In the sacred ritual, the priests invoke Agni, the divine fire, calling upon him to yoke the celestial horses as charioteers once did, seating the ancient Hotar in his rightful place. As the ceremony unfolds, rivers converge like cows, purified in heart and mind, and within Agni’s midst, streams of ghee and golden reeds flow, illuminating the altar. Agni rises as the steed of the world, embodying radiance, brilliance, and light for the hymn and the sacred offering. Resplendent with gold and endowed with thousandfold brilliance, Agni is praised as the giver of countless blessings. The priests mix the essence of the ritual with the embryo of the sun, the thousand-formed image, urging Agni to expand with vigor and grant a hundred years of growth to the one who receives his favor. The wind’s movement, Varuṇa’s navel, the horse born within the body, the child of rivers, the tawny one rooted in the mountain—all are invoked in prayer that Agni will not harm them in the highest heaven. Agni, ceaseless and shining, ancient in wisdom, is revered as he arranges himself with the mountains through the changing seasons, with a plea that he not harm the earth, Aditi, or the shining ones. The covering of Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa’s navel, and the sheep born from the highest realm are acknowledged, along with the thousandfold magic of the Asura, asking Agni not to harm her in the highest heaven. Agni, born from Agni and from the heat of earth and sky, is recognized as the one by whom the creator fashioned all offspring, and the priests pray for his favor to encompass them. The wondrous face of the gods arises—the eye of Mitra, Varuṇa, and Agni—filling heaven, earth, and space. Sūrya, the sun, is declared the soul of all that moves and stands. The priests beseech Agni not to harm the two-footed sacrificial animal as it grows for the offering, asking him to accept it and settle himself within the body, directing their hatred to Agni’s consuming flame. Similarly, they pray Agni not harm the one-hoofed animal, the neighing steed among steeds, directing the wild bull to him and settling Agni in the body, invoking his flame to take away what is hated. The thousand-streamed, hundred-flowing fountain within the body, yielding ghee and representing Aditi for the people, is offered to Agni with the wild ox, again asking Agni not to harm her in the highest heaven. The wool-bearing navel of Varuṇa, the skin of animals, both two-footed and four-footed, and the progenitor of Tvaṣṭṛ’s offspring are presented, with a prayer that Agni not harm them in the highest heaven; the camel is directed to him, and Agni is settled in the body. The goat, born from Agni’s heat and witness to the creator at the beginning, is acknowledged as the means by which gods and priests attained divinity and sacrificial offering; the wild deer is directed to Agni, settling him in the body, invoking his flame to consume what is hated. Agni, the youngest, is asked to protect the worshippers, listen to their words, and guard the offspring and himself. The priests settle Agni in various aspects of the waters: at their end, their middle, their ashes, their light, their movement, their abode in the ocean and sea, their dwelling in the body, their seat, their womb, their dung, their path, and through the sacred meters—Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, Jagatī, Anuṣṭubh, and Pāśru. The directions and their qualities are invoked: the east as the world, its breath as spring and Gāyatrī; the south as the all-maker, its mind as summer and Triṣṭubh; the west as all-pervading, its eye as the rains and Jagatī; the north as heaven, its ear as the Sauman chant and Sharad season with Anuṣṭup; and the thought above, whose mother is speech, with Hemanta and Paṅkti. Each direction is associated with meters, deities, and seers—Vasiṣṭha, Bharadvāja, Jamadagni, Viśvāmitra, and Viśvakarman—through whom breath, mind, eye, ear, and speech are taken for the offspring and the people. The priests seat Agni in the firm earth, the firm womb, and call upon the Aśvins, the divine priests, to establish him. Agni, the nest-builder rich in ghee and bounty, is seated happily in the earth’s seat, praised by the Rudras and Vasus, and asked to protect these prayers for good fortune. Agni, father of skill, is seated with his powers, urged to be well-disposed like a father to his sons, entering with his body. The moisture of the earth, named water, is praised by all gods, and Agni, rich in ghee, is seated to grant wealth with offspring. The Adityas are seated on the back, supporting the midspace, mistress of directions, wave of worlds, drop of waters, and Viśvakarman, the seer. The summer seasons, Śukra and Śuci, are invoked as the inner binding of Agni, with prayers that heaven, earth, waters, plants, and fires be prepared, and that the gods enter as they do Indra. With this divinity, Angiras is urged to sit firmly. The priests call upon the seasons, forms, gods, Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, and all the lords of the womb for Agni Vaiśvānara, asking the Aśvins to seat him. They pray for protection of breath, downward breath, diffused breath, sight, hearing, enrichment of waters and plants, and guardianship of two-footed and four-footed beings, as well as rain from the sky. The head, support, dwelling, strength, and various animals are associated with Vayaḥ, Prajāpati, Mayaṃda, Viśvakarman, Parameṣṭhin, and meters—Bṛhatī, Kakup, Satobṛhatī, Paṅkti, Jagatī, Triṣṭup, Virāṭ, Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭup. Indra and Agni are invoked to make the ritual brick unshakable, supporting heaven, earth, and midspace. Viśvakarman is asked to seat Agni on the back of the midspace, shining, holding and establishing without harm, for all aspects of breath and stability, with Vāyu protecting with greatness and peace. The directions are honored: queen of the east, Virāṭ of the south, sovereign of the west, lord of sound in the north, mistress of the great direction. Viśvakarman is again asked to seat Agni on the back of the midspace, radiant, granting all light, with Vāyu as lord. The rainy seasons, Nabhas and Nabhasya, are invoked as the inner binding of Agni, with prayers for preparation of heaven, earth, waters, plants, and fires, and for the gods’ entry as they do Indra. Similarly, the autumn seasons, Iṣa and Ūrja, are invoked, with the same prayers. The priests pray for protection of life, breath, downward breath, diffused breath, sight, hearing, enrichment of speech and mind, self, and the granting of light. The sacred meters—Mā, Pramā, Pratimā, Asrīvaya, Paṅkti, Uṣṇik, Bṛhatī, Anuṣṭup, Virāṭ, Gāyatrī, Triṣṭup, Jagatī—are acknowledged, completing the ritual invocation and settling of Agni, the divine fire, in every aspect of the cosmos and the sacrificial offering.