The Zend-Avesta, Part II: The Sirozahs, Yasts, and Nyayis

INTRODUCTION.

The present volume contains a translation of the Sirozahs and Yai'ts, and of the Nyayij-. This part of the Avesta treats chiefly of the mythical and legendary lore of Zoroastrianism.

For a satisfactory translation of these texts, the etymological and comparative method is generally considered as the best or as the only possible one, on account of the entire absence of any traditional interpretation, I have tried, however, to reduce the sphere of etymological guesswork to its narrowest limits, with the help of different Pahlavi, Persian, and Sanskrit translations, which are as yet unpublished, and have been neglected by former translators. I found such translations for the Sirozahs, for Ya^ts I, VI, VII, XI, XXIII, XXIV, and for the Nyayi^^ (besides the already published translations of Yaj-ts XXI and XXII).

Of the remaining Yaj-ts, which are mostly of an epical character, there is no direct translation available; but a close comparison of the legends in Firdausi's Shah Namah seems to throw some light, even as regards philological points, on not a (tw obscure and important passages. This has enabled me, I believe, to restore a few myths to their original form, and to frame a more correct idea of others''^.

In this volume, as in the preceding one, I have to thank Mr. West for his kind assistance in making my translation more readable, as well as for valuable hints in the interpretation of several passages.

JAMES DARMESTETER. Paris, 13 December, 1882.

These translations have been edited in our Etudes Iraniennes, II, 253 seq. (Paris, Vieweg, 1883). ^ See ibidem, II, 206 seq.

A A

0 ■ ' /

^^''

The word ya^t, in Zend ye^ti, means properly 'the act of worshipping,' the performance of the yasna; and it is often used in Parsi tradition as synonymous with yasna. But it has also been particularly applied to a certain number of writings in which the several Izeds are praised and magnified. These writings are generally of a higher poetical and epical character than the rest of the Avesta, and are most valuable records of the old mythology and historical legends of Iran.

The Parsis believe that formerly every Amshaspand and every Ized had his particular Ya.st, but we now possess only twenty Yajts and fragments of another ^ The writings known as Yajt fragments, the Afrin Zartujt, and Vijtasp Yast (printed as Yajts XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV in Westergaard's edition), are not proper Yai'ts, and have no liturgical character ; they are not devoted to the praise of any Ized.

The order in which the Yajts have been arranged by the Parsis follows exactly the order of the Sirozah, which is the proper introduction to the Yajts.

s1r6zah.

Sirozah means 'thirty days:' it is the name of a prayer composed of thirty invocations addressed to the several Izeds who preside over the thirty days of the month.

There are two Sirozahs, but the only difference between them is that the formulas in the former are shorter '', and there is also, occasionally, some difference in the epithets, which are fuller in the latter.

The Bahman Yajt (see Yt. I, §§ 24 and following).

^ In the greater Sirozah the names of the gods invoked are introduced with the word yazamaide, ' we sacrifice to;' in the lesser Sirozah there is no introductory word, the word khshnaothra, ' propitiation,' being understood, as can be seen from the introductory formulas to the several Ya^ts.

YAS'TS AND siROZAHS.

In India the Sirozah is recited in honour of the dead, on the thirtieth day after the death, on the thirtieth day of the sixth month, on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, and then every year on the thirtieth day from the anniversary day (Anquetil, Zend- Avesta, II, 315). ^

The correspondence between the formulas of the Sirozah and the Ya^ts is as follows :

Ormazd.

Ormazd Yaj't (I, 1-23).

Bahman,

Bahman Yajt (I, 24-33).

ArdibeheJt.

Ardibehe^t Ya^t (III).

Shahrevar.

Sapendarmad.

Khordad.

Khorddd Ya^t (IV).

Murdad.

Dai pa Adar.

Adar.

Aban.

Aban Yaj-t (V).

II.

Khorshed.

Khorshgd Yast (VI).

Mah.

Mah Yajt (VII).

13-

Tir.

Tir Yajt (VIII)'.

Goi-.

G6^ Ya^t (IX).

15-

Dai pa Mihir.

Mihir.

Mihir Yajt (X).

Srosh.

Srosh Yajrt (XI).

Rashn.

Rashn Ya^t (XII).

Farvardin.

Farvardin Yajt (XIII).

Bahram.

Bahram Ya^t (XIV).

Ram.

RamYart(XV).

Bad.

23-

Dai pa Din.

Din.

Din Ya^t (XVI).

Ard.

Ashi Yast (XVII).

A^tad.

A^ytad Ya^t (XVIII).

Asman.

28,

Zemyad.

Zemyad Ya^t (XIX).

Mahraspand.

30-

Aneran.

The Yajts that have been lost are, therefore, those of Khshathra-vairya.

, Spewta-Armaiti,

Amereta/, Atar, Vata, Asman, Mathra-

Sp.e;2ta, ar

id Anaghra rnokau. The second Ya^'t, or Yai-t of the

seven Amshaspands, appean

5 to have been no independent Yast :

it was common to all the

seven Ya^ts devoted to the several

stR6zAH T. ^

Amshaspands, and, accordingly, it is recited on the first seven days of the month. One might suppose that it was originally a part of the Ormazd Yajt, as the Amesha-Spewtas are invoked in company with Ahura Mazda (Sirozah i, 8, 15, 23). There may, indeed, have been several Yajts for one and the same formula of the Sirozah, as in all of these formulas more than one Ized are invoked : this would apply not only to the Yajt of the seven Amshaspands, but also to the Vana«/ Yast {Yzst XX), which, in that case, ought to follow the Tir Ya^-t (see Sirozah 13).

Not every Yajt, however, is devoted to the Ized whose name it bears : thus the Ardibehejt Ya^t is mostly devoted to Airyaman ; the Ram-Yaj-t and the Zemyad-YaJt are devoted to Vayu and to the ^z'areno : but Airyaman, Vayu, and the I/varend are invoked in the same Sirozah formulas as Ardibehe^t, Ram, and Zemyad, and a Yajt is named from the opening name in the correspondent Sirozah formula.

The systematic order so apparent in the Sirozah pervades the rest of the liturgy to a great extent : the enumeration of Izeds in Yasna XVII, 12-42 (XVI, 3-6) follows exactly the order of the Sirozah, except that it gives only the first name of each formula; and the question may be raised whether this passage in the Yasna is taken from the Sirozah, or whether the Sirozah is developed from the Yasna.

The very idea of the Sirozah, that is to say the attribution of each of the thirty days of the month to certain gods, seems to have been borrowed from the Semites : the tablets found in the^brary of Assurbanipal contain an Assyrian Sirozah, that is, a complete list of the Assyrian gods that preside over the thirty days of the month ^.

s1r6zah I.

I. Ormazd.

To Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious ^ and to the Amesha-Spe;7tas ^

^ J. Halevy, Revue des Etudes Juives, 188 1, October, p. 188. 2 SeeYt. I, 1-23. » See Yt. II.

B 2

Bahman.

To Vohii-Mano^; to Peace ^, whose breath is friendly ^, and who is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures^; to the heavenly Wisdom^, made by Mazda ; and to the Wisdom acquired through the ear ^, made by Mazda,

Ardibehej-t.

To Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest^; to the muchdesired Airyaman, made by Mazda "^ ; to the instrument made by Mazda ^ ; and to the good Saoka ^ with eyes of love ^°, made by Mazda and holy.

^ SeeYt. I, 24-33.

^ Akh^ti does not so much mean Peace as the power that secures peace ; see note 4.

^ Ham-vai«ti, from ham-va (Yt. X, 141); possibly from van, to strike : ' Peace that smites.'

Taradhatem anyaij' daman, interpreted : tarvinitartftm min zaki Sn daman pun anashtih akar kartan (Phi. Comm.), ' more destroying than other creatures, to make Non-peace (Anakhjti) powerless.'

^ Asnya khratu, the inborn intellect, intuition, contrasted with gaosho-sriita khratu, the knowledge acquired by hearing and learning. There is between the two nearly the same relation as between the paravidya and aparavidya in Brahmanism, the former reaching Brahma in se (parabrahma), the latter jabdabrahma, the word-Brahma (Brahma as taught and revealed). The Mobeds of later times interpreted their name Maguj, i^jJ^^, as meaning, ' men without ears,' (_Py.*, ' pour insinuer que leur Docteur avait puisd toute sa science dans le ciel et qu'il ne I'avait pas apprise par I'ouie comme les autres hommes ' (Chardin, III, 1 30 ; ed. Amsterdam).

' See Yt. III. ' See Vend. XXII.

The 'golden instrument' mentioned in Nyayii- I, 8.

® A personification of the Ormazdean \veal; cf. Vend. XXII, 3 [8], andYt. XIII, 42.

^° Vouru-doithra, kamak doisr; she is 'the genius of the good

SIROZAH I. 5

Shahrevar.

To Khshathra-vairya; to the metals^; to Mercy and Charity.

5, Sapendarmad.

To the good Spe;^ta-Armaiti ^, and to the good Rata ^, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

Khordad.

To Haurvata/^ the master; to the prosperity of the seasons and to the years, the masters of holiness.

Murdad.

To Amereta/f ^, the master ; to fatness and flocks ; to the plenty of corn ; and to the powerful Gaokerena ^ made by Mazda.

(At the gah^ Havan) : to Mithra ^ the lord of wide pastures and to Rama //it'astra '\

(At the gah Rapithwin) : to Asha-Vahi^ta and to Atar^'\ the son of Ahura Mazda".

eye, minoi hu/Ja^'mih' (Vend. XIX, 56 [123]), the reverse of the evil eye (Yasna LXVII, 62 [LXVIII, 22]; of. :fitudes Iraniennes, II, 182).

^ Vend. Introd. IV, 33; Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 202-206.

2 Ibid. ' Vend. Introd. IV, 30.

See Yt. IV. ^ See Vend. Introd. IV, 34.

^ The white Horn, or plant of immortality ; see Vend. Introd. IV, 28.

' SeeGahs. ' See Yt. X.

'' See Yt. XV. Cf. Yasna I, 3 (7-9), where Mithra and Rama are invoked in company with the genius of the Havani period of the day.

^° The Genius of Fire.

" Cf. Yasna I, 4 (10-12), where Asha-Vahi^ta and Atar are invoked in company with the genius of the Rapithwin period of the day.

YA,STS AND SIROZAHS.

(At the gah Uziren) : to Apam Napa/\ the tall lord, and to the water made by Mazda ^.

(At the gah Aiwisruthrem) : to the Fravashis '^ of the faithful, and to the females that bring forth flocks of males "* ; to the prosperity of the seasons ; to the well-shapen and tall-formed Strength, to Verethraghna ^ made by Ahura, and to the crushing Ascendant ^.

(At the gah Ushahin) : to the holy, devout, fiendsmiting Sraosha '^, who makes the world grow ; to Rashnu Razii-ta ^ and to Arsidit ^ who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase ^°.

Dai pa Adar ^^

To the Maker Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and to the Amesha-Spe/ztas.

^ Literally ' the Son of the Waters ; ' he was originally the Fire of lightning, as born in the clouds (like the Vedic Apam napat); he still appears in that character, Yt. VIII, 34 ; he is for that reason ' the lord of the females ' because the waters were considered as females (cf Yasna XXXVIII, i [2]). But, as napa/ means also ' navel' (the same words having often the two meanings of 'navel' and 'offspring;' cf. nabhi in the Vedas and the Zend nafyo, 'offspring,' from nafa 'navel'), Apam Napa/ was interpreted as ' the spring of the waters, the navel of the waters,' which was supposed to be at the source of the Arvand (the Tigris; Neriosengh ad Yasna I, 5 [15] ) ; cf. Yt. V, 72.

2 Cf. Yasna I, 5 [13-15]. ^ See Yt. XIII.

Perhaps better: 'to the flocks of Fravashis of the faithful, men and women.'

^ The Genius of Victory; see Yt. XIV.

" Cf. Yasna I, 6 [16-19].

^ See Yt. XI and Vend. Introd. IV, 31 ; Farg. XVIII, 14 seq.

« The Genius of Truth ; see Yt. XII.

« Truth; seeYt. XVIII. i« Cf. Yasna I, 7 [20-23]. •

" The day before Adar (Dai is the Persian (^j, 'yesterday,' which is the same word as the Sanskrit hyas, Latin heri). The eighth, fifteenth, and twenty-third days of the month are under the

SIROZAII I.

Adar.

To Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; to the Glory and to the Weal, made by Mazda ; to the Glory of the Aryas ^ made by Mazda ; to the awful Glory of the Kavis -, made by Mazda.

To Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; to king Husravah^; to the lake of Husravah*; to Mount

Asnava;// ^, made by Mazda ; to Lake A'ae/^^asta **, made by Mazda ; to the Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda \

rule of Ahura and the Amesha-Spewtas, like the first day ; they have therefore no name of their own and are named from the day that follows. The month was divided into four weeks, the first two numbering seven days, the last two numbering eight.

^ Or better ' the Glories of the Aryas ' (Eramdeja^ri«am) : the Glory or Hvaxtno (Vend. Introd. IV, 11, p. Ixiii, note i) is threefold, according as it illuminates the priest, the warrior, or the husbandman. Ya^t XIX is devoted to the praise of the HvdiXQx\o.

^ Or ' the awful kingly glory : ' Kavi means a king, but it is particularly used of the kings belonging to the second and most celebrated of the two mythical dynasties of Iran. The Kavis succeeded the Paradhata or Peshdadians, and Darius Codomanes was supposed to be the last of them. For an enumeration of the principal Kavis, see Yt. XIII, 132 seq. The HvsiVQwo alluded to in this clause is the ^^'areno of the priest; 'it is the fire known as Adarapra [Adar Froba]; or better Adar Farnbag : see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 84 ; its object is the science of the priests ; by its help priests become learned and clever ' (Sanskrit transl. to the Atash Nyayish).

■' See Yt. V, 41, note.

See Yt. XIX, 56.

® A mountain in Adarbai^'an (Bundahij XII, 26), where king Husravah settled the fire Gushasp.

« SeeYt.V, 49.

'' The glory of the warriors, the fire known ,as Adar Gushasp orGushnasp; with its help king Husravah destroyed the idoltemples near Lake A'e/^ast, and he settled it on Mount Asnava«/ (Bund. XVII, 7).

t„ *. .

To Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; to Mount Raeva;// \ made by Mazda ; to the Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda ^.

To Atar, the beneficent, the warrior ; the God who is a full source of Glory, the God who is a full source of healing.

To Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, with all Atars^• to the God Nairyo-Sangha ^ who dwells in the navel of kings ^.

lo. Aban.

To the good Waters, made by Mazda; to the holy water-spring Ardvi Anahita^'; to all waters made by Mazda ; to all plants made by Mazda.

II. Khorshed, To the undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun^

Mah. To the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull»; to the only-created BulP; to the Bull of .many species ^^

^ A mountain in Khorasan on which the Burzin fire is settled (Bund. XII, 1 8).

A A ^ ^

' The fire known as Adarabura_^amihira [Adar Burzin MihirJ ; its object is the science of husbandry.' King Gu^tasp established it on Mount Raevaw/ (Bund. XVII, 8).

^ All sorts of fires. See another classification, Yasna XVII, II [63-67] and Bundahij XVII, i.

See Vend. XXII, 7.

^ The fire Nairyo-sangha, as the messenger of Ahura, burns hereditarily in the bosom of his earthly representative, the king. « See Yt. V. ^ See Yt. VI.

^ See Yt. VII and Vend. XXI, i, text and note.

Aevo-data gauj; see Vend. 1. 1. and Bundahii' IV.

" Pouru-saredha gauj: the couple born of the seed of the

stROZAH I.

Tir.

To Tii-trya \ the bright and glorious star ; to the powerful Satavaesa '-, made by Mazda, who pushes waters forward ; to the stars, made by Mazda, that have in them the seed of the waters, the seed of the earth, the seed of the plants^; to the star Vana/^/*, made by Mazda; to those stars that are seven in number, the Hapt6Iri/^gas^ made by Mazda, glorious

and healing.

Gos.

To the body of the Cow, to the soul of the Cow, to the powerful Drvaspa ^ made by Mazda and holy.

