All things in this world are woven together by the power of meter. The Earth itself is meter, as are the vast Atmosphere and the limitless Sky. The Year’s cycle unfolds in meter, and the Stars above move in metrical order. Even Speech and Mind follow their own measures, as do the cycles of Agriculture, the gleam of Gold, the gentle Cow, the nimble Goat, and the swift Horse—all are bound by the rhythm of meter. Upon this cosmic order, the deities preside. Agni, the sacred fire, is a deity. Vāyu, the wind, is a deity. Sūrya, the radiant sun, and Candramas, the cool moon, are deities. The Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, and Maruts—all the gods—are deities. Bṛhaspati, the wise priest, Indra, the mighty warrior, and Varuṇa, the upholder of cosmic law, are all honored as deities. To the one who is the crown, the ruler, the unwavering support, the bearer, and the very Earth itself, consecration is offered—for the sake of life, brilliance, abundant harvests, and well-being. To the controller and restrainer, the steadfast supporter, consecration is given for nourishment, vigor, wealth, and prosperity. Let this presence fill the world and every gap, sitting firm and steady. Indra, Agni, and Bṛhaspati have established this power in the womb of existence. The Prishni cows, ever-yielding, prepare Soma for him, the milker of the gods. At the birth of the gods, the clans in the three luminous realms of heaven rejoiced. All voices magnified Indra, the lord of the ocean's domain, the best among charioteers, the true lord of prizes. In the workings of the universe, everything has its measure: the swift is threefold, the shining is fifteenfold, the sky is seventeenfold. The support is twenty-onefold, the outpouring eighteenfold, the heat nineteenfold. The returning is twenty-sixfold, the brilliance twenty-twofold, the gathering twenty-threefold, the womb twenty-fourfold, the embryos twenty-fivefold, the vigor thirty-ninefold, the will thirty-onefold, the foundation thirty-threefold, the expanse of Bradhna thirty-fourfold, the summit thirty-sixfold, the turning forty-eightfold, and the sustainer fourfold. Each aspect of creation is a portion of the divine: a portion of Agni, lordship of consecration, the touch of Brahman, the threefold hymn. A portion of Indra, lordship of Viṣṇu, the touch of sovereignty, the fifteenfold hymn. A portion of the seers, lordship of the supporter, the touch of the begetter, the seventeenfold hymn. A portion of Mitra, lordship of Varuṇa, the rain of heaven, the touch of wind, the twenty-onefold hymn. Similarly, the Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, Maruts, Aditi, Pūṣan, Savitar, and Bṛhaspati, as well as the Ṛbhus and all the gods, each have their portion, their lordship, their touch, and their hymn—each with its own measure, whether fourfold, twenty-fourfold, thirty-ninefold, or forty-fourfold. The two winter seasons, Saha and Sahasya, are the inner embrace of Agni. Let heaven and earth be prepared, let the waters and plants be readied, let the fires be set apart with the greatest reverence, steadfast in their vows. The fires, united within heaven and earth, are thus prepared; let the gods enter as Indra. With that divinity, O Angiras, sit firm. Creation itself unfolded through hymns: with one hymn, offspring were studied and Prajāpati was overlord; with three hymns, Brahman was created and Bṛhaspati was overlord; with five hymns, beings were created and the lord of beings presided; with seven hymns, the seven seers arose and the supporter was lord. With nine hymns, the ancestors came forth, with Aditi as mistress; with eleven, the seasons, with their own lords; with thirteen, the months, with the year as overlord; with fifteen, sovereignty, ruled by Indra; with seventeen, domestic animals, with Bṛhaspati as lord. With nineteen hymns, the Śūdra and Ārya were created, day and night as their mistresses. With twenty-one, the one-hoofed animals, with Varuṇa as lord. With twenty-three, the small animals, with Pūṣan as lord. With twenty-five, the wild animals, with Vāyu as overlord. With twenty-seven, heaven and earth expanded, attended by the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas in succession. With twenty-nine hymns, trees were created, Soma as their lord. With thirty-one, offspring came forth, with barley and non-barley as overlords. With thirty-three, beings were strengthened, Prajāpati supreme as overlord. Again, let the world be filled, the gaps closed, and sit firm—established by Indra, Agni, and Bṛhaspati in this womb. The Prishni cows prepare Soma; at the gods’ birth, the clans in the three luminous realms rejoiced, all voices magnifying Indra, the ocean lord, the best charioteer, the true lord of prizes. Agni, the sacred fire, is invoked: “Drive away those born as our rivals, O Jātavedas; drive away those not yet born. Speak to us kindly, that we may be unharmed and dwell in your triple-protected shelter.” With force, Agni is asked to repel rivals, both present and future, and to speak with goodwill. The hymns themselves are powers: the sixteenfold hymn brings vigor and wealth, the forty-fourfold hymn brings brilliance