In the ancient ritual, the priest gathers offerings from every corner of creation, each animal and bird carefully chosen, each belonging to a realm or deity. From the earth, rats are brought forth; for the midspace, five mongooses; for the sky, shrews; for the directions, mongooses and civets; and for the intermediate directions, striped mongooses. Each creature is a messenger, a token of the world’s diversity. For the Vasus, antelopes are obtained; for the Rudras, spotted deer; for the Ādityas, nyanku deer; for all the gods, spotted antelopes; and for the Sādhyas, kulunga deer. The offerings grow in complexity, each reflecting the qualities of its divine recipient. For Īśāna, parasvata animals are sought; for Mitra, cows; for Varuṇa, buffaloes; for Bṛhaspati, wild oxen; and for Tvaṣṭṛ, camels. The ritual embraces both wild and domestic creatures, honoring the gods who shape the world. For Prajāpati, men are offered; for Hastī, elephants; for Vāc, the pluṣi bird; for Cakṣuṣ, flies; for Śrotra, bees. Each aspect of existence, from the mightiest to the smallest, is woven into the tapestry of sacrifice. For Prajāpati and Vāyu, cattle and wild animals are gathered; for Varuṇa, the forest ram; for Yama, the black antelope; for the king of men, the monkey; for the tiger, the red cow; for the bull, the wild cow; for the swift hawk, the quail; for the blue-necked one, the worm; for the ocean, the porpoise; and for the snowy mountain, the elephant. Each offering is a tribute to the forces and beings that sustain the cosmos. Birds, too, find their place: the peacock belongs to Prajāpati; the owl to Halikṣṇa; the vṛṣadamsha fly to Dhātri; the heron to the directions; the cuckoo to Agni; the kalaviṅka bird to Lohitāhi; the puṣkarasāda bird to Tvaṣṭṛ; and the crane to Vāc. For Soma, the kulunga deer is offered; for the forest, the wild goat; for Nakula, the mongoose; for Śaka, pauṣṇa birds; for the jackal, the peacock; for Indra, the wild cow; for Pidva, the nyanku deer; for Kakkaṭa, the crab; for Anumati, the pratishrutkā bird; and for Cakravāka, the ruddy shelduck. Sūrya receives the balākā crane; Sṛjaya, the śārga bird; Maitrā, the śayāṇḍaka bird; Sarasvatī, the śāri bird and the śuka parrot; the dog, the puruṣavāk bird; the earth, the śārdūla tiger; Pṛdāku, the wolf; Manyu, the parrot; and the man, the puruṣavāk bird. Parjanya is honored with the suparṇa bird; Darvida with the ātirvāhasa bird; Vāyu with the vulture; Agni with the kalaviṅka bird; Tvaṣṭṛ with the puṣkarasāda bird; Vāc with the crane; the midspace with the plava bird; the lord of rivers with the madgu bird and the fish; and Dyāvāpṛthivī with the tortoise. The moon receives the puruṣamṛga; Kālakā, the iguana; the lords of the forest, the dārvāghāṭa bird; Sāvitr, the kṛkavāku bird; Vāta, the swan; Makara, the nākra crocodile; Akūpāra, the kulīpaya bird; and Hri, the śalpa bird. The day is offered the eṇi antelope; the night, the frog; the partridge, the mouse; the Aśvins, the snake; the night, the black one; the jatū, the bear; other people, the suṣilīkā bird; and Viṣṇu, the jahaka bird. The half-months receive the anyavāpa bird; the peacock, the ṛśya antelope; the Gandharvas, the suparṇa bird; the waters, the otter; the months, the kaśyapa turtle; Kuṇḍṛṇācī, the red fish; the Apsarases, the golattikā bird; and Death, the asita black bird. The seasons are honored with the varṣāhū bird; the shrew, the rat; the ancestors, the mānthāla bird; the Vasus, the python; the pigeons, the francolin; the hare, the owl; and Nirṛti and Varuṇa, the forest ram. The Ādityas receive the śvitra bird; the shining one, the camel; Matī, the vulture; the forest, the sṛmara; Rudra, the spotted deer; Kuṭarur, the kvayi bird; the steeds, the dātyauha bird; Kāma, the pika bird. The Viśvadevas are offered the rhinoceros; Karṇa, the black dog; Tarakṣu, the donkey; the Rakṣasas, the bear; Indra, the boar; the Maruts, the lion; Pippaka, the kṛkalāsa bird; the missile, the śakuni bird; and all the gods, the spotted antelope. The ritual extends to the elements and the body. The śādaṃ bird is paired with curds; the avakā plant with the roots of teeth; clay with barley; the tegā plant with tusks; Sarasvatī with the tip of the tongue; the base of the tongue with the uvula; the palate with the jaws; water with the mouth; the virile member with the testicles; the Ādityas with the beard; the path with the eyebrows; Dyāvāpṛthivī with the eyelids; lightning with the eyelashes; white and black to Svāhā; the upper and lower eyelids as barriers. Wind is linked with inhalation and exhalation; the nostrils with approach; the lower lip with the good; the upper with the shining; the inner with the less shining; the outer with the placing; the head with thunder; the brain with lightning; the ears with hearing and hearing with the ears; the lower throat with water; the dry throat with the mind; the neck with Aditi; the head with Nirṛti; the head with loud sound; the breath with the hair; the heap with the body. Mosquitoes