Dai pa Mihir. To the Maker Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and to the Amesha-Spe;2tas.

Mihir.

To Mithra^ the lord of wide pastures, who has a thousand ears and ten thousand eyes, a God invoked by his own name ; to Rama //z'astra ^

Srosh.

To the holy, strong Sraosha^ who is the incarnate Word, a mighty-speared and lordly God.

Rashn.

To Rashnu Razi^ta^ to Ar^ta/'^ who makes the

only-created Bull, and from which arose two hundred and eighty species (Bund. XI, 3).

1 See Yt. VIII. "" See Yt. VIII, 9.

=• SeeYt. XII, 29-31. * See Yt. VIII, 12.

' See Yt. IX. « See Yt. X.

' See Yt. XV. ' See Yt. XI.

» See Yt. XII. '" See Yt. XVIII.

to YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

world grow, who makes the world increase ; to the true-spoken speech, that makes the world grow.

Farvardin. To the awful, overpowering Fravashis of the

holy ones\

Bahram.

To the well-shapen, tall-formed Strength; to Verethraghna^, made by Ahura ; to the crushing Ascendant.

Ram.

To Rama //z/astra^ to Vayu ^ who works highly^ and is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures : to that part of thee, O Vayu, that belongs to Spe;^ta-Mainyu ^ to the sovereign Sky, to the Boundless Time '', to the sovereign Time of the long Period *^.

Bad.

To the bounteous Wind, that blows below, above, before, and behind ; to the manly Courage.

Dai pa Din. To the Maker, Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious ; to the Amesha-Spe/^tas.

Din.

To the most right Arista ^ made by Mazda and holy; to the good Law ^ of the worshippers of Mazda.

) SeeYt. Xm. ' See Yt. XIV.

^ See Yt. XV. * Powerfully.

« SeeYt. XV, i.

« See Vend. Introd. IV, 39 and Ixxxii, i.

' See Yt. XVI.

SIRdZAH I. IT

Ard To Ashi Vanguhi^ to the good /i:'isti ^ ; to the good Ereth^=^; to the good Rasasta/^; to the Weal and Glory, made by Mazda; to Pare;/di ^ of the light chariot ; to the Glory of the Aryas made by Mazda ; to the kingly Glory made by Mazda ; to that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized ^ made by Mazda; to the Glory of Zarathu^tra, made by Mazda.

Ai-tad.

To Ar^ta/', who makes the world grow; to Mount Ushi-darena^ made by Mazda, the seat of holy happiness.

Asman.

To the high, powerful Heavens; to the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy ones.

Zemyad^.

To the bounteous Earth ; to these places, to these fields ; to Mount Ushi-darena ^ made by Mazda, the seat of holy happiness ; to all the mountains made by Mazda, that are seats of holy happiness, of full happiness ; to the kingly Glory made by Mazda ;

' See Yt. XVII.

^ Religious knowledge, wisdom (far^'-anak ; nirvana^^anam).

3 Thought (X'ittam). * Thoughtfulness (/^ittasthiti).

^ The keeper of treasures ; cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 30.

A^z;aretem //rareno : ' the /ivurend of the priests : that it cannot be forcibly seized means that one must take possession of it through virtue and righteous exertion' (Neriosengh and Pahl. Comm. to Yasna I and IV, 14 [42]).

' See Yt. XVIII. ' See Yt. I, 31, text and note.

9 See Yt. XIX.

to that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized \ made by Mazda.

Mahraspand.

To the holy, righteousness-performing Mathra Spe/2ta^; to the Law opposed to the Daevas, the Law of Zarathui-tra ; to the long-traditional teaching^; to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ; to the Devotion to the Mathra Spe//ta ; to the understanding that keeps'* the Law of the worshippers of Mazda ; to the knowledge of the Mathra Spe;/ta ; to the heavenly Wisdom made by Mazda ; to the Wisdom acquired through the ear^ and made by Mazda.

Aneran.

To the eternaK' and sovereign luminous space''; to the bright Garo-nmana^; to the sovereign place of eternal WeaP; to the A'inva/- bridge^", made by Mazda; to the tall lord Apam Napa^'^ and to the water made by Mazda ; to Haoma ^^, of holy birth ; to the pious and good Blessing ; to the awful cursing thought of the wise ^; to all the holy Gods of the

^ See p. II, note 6. ^ The Holy Word.

' Daregha upayana: ihe Genius of Teaching (jixam admyarupi7nm; Yasna I, 12 [40]).

In memory. ^ See above, § 2.

® Or boundless (anaghra; the Parsi aneran).

'' Or Infinite Light ; see Vend. Introd. p. Ixxxii and Bund. I, 2.

® The abode of Ahura IMazda; see Vend. XIX, 32.

® See Vend. XIX, 36, note i.

" See Vend. XIX, 29, note 3.

" See Sirozah II, 7, note.

'2 See Vend. Introd. IV, 28.

" 'The blessing (afriti) is twofold: one by thought, one by words; the blessing by words is the more powerful; the curse

SIROZAH II. 13

heavenly world and of the material one ; to the awful, overpowering Fravashis of the faithful, to the Fravashis of the first men of the law, to the Fravashis of the next-of-kin ^ ; to every God invoked by his own name ^,

s!r6zah II.

Ormazd.

We sacrifice unto the bright and glorious Ahura Mazda; we sacrifice unto the Amesha-Spe;/tas, the all-ruling, the all-beneficent.

Bah man.

We sacrifice unto Vohu-Mano, the Amesha- Spe;^ta ; we sacrifice unto Peace, whose breath is friendly, and who is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures. We sacrifice unto the heavenly Wisdom, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Wisdom acquired through the ear, made by Mazda.

Ardibehe^t.

We sacrifice unto Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest, the Amesha-Spe;^ta; we sacrifice unto the much-desired Airyaman ; we sacrifice unto the instrument made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

(upamana) in thought is the more powerful' (Neriosengh ad Yasna I, 15 [44]). Upamana is the same as the Vedic manyu.

^ See Yt. XIII, o.

^ In contradistinction to general invocations.

Shahrevar. We sacrifice unto Khshathra-Vairya, the Amesha-Spe/2ta ; we sacrifice unto the metals ; we sacrifice unto Mercy and Charity.

Sapendarmad.

We sacrifice unto the good Spe/zta Armaiti; we sacrifice unto the good Rata, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

Khordad. We sacrifice unto Haurvata/, the Amesha- Spe/zta ; we sacrifice unto the prosperity of the seasons. We sacrifice unto the years, the holy and masters of holiness.

Murdad.

We sacrifice unto Amereta/, the Amesha-Spe;zta ; we sacrifice unto fatness and flocks ; we sacrifice unto the plenty of corn ; we sacrifice unto the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.

(At the gah Havan) : We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures ; we sacrifice unto Rama //ij^astra.

(At the gah Rapithwin) : We sacrifice unto Asha- Vahi^ta and unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

(At the gah Uziren) : We sacrifice unto Apam Napa/, the swift-horsed, the tall and shining lord, the lord of the females ; we sacrifice unto the water made by Mazda and holy.

(At the gah Aiwisruthrem) : We sacrifice unto the good, powerful, beneficent Fravashis of the holy ones ; we sacrifice unto the females that bring forth flocks of males ; we sacrifice unto the thrift of the

siROZAII II. 15

seasons ; we sacrifice unto the well-shapen and tallformed Strength ; we sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the crushing Ascendant.

(At the gah Ushahin) : We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow, the holy and master of holiness ; we sacrifice unto Rashnu Razi^ta ; we sacrifice unto Ar^ta^, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase.

Dai pa Adar.

We sacrifice unto the Maker Ahura Mazda, the bright and o-lorious ; we sacrifice unto the Amesha- Spe;2tas, the all-ruling, the all-beneficent.

Adar.

We sacrifice unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Glory, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Weal, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Glory of the Aryas, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the awful Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda.

We sacrifice unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; we sacrifice unto kingr Husravah ; we sacrifice unto the lake of Husravah ; we sacrifice unto Mount Asnava/^/, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto Lake /ifae/C-asta, made by Mazda; we sacrifice unto the awful Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda.

We sacrifice unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; we sacrifice unto Mount Raeva/^/, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the awful Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda.

We sacrifice unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; we sacrifice unto Atar, the beneficent, the warrior.

We sacrifice unto that God, who is a full source of glory. We sacrifice unto that God, who is a full source of healing.

We sacrifice unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; we sacrifice unto all Fires ; we sacrifice unto the God, Nairyo-Sangha, who dwells in the navel of kings,

lo. Aban.

We sacrifice unto the good Waters, made by Mazda and holy ; we sacrifice unto the holy waterspring Ardvi Anahita ; we sacrifice unto all waters, made by Mazda and holy ; we sacrifice unto all plants, made by Mazda and holy.

II. Khorshed. We sacrifice unto the bright, undying, shining,

swift-horsed Sun.

Mah.

We sacrifice unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull. We sacrifice unto the Soul and Fravashi of the only-created Bull ; we sacrifice unto the Soul and Fravashi of the Bull of many species.

We sacrifice unto Ti^-trya, the bright and glorious star ; we sacrifice unto the powerful Satavaesa, made by Mazda, who pushes waters forward ; we sacrifice unto all the Stars that have in them the seed of the waters ; we sacrifice unto all the Stars that have in them the seed of the earth ; we sacrifice unto all the Stars that have in them the seeds of the plants ; we sacrifice unto the Star Vana/^^*, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto those stars that are seven in number, the Hapt6iri//gas, made by Mazda, glorious and healing ; in order to oppose the Yatus and Pairikas.

SIROZAH II. 17

Gos.

We sacrifice unto the soul of the bounteous Cow ; we sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy.

Dai pa Mihir.

We sacrifice unto the Maker Ahura Mazda, the bright and glorious ; we sacrifice unto the Amesha- Spe;^tas, the all-ruling, the all-beneficent.

Mihir.

We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who has a thousand ears and ten thousand eyes, a God invoked by his own name ; we sacrifice unto Rama i^z^astra.

Srosh.

We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiendsmiting, world-increasing Sraosha, holy and master of holiness.

Rashn.

We sacrifice unto Rashnu Razii-ta ; we sacrifice unto Ar^-ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase ; we sacrifice unto the true-spoken speech that makes the world grow.

Farvardin.

We sacrifice unto the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the holy ones.

Bah ram. We sacrifice unto the well-shapen, tall-formed Strength ; we sacrifice untoVerethraghna, made by Ahura ; we sacrifice unto the crushing Ascendant. [23] C

Ram.

We sacrifice unto Rama i/z^astra; we sacrifice unto the holy Vayu ; we sacrifice unto Vayu, who works highly and is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures. Unto that part of thee do we sacrifice, O Vayu, that belongs to Spe;^ta-Mainyu. We sacrifice unto the sovereign Sky ; we sacrifice unto the Boundless Time ; we sacrifice unto the sovereio-n Time of the lono- Period.

Bad.

We sacrifice unto the beneficent, bounteous Wind ; we sacrifice unto the wind that blows below ; we sacrifice unto the wind that blows above ; we sacrifice unto the wind that blows before ; we sacrifice unto the wind that blows behind. We sacrifice unto the manly Courage.

Dai pa Din.

We sacrifice unto the Maker Ahura Mazda, the bright and glorious ; we sacrifice unto the Amesha-

Spe;^tas.

Din.

We sacrifice unto the most right A'ista, made by Mazda and holy ; we sacrifice unto the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda.

Ard.

We sacrifice unto Ashi Vanguhi, the bright, hieh, strone, tall-formed, and merciful ; we sacrifice unto the Glory made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Weal made by Mazda. We sacrifice unto Pare;^di, of the li^ht chariot; we sacrifice unto the Glory of the Aryas, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice

SIROZAH II. 19

unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto that awful Glory, that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Glory of Zarathu^tra, made by Mazda.

A^tad.

We sacrifice unto Ar^ta^, who makes the world grow ; we sacrifice unto Mount Ushi-darena, made by Mazda, a God of holy happiness.

Asman.

We sacrifice unto the shining H eavens ; we sacrifice unto the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the

holy ones.

28, Zemyad.

We sacrifice unto the Earth, a beneficent God; we sacrifice unto these places, unto these fields ; we sacrifice unto Mount Ushi-darena, made by Mazda, a God of holy happiness ; we sacrifice unto all the mountains, that are seats of holy happiness, of full happiness, made by Mazda, the holy and masters of holiness ; we sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the awful Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda.

Mahraspand.

We sacrifice unto the Mathra Spe;^ta, of high glory; we sacrifice unto the Law opposed to the Daevas ; we sacrifice unto the Law of Zarathurtra ; we sacrifice unto the long-traditional teaching ; we sacrifice unto the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the Devotion to the Mathra Spe/^ta ; we sacrifice unto the understanding that keeps the Law of the worshippers of Mazda ; we sacrifice unto

c 2

the knowledge of the Mathra Spe;^ta ; we sacrifice unto the heavenly Wisdom, made by Mazda; we sacrifice unto the Wisdom acquired through the ear and made by Mazda.

Aneran.

We sacrifice unto the eternal and sovereign luminous space ; we sacrifice unto the bright Garonmana ; we sacrifice unto the sovereign place of eternal Weal ; we sacrifice unto the i'TinvaZ-bridge, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto Apam Napa/, the swift-horsed, the high and shining lord, who has many wives ; and we sacrifice unto the water, made by Mazda and holy ; we sacrifice unto the golden and tall Haoma ; we sacrifice unto the enlivening Haoma, who makes the world grow ; we sacrifice unto Haoma, who keeps death far away ; we sacrifice unto the pious and good Blessing ; we sacrifice unto the awful, powerful, cursing thought of the wise, a God ; we sacrifice unto all the holy Gods of the heavenly world ; we sacrifice unto all the holy Gods of the material world.

I praise, I invoke, I meditate upon, and we sacrifice unto the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the holy ones ^

' Cf. Yasna XXVI, i.

ORMAZD YA5T. 21

L ORMAZD YA^-T.

The Ormazd Yajt, properly so called, ends with § 23. The rest of the Ya^ct, from § 24 to the end, is wanting in several manuscripts, and is supposed by the Parsis to be a fragment of the Bahman Ya^t.

The Ormazd Yaxt is exclusively devoted to an enumeration of the names of Ahura and to a laudation of their virtues and efficacy: the recitation of these names is the best defence against all dangers.

§§ 1-6. The names of Ahura Mazda are the most powerful part of the Holy Word.

§§ 7-8. The twenty names of Ahura Mazda are enumerated.

§§ 9-11. Efficacy of these names,

§§ 12-15. Another list of names.

§§ 16-19. Efficacy of Ahura's names.

§§ 20-23. Sundry formulas of invocation.

As may be seen from this summary, the subject has been treated twice over, first in §§ i-ii, and then in §§ 12-19; y^^ i^ ^^^^ ^^^ appear that this Ynst was formed out of two independent treatises, and it is more likely that the vague and indefinite enumeration in §§ 12-15, which interrupts so clumsily the train of ideas, is due either to an interpolation or simply to the literary deficiency of the writer himself.

The Ormazd Yajt is recited every day at the Havan Gah, after the morning prayer (Anquetil, Zend-Avesta, II, 143): it is well also to recite it when going to sleep and when changing one's residence (§ 17).

Speculations on the mystical powers of God's names have always been common among Orientals. The number of these names went on increasing: Dastur Noshirvan wrote on the 10 1 names of God; Dastur Marzban on his 125 names. With the Musulmans, Allah had looi names. On the names of God among the Jews, see Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, XXXV, pp. 162, 532.

We have three native translations of this Yasi ; one in Pahlavi (East India Office, XII, 39, and St. Petersburg, XCIX, 39 ; edited by Carl Salemann), one in Persian {East India Office, XXII, 43), and one in Sanskrit (Paris, fonds Burnouf, V, 66) ; the last two edited in our Etudes Iraniennes, II, 255).