and wealth. Agni’s excrement is this; his name is in the waters. May all the gods praise him. O offering of ghee, seated upon the hymn, grant us offspring and wealth as you sacrifice. The meters, the sacred rhythms, are many and varied: Eva, Variva, Śambhu, Paribhū, Āccha, Mana, Vyaca, Sindhu, Samudra, Sarira, Kakup, Trikakup, Kāvya, Aṅkupa, Akṣarapaṅkti, Padapaṅkti, Viṣṭārapaṅkti, Kṣuro Bhrāja, and many more—each a measure, each a support for the sacred utterances. With the ray, truth is impelled for truth; with the departed, righteousness for righteousness; with pursuit, heaven for heaven; with connection and midspace, the midspace for the midspace; with opposition and earth, earth for earth; with support and rain, rain for rain; with the spreading of day, day for day; with the following of night, night for night; with the swift, goods for goods; with the sign and the Ādityas, the Ādityas for the Ādityas. Thread and prosperity, movement and hearing, aid and plants, the highest and bodies, the attainment of age and learning, conquering and brilliance—all are impelled for their own sake, each supporting the other. The steps of the ritual are laid: the first step for the first, the following for the following, the complete for the complete, brilliance for brilliance. Triple for triple, increased for increase, expanded for expansion, joined for joining, advancement for advancement, passage for passage, ascent for ascent, going forth for going forth. Vigor for vigor is invoked, O lord. The directions themselves are honored. The royal east is presided over by the Vasus, with Agni as leader; the triple praise rests upon the earth, and the hymn supports without disturbance. The Rathantara Sāman is established in the midspace, and the ancient sages spread the sacrificer to the summit of heaven. The southern direction is Virāj, with the Rudras as lords and Indra as leader. The fifteenfold praise rests upon the earth, the Prauga hymn supports, Bṛhat Sāman is established in the midspace, and the sages seat the sacrificer in heaven. The western direction is Samrāj, with the Ādityas as lords and Varuṇa as leader. The seventeenfold praise rests on earth, the Marutvatī hymn supports, Vairūpa Sāman is in the midspace, and the sacrificer is seated high. The north is Svarāj, with the Maruts as lords and Soma as leader. The twenty-onefold praise, the Niṣkevalya hymn, and Vairāja Sāman are established, and the sacrificer is raised to the celestial world. The great direction, Adhipatni, is attended by all the gods, Bṛhaspati as leader. The thirty-threefold praise, the Vaiśvadeva Agnimāruta hymn, and the Śākvara and Raivata Sāman are established, and the sacrificer is seated on the summit of heaven. The guardians of the directions are named: In front, the sun’s ray Harikeśa leads, with Rathagṛtsa as charioteer and Rathaujā as chief. The Apsarases Puñjikasthalā and Kratusthalā, the animals Daṅkṣṇava, human weapons, and missiles of killing—salutations to them, for their protection and mercy are sought. Those we hate, and those who hate us, are consigned to their jaws. To the south, Viśvakarman presides, with Rathasvana as charioteer and Rathecitra as chief. The Apsarases Menakā and Sahajanyā, Yātudhāna as weapon, and Rakṣas as missiles—salutations and prayers for protection. To the west, Viśvavyacās rules, with Rathaprota as charioteer and Asamaratha as chief. Pramlocantī and Anumlocantī are the Apsarases, the tiger is weapon, serpents are missiles; again, salutations for protection. To the north, Saṃyadvasus reigns, with Tārkṣya as charioteer and Ariṣṭanemi as chief. Viśvācī and Ghṛtācī are the Apsarases, water is weapon, wind is missile; prayers for protection are offered. Above, Arvāgvasus is lord, with Senajit as charioteer and Suṣeṇa as chief. Urvaśī and Pūrvacitti are the Apsarases, thunder is weapon, lightning is missile; salutations and prayers for protection are offered. Agni stands as the crown of heaven, the summit, the lord of the earth, impelling the seeds of waters. He is the lord of a thousand strengths and a hundred riches, the crown of the wise and the treasures. From the lotus, Atharvan churned Agni forth—he is the head of all creation. Agni is the leader of sacrifice and of the realm; where he joins with auspicious companions, his head is placed in heaven and his tongue becomes the bearer of offerings, shining with light. He awakens among people with the kindling, as a cow stretches to her calf at dawn, as young steeds rise and the rays hasten toward the sky. Words are spoken to the wise, the pure, the mighty bull, worthy of praise; with reverence, a hymn is offered to Agni, as a golden ornament shines in the sky. Here, first among creators, stands the Hotar, most fit for sacrifice, revealed by the sinless Bhrigus in the forests, wondrous and radiant for each clan. Agni, the vigilant guardian of the people, is born—skilled and generous, bringing new prosperity, his face anointed with ghee, vast and touching the heavens, shining brightly and pure for the Bharatas. Thus, the sacred order of the cosmos is celebrated, the gods invoked, and the fire honored as the heart of sacrifice and creation.