Agni, the radiant flame, is invoked as the closest and most auspicious protector, a giver of wealth renowned for his generosity. He is called upon to lead the seekers directly to the most brilliant treasure, to shine forth with his blazing flame, and to bestow his favor upon friends and companions. The ancient seers, through their austerities, approached the sacred session, kindling Agni and bringing forth the light; in this very act, one finds oneself placed in the heavens, with Agni—the one whom the Manus honor as the lord of the strewn grass—established at the center. May all follow Agni, together with their families, their children, brothers, and treasures, ascending to the world of the righteous, to the third ridge in the shining expanse of heaven. Agni, lively and wise, has ascended to the heart of speech, seated upon the earth, flashing without thunder, and those who strive are urged to make a place for him below. This heroic Agni, bestower of strength and endowed with a thousand powers, is called to shine forth unfailingly, blazing in the midst of all beings and drawing near to the divine abodes. Let all move forth and come together, with Agni making the divine paths clear. Ancestors and young ones are restored and guided along these paths, as the sacred thread of continuity is woven into Agni himself. Awakened, Agni rises, creating both what is desired and what is fulfilled; in this assembly and in the higher realms, may gods and worshipers sit together in harmony. By the power through which Agni carries a thousand, and by his all-knowing wisdom, he is asked to lead the sacrifice onward, sending it to the gods, to the realm of light. This is his ritual seat, the place of his birth and radiance; knowing this, Agni ascends, bringing increase to all wealth. May the heat and cold, the seasons of winter, and the union within Agni be firmly established; let heaven and earth, waters and plants, and all fires be set in their places, each with their vows, and united in mind between heaven and earth. As these seasons are established, may the gods, like Indra, come together, and with that divinity, O Angiras, may you be firmly seated. May the Supreme Lord seat Agni upon the radiant expanse of the sky, for the breath of all beings—for inhalation, exhalation, circulation, ascent, establishment, and movement. The Sun is Agni’s ruler, and by that divine power, O Angiras, may you be firmly established. Let Agni fill the world and its openings, seated firmly, as Indra, Agni, and Brihaspati have blessed him in this sacred womb. The children of Prishni press Soma for Agni; thus, the birth of the gods shines forth in the three realms of heaven. All voices exalt Indra, whose domain is the ocean, who is the foremost charioteer and the true lord of prizes. The horse, once released, grazes on the grass as the great barrier is removed; the wind follows its course, the flame spreads, and the path, though dark, is traversed. Agni is seated in the dwelling, in the shade, at the heart of the ocean; radiant and shining, he ascends to the sky and shines upon the earth and the wide atmosphere. Again, the Supreme Lord is invoked to seat Agni upon the radiant expanse, to spread out and strengthen the heavens, and not to harm them. For the breath of all, for all vital movements, may the Sun protect Agni with well-being and peace, and by that divine power, O Angiras, may you be firmly established. Agni is the measure, the likeness, the expansion of a thousand—mighty and dedicated to the thousand. Now, salutations are offered to Rudra, the fierce and wrathful one, and to his arrow and his arms. Rudra is entreated to reveal his auspicious, fear-free, and gracious form, O mountain-dweller. The arrow in his hand is asked to be made auspicious, not to harm people or the world. With gentle words, Rudra is addressed, so that the world may be free from sickness and benevolent. The divine healer, the supreme advocate, is praised—he who subdues serpents and drives away evil spirits. That one, copper-red, ruddy, and tawny, most auspicious, is invoked, along with the countless Rudras who surround him in all directions. The blue-necked and red one, seen by herdsmen and water-bearers, is called to show mercy when he is seen. Salutations are offered to the blue-necked, thousand-eyed, gracious one, and to all his beings. Rudra is asked to release the bowstring from both ends of his bow, to cast away his arrows, and to let his bow be unstrung and his arrows harmless, not released, with his quiver closed. His generous missile is called upon to shield devotees from all sides, keeping them free from harm. May the missile from his bow protect on every side, and may his quiver be set aside. Rudra is entreated to lower his bow, he who is thousand-eyed and bears a hundred quivers, to break apart the points of his arrows and be kindly disposed. Salutations are given to his weapon, to himself as the wielder, to his arms and his bow. He is beseeched not to harm the great or the small, the young or the grown, not to strike father or mother, nor to injure beloved bodies. Rudra is asked not to harm children, descendants, lifespan, cattle, or horses, nor to strike the heroic and radiant men who offer oblations. Constant invocation and salutations are offered to him. Salutations are offered to the golden-armed, the commander, the lord of directions; to the trees, the green-haired, the lord of cattle; to the tawny, radiant one, the lord of paths; to the adorned, green-haired lord of nourishment. Salutations are given to the roaring one, the hunter, the lord of food; to the weapon of Bhava, the lord of beings; to Rudra, the archer, the lord of fields; to the charioteer, the destroyer, the lord of forests. Further salutations are made to the red one, the builder, the lord of trees; to the earth-dweller, the water-maker, the lord of herbs; to the counselor, the merchant, the lord of enclosures; to the loud-voiced, the wailer, the lord of foot-soldiers. Salutations are offered to the all-pervading runner, the lord of beings; to the enduring, the piercer, the lord of piercers; to the quiver-bearer, the watchful, the lord of thieves; to the low-voiced, the wanderer, the lord of wilderness. Salutations continue to the deceiver, the circumventer, the lord of robbers; to the quiver-bearer, the arrow-holder, the lord of thieves; to the cutters, the slayers, the lord of those who steal; to the sword-bearers, the night-wanderers, the lord of those who cut. Salutations are given to the turbaned, the mountain-dweller, the lord of wanderers; to the arrow-bearers, the bowmen; to the stringers, the replacers; to the drawers, the shooters—all are honored and invoked. Thus, with reverence and devotion, the story weaves together the invocations to Agni, the radiant and wise, and to Rudra, the fierce and gracious, acknowledging their powers, seeking their blessings, and offering salutations to all their forms and manifestations throughout the cosmos.