The second part of the Ya.st, the so-called Bahman Ya^-t fragment, is In a state of the utmost corruption. It is difficult to trace any connection in the ideas, yet §§ 28, 29, 30 seem to point rather clearly to the final struggle between Ormazd and Ahriman and to the annihilation of the Daevas, and, thereby, some connection is established between this fragment and the Pahlavi Bahman Ya-yt^ which deals with the same subject. If that correspondence be real, § 26 might refer to the beginning of the Pahlavi Bahman Ya.st, in which Zarathui-tra is shown by Ahura the times to come and the end of the world.

Of this fragment we have only a bad Pahlavi translation in the St. Petersburg manuscript mentioned above.

0 -. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! May Angra Mainyu be destroyed ! by those who do truly what is the foremost wish (of God^).

1 praise well-thought, well-spoken, and well-done thoughts, words, and deeds. I embrace all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds ; I reject all evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.

I give sacrifice and prayer unto you, O Amesha-Spewtas ! even with the fulness of my thoughts, of my words, of my deeds, and of my heart : I give unto you even my own life •*.

I recite the 'Praise of Holiness'^:'

'Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good. Well is it for it, well is it for that holiness which is perfection of holiness !'

1 confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura";

^ Translated by West (Pahlavi Texts, I).

2 The formulas of this section serve as an introduction to all Yaj-ts.

^ The last clause of this sentence is imitated from Yasna XLVI [XLV], 19 : 'he who does truly in holiness what was the foremost wish of Zarathu.rtra ' (that is, what he ordered most earnestly; Palil. Comm.).

' If I must give up my life for the sake of my soul, I give it up ' (Pahl. Comm.). The two sentences, ' I praise ...,'' I give unto you . . . ,' are taken from Yasna XI, 17, 18 [XII].

^ The Ashem Vohu, one of the holiest and most frequently recited prayers.

^ The Fravarane or profession of faith of the Zoroastrian (Yasna I, 23 [65-68]).

ORMAZD VAST.

For sacrifice S prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani]", the holy and master of holiness ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Savanghi and Visya] ^, the holy and masters of holiness;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto the Masters of the days, of the periods of the day, of the months, cf the seasons, and of the years *;

Unto Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, be

propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and

glorification.

Yatha ahii vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness : the riches of Vohu-Mano shall be given to him who works in this world for Mazda, and wields according to the will of Ahura the power he gave him to relieve the poor.

1, Zarathui"tra asked Ahura Mazda: *0 Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' What of the Holy Word is the strongest ? What is the most victorious ? What is the most glorious ? What is the most effective ?

' What is the most fiend-smiting ? What is the best-healing ? What destroyeth best the malice of Daevas and Men ? What maketh the material world best come to the fulfilment of its wishes^ ? What freeth the material world best from the anxieties of the heart''.'*'

^ He shows himself a Zoroastrian by offering sacrifice ....

^ The actual Gah during which the Ya^t is being recited must be mentioned here. Havani is the first Gah (see Gahs).

^ The Genii who co-operate with Havani, his hamkars; for each Gah the names of its proper hamkars should be mentioned (see Gahs).

See Vendidad VHI, 19, text and notes.

^ Pun minishn it bara matartum, mandfim frarfm (Phi, tr.); manasas asti prapakatara (Sansk. tr.); »j^l^ A^ (Pers. tr.).

Pun akhu it bara mflshitartflm : pim(i) umandiim i aparun

Ahura Mazda answered : ' Our Name, O Spitama Zaratluutra ! who are the Amesha-Spe/^tas, that is the strongest part of the Holy Word; that is the most victorious ; that is the most glorious ; that is the most effective ;

'That is the most hend-smiting; that is the besthealing ; that destroyeth best the malice of Daevas and Men ; that maketh the material world best come to the fulfilment of its wishes ; that freeth the material world best from the anxieties of the heart.'

Then Zarathu^tra said : ' Reveal unto me that name of thine, O Ahura Mazda ! that is the greatest, the best, the fairest, the most effective, the most fiend-smiting, the best-healing, that destroyeth best the malice of Daevas and Men ;

' That I may afflict all Daevas and Men ; that I may afflict all Yatus and Pairikas ^ ; that neither Daevas nor Men may be able to afflict me ; neither Yatus nor Pairikas.'

Ahura Mazda replied unto him : ' My name is the One of whom questions are asked^ O holy Zarathui-tra !

'My second name is the Herd-giver ^ ' My third name is the Strong One^

(Phl.tr.); vitarkawam asti mushakatara (Sansk. tr.); ^:y^J Li. UJi;V ^i^* r^- ^'^•^ ^^ (Pers. tr.).

^ See Vendidad, Introd. IV, 20-21.

^ As the revealer of the law, which is generally expounded by a process of questions from Zarathujtra and answers from Ahura. The revelation itself is called spe«t6 frasna, ' the holy questions' (Vendidad XXII, 19).

^ ' That is, I give herds of men and cattle ' (Phi. tr.).

- Strong, that is, I have strength for the works of the law ' (Phl.tr.); the Sanskrit translation has, ' powerful, that is, I have power to create.'

ORMAZD YAST. 25

My fourth name is Perfect Holiness \

My fifth name is All good things created by Mazda, the offspring of the holy principle.

My sixth name is Understanding'^;

'My seventh name is the One with understanding.

'My eighth name is Knowledge;

' My ninth name is the One with Knowledge.

' My tenth name is Weal ;

' My eleventh name is He who produces weal.

' My twelfth name is Ahura (the Lord) 3.

' My thirteenth name is the most Beneficent.

'My fourteenth name is He in whom there is no harm*.

'My fifteenth name is the unconquerable One.

' My sixteenth name is He who makes the true account ^

' My seventeenth name is the All-seeing One.

' My eighteenth name is the healing One.

'My nineteenth name is the Creator.

' My twentieth name is Mazda (the All-knowing One).

' Worship me, O Zarathu^tra, by day and by

^ Asha-Vahii-ta, which is the name of the second Amesha- Spewta too. The commentary has : ' That is, my own being is all holiness.'

2 Literally: 'My sixth name is that I am Understanding.' The same construction is used with regard to the eighth, the tenth, and the nineteenth names.

^ ' It follows from this passage that a man is not fit to be a king, unless he possesses twelve virtues' (Phi. tr.).

' Some say : I keep harm from man ' (Phi. tr.).

^ ' That is, I make the account of good works and sins ' (Phi. tr.); praka/am gawanakaras kila puwyapapayos sahkhyam aham karomi (Sansk. tr.). Cf. Yasna XXXII, 6, b.

night, with offerings of libations well accepted ^ I will come unto thee for help and joy, I, Ahura Mazda ; the good, holy Sraosha will come unto thee for help and joy ; the waters, the plants, and the Fravashis of the holy ones will come unto thee for help and joy.

'If thou wantest, O Zarathu-ftra, to destroy the malice of Daevas and Men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, of the blind and of the deaf ^, of the two-legged ruffians", of the two-legged Ashemaoghas ^, of the four-legged wolves ;

'And of the hordes with the wide front, with the many spears ^, with the straight spears, with the spears uplifted, bearing the spear of havock ; then, recite thou these my names every day and every night.

^ Yaso-bereta: praptena danena; ,.j ^^-aj) !i.-:iib.

^ The Kavis and the Karapans, the blind and the deaf, are those ' who cannot see nor hear anything of God.' Those terms were current in the theological language of the Sassanian times to designate the unbelievers. An edict, promulgated by king Yazdgard III (fifth century a. c.) to make Zoroastrism the state religion in Armenia, had the following words : ' You must know that any man who does not follow the religion of Mazda is deaf, blind, and deceived by Ahriman's devs ' (Elisaeus, The War of Vartan).

^ Or murderers (m airy a); according to the Parsis highwaymen (^^j ii\j).

^ The heretics. Casuists distinguish three kinds of Ashemaogha:

the deceiver (friftar), the self-willed (khot doshak), and the deceived (friftak). The first and worst is one who knowingly leads people astray, making forbidden what is lawful, and lawful what is forbidden ; the second is one who follows his own will and reason, instead of applying to a Dastur (a spiritual guide) for direction ; the third is one who has been led astray by another.

^ Drafi'a means also banner: the Persian ^_;^9,.i, derived from drafja, has preserved the two meanings. The Sanskrit translation has jastra, the Persian has ~%^.

ORMAZD YA5T. 27

' I am the Keeper- I am the Creator and the Maintainer^; I am the Discerner^ I am the most beneficent Spirit.

'My name is the bestower of health; my name is the best bestower of health.

'My name is the Athravan*; my name is the most Athravan-like of all Athravans.

' My name is Ahura (the Lord).

' My name Is Mazdrt;u (the all-knowing).

'My name is the Holy; my name is the most

Holy.

'My name Is the Glorious; my name Is the most Glorious.

*My name Is the Full-seeing; my name is the Fullest-seeing.

'My name is the Far-seeing; my name is the Farthest-seeing.

' My name is the Protector ; my name is the Well-wisher ; my name is the Creator ; my name Is the Keeper; my name is the Maintalner.

'My name is the Discerner; my name is the Best Discerner.

'My name is the Prosperity-producer^; my name is the Word of Prosperity"^.

'My name is the King who rules at his will ;

^ ' I keep the creation ' (Phi. tr.).

^ ' I created the world and I maintain it' (ibid.).

^ ' I can know what is useful and what is hurtful' (Ibid.).

' The priest.'

^ ' I impart increase to the righteous ' (Phi. tr.).

« Doubtful. Fjujo-mathro is used in several passages as the name of a part of the Avesta, Yasna LVIII [LVII], which appears to be called so from the presence in it of the words fjuja, f.yuma?//, 'thriving, causing to thrive,' which aptly express its contents.

my name is the King who rules most at his will.

' My name is the liberal King^; my name is the most liberal Kin(T.

' My name is He who does not deceive ; my name is He who is not deceived.

'My name is the good Keeper; my name is He who destroys malice ; my name is He who conquers at once; my name is He who conquers everything; my name is He who has shaped everything ^.

' My name is All weal ; my name is Full weal ; my name is the Master of weal.

'My name is He who can benefit at his wish; my name is He who can best benefit at his wish.

' My name is the Beneficent One; my name is the Energetic One; my name is the most Beneficent.

' My name is Holiness ; my name is the Great One; my name is the good Sovereign; my name is the Best of Sovereigns.

'My name is the Wise One; my name is the Wisest of the Wise ; my name is He who does good for a long time.

'These are my names.

'And he who in this material world, O Spitama Zarathu-S"tra! shall recite and pronounce those names of mine^ either by day or by night ;

^ Nama, translated apat, and interpreted Khutai rat. The Sanskrit translator has misread azat for apat, and translated svatantra, independent.

^ The commentator observes orthodoxly, 'everything good.'

^ That is to sav, who will recite this Ya^t.

ORMAZD VA5'T. 29

- He who shall pronounce them, when he rises up or when he lays him down ; when he lays him down or when he rises up ; when he binds on the sacred girdle^ or when he unbinds the sacred girdle ; when he goes out of his dwelling-place, or when he goes out of his town, or when he goes out of his country and comes into another country;

'That man, neither in that day nor in that night, shall be wounded by the weapons of the foe who rushes Aeshma-like^ and is Dru^-minded ; not the knife, not the cross-bow, not the arrow, not the sword, not the club, not the sling-stone ^ shall reach and wound him.

' But those names shall come in to keep him from behind and to keep him in front ^, from the Dru^ unseen, from the female Varenya fiend ^, from the evil-doer^ bent on mischiefs, and from that fiend who is all death, Angra Mainyu. It will be as if there were a thousand men watching over one man ^.

' " Who is he who will smite the fiend in order to maintain thy ordinances ? Teach me clearly thy

^ The aiwyaonghanem or kosti (see Vendidad XVIII, p. 191, note 4).

^ Or ' with anger.'

' Akavo, )Jakav6, ishavo, kareta, vazra, translated kartari, ^akra, ^ara, jastrika, va^ra.

Min akhar u luin (Phi. tr.) ; p;-i'sh/^a[ta]s purataj^'a (Sansk. tr.).

° Interpreted as the demon of lust and envy. Cf. Vendidad, Introd. IV, 23.

® Kayadha, translated kastar (Phi.), 'the impairer;' kadarthaka (Sansk.), 'he who holds for nothing, who makes slight of.'

■^ Doubtful. The Phi. tr. has ' who impairs living creatures,' etc.

« Cf. Yt. XIII, 71.

rules for this world and for the next, that Sraosha may come with Vohu-Mano and help whomsoever thou pleasest ^"

'Hail to the Glory of the Kavis"! Hail to the Airyanem Vae^'-ah^! Hail to the Saoka^, made by Mazda! Hail to the waters of the Daitya^! Hail to Ardvi ^ the undefiled well ! Hail to the whole world of the holy Spirit !

Yatha ahii vairyo : The will of the Lord . . . ."^

'Ashem Vohia: Holiness is the best of all good . . . . ^

2 2. 'We worship the Ahuna Vairya ''. We worship Asha-Vahii-ta, most fair, undying, and beneficent^''. We worship Strength and Prosperity and Might and Victory and Glory and Vigour ^^ We worship Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious,

'Yenghe hatam^^: All those beings ^" of whom Ahura Mazda knows the goodness ^^ for a sacrifice

1 From Yasna XLIV, i6; cf. Vendidad VIII, 20.

^ See Sirozah I, 9, p. 7, note 2.

^ Iran Ve^'- ; see Vendidad, p. 3.

Saoka; see Sirozah I, 3.

^ See Vendidad, p. 5, note 2.

^ Ardvi Sura Anahita, the great goddess of the waters; see Yt. V.

' See above, p. 23. ^ See above, p. 22.

® The prayer yatha ahu vairyo, known as Ahuna vairya (Honover), from the first words in it: ahu vairyo. See above, p. 23.

^^ Or 'the fairest Amesha-Spe«ta;' cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 7.

" Impersonated as gods, to obtain from them the benefits of which they are the impersonations.

^^ A formula found at the end of most chapters of the Yasna and imitated from Yasna LI [L], 22.

^^ The Amesha-Spewtas (Pahl. Comm. ad Yasna XXVII, fin.).

^* The benefits of which they dispose, and which they impart as rewards to the righteous.

ORMAZD YA5'T. 3 I

[performed] in holiness, all those beings, males ^ and females ^, do we worship.

'Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and the prayer unto Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and his strength and vifjour ^'

(Bahman Yanl)

*0 Zarathu^tra! keep thou for ever that man who is friendly [to me] from the foe unfriendly [to me]! Do not give up that friend unto the stroke (of the foe), unto vexations to be borne ; wish no harm unto that man who would offer me a sacrifice, be it ever so great or ever so small, if it has reached unto us, the Amesha-Spe;/tas.

' Here is Vohu-Mano, my creature, O Zarathui-tra! here is Asha-Vahij)ta, my creature, O Zarathui-tra! here is Khjathra-Vairya, my creature, O Zarathu^tra! here is Spe;na-Armaiti, my creature, O Zarathu^tra ! here are Haurvata/ and Amereta/, who are the reward of the holy ones ■''', when freed from their bodies, my creatures, O Zarathu^-tra!

'Thou knowest this, and how it is, O holy Zarathu^tra ! from my understanding and from my knowledge; namely, how the world first began ^ and how it will end ''.

^ The first three.

2 The last three, whose names are feminine.

^ Which he will impart in return to his worshippers.

See above, p. 21.

^ As the Genii who preside over plants and waters, they are very likely entrusted with the care of feeding the righteous in Paradise. Cf. Yt. XXII, 18.

« From Yasna XXVIII, 12. ' Cf. Yasna XXX, 4.

' A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies ^ ! ' A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies !

A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies !

'[We worship] the well-shapen, tall -formed Strength ; Verethraghna, made by Ahura ; the crushing Ascendant^, and Spe/2ta-Armaiti.

'And with the help of Spe/^ta-Armaiti, break ye ^asunder their* malice, turn their minds astray, bind their hands, make their knees quake against one another, bind their tongues ^

'When, O Mazda! shall the faithful smite the wicked ^ ? When shall the faithful smite the Dru^ ? When shall the faithful smite the wicked ?'

Then Zarathui-tra said : ' I threw you back into the earth ^ and by the eyes of Spe/^ta-Armaiti ^ the ruffian was made powerless ^

' W"e worship the powerful Gaokerena^^, made by Mazda ; the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.

' We worship the memory of Ahura Mazda, to keep the Holy Word.

' We worship the understanding of Ahura Mazda, to study the Holy Word.

' We worship the tongue of Ahura Mazda, to speak forth the Holy Word.

1 Yasna LXVIII, 15 (LXVII, 50). ^ See Sirozah I, 20.

^ Refers probably to the Izeds mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

Of the foes alluded to § 24, ^ Derezvan; see Yt. XI, 2.

« Cf. Yasna XLVIII [XLVII], 2.

■^ I follow the reading zamerena, which is followed by the Pahlavi translation too. In the Yasna IX, 15 (46) Zarathujtra is said to have obliged the Daevas to hide themselves in the earth.

» Cf. Yt. XIX, 94. " Cf. Vend. IX, 12-13.

^° See Sirozah I, 7.

ORMAZD VAST. ;^;},

' We worship the mountain that gives understanding, that preserves understanding' ; [we worship it] by day and by night, with offerings of Hbations well-accepted -.

'We worship that creation [of Ahura's], Spe;^ta- Armaiti ; and the holy creations of that creature and of Asha [Vahi^ta], that are foremost in holiness I

' Here I take as lord and master* the greatest of all, Ahura Mazda ; to smite the fiend Angra Mainyu ; to smite Aei"ma of the wounding spear ^ ; to smite the Mazainya fiends^; to smite all the Daevas and the Varenya fiends ^ ; to increase Ahura Mazda,

' That mount is called in later literature Mount Ojdajtar (the Pahlavi translation of ushi-darena, the keeper of understanding). According to the Bundahij (XII, 15), it stands in Seistan. High mountains, being nearer heaven, are apt to become in the spirit of mythology the seat of heavenly beings or treasures. It was on the top of a mountain that Ahura revealed the law (see Vd. XXII, ig [53]))* the first man and king, Gayomarth, ruled on a mountain and was called Gar- shah, the king of the mountain. When the Kayanian family failed, the Iranians went to Mount Alborz and found there Kai Kobdd waiting for his fate.

^ The order of the text differs in one series of manuscripts, in which it begins with § 31 ; then comes § 29 with the following additional words : 'A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies ! (three times ; cf. above, § 26.)

We worship the Fravashi of the man whose name is AsmohvsiX\v2inf ; then I will worship the Fravashis of the other holy ones who were strong of faith' (Yt. XXII, 37). Asm6-/n'anva;//was one of the first followers of Zarathujtra, and with his name begins the enumeration of the Fravashis (Yt. XIII, 96).

Then follows § 30, and then again § 31 with the Ashem Vohii ; and then the additional passage, 'We worship ....,' is repeated twice.

' Visperad XIX, 2.

As ahu and ratu, that is, as temporal chief and spiritual guide.

^ See Vend. Introd. IV, 22. " Ibid. 23.

[23] D

bright and glorious; to increase the Amesha-Spe/ztas; to increase the star Tii'trya^ the bright and glorious ; to increase the faithful men ; to increase all the holy creatures of the Beneficent Spirit.

'Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good . . . .^

^2,- '[Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, give him health of body, give him sturdiness of body, give him victorious strength of body, give him full welfare of wealth, give him a virtuous^ offspring, give him long, long life, give him the bright, allhappy, blissful abode of the holy Ones ^

' May it come according to my blessing ^ !

' A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies "^ I (three times.)

' Come to me for help, O Mazda !

'We worship the well-shapen, tall-formed Strength, and Verethraghna, made by Mazda, and the crushing Ascendant ^.

' We worship Rama //z^astra, and Vayu who works highly and is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures. That part of thee do we worship, O Vayu, that belongs to Spe;-Jta Mainyu. We worship the sovereign Sky, the boundless Time, and the sovereign Time of the long Period ^

'Ash em Vohd : Holiness is the best of all good . . . .'

^ See Yaj-t VIII. ^ ^g above, p. 22.

^ Who shall offer thee a sacrifice. This paragraph is taken from Yasna LXVIII, ii (LXVII, 32), where it is addressed to the Waters: ' Ye, good waters, give unlo that man who will offer you a sacrifice . . . .'

Sujila (Sansk. tr. ad Yasna LXI, 13).

^ This clause serves as a conclusion to all Yajts.

« From Yasna LXVIII, 20 (LXVII, 52).

' Cf. above, § 26. ^ Cf. Sirozah I, 20. ^ Ibid. 21.

HAPTAN \AST. 35

II. HAPTAN YA.ST.

The Vast of the seven Amshaspands is recited on the first seven days of the week, that is to say, on the days consecrated to the Amesha-Spe«tas. In fact it is nothing more than an extract from the Sirozahs, being composed of the first seven formulas in their two forms: §§ i-5 = Sir6zah I, 1-7; §§ 6-io = Sir6zah II, 1-7. Then come four sections which are the original part of the Ya^t (§§11-15).

o, jMay Ahura INIazda be rejoiced M . . . .

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ^ . . . .

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ^ . . . .

i^ To Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and to the Amesha-Spe;2tas ;

To Vohu-Mano; to Peace, whose breath is friendly, and who is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures; to the heavenly Wisdom, made by Mazda, and to the Wisdom acquired through the ear, made by Mazda ;

2'\ To Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest; to the muchdesired Airyaman ; to the instrument made by Mazda ; and to the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy;

^ The rest as above, Yt. I, o. * Sirozah I, 1-2.

^ Sirozah I, 3-4. D 2

To Khshathra-Vairya ; to the metals ; to Mercy and Charity.

3\ To the good Spe;zta-Armaiti, and to the good Rata, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy ;

To Haurvata/, the master; to the prosperity of the seasons and to the years, the masters of holiness ;

And to Amereta/, the master; to fatness and flocks ; to the plenty of corn ; and to the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.

(At the Gah Havan) : To Mithra, the lord of wide pastures and to Rama //z^astra.

(At the Gah Rapithwin) : To Asha-Vahi^'ta and to Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

(At the Gah Uziren) : To Apam Napa^', the tall lord, and to water, made by Mazda.

5^ (At the Gah Aiwisruthrem) : To the Fravashis of the faithful and to the females that bring forth flocks of males ; to the prosperity of the seasons ; to the well-shapen and tall-formed Strength ; to Verethraghna, made by Ahura, and to the crushing Ascendant.

(At the Gah Ui-ahin) : To the holy, devout, fiendsmiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow ; to Rashnu-Razii'ta and to Ari-ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase ^ ;

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification !

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

^ Sirozah I, 5-7. ^ sir6zah I, 7.

" Sirozah I, 7.

HAPTAN YA^'T. 37

II.

6^. We sacrifice unto Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious ; we sacrifice unto the Amesha-Spe;^tas, the all-ruUng, the all-beneficent.

We sacrifice unto Vohu-Mano, the Amesha- Spe;^ta ; we sacrifice unto Peace, whose breath is friendly, and who is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures ; we sacrifice unto the heavenly Wisdom, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the wisdom acquired through the ear, made by Mazda.

7^. We sacrifice unto Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest, the Amesha-Spe;/ta ; we sacrifice unto the muchdesired Airyaman ; we sacrifice unto the instrument made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

We sacrifice unto Khshathra-Vairya ; we sacrifice unto the metals ; we sacrifice unto Mercy and Charity.

8^ We sacrifice unto the good Spe^^ta-Armaiti ; we sacrifice unto the good Rata, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

We sacrifice unto Haurvata/, the Amesha- Spe;/ta ; we sacrifice unto the prosperity of the seasons ; we sacrifice unto the years, the holy and masters of holiness.

We sacrifice unto Amereta/, the Amesha-Spe;ita; we sacrifice unto fatness and flocks ; we sacrifice unto the plenty of corn ; we sacrifice unto the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.

9*. (At the Gah Havan) : We sacrifice unto

1 Sirozah II, 1-2. ^ Sirozah II, 3-4.

=) Sirozah II, 5-7. * Sirozah II, 7.

'i.S YASTS AND siROZAHS.

Mithra, the lord of wide pastures ; we sacrifice unto Rama //z^'astra.

(At the Gah Rapithwin) : We sacrifice unto Asha- Vahi^ta and Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

(At the Gah Uziren) : We sacrifice unto Apam Napa/, the swift-horsed, the tall and shining lord, the lord of the females ; we sacrifice unto the holy waters, made by Mazda.

io\ (At the Gah Aiwisruthrem) : We sacrifice unto the good, powerful, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful ; we sacrifice unto the females who bring forth flocks of males ; we sacrifice unto the prosperity of the seasons ; we sacrifice unto the well-shapen, tall-formed Strength; we sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Mazda ; we sacrifice unto the crushing Ascendant.

(At the Gah Ui-ahin) : We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow, the holy and master of holiness ; we sacrifice unto Rashnu-Razii-ta ; we sacrifice unto Ar^ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase

III.

II. Let the Yatus be crushed, O Zarathujtra - ! both Daevas and men ^

Who is he in whose house, O Spltama Zarathu^tra ! every Dru^^ is destroyed, every Dru^ perishes, when he pronounces these words * :

12' .?

It is he who takes the seven Amesha-Spe/^tas,

^ Sirozah II, 7. '^ Or : Let Zarathujtra crush the Yatus.

^ The Yatus are either demons or men : the man-Yatu is the sorcerer, the wizard. Cf. Yt. VIII, 44.

■* Doubtful. '^ lam unable to make anything of this section.

HAPTAN YA5T. 39

the all-ruling, the all-beneficent, as a shield^ against

his enemies.

We worship the Law of the worshippers of Mazda; we worship the waters coming in the shape of a horsed made by Mazda.

14-15. He has renounced trespasses and faults, O Zarathu^tra ! he has renounced all trespasses and faults \ O Zarathu(rtra ! when he throws down ^ the destroyer of Vohu-Mano and his words ^ with a hundred times hundredfold, with a many times manifold preaching and smiting, and he takes away the Law of Mazda, that was carried away as a prisoner ^ from the hands of the [ungodly], who are destroyed by his strength,

Ashem Vohti: Holiness is the best of all good ....

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness , . . .

I bless the sacrifice and the prayer, the strength and vigour

Of Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and of the Amesha-Spe;ztas ;

Of Vohu-Mano; of Peace, whose breath is friendly '^ . . . .

1 Doubtful. ' See Yt. VIII, 5, 42 ; cf. § 20.

^ Atare-vitaremaibya vimrao/ ; cf. ataraish . . . . vi sarem

mruye (Yasna XII, 4 [XIII, 16]): atareman seems to be a sin by commission, vitareman a sin by omission.

Doubtful (fraspavare^: fraspa is generally translated ramituntan).

^ Doubtful,

« Cf. Yt. XIII, 100; XIX, 86; fravaxnam is the reverse of

uzvazha/ (1. 1.).

' The rest as above, § i.

Of Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest ; of the much-desired Airyaman ^ . . . .

Of Khshathra-Vairya, of the metals^ ....

Of the good Spe;^ta-Armaiti and of the good Rata ^ . . . .

Of HaurvataA the master ^ ....

Of Amereta/, the master ^ . . . .

(At the Gah Havan) : Of Mithra=^

(At the Gah Rapithwin) : Of Asha-Vahi^ta^ ....

(At the Gah Uziren) : Of the high lord Apam Napa/^ ....

(At the Gah Aiwisruthrem) : Of the Fravashis of the faithful ^ . . . .

(At the Gah U^ahin) : Of the holy, devout, fiendsmiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow ; of Rashnu-Razi-?ta and of Ar^ta/, who makes the world erow, who makes the world increase.

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

Give unto that man ® brightness and glory, give him health of body, give him sturdiness of body, give him victorious strength of body, give him full welfare of wealth, give him a virtuous offspring, give him long, long life, give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ The rest as above, § 2. ^ The rest as above, § 3.

3 The rest as above, § 4. * The rest as above, § 5.

^ Who shall oJfer a sacrifice to the Amshaspands.

ARDIBEUWT YAST. 41

III. ARDIBEHI6^Ti YA^-T.

This Y3.st is for a great part devoted to the praise of the Airyaman prayer, which is described as driving away all the diseases and plagues that have been brought upon the world by Angra Mainyu; and when the writer passes from the glorification of Airyaman to that of Asha-Vahijta, which is put into the mouth of Angra JNIainyu himself (§§ 13 seq.), he makes him speak of Asha- Vahij-ta just in the same way, and ascribe him just the same powers, as he himself has done with regard to Airyaman. This is owing to the fact of Airyaman being invoked in company with Asha- Vahijta in the second formula of the Sirozah^,

The powers ascribed to Asha-Vahi^ta have their origin in the twofold nature of that Amesha-Spewta, who being, in his abstract character, the impersonation of the highest element in Mazdeism, Divine Order and Holiness^ and in his concrete character, the genius who presides over the mightiest of physical elements, Fire^ is one of the most powerful and dreaded opponents of Angra Mainyu ■''. On the other hand, Airyaman is the genius to whom Ahura Mazda applied to heal the nine, and ninety, and nine hundred and nine thousand diseases created by Angra Mainyu **.

This Yast is recited every day at the Gahs Havan, Rapithwin, and Aiwisruthrem (Anquetil).

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced! ....

Ashem Vohia : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ''....

^ Ard-i-behi.yt is the Parsi form for Asha vahijta, ard being derived from arta, the Persian form corresponding to the Zend asha.

^ See Sirozah I, 3, and below die introductory formula,

^ See Vend. Introd. IV, 30, * Ibid. 33.

See Yt. XVII, 18. ' Fargard XXII and Introd.

' As above, Yt. I, o.

*_ A ,

Unto Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest; unto the muchdesired Airyaman, made by Mazda, and unto the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holyi;

Be propitiation, witli sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yath^ ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord Is the law of holiness'^

Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathui"tra, saying: 'That thou mayest increase Asha-Vahi^ta, O Spitama Zarathu5"tra ! with hymns of praise, with performance of the office, with invocations, holy words, sacrifice, blessings, and adoration — once to abide in the shining luminous space, in the beautiful abodes ^ — for the sacrifice and invocation of us, the Amesha-Spe;/tas^' ....

Zarathui^tra said : ' Say unto me the right words, such as they are, O Ahura Mazda ! that I may increase Asha-Vahi.s'ta, with hymns of praise,

^ Sirozah I, 3.

^ Several manuscripts add here the full invocation of the greater Sirozah :

'We sacrifice unto Asha-Vahista, the fairest, the Amesha- Spe;;ta ; We sacrifice unto the much-desired Airyaman ; We sacrifice unto the instrument, made by Mazda ; We sacrifice unto the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.' ' The Garo-nmanem or Paradise; see Yasna XVI, 7 [XVII, 42], Phi. tr.

The principal clause appears to be wanting, unless Zarathujtra is supposed to interrupt Ahura. One might also understand the sentence in an optative sense : * Mayest thou increase . . . .'

ARDIBEIII^T VAST. 4

■^

with performance of the office, with invocations, holy words, sacrifice, blessings, and adoration, — once to abide in the shining luminous space, in the beautiful abodes, — for the sacrifice and invocation of you, the Amesha-Spe;^tas.

3\ '. . . . I proclaim Asha-Vahi^ta : if I proclaim Asha-Vahii'ta, then easy Is the way to the abode of the other Amesha-Spe;^tas ^, which Ahura Mazda keeps with Good Thoughts, which Ahura Mazda keeps with Good Words, which Ahura Mazda keeps with Good Deeds ^;

'(Easy is the way to the Garo-nmana of Ahura Mazda) : the Garo-nmana is for the holy souls, and no one of the wicked can enter the Garo-nmana and its bright, wide, holy ways ; (no one of them can go) to Ahura Mazda.

'The Alryaman prayer* smites down the strength of all the creatures of Angra Mainyu, of the Yatus and Pairikas^ It is the greatest of spells, the best of spells, the very best of all spells ; the

^ Here again it seems as if a paragraph had been lost : ' Ahura Mazda answered : Proclaim thou Asha-Vahijta ; if thou proclaimest Asha-Vahi^ta . . . . — Then Zarathujtra replied : I proclaim Asha- Vahijta . . . .'

^ The Garothman.

' An allusion to the three Paradises of Humat, Hfikht, Hvar^t through which the souls of the blessed pass to Garothman (Yt. XXII, 15),

The prayer known as Airyama-ishyo; see Vendidad XXI, 11-12.

^ See Vend. Introd. IV, 20-21,

■^^ A ,

fairest of spells, the very fairest of all spells ; the fearful one amongst spells, the most fearful of all spells ; the firm one amongst spells, the firmest of all spells ; the victorious one amongst spells, the most victorious of all spells ; the healing one amongst spells, the best-healing of all spells.

'One may heal with Holiness, one may heal with the Law, one may heal with the knife, one may heal with herbs, one may heal with the Holy Word: amongrst all remedies this one is the healino- one that heals with the Holy Word ; this one it is that will best drive away sickness from the body of the faithful : for this one is the best-healing of all remedies ^

' Sickness fled away [before it]. Death fled away ; the Daeva fled away, the Daeva's counterwork - fled away ; the unholy Ashemaogha '' fled away, the oppressor of men fled away.

' The brood of the Snake fled away ; the brood of the Wolf fled away ; the brood of the Two-legged* fled away. Pride fled away ; Scorn fled away ; Hot Fever fled away ; Slander fled away ; Discord fled away ; the Evil Eye fled away.

' The most lying words of falsehood fled away; the 6"ahi ^, addicted to the Yatu, fled away ; the

^ Cf. Vendidad VII, 44 (118). That Airyaman made use of the Holy Word (of spells) to cure diseases appears from Vend. XXII, 6 seq.

^ Paityara: every work of Ahura was opposed and spoiled by a counter-work of Angra Mainyu, Cf. Bundahi^ I, 23 seq.; Ill, 13 seq. ; Vend. I; see Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 195 seq.

^ See Yt. I, 10 and note 4.

The Ahrimanian creatures belonging to mankind, the Mairyas and Ashemaoghas (Yt. I, 10).

The courtezan; cf. Vend. XXI, 17 (35), and Introd. IV, 25.

ARDIBEHWT VAST. 4$

6"ahi, who makes one pine\ fled away; the wind that blows from the North ^ fled away ; the wind that blows from the North vanished away.

' He it is who smites me that brood of the Snake, and who might smite those Daevas by thousands of thousands, by ten thousands of ten thousands ; he smites sickness, he smites death, he smites the Daevas, he smites the Daeva's counter-work, he smites the unholy Ashemaogha, he smites the oppressor of men.

'He smites the brood of the Snake; he smites the brood of the Wolf; he smites the brood of the Two-legged. He smites Pride; he smites Scorn; he smites Hot Fever; he smites Slander; he smites Discord ; he smites the Evil Eye.

' He smites the most lying words of falsehood; he smites the Cahi, addicted to the Yatu ; he smites the 6'ahi, who makes one pine. He smites the wind that blows from the North ; the wind that blows from the North vanished away.

' He it is who smites me that brood of the Two-legged, and who might smite those Daevas, by thousands of thousands, by ten thousands of ten thousands. Angra Mainyu, who is all death, the worst-lying of all Daevas, rushed from before him :

'He exclaimed, did Angra Mainyu : " Woe is me! Here is the god Asha-Vahi-rta, who will smite the sickliest of all sicknesses, who will afflict the sickliest of all sicknesses ;

^ The Zend is Kahvaredhaini, a synonym of which, Kahvaredha, Yasna LXI, 2 [LX, 7], is translated impairer of Glory, which means very likely: he who makes one 'dwindle, peak, and pine' (cf. Vend. XVIII, 62-64).

2 From the country of hell; cf. Vend. VII, 2; XIX, i; Yt. XXII, 25.

' " He will smite the deadliest of all deaths, he will afflict the deadliest of all deaths ;

'"He will smite the most fiendish of all fiends, he will afflict the most fiendish of all fiends ;

" He will smite the most counter-working of all counter-works, he will afflict the most counterworking of all counter-works ;

' " He will smite the unholy Ashemaogha, he will afflict the unholy Ashemaogha ;

' " He will smite the most oppressive of the oppressors of men, he will afflict the most oppressive of the oppressors of men.

'"He will smite the snakiest of the Snake's brood, he will afflict the snakiest of the Snake's brood ;

' " He will smite the most wolfish of the Wolfs brood, he will afflict the most wolfish of the Wolfs brood ;

*"He will smite the worst of the two-legged brood, he will afflict the worst of the two-legged brood ;

' " He will smite Pride, he will afflict Pride ;

' " He will smite Scorn, he will afflict Scorn ;

' " He will smite the hottest of hot fevers, he will afflict the hottest of hot fevers ;

' " He will smite the most slanderous of slanders, he will afflict the most slanderous of slanders ;

" He will smite the most discordant of discords, he will afflict the most discordant of discords ;

' " He will smite the worst of the Evil Eye, he will afflict the worst of the Evil Eye.

'"He will smite the most lying words of falsehood, he will afflict the most lying words of falsehood ;

ARDIBElil^T VA^T. 47

' " He will smite the Gahl, addicted to the Yatu, he will afflict the Gsh'i, addicted to the Yatu ;

' " He will smite the Cahi, who makes one pine, he will afflict the 6^ahi, who makes one pine ;

' " He will smite the wind that blows from the North, he will afflict the wind that blows from the North."

17^ 'The Dru^will perish away, the Drii^ will perish ; the Dru^ will rush, the Dru^ will vanish. Thou perishest away to the regions of the North, never more to give unto death the living world of the holy spirit ^

'For his brightness and glory I will offer unlo him a sacrifice worth being heard ^ namely, unto Asha-Vahijta, the fairest, the Amesha-Spewta. Unto Asha -Vahi^ta, the fairest, the Amesha- Spe«ta, we offer up the libations, the Haoma and meat*, the baresma ^ the wisdom of the tongue ^ the holy spells ^ the speech, the deeds \ the libations, and the rightly-spoken words.

'Ye/ihe hatum : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda knows the goodness * . . . .

'Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

^ One set of manuscripts insert : ' He will smite the wind that blows against the North, he will afflict the wind that blows against the North ; the wind that blows against the North [will perish].' This is most Ukely an interpolation, as the wind that blows against the North (if this is the right meaning of aparo apakhtara, as opposed to pourvo apakhtara) blows against Angra Mainyu.

2 Cf. Vendidad VIII, 21.

' That is to say, worth being accepted: cf. Yt. X, 32 ; the Parsis translate, ' a sacrifice heard [from the lips of the Dasturs]' {iS.^ &-) J\jy^i J^^ j\ ^ji; East India Office, XXV, 42).

The Haoma and Myazda. ^ See Vend. Ill, i, note 2.

« Hizvo danghah: huzvan danakih (Phi. tr.) means 'the right formulas.'

' ' The A vesta ' (Phi. tr.).

The several operations of the sacrifice. ^ As above, Yt. I, 22.

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer and the strength and vigour of Asha-Vahi-fta, the fairest; of the muchdesired Airyaman, made by Mazda ; and of the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy \

'Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good^ ....

' [Give] unto that man ^ brightness and glory, give him health of body ; . . . . give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'

IV. KHORDAD YA^'T.

Only the first two sections of this Ya.st refer to its nominal object, Haurvata/, the Genius of Health and Waters (Vend. Introd. IV, 7, 33). The rest of the Yaj-t refers to the performance of the Bareshnum ceremony as being the test of the true Zoroaslrian. As the Bareshnum purification was performed by Airyaman to drive away the myriads of diseases created by Angra Mainyu *, its laudation is not quite unaptly inserted in a Ya.yt devoted to the Genius of Health.

The Khordad Yast can be recited at any time. It is better to recite it during the Gah U^ahin, on the day Khordad (Anquetil).

The text is corrupt.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathui'tra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ^ . . . .

Unto Haurvata/, the master ; unto the prosperity

1 Cf Sirozah I, 2. ^ As above, p. 22.

' "Who shall offer a sacrifice to Asha-Vahii'ta ; cf. Yt. I, 33 and notes.

Vend. XXII, 20 [54].

^ As above, p. 22 and notes.

KPIORDAD VAST. 49

of the seasons and unto the years, the masters of hoHness \

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatlia ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

We sacrifice unto Haurvati/, the Amesha-Spe;2ta; we sacrifice unto the prosperity of the seasons ; we sacrifice unto the years, the holy and masters of hoHness ^.

Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathu^tra, saying : ' I created for the faithful the help, the enjoyments, the comforts, and the pleasures of Haurvata/. We unite them with him who would come up to thee as one of the Amesha-Spe;2tas, as he would come to any of the Amesha-Spe?^- tas, Vohu-Mano, Asha-Vahi^ta, Khshathra-Vairya,

Spe;^ta-Armaiti, Haurvata^', and Amereta/.

2, ' He who against the thousands of thousands of those Daevas, against their ten thousands of ten thousands, against their numberless myriads would invoke the name of Haurvata/, as one of the Amesha-Spe??tas, he would smite the Nasu, he would smite Hai-i ^, he would smite Bai-i ^, he would smite Saeni^, he would smite Bu^i^

3 *. ' I proclaim the faithful man as the first [of men] ; if I proclaim the faithful man as the first

' Sir6zah I, 6. ' Strozah II, 6.

^ Names of Daevas. According to the Parsi translator of the Dinkart (vol. ii, p. 65), Ha^i is 'he who makes sceptical;' Ba^-i is 'he who gives rise to the barking disease;' Saeni is ' he who causes harm ;' Bfl^i is ' he who preys upon.'

The translation of this paragraph is quite conjectural.

[23] E

A ,

[of men]', then Rashnu Razii-ta^, then every heavenly Yazata of male nature in company with the Amesha- Spe;/tas will free the faithful man ^

- From the Nasu, from Ha^i, from Gai'i^, from Saeni, from Bu^i; from the hordes with the wide front, from the hordes with the many spears uplifted, from the evil man who oppresses, from the wilful sinner ^, from the oppressor of men, from the Yatu, from the Pairika, from the straying way.

'How does the way of the faithful turn and part from the way of the wicked ^ ? '

Ahura Mazda answered : 'It is when a man pronouncing my spell, either reading '^ or reciting it by heart, draws the furrows ^ and hides ^ there himself, [saying] :

"'I will smite thee, O Dru^! whomsoever thou art, whomsoever thou art amongst the Drupes that come in an open way, whomsoever thou art amongst the Drupes that come by hidden ways, whomsoever thou art amongst the Drupes that defile by contact ; whatsoever Dru^ thou art, I smite thee away from the Aryan countries ; whatsoever Dru^ thou art, I bind thee ; I smite thee down, O Dru^ ! I throw thee down below, O Dru^^!"

^ If I am one of the faithful. 2 The Genius of Truth, Yt. XII. ^ Will free me as one of the faithful.

Sic; cf. § 2.

^ Starai; cf. Etudes Iraniennes, II, 135. ^ How is the wicked known from the faithful one ? ' Marao: Phi. o^morit, Sansk. adhyeti; safarilnit, poshayati (pustakayati ? Yasna XIX, 6 [9]).

The furrows for the Bareshnum purification (Vend. IX). ® Doubtful: gaozaiti; read yaozdaiti (? he cleanses).

KHORDAD YA,ST. 5 i

' He draws [then] three furrows ' : I proclaini him one of the faithful; he draws six furrows^: I proclaim him one of the faithful ; he draws nine furrows ^ : I proclaim him one of the faithful.

' The names of those (Amesha-Spe//tas) smite the men turned to Nasus ^ by the Drupes ; the seed and kin of the deaf^* are smitten, the scornful^ are dead, as the Zaotar Zarathurtra blows them away to woe^ however fierce, at his will and wish, as many as he wishes.

' From the time w^hen the sun is down he smites them with bruising blows; from the time when the sun is no longer up, he deals deadly blows on the Nasu with his club struck down, for the propitiation and glorification of the heavenly gods.

' O Zarathu^tra ! let not that spell be shown to any one, except by the father to his son, or by the brother to his brother from the same womb, or by the Athravan to his pupil ^ in black hair, devoted to the good law, who, devoted to the good law, holy^ and brave, stills all the Drupes \

1 1. 'For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto Haurvata/, the Amesha-Spewta. Unto Haurvata/, the Amesha-Spe??ta, we offer up the libations, the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the

^ To perform the Bareshnum; of Vend. XXII, 20 [54].

^ Reading nasum kereta; of. nasu-kereta (Vend. VII, 26 [67]).

^ See above, p. 26, note 2.

Sao/^a; of. Yt. XXII, 13.

^ Dusava/: both the reading and the meaning are doubtful, Mr. West suggests, 'sends to hell' (reading dusanghva/ or duzangha/).

" Doubtful. ' Reading ashava instead of aso ava.

« Cf. Yt. XIV, 46.

E 2

holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightlyspoken words.

'Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

'I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour ofHaurvata/, the master ; of the prosperity of the seasons and of the years, the masters of holiness.

'Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

' [Give] unto that man ^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'

V. ABAN VAST.

The Aban Ya^t (or Yast of the Waters) is devoted to the great goddess of the waters, the celebrated Ardvi Sura Anahita, the 'AvaiTii of the Greeks. Ardvi Sura Anahita (' the high, powerful, undefiled ') is the heavenly spring from which all waters on the earth flow down ; her fountains are on the top of the mythical mountain, the Hukairya, in the star region. Her descent from the heavens is described in §§ 85 seq. ; it reminds one of the Indian legend of the celestial Ganga.

This Yaxt contains much valuable information about the historical legends of Iran, as it enumerates the several heroes who worshipped Ardvi Sijra and asked for her help. First of all is Ahura himself (§ 16) ; then came Haoshyangha (§ 21), Yima (§ 25), A0i Dahaka (§ 29), Thraetaona (§ 33), Keresaspa (§ 37), Franghrasyan (§ 41), Kava Usa (§45), Husravah (§ 49), Tusa (§53), Vaesaka's sons (§ 57), Vafra Navaza (§ 61), G^amaspa (§ 68), Ashavazdah, the son of Pourudhakhjti, and Ashavazdah and Thrita, the sons of Sayuzdri (§ 72), Vistauru (§ 76), Yoijta (§81); the Hvovas and the Naotaras (§ 98), Zarathujtra (§103), Kava Vijtaspa (§ 107), Zairivairi (§ 112), Are^a/-aspa and Vandaremaini (§116).

This enumeration is interrupted by a description of the descent of Ardvi Sura from the heavens (§§ 85-89), and of certain rules for her sacrifice given by herself to Zarathu^rtra (§§90-97). This interruption may have been intentional, as it takes place just when

^ Who shall have sacrificed to Haurvata/.

ABAN YA5T. 53

ihe course of the enumeration brings us to the times of Zarathujtra and of the institution of the new religion.

The Yajt is opened with a laudation of the benefits bestowed by Ardvi Sura (§§ 1-16), and it closes with a description of her garments and apparel.

The first record of the worship of Ardvi Sura is in a cuneiform inscription by Artaxerxes Mnemon (404-361), in which her name is corrupted into Anahata. Artaxerxes Mnemon appears to have been an eager promoter of her worship, as he is said 'to have first erected the statues of Venus-Anahita ('A(^/)o8it7J9, 'Ai/atViSos) in Babylon, Suza, and Ecbatana, and to have taught her worship to the Persians, the Bactrians, and the people of Damas and Sardes ' (Clemens Alexandrinus, Protrept. 5, on the authority of Berosus ; about 260 B.C.). My friend M. Halevy suggests to me that the detailed and circumstantial description of Anahita's appearance and costume (in §§ 1 26-1 31) shows that the writer must have described her from a consecrated type of statuary.

The principal data of the Greek writers on Anahita will be found in Windischmann's Essay (Die persische Anahita oder Anaitis, 1856). One must be cautious in the use of the Greek sources, as the Greeks, with the eclectic turn of their mind, were inclined to confound under the name of Anahita all the great female deities of Asia Minor, and her name became a common appellation for the Aphrodites as well as for the Artemides of the East. .

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu: Hohness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto the good Waters, made by Mazda ; unto the holy water-spring Ardvi Anahita ; unto all waters, made by Mazda; unto all plants, made by Mazda \

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation,

and orlorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

Sirozah I, 10.

Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathu-S"tra, saying : ' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathuj"tra I unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita, the wide-expanding^ and heakh-giving, who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura, who is worthy of sacrifice in the material world, worthy of prayer in the material world; the life-increasing ^ and holy, the herd-increasing and holy, the fold-increasing and holy, the wealth-increasing and holy, the countryincreasing and holy ;

' Who makes the seed of all males pure^, who makes the womb of all females pure for bringing forth"*, who makes all females bring forth in safety, who puts milk into the breasts of all females in the right measure and the right quality ;

' The large river, known afar, that is as large as the whole of the waters that run along the earth ; that runs powerfully from the height Hukairya^ down to the sea Vouru- Kasha ^.

' All the shores of the sea Vouru-Kasha are

^ 'As she comes down to all places' (Phi. tr. ad Yasna LXV, i [LXVI, 2]).

^ Ad hu, translated ^an ; 'she makes life longer ' (Aspendiarji). Perhaps adhu will be better translated springs, rivers (reading ^uy instead of^an ; cf. Yt. VIII, 29).

^ ' Pure and sound, without blood and filth' (Phi. tr.).

' So that it may conceive again ' (Phi. tr.).

^ ' Hugar the lofty is that from which the water of Aredvivsur leaps down the height of a thousand men' (Bundahi^' XII, 5, tr. West); cf. infra, §§ 96, 121, 126; Yt. XIII, 24. The Hukairya is mentioned again § 25 and Yt. IX, 8; Yt. X, 88; Yt. XV, 15; Yt. XVII, 28. It appears to be situated in the west (Bundahii' XXIV, 17; II, 7; Minokhired XLIV, 12).

^ The earth-surrounding Ocean; cf. Vendidad V, 15 (49) seq., text and notes.

A BAN VAST. 55

boiling over, all the middle of it is boiling over, when she runs down there, when she streams down there, she, Ardvi Sura Anahita, who has a thousand cells and a thousand channels ^ : the extent of each of those cells, of each of those channels is as much as a man can ride in forty days, riding on a good horse.

' From this river of mine alone flow all the waters that spread all over the seven Karshvares ; this river of mine alone goes on bringing waters, both in summer and in winter. This river of mine purifies the seed in males, the womb in females, the milk in females' breasts.

' I, Ahura Mazda, brought it down with mighty vigour, for the increase of the house, of the borough, of the town, of the country, to keep them, to maintain them, to look over them, to keep and maintain them close.

' Then Ardvi Sura Anahita, O Spitama Zarathu^tra! proceeded forth from the Maker Mazda. Beautiful were her white arms, thick as a horse's shoulder or still thicker ; beautiful was her . . . . ^ and thus came she, strong, with thick arms, thinking thus in her heart :

' " Who will praise me ? Who will offer me a sacrifice, with libations cleanly prepared and wellstrained, together with the Haoma and meat ? To whom shall I cleave, who cleaves unto me, and thinks with me, and bestows gifts upon me, and is of good will unto me ? ^ "

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her

^ See the description §101 seq.

^ Zaoja or zui'a, an arra^ \ey6yievov, seems to designate a part of the body; of. § 126. » Cf. §§ II, 124.

a sacrifice worth being heard ; I will offer up unto the holy Ardvi Sura Anahita a good sacrifice with an offering of libations ; — thus mayest thou advise us when thou art appealed to ! Mayest thou be most fully worshipped, O Ardvi Sura Anahita ! with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the words, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words.

'Ye^^he hatam^: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

lo. 'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita, the wide-expanding and health-giving, who hates the Da^vas and obeys the laws of Ahura, who is worthy of sacrifice in the material world, worthy of prayer in the material world; the life-increasing and holy, the herd-increasing and holy, the fold-increasing and holy, the wealth-increasing and holy, the country-increasing and holy^;

II. 'Who drives forwards on her chariot, holding the reins of the chariot. She goes, driving, on this chariot, longing for men^ and thinking thus in her heart : " Who will praise me ? Who will offer me a sacrifice, with libations cleanly prepared and wellstrained, together with the Haoma and meat ? To whom shall I cleave, who cleaves unto me, and thinks with me, and bestows gifts upon me, and is of good will unto me ?"

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice, worth being heard \ . . .

^ As above, p. 30 ; § 9 is repeated at the end of every chapter. ' § io = § 2.

' Viz. for their worshipping; cf. Yasna XXIII, 2 [5], paitijmarefiti = Phl. humitinit, they hope, they expect. Cf. § 123.

As above, § 9.

ABAN YA5T. 5/

III.

'Offer up a sacrifice,0 Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sfira Anahita \ . . .

'Whom four horses carry, all white, of one and the same colour, of the same blood, tall, crushing down the hates of all haters, of the Daevas and men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, of the blind and of the deaf-.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

IV.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Siira Anahita ....

' Strong and bright, tall and beautiful of form,

who sends down by day and by night a flow of

motherly^ waters as large as the whole of the waters

that run along the earth, and who runs powerfully*.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathu^-tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

1 7. ' To her did the Maker Ahura Mazda offer up a sacrifice^ in the Alryana Vae^ah, by the good river Daitya^; with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the words, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words ^

^ As above, § 10. ^ Cf. p. 26, note 2.

' Doubtful; cf. Yt. VIII, 47. " Cf above, § 3.

Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 9, 40. This is the heavenly prototype of the Mazdean sacrifice as it was later shown to men by Zarathujtra; cf. § loi.

« Cf. Yt. I, 4 and notes. ' Cf. Yt. Ill, 18.

- He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may bring the son of Pourushaspa, the holy Zarathu5tra, to think after my law, to speak after my law, to do after my law! "

'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and begging that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra I unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

2 1. 'To her did Haoshyangha, the Paradhata
offer up a sacrifice on the enclosure ^ of the Hara^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, and ten thousand lambs.

'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sfira Anahita ! that I may become the sovereign lord of all countries, of the Daevas and men, of the

^ Haoshyangha was the first king of the Paradhata (Peshdadyan) dynasty (cf, above, p. 7, note 2, and Bundahij XXXI, i). It is related in Firdausi's Shah Namah that he was the grandson of Gayomarth, the first man and king, and the son of Syamak ; that his father having been killed by the black Div, he encountered him at the head of an army of lions, tigers, birds, and Paris, and destroyed him ; he then succeeded his grandfather, and reigned supreme over the seven Keshvars of the earth.

"^ Doubtful: upabda=upabanda, as thribda (Yt. VIII, 55) = thribanda; it appears from Yt. XV, 7 that the place meant here is the Taera which is said in the Bundahij (V, 7) to be surrounded by the Alborz (the Hara).

^ The Hara berezaiti or Alborz, in Mazandaran, south of the Caspian Sea, was supposed to surround the earth; cf Yt. X, 56.

ABAN YA5T. ' 59

Yatiis and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the bhnd and the deaf; and that I may smite down two thirds^ of the Daevas of Mazana^ and of the fiends of Varena^"

' Ardvl Sura Anahlta granted him that boon, as he was offering hbations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

VII.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zaralhujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvl Sura Anahita ....

'To her did Yima Khshaeta'*, the good shepherd, offer up a sacrifice from the height Hukairya•^ with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

' He begged of her a boon, saying : " Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may become the sovereign lord of all countries, of the Daevas and men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind and the deaf; and that I may take from the Daevas both

^ A formula frequently used, not only in the Avesta, but also in the Shah Namah.

"^ The Daevas in IMazandaran. Mazandaran was held a place of resort for demons and sorcerers, and was in the Iranian legend nearly the same as Ceylon is in the Ramaya;/a. The Damavand mountain, to which Asi Dahaka was bound, is the southern boundary of Mazandaran.

' See Vend. Introd. IV, 23; cf. this Yajt, § 33.

Yima Khshaeta ((?emshid), as an earthly king, ruled over the world for a thousand years, while he made immortality reign in it (Yt. IX, 8; XV, 15; cf. Vendidad II, Introd.).

^ See above, § 3.

6o YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

riches and welfare, both fatness and flocks, both weal and Glory"

' Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

VIII.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

- To her did A^-i Dahaka^ the three-mouthed, offer up a sacrifice in the land of Bawri^, with a

^ After his brother Takhma Urupa, who reigned before him, had been killed and devoured by Angra Mainyu (Yt. IV, 11, note).

2 When Yima began to sin and lost the HvsiXtwo (Glory), he was overthrown by Azi Dahaka (Zohak), who seized the power and reigned in his place for a thousand years (cf. Yt. XIX, 33 seq.).

Asi Dahaka, literally 'the fiendish snake,' was first a mythical personage ; he was the ' snake ' of the storm-cloud, and a counterpart of the Vedic Ahi or Vr/tra. He appears still in that character in Ya^t XIX seq., where he is described struggling for the HvdiXtnb against Atar (Fire), in the sea Vourukasha (Vendidad, Introd. IV, 38 ; cf this Ya^t, § 90). His struggle with Yima Khshaeta bore at first the same mythological character, • the shining Yima ' being originally, like the Vedic Yama, a solar hero : when Yima was turned into an earthly king, Kz'x underwent the same fate. In the Shah Namah he is described as a man with two snakes springing from his shoulders : they grew there through a kiss of Ahriman's. For the myths referring to Azi, see Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 91—95.

^ Babylon (cf Yt. XV, 19). The usurper Asi, being a non- Aryan, was identified with the hereditary foe, the Chaldseans : the name of Babylon united in it, at the same time, a dim historical record of the old Assyrian oppression, then shaken off and forgotten, and an actual expression of the national antipathy of the Iranians for their Semitic neighbours in Chalda^a. After the conquest of Persia by the Musulmans, Kzx was turned at last into an Arab. The original seat of the kz\ myths was on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea (Etudes Iraniennes, II, 210).

ABAN YA,ST. 6 I

hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, and ten thousand lambs.

'He begged of her a boon, saying : " Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may make all the seven Karshvares of the earth empty of men."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita did not grant him that boon, although he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating her that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

IX.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'To her did Thraetaona^ the heir^ of the valiant Athwya clan, offer up a sacrifice in the fourcornered Varena^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita! that I may overcome Asi Dahaka, the threemouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand senses^, that most powerful, fiendish Dru^,

^ Thraetaona (Feridun), son of Athwya, conquered Azi and bound him to Mount Damavand, where he is to stay till the end of the world, when he shall be let loose and then killed by Keresaspa (Vendidad, Introd. IV, 12, 18; Bahman Ya^t III, 55 seq.; Bund. XXIX, 8 seq.).

^ Vis6-puthra=Pahlavi barbita (see £tudes Iraniennes, II,

139)-

Cf. Vend. I, 18 and Introd. IV, 12. Modern tradition supposes Varena to have been the region of Ghilan (very likely on account of its proximity to Mazandaran and Mount Damavand).

See Yt. X, 82, note.

that demon, baleful to the world, the strongest Drii^ that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle ^ ; and that I may deliver his two wives, Savanghava/^ and Erenavai^ who are the fairest of body amongst women, and the most wonderful creatures in the worlds"

' Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! unto Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'To her did Keresaspa *, the manly-hearted, offer up a sacrifice behind the Vairi Pisanah ^ with a

^ The two daughters of Yima, who had been ravished by Asi : they are called in the Shah Namah Shahrinaz and Arnavaz (see £tudes Iraniennes, II, 213, Savanghava/i' et Erenava/^). Thraetaona delivered them, and then married them ; he had a son, Airyu, from Arnavaz, and two sons from Shahrinaz, Tura and Sairima; Airyu, Tura, and Sairima became the kings of Iran, Turan, and Rum.

Keresaspa (Garshasp), one of the greatest heroes in the Avestean romance, although Firdausi has all but passed him over in silence. See his feats, Yt. XIX, 38 seq. ; cf Yt. V, 27 seq. ; Yasna IX, 10 (29); Vend. I, 10 (36).

^ The Pi^in valley, south of Cabool. It was in the land of Cabool that the Keresaspa legend had its rise, or at least it was localised there. It is in the plain near the Pi^in valley that Keresaspa lies asleep, till the end of the world comes (see Yt XIII, 61, note).

ABAN VAST. 6^,

hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

2)S. 'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may overcome the golden-heeled Ga7zdarewa
thouo-h all the shores of the sea Vouru-Kasha are boiling over ; and that I may run up to the stronghold of the fiend on the wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

^ A Parsi poem, of a very late date, gives further details about Gandarewa. It was a monster who lived ' in the sea, on the mountain, and in the valley/ he was called Pashnah zarah, because the sea did not go above his heel (a misinterpretation of his Avestean epithet zairi pashna, golden-heeled, the Zend zairi being mistaken for the Persian zarah i', sea); his head would rise to the sun and rub the sky ; he could swallow up twelve men at once. Keresaspa fought him for nine days and nine nights together ; he drew him at last from the bottom of the sea and smashed his head with his club: when he fell on the ground, many. countries were spoiled by his fall (Spiegel, Die traditionnelle Literatur der Parsen, p. 339, and West, Pahlavi Texts, II, pp. 369 seq.).

In the Vedic mythology the Gandharva is the keeper of Soma, and is described now as a god, now as a fiend, according as he is a heavenly Soma-priest or a jealous possessor who grudges it to man. What was the original form of the myth in Mazdeism is not clear. In the Shah Namah he appears as the minister of Azi Dahaka. Cf Yt. XV, 27 seq., and Ormazd et Ahriman, pp. 99, note 5 ; 215, note i .

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

- To her did the Turanian murderer, Frangrasyan^, offer up a sacrifice in his cave under the earth ^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may seize hold of that Glory "\ that is waving in the middle of the sea Vouru-Kasha ^ and

^ Frangrasyan (Afrasyab) was king of Turan for two hundred years. The perpetual struggle between Iran and Turan, which lasts to this day, was represented in the legend by the deadly and endless wars between Afrasyab and the Iranian kings from Mino- ^ihr down to Kai Khosrav (Kavi Husravah). The chief cause of the feud was the murder of Syavakhsh (Syavarshana) by Afrasyab ; Syavakhsh, son of Kai Kaus (Kava Usa), having been exiled by his father, at the instigation of his mother-in-law, took refuge with Afrasyab, who received him with honour, and gave him his daughter in marriage : but the fortune of Syavakhsh raised the jealousy of Afrasyab's brother, Karsivaz (Keresavazda), who by means of calumnious accusations extorted from Afrasyab an order for putting him to death (see Yt. XIX, 77). Syavakhsh was revenged by his son, Kai Khosrav, the grandson of Afrasyab (Yt. IX, 22).

^ Ha;/kane: Firdausi speaks of a cave on the top of a mountain, near Barda (on the frontier of Adarbai^an), where Afrasyab, when defeated, took refuge, and was discovered by Kai Khosrav ; that cave was called 'the cave of Afrasyab' (hang i Afrasiab; Shah Namah, IV, 196). In an older form of the legend, that cave was a palace built under-ground, with walls of iron and a hundred columns : its height was a thousand times a man's size (Aogemaid^, § 61 ; cf Bund. XII, 20: see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 225, Le Hang d' Afrasyab).

" Yt. XIX, 56'seq.

ABAN YAST. 65

that belongs to the Aryan people, to those born and to those not yet born, and to the holy Zarathiutra." • 43. 'Ardvi Sljra Anahita did not grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice . . , .

XII.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'To her did the great, most wise Kavi Usa^ offer up a sacrifice from Mount Erezifya^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me, this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Andhita ! that I may become the sovereign lord of all countries, of the Daevas and men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind and the deaf."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XIIL

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'To her did the gallant Husravah^ he who

' Kavi Usa (Kai Kaus), the son of Kavi Kavata (Kai Kobad) and the father of Syavakhsh (see p. 64, note i), was the second king of the Kayanian dynasty.

^ Mount Erezifya has been supposed to be the same as the Sariphi Monte s in Ptolemaeus, which stretch between Margiana and Ariana (Burnouf, Commentaire sur le Yasna, p. 436).

' Kai Khosrav ; cf. p. 64, notes 1 and 2.