belong with the hair; Indra with sleep; Bṛhaspati with the bird's seat; tortoises with the shells; the step with the thighs; the bear with the calves; francolins with speed; the journey with the arms; arani wood with the jaw; Agni with the forearms; Pūṣan with the arms; the Aśvins with the shoulders; Rudra with the howling. Each part of the ritual is assigned to a deity: Agni, Vāyu, Indra, Soma, Aditi, Indrāṇī, the Maruts, Bṛhaspati, Aryaman, Dhātu, Indra again, Varuṇa, and Yama. Another sequence honors Indra and Agni, Sarasvatī, Mitra, the Waters, Nirṛti, Agni and Soma, the Serpents, Viṣṇu, Pūṣan, Tvaṣṭṛ, Indra, Varuṇa, and Yamī; the southern side to Dyāvā-Pṛthivī, the northern to all the gods. The Maruts claim the shoulders; all the gods, the first; the Rudras, the armpits; the Ādityas, the second; Vāyu, the third; Agni and Soma, the tail; the Kṛuñcas, the thighs; Indra and Bṛhaspati, the hips; Mitra and Varuṇa, the knees; the Ākramaṇas, the shanks; the Sthūras, the strength; the Kuṣṭhas, the skin. Pūṣan is linked with the anus; the blind with the large intestine; the serpents with the rectum; the wandering ones with the intestines; the Waters with the bladder; the virile with the testicles; the swift with the penis; offspring with the seed; crows with the bile; discharges with the anus; owls with the excrement. Indra’s lap, Aditi’s strength, the regions’ shoulders, Aditi’s healing, the clouds’ hearts, the midspace with the lungs, the sky with the stomach, chakravāka birds with the kidneys, mountains with the spleen, stones with the pancreas, anthills with the glands, streams with the gall, lakes with the liver, the ocean with the belly, Vaiśvānara with the ashes—all are woven into the body of the offering. Support is found in the navel, firmness in the sap, warmth in the Waters, rays in the drops, mist in the heat, cold in the fat, dew in the tears, roaring ones in the humors, tendons in the protections, variegated in the limbs, stars in the form, earth in the skin. Hail to Jumbaka! The story turns to the origins. In the beginning, the Golden Embryo arose, the one lord of all that is born. He established earth and sky—unto which god should we offer our oblation? He alone is the king of all that breathes and blinks, who rules over the world—unto which god should we offer our oblation? His greatness is declared by the snowy mountains and the ocean with its rivers; his are the directions and the arms—unto which god should we offer our oblation? He gives the soul, he gives strength; all the gods worship him as their lord. His shadow is immortality, his shadow is death—unto which god should we offer our oblation? May auspicious thoughts come to us from every side, unimpeded, ever new and creative. May the gods always protect us, day by day, granting increase and guarding us from harm. May the gracious favor of the gods be with us; may their generosity return to us. May we approach their friendship; may they grant us long life. With ancient invocation, we call upon Bhaga, Mitra, Aditi, unwearied Dakṣa, Aryaman, Varuṇa, Soma, the Aśvins; may Sarasvatī, rich in blessings, bring us happiness. May Vāta, bringer of delight, bring us healing; may Mother Earth and Father Sky do the same. May the pressing stones, children of Soma, bring us joy; may you, Aśvins, mighty ones, listen to us. We call for help upon the Lord, ruler of the moving and the stationary, inspirer of thought. May Pūṣan, knowing the paths, make us prosper, guarding and protecting us unfailingly. May Indra of great fame bring us well-being; may Pūṣan, knower of all, bring us well-being; may Tārkṣya, with unbroken wheel, bring us well-being; may Bṛhaspati grant us well-being. The Maruts, with dappled horses, born of Pṛśni, shining in their assemblies; the Men with tongues of fire, with the Sun as their eye—may all the gods come here to our aid. May we hear what is auspicious with our ears, O gods; may we see what is auspicious with our eyes, O worshipful ones. With firm limbs and bodies, may we sing your praise and live out the life allotted by the gods. May the gods grant a hundred autumns of life, where aging does not wear out our bodies; where sons become fathers—let not our lifespan be cut short midway. Aditi is the sky, Aditi is the atmosphere, Aditi is mother, father, and son; all the gods are Aditi, the five peoples are Aditi, what is born is Aditi, and creation itself is Aditi. May Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman, Indra, the Ṛbhus, and the Maruts not diminish our life. As we recount the deeds of the swift-born gods, let us declare their heroic acts in the assembly. When, with the guiding line, they lead forth the prize taken from the mouth of the covered one, the well-guided goat, bearing all forms, approaches the beloved path of Indra and Pūṣan. Thus, through offerings, invocations, and praise, the ritual unites the worlds, the gods, and all beings, weaving them into a single sacred story of creation, protection, and blessing.