulse, Varuṇa of true strength, Indra of all strength, Rudra most gracious, the maker of much, the giver of prosperity, the increaser. You are Indra’s thunderbolt; with it, grant me success.” Thus, with devotion, the sages wove their prayers and offerings, seeking the blessings of the gods for victory, sovereignty, protection, and the fullness of life, ever honoring the divine powers that sustain and rule the universe.