[23] F

united the Aryan nations into one kingdom \ offer up a sacrifice behind the A^ae/^asta lake ^, the deep lake, of salt waters ^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Siira Anahita ! that I may become the sovereign lord of all countries, of Daevas and men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind and the deaf; and that I may have the lead in front of all the teams * and that he may not pass through ^ the forest ^, he, the murderer'^, who now is fiercely^ striving against me ^ on horseback ^'^."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XIV.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathu^-tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'To her did the valiant warrior Tusa^^ offer

^ Doubtful.

^ A lake in Adarbai^an, with salt water : fish cannot live in it (Bundahii- XXII, 2). It is the same as Lake Urumiah. Its name is miswritten in Firdausi (Khan^ast for ^e^ast, o.»,^s^^ for

^ Doubtful; see Etudes Iraniennes, II, uruyapa, p. 1^9.

In pursuing his adversary. ^ Doubtful (cf Yt. XV, 32).

The White Forest (ibid.). '' Aurvasara (ibid.).

Doubtful. ^ Trying to flee and escape. ^° Possibly, ' vieing in horses ' (for the swiftness of the race) :

cf. Yt. XIX, 77.

" Tusa, in the Shah Namah Tus; one of the most celebrated Pahlavans of Kai Khosrav; he was the son of king Naotara (Nodar).

ABAN YA^T. d']

worship on the back of his horse \ begging swiftness for his teams, health for his own body, and that he might watch with full success ^ those who hated him, smite down his foes, and destroy at one stroke his adversaries, his enemies, and those who hated him ^

'He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may overcome the gallant sons of Vaesaka^, by the castle Khshathro-saoka, that stands high up on the lofty, holy Kangha^; that I may smite of the Turanian people their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon *', as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

^ He offers not a full sacrifice, being on horseback.

^ Not to be taken by surprise.

» Cf. Yt. X, II, 94, 114.

Vaesaka was the head of the Vis ah family, whose foremost member was Pi ran Visah, the clever and upright minister of Afrasyab, the Turanian Nestor; but his counsels were despised for the common ruin, and himself perished with all his sons in the war against Iran.

^ Kangha was a town founded by Syavarshana, during his exile, in a part of the land of Khvarizm, which is described as an earthly paradise. This city was built on the top of a high mountain (Awtare-Kangha, Yt. XIX, 4). The Khshathro-saoka castle is called in the Shah Namah Kang dez, 'the fortress of Kangha;' and, possibly, Khshathro-saoka is a mere epithet of dvarem, ' the castle of kingly welfare.'

® According to the Shah Namah, Kang dez was stormed by Kai Khosrav himself.

F 2

XV.

' Offer up a sacrifice, 0 Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Siira Anahita ....

' To her did the gallant sons ofVaesaka offer up a sacrifice in the castle Khshathro-saoka, that stands high up on the lofty, holy Kangha, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

'They begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant us this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that we may overcome the valiant warrior Tusa, and that we may smite of the Aryan people their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads "

*Ardvi Sura Anahita did not grant them that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XVI.

' Offer up a sacrifice, 0 Spitama Zarathu^tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sfara Anahita ....

'The old^ Vafra Navaza worshipped her, when the strong fiend-smiter, Thraetaona, flung him up in the air in the shape of a bird, of a vulture ^

' Cf. §§ 53-54.

^ Doubtful (pourvo) ; perhaps 'the man of the primitive faith' (the paoiryo-Zkaesha; cf. Yt. XIII, o, note): the sacrifice he offers is quite a Zoroastrian one (cf. §§ 17, 104, and note 2 to the latter).

' An allusion is made here to a myth, belonging to the Thraetaona cyclus, of which no other trace is found in the Avesta (except in Yt. XXIII, 4). It referred most likely to the time when

ABAN YA5T. 69

'He went on flying, for three days and three nights, towards his own house; but he could not, he could not turn down. At the end of the third nio-ht when the beneficent dawn came dawning up, then he prayed unto Ardvi Sura Anahita, saying :

' "Ardvi Sura Anahita! do thou quickly hasten helpfully and bring me assistance at once. I will offer thee a thousand libations, cleanly prepared and well strained, along with Haomas and meat, by the brink of the river Rangha, if I reach alive the earth made by Ahura and my own house."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita hastened unto him in the shape of a maid, fair of body, most strong, tallformed, high-girded, pure, nobly born of a glorious race, wearing shoes up to the ankle, wearing a golden . . . . ^, and radiant ^.

' She seized him by the arm : quickly was it done, nor was it long till, speeding, he arrived at the earth made by Mazda and at his own house, safe, unhurt, unwounded, just as he was before.

[66. 'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, entreating that she would grant him that boon^]

'For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

Thraetaona, on his march to Bawri, the capital of Asi (cf. § 29), arrived at the Tigris (the Rangha) ; an angel then came and taught him magic to enable him to baffle the sortileges of Asi (Shah Namah). We have in this passage an instance of his talents as a wizard, and one which helps us to understand why Thraetaona is considered as the inventor of magic, and his name is invoked in spells and incantations (Hamzah Ispahanensis, p. loi; Anquetil, II, pp. 135 seq.). Cf. Yt. XIV, 40 and note.

^ Urvikhi-na, a word of doubtful meaning.

^ Cf. Yt. V, 78, 126.

^ This clause is no doubt spurious here.

XVII.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

' To her did 6^amaspa^ offer up a sacrifice, with a hundred horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs, when he saw the army of the wicked, of the worshippers of the Daevas, comin(^^ from afar in battle array.

'He asked of her a boon, saying : " Grant me this, O o:ood, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may be as constantly victorious as any one of all the Aryans ^."

' Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XVIII.

7t. ' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

' To her did Ashavazdah, the son of Pouru-

^ (ramaspa, the prime minister of Vutaspa (Kai Gmtasp), appears here in the character of a warrior, though generally he is described as a sage and a prophet (Yasna XLIX [XLVIIl], 9 ; LI [L], 8 ; Zardmt Namah ; yet cf. Yt. XXIII, 2). The Shah Namah has an episode which recalls this one, although very different in its spirit, and more in accordance with the general character of (zamaspa. At the moment when the two armies meet together, Gu^tasp asks G^amasp to reveal to him the issue of the encounter : (?amasp obeys reluctantly, as the issue is to be fatal to the Iranians. G'amasp belonged to the Hvova family.

^ Or, • as all the rest of the Aryans together.'

A A

ABAN YAST. 7 1

dhdkh^ti \ and Ashavazdah and Thrita, the sons of Sayu^'dri^, offer up a sacrifice, with a hundred horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs, by Apam Napa/, the tall lord, the lord of the females, the bright and swift-horsed \

yT,. 'They begged of her a boon, saying : " Grant us this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi S(ira Anahita ! that we may overcome the assemblers of the Turanian Danus ^ Kara Asabana ^ and Vara Asabana, and the most mighty Duraekaeta, in the battles of this world ".

- Ardvi Stira Anahita granted them that boon, as they were offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant them that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XIX.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sfira Anahita ....

' Vistauru, the son of Naotara ^, worshipped

^ Cf Yt. XIII, 112. Ashavazdah, the son of Pourudhakhjti, is one of the immortals who will come forth to help Saoshya«/ in the final struggle (Bundahij XXIX, 6 ; Yt. XIX, 95).

2 Cf. Yt. XIII, 113. ^ Cf. above, p. 6, note i.

A Turanian tribe, Yt. XIII, 37-38.

** Asabana is very likely an epithet; possibly, 'who kills with a stone ' (asan-ban) ; the sling was, as it seems, the favourite weapon of the Danus (Yt. XIII, 38).

This section is the only fragment left of the legend of Ashavazdah, which must have been an important one, since Ashavazdah is one of the immortals (Yt. XIX, 95).

' Cf. Yt. XIII, 102. Vistauru, being the son of Naotara, is the brother of Tusa, which identifies him with the Gustahm ( ^ a •; ^ r) in the Shah Namah : Nodar had two sons, Tus and Gustahm.

4„ A,

•^2 YA^TS AND SIROZAHS.

her by the brink of the river Vitanghuhaiti \ with well-spoken words, speaking thus :

^']. "'This is true, this is truly spoken, that I have smitten as many of the worshippers of the Daevas as the hairs I bear on my head. Do thou then, O Ardvi Sura Anahita ! leave me a dry passage, to pass over the good Vitanghuhaiti."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita hastened unto him in the shape of a maid, fair of body, most strong, tallformed, high-girded, pure, nobly born of a glorious race, wearing shoes up to the ankle, with all sorts of ornaments and radiant ^. A part of the waters she made stand still, a part of the waters she made flow forward, and she left him a dry passage to pass over the good Vitanghuhaiti ^

[79. 'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon ^]

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XX.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'To her did Yoina, one of the Fryanas^,

^ A river not mentioned elsewhere. ^ Cf.§§64, 126.

Firdausi has no mention of this episode.

Spurious.

^ This legend is fully told in the Pahlavi tale of Gojti Fryan (edited and translated by West) : a sorcerer, named Akht, comes with an immense army to the city of the enigma-expounders, threatening to make it a beaten track for elephants, if his enigmas are not solved. A Mazdayasnian, named Gojti FrySn, guesses the

ABAN YA^T. J^

offer up a sacrifice with a hundred horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs on the P^dvaepa^ of the Rangha.

- He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may overcome the evil-doing Akhtya, the offspring of darkness, and that I may answer the ninety-nine hard riddles that he asks me maliciously, the evil-doing Akhtya, the offspring of darkness. "

^T,. 'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXI.

' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'Whom Ahura Mazda the merciful ordered thus, saying : " Come, O Ardvi Sura Anahita, come from those stars ^ down to the earth made by Ahura,

thirty-three riddles proposed by Akht; then, in his turn, he proposes him three riddles which the sorcerer is unable to guess, and, in the end, he destroys him by the strength of a Nirang. Cf. Yt. XIII, 120. This tale, which belongs to the same widespread cycle as the myth of Oedipus and the Germanic legend of the Wartburg battle, is found in the Zarathujtra legend too (Vendidad XIX, 4).

' Perhaps an affluent of the Rangha (cf Yt. XIII, 1 9, 1 9 ; X V, 2 7).

^ Between the earth and the region of infinite light there are three intermediate regions, the star region, the moon region, and the sun region. The star region is the nearest to the earth, and the sun region is the remotest from it. Ardvi Sura has her seat in the star region (Yasna LXV [LXIV], i ; Phi. tr.) ; cf. Yt.V, 132.

^„ A.

that the great lords may worship thee, the masters of the countries, and their sons.

' " The men of strength^ will beg of thee swift horses and supremacy of Glory.

' " The Athravans who read ^ and the pupils of the Athravans will beg of thee knowledge and prosperity, the Victory made by Ahura, and the crushing Ascendant.

'"The maids of barren womb ^ longing for a lord ^ will beg of thee a strong husband ;

' "Women, on the point of bringing forth, will beg of thee a good delivery.

' "All this wilt thou grant unto them, as it lies in thy power, O Ardvi Sdra. Anihita "

'Then Ardvi Siara Anahita came forth, O Zarathu5tra! down from those stars to the earth made by Mazda; and Ardvi Silra Anahita spake thus :

'"O pure, holy Zarathu^tra ! Ahura Mazda has established thee as the master of the material world : Ahura Mazda has established me to keep the whole of the holy creation.

' " Through my brightness and glory flocks and herds and two-legged men go on, upon the earth : I, forsooth, keep all good things, made by Mazda, the offspring of the holy principle, just as a shepherd keeps his flock.''

' Zarathu^tra asked Ardvi Sura Anahita : " O Ardvi Sura Anahita ! With what manner of sacrifice shall I worship thee ? With what manner of sacrifice shall I worship and forward thee ? So that Mazda may make thee run down (to the earth), that

' The warriors. ^ To teach. ' Doubtful.

ABAN VAST. 75

he may not make thee run up into the heavens, above the sun ^ ; and that the Serpent ^ may not injure thee with . . . .^ with ....■, with . . . .^ and .... poisons'."

'Ardvi Sura Anahita answered: "O pure, holy Spitama! this is the sacrifice wherewith thou shalt worship me, this is the sacrifice wherewith thou shalt worship and forward me, from the time when the sun is rising to the time when the sun is setting.

'" Of this libation of mine thou shalt drink, thou

who art an Athravan, who hast asked and learnt the revealed law, who art wise, clever, and the Word incarnate.

' " Of this libation of mine let no foe drink, no man fever-sick, no liar, no coward, no jealous one, no woman, no faithful one who does not sing the Gathas, no leper to be confined '^.

' " I do not accept those libations that are drunk in my honour by the blind, by the deaf, by the wicked, by the destroyers, by the niggards, by the . . . . ^ nor any of those stamped with those characters which have no strength for the holy Word 9.

^ When the beds of the rivers are dry, the cause is that Ardvi Sura sends up her waters to the higher heavens (to the sun region) instead of sending them down to the earth (cf. p. 73, note 2).

^ The serpent, Azi, is here Azi in his original naturalistic character, the storm-fiend (cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 38 and this Yast, § 29, note). The uncleanness and unhealthiness of the rivers are ascribed to his poison.

^ Arethna, an ana^ 'Xtyoufvov. * Vawzaka, idem.

^ Varenva, idem. "^ Varenva poisons.

' Cf. Vend. II, 29. ' « ? Ranghaw.

' Which incapacitate one for religious works.

" Let no one drink of these my libations who is hump-backed or bulged forward ; no fiend with decayed teethe"

'Then Zarathui"tra asked Ardvi Sura Anahita: " O Ardvi Sura Anahita ! What becomes of those libations which the wicked worshippers of the Daevas bring unto thee after the sun has set^?"

'Ardvi Sura Anahita answered: "O pure, holy Spitama Zarathui^tra ! howling, clapping, hopping, and shouting ^ six hundred and a thousand Daevas, who ought not to receive that sacrifice ^ receive those libations ^ that men bring unto me after [the sun has set]^"

- I will worship the height Hukairya, of the deep precipices ^, made of gold, wherefrom this mine Ardvi Sura Anahita leaps, from a hundred times the height of a man ^, while she is possessed of as much Glory as the whole of the waters that run along the earth, and she runs powerfully ^.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXII.

' Oflfer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathmtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

' Before whom the worshippers of Mazda

' a. Vend. II, 29.

2 Cf Vend. VII, 79 and note 2 ; cf. above, § 91.

^ For joy. The translations of those several words are not certain.

Doubtful. ^ Perhaps, those cups (yamaw).

^ Filled up from § 94.

'' The text here has vispo-vahmem, ' worthy of all prayer ;' the reading vtspo-vaemem from Yt. XII, 24 seems to be better.

» Cf. §§ 102, 121. » Cf. §§4, 102, 121.

ABAN YA^T. *^']

Stand with baresma in their hands : the Hvovas did worship her, the Naotaras did worship her ^ ; the Hvovas asked for riches, the Naotaras asked for swift horses. Quickly was Hvova blessed with riches and full prosperity ; quickly became Vii-taspa, the Naotaride, the lord of the swiftest horses in these countries ^.

['Ardvi Stira Anahita granted them that boon, as they were offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant them that boon^]

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXIII.

'Offer up a sacrifice,© Spitama Zarathuj-tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

loi. 'Who has a thousand cells and a thousand channels : the extent of each of those cells, of each of those channels, is as much as a man can ride in forty days, riding on a good horse ^. In each channel there stands a palace, well-founded, shining with a hundred windows, with a thousand columns, well-built, with ten thousand balconies, and mighty.

' In each of those palaces there lies a welllaid, well-scented bed, covered with pillows, and

The Hv6va or Hvogva family plays as great a part in the religious legend, as the Naotara family in the heroic one. Two of the Hvovas, Frashaojtra and Gamaspa, were among the first disciples of Zarathujtra and the prophet married Frashao^tra's daughter, Hvogvi (cf. Yt.XIII, 139). For the Naotaras, see above, §§ 53) 76. According to the Bundahij, ViJtaspa did not belong to the Naotara family (XXXI, 28): perhaps he was considered a Naotaride on account of his wife Hutaosa, who was one (Yt. XV, 35).

^ His very name means ' He who has many horses.'

^ Spurious. ( Cf. § 4.

yS YAS-TS AND SIROZAHS.

Ardvi Sura Anahita, O Zarathui-tra ! runs down there from a thousand times the height of a man, and she is possessed of as much Glory as the whole of the waters that run along the earth, and she runs powerfully \

XXIV.

-'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra I unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

' Unto her did the holy Zarathu5tra offer up a sacrifice in the Airyana Vae^ah, by the good river Daitya ; with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the speech, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words 2.

' He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may bring the son of Aurva/-aspa ^, the valiant Kavi Vi^aspa, to think according to the law, to speak according to the law, to do according to the law^"

'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

. ' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

1 Cf. § 96.

2 Cf. § 1 7. It is to be noticed that only Ahura and Zarathujtra (and perhaps Vafra Navaza ; see p. 68, note 2) offer the pure Zoroastrian sacrifice.

3 Called Lohrasp in Parsi tradition.

Cf. § 18. The conversion of Vijtaspa by Zarathuj'tra is the turning-point in the earthly history of Mazdeism, as the conversion of Zarathu^tra by Ahura himself is in its heavenly history. Cf. Yt. XXIV and IX, 26.

abAn ya^t. 79

XXV.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathuj'tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

- Unto her did the talP Kavi Virtaspa^ offer up a sacrifice behind Lake Frazdanava ^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

*He begged of her a boon, saying: "Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may overcome Tathrava?^/, of the bad law, and Peshana, the worshipper of the Daevas, and the wicked Are^a/-aspa ^ in the battles of this world !"

no. 'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

^ Berezaidhi, translated buland (Yasna LVII, 11 [LVI, 5, 2]).

A lake in Seistan (Bundahii- XXII, 5) ; from that lake will rise Hoshedar Bami (UkhshyaZ-ereta), the first of the three sons of Zarathujtra, not yet born (Bahman Ya^t III, 13 ; cf Yt. XIII, 98).

Of these three, Are^a/-aspa alone is known to Firdausi ; he is the celebrated Ar^asp, who waged a deadly war against Gui-tasp to suppress the new religion : he stormed Balkh, slaughtered Lohrasp and Zartujt (Zarathujtra), and was at last defeated and killed by Gui-tasp's son, Isfendyar. He is the Afrasyab of the Zoroastrian period. In the Avesta he is not called a Turanian (Tura), but a //^'yaona ; see Yt. IX, 30.

8o YA^TS AND SIROZAHS.

XXVI.

III. 'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi SCira Anahita ....

'Unto her did Zalri-vairi ^, who fought on horseback, offer up a sacrifice behind the river Daltya^, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

- He begged of her a boon, saying : " Grant me this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita ! that I may overcome Pesho-A'angha the corpse-burier ^, Humayaka^ the worshipper of the Daevas, and the wicked Are^a/-aspa ^ in the battles of this world.

1 14. 'Ardvi Sura Anahita granted him that boon", as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXVII.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

116.' Unto her did Are^a^aspa and Va;zdaremaini'^

1 Zarir in Firdausi, the brother of Vutaspa ; cf Yt. V, 117; XIII, loi.

^ The Araxes (Vendidad I, 3).

3 Doubtful (cf. Vend. Ill, 36 seq.).

This is perhaps an epithet to Pesho-^angha, 'the most malicious.'

^ See p. 79, note 4.

" If we may trust the Shah Namah, she did not grant her favour to the last, as Zarir was killed by one of the generals of Ar§-asp, Bidirafi-h.

^ A brother of Ar^asp's : his name is slightly altered in Firdausi (Andariman miswritten for Vandariman, ,jU.3^jol for ^jUj^aJj ; see !Etudes Iraniennes, p. 228).

ABAN YA^T. 8 I

offer up a sacrifice by the sea Vouru-Kasha, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs.

117.' They ^ begged of her a boon, saying : " Grant us this, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Sura Anahita! that we may conquer the valiant Kavi Vii'taspa and Zairivairi who fights on horseback, and that we may smite of the Aryan people their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads."

1 18. 'Ardvi Sura Anahita did not grant them^ that favour, though they were offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she should grant them that favour.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXVIII.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtral unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

1 20. ' For whom Ahura Mazda has made four horses — the wind, the rain, the cloud, and the sleet — and thus ever ^ upon the earth it is raining, snowing, hailing, and sleeting ; and whose armies are so many and numbered by nine-hundreds and thousands.

12 1. 'I will worship the height Hukairya, of the

^ The text has the singular here and in the rest of the sentence : the names of the two brothers form a sort of singular dvandva ; of Franghrasyanem Keresavazdem (Yt. XIX, 77); Ashavazdangho Thritahe (Yt. XIII, 113 ; and same Yast, 115), and in the present passage ViJ-taspo Zairivairij (see ]^tudes Iraniennes, II, 229).

2 Both were killed by Isfendyar (Shah Namah).

^ ]\Iijli translated hamejak, sada (Yt. VII, 4).

[23] G

deep precipices, made of gold, wherefrom this mine Ardvi Sura Anahita leaps, from a hundred times the height of a man, while she is possessed of as much Glory as the whole of the waters that run along the earth, and she runs powerfully \

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXIX.

'Offer up a sacrifice,© Spitama Zarathmtra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'She Stands, the good Ardvi Stira Anahita, wearing a golden mantle ^, waiting for a man who shall offer her libations and prayers, and thinking thus in her heart :

- " Who will praise me ? Who will offer me a sacrifice, with libations cleanly prepared and wellstrained, together with the Haoma and meat ? To whom shall I cleave, who cleaves unto me, and thinks with me, and bestows gifts upon me, and is of good will unto me^?"

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

XXX.

'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathujtra! unlo this spring of mine, Ardvi Siira Anahita .....

'Ardvi Sura Anahita, who stands carried forth in the shape of a maid, fair of body, most strong, tall-formed, high-girded, pure, nobly born of

' § I2I=§§ 96, 102.

^ Paitidana, a mande, a tunic (Vend. XIV, 9 [28]). ' See §§8, n.

ABAN VAST. 83

a glorious race ^ wearing along her .... ^ a mantle fully embroidered with gold ;

- Ever holding the baresma in her hand, according to the rules, she wears square golden earrings on her ears bored '\ and a golden necklace around her beautiful neck, she, the nobly born Ardvi Sura Anahita ; and she girded her waist tightly, so that her breasts may be well-shaped, that they may be tightly pressed *.

- Upon her head Ardvi Sura Anahita bound a golden crown, with a hundred stars ^ with eight rays, a fine . . . . ^, a well-made crown, in the shape of a .... '^, with fillets streaming down.

'She is clothed with garments of beaver^, Ardvi Siira Anahita; with the skin of thirty beavers of those that bear four young ones, that are the finest kind of beavers ; for the skin of the beaver that lives in water is the finest-coloured of all skins, and when worked at the right time it shines to the eye with full sheen of silver and gold.

'Here, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Siira Anahita! I beg of thee this favour: that I, fully blessed, may conquer large kingdoms, rich in horses^, with high tributes, with snorting horses, sounding chariots, flashing swords, rich in aliments, with stores of food, with well-scented beds^"; that I may have

^ Cf. §§ 64, 78. 2 Zaoja; cf. § 7, note 2.

' Doubtful (sispemna, from sif, ^j:J^).

Doubtful. ^ Gems.

^ ? Anupoithwaitim.

' ? Ratha; the usual meaning of ratha is 'a chariot;' perhaps the round shape of the chest of a chariot is meant.

' Possibly otter, Vend. XIV. » Doubtful.

'' Cf. Yt. XVII, 7.

G 2

at my wish the fulness of the good things of life and whatever makes a kingdom thrive \

' Here, O good, most beneficent Ardvi Stara Anahita ! I beg of thee two gallant companions, one two-legged and one four-legged ^ : one two-legged, who is swift, quickly rushing, and clever in turning a chariot round in battle ; and one four-legged, who can quickly turn towards either wing of the host with a wide front, towards the right wing or the left, towards the left wing or the right.

'Through the strength of this sacrifice, of this invocation, O Ardvi Sura Anahita ! come down from those stars ^, towards the earth made by Ahura, towards the sacrificing priest, towards the full boiling [milk '^J ; come to help him who is offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that thou wouldst grant him thy favours ; that all those gallant warriors may be strong, like king Vii-taspa.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice .... 133. ' Yatha ahfl vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of the holy water-spring Anahita.

'AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good .... ' [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones!'

^ The translation of the last clause is doubtful.

^ A good horse and a good driver.

' Cf. §§ 85, 88. * Aspendiarji ad Vend. XIX, 40 [133].

KHORSHED YA^T. 85

VI. KHORSHfeZ^ YA^^T.

(Ya^t to the Sun.)

This Yajt is recited at any time, but particularly on the days consecrated to the sun and to Khshathra-Vairya (Shahrivar), Mithra (IMihir), Asman (Asman), and Anaghra rao/^a« (Aniran ^) : the last three, Mithra, Asman (the Heaven), Anaghra (the infinite Light), have a natural connection with the sun, but its connection with Khshathra-Vairya is not so clear.

Of this Yart we have a Pahlavi (East India Office, XII), a Persian (ibid. XXIV), and a Sanskrit translation (Fonds Burnouf V; all three edited in lEtudes Iraniennes, II).

May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced I . . . .

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ^ . . . .

Unto the undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun^; Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ^ . . . .

We sacrifice unto the undying, shining, swifthorsed Sun.

When the light of the sun waxes warmer *, when the brightness of the sun waxes warmer, then up

^ Or the nth, i6th, 27th, and 30th days of the month (Anquetil, II, 184).

*■' As above, Yt. I, o. » Sirozah I, 11.

That is to say, rises up ' (Phi. tr.).

4 (

Stand the heavenly Yazatas, by hundreds and thousands : they gather together its Glory, they make its Glory pass down, they pour its Glory upon the earth made by Ahura, for the increase of the world of holiness, for the increase of the creatures of holiness \ for the increase of the undying, shining, swifthorsed Sun.

And when the sun rises up, then the earth, made by Ahura, becomes clean 2; the running waters become clean, the waters of the wells become clean, the waters of the sea become clean, the standing waters become clean ; all the holy creatures, the creatures of the Good Spirit, become clean.

Should not the sun rise up, then the Daevas would destroy all the things that are in the seven Karshvares, nor would the heavenly Yazatas find any way of withstanding or repelling them in the material world.

He who offers up a sacrifice unto the undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun — to withstand darkness, to withstand the Daevas born of darkness, to withstand the robbers and bandits, to withstand the Yatus and Pairikas, to withstand death that creeps in unseen — offers it up to Ahura Mazda, offers it up to the Amesha-Spe;/tas, offers it up to his own soul^ He rejoices all the heavenly and worldly Yazatas, who offers up a sacrifice unto the undying, shining, swifthorsed Sun.

I will sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide

' Literally ' of the body of holiness,' that is to say, of the bodily creatures that incorporate holiness.

"^ ' From the uncleanness that the Daevas mix with the earth during the night ' (Phi. tr.).

^ As he benefits them and himself thereby.

KHORSHEZ) VAST. 87

pastures, who has a thousand ears, ten thousand eyes.

I will sacrifice unto the club of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, well struck down ^ upon the skulls of the Daevas.

I will sacrifice unto that friendship, the best of all friendships, that reigns between the moon and the sun ^.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the undying, shining, swifthorsed Sun. Unto the undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun we offer up the libations, the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightly-spoken words ^.

Yewhe hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and the invocation, and the strength and vigour of the undying, shining, swifthorsed Sun.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

Give unto that man brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ Hunivikhtem: suniyuktam (Sansk. tr.) ; s^il^j ljj.* (Pers.tr.). ^ As they succeed one another in regular order. 3 CfYt. Ill, 18.

VII. MAH YA^r.

This Yajt to the Moon is recited on the day of the Moon, and on those of Bahman, Gos, and Ram^ (Anquetil, II, 185). Bahman and Gos are so far connected with the Moon that all three are gao/^ithra: ' Bahman ^ the Moon, and Gds\ all three, are having in them the seed of the bull ; Bahman can neither be seen nor seized with the hand; the Moon proceeded from Bahman * and can be seen, but cannot be seized with the hand ; G6s proceeded from the Moon ^ and can both be seen and seized with the hand ^' Ram is referred to here as being ;^z;astra, ' lord of good pastures V

Of this Yajt we have translations in Pahlavi, Persian, and Sanskrit (edited in Etudes Iraniennes, II).

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohii : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathu^tra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the

^ The 1 2th, 2nd, 14th, and 21st days of the month.

2 The Amshaspand Bahman is entrusted with the care of cattle (Vend, XIX, 20, note 8).

^ The Genius of Cattle ; see Yt. IX.

Bahman is 'good thought, good mind,' Vohu-Mano; in the Vedas the moon is said to have been made out of the mind (man as) of Puruja. For an explanation of that old mystical myth, see Ormazd et Ahriman, p. 74, note 3.

^ See Vend. XXI, 9 [51], note 4.

« Pahlavi commentary to this Ya^t, I.

^ Vend. Introd. IV, 16, and tindes Iraniennes, II, 187 seq.

MAH VA5T. 89

Bull; unto the only-created Bull and unto the Bull^ of many species;

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and crlorification.

Yatha ahii vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

Hail to Ahura Mazda! Hail to the Amesha- Spe;^tas ! Hail to the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the BulP! Hail to thee when we look at thee ! Hail to thee when thou lookest at us ^!

2, How does the moon wax ? How does the moon wane ?

For fifteen days does the moon wax*; for fifteen days does the moon wane. As long as her waxing, so long is the waning^; as long as her waning, so long is the waxing.

Who is there but thee ^ who makes the moon wax and wane '?'

^ Sirozah I, 12. ^ See Vend. XXI, i, text and note.

When the moon allows itself to be perceived.

The Pahlavi translation has the following interesting details : ' For fifteen days they take good deeds from the earthly creatures and the rewards for virtue from the heavens ; for fifteen days they make the rewards pass to the earth and the good deeds pass to the heavens.' The moon is thus a sort of moral clearing-house between earth and heaven,

^ According to the Parsis this waning does not refer to the moon, but to the constellations that help it in the struggle against the planets, which are supposed to belong to the Ahrimanian world (see Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 223-226): 'while it waxes — namely, the moon — they wane, — namely, those that are opposed to the planets, to the bad stars ; for instance, Haftoiring, Va.na.nd, Tijtar, Satves ; . . . . while it wanes — namely, the moon — they wax, that is to say, they are strong for doing good.' Thus the moon and the stars relieve each other in the batde against Ahriman.

« Ahura.

' Quoted from Yasna XLIV [XLIII], 3.

We sacrifice unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull, the holy and master of holiness.

Here I look at the moon, here I perceive the moon ; here I look at the light of the moon, here I perceive the light of the moon. The Amesha- Spe;^tas stand up \ holding its glory ; the Amesha- Spe;^tas stand up, pouring its glory upon the earth, made by Mazda ^.

And when the light of the moon waxes warmer, golden-hued plants grow on^ from the earth during the spring ^

We sacrifice unto the new moons, the full moons, and the Vtshaptathas^.

We sacrifice unto the new moon, the holy and master of holiness ;

We sacrifice unto the full moon, the holy and master of holiness ;

We sacrifice unto the Vishaptatha, the holy and master of holiness.

^ As soon as the moon appears. ^ Cf. Yt. VI, 2.

' Mijti, meaning sada, &..t . » fe ; cf. mi-^a/^i.

Zaremaem, meaning vasantamase,^lp. ^J^p. ; it has the same meaning in Vend. XVIII, 9 [23] ; cf. Yt. XXII, 18.

^ New moon and full moon are not used here in the English meaning : the month was divided into six parts, of five days each (the Norse fimt or five days' week; see Vigfusson, Icelandic Dictionary, s. v.): the first five days (pan/^ak fartum) formed the new moon or awtare-mcz/ngha, literally ' the moon within ;' the next five days (pan/^ak datigar) formed the peren6-maMngha, literally ' the moon full,' which in fact partly answered to our first quarter ; the next five days (pan/^ak sitigar), belonging to the full moon, were called the Vishaptatha; no mention is made of the last three pan;6ak, forming the second half of the month. It may be they were not mentioned, as belonging to the waning period, when the powers of the moon are suffering an eclipse. Cf. Neriosengh to Yasna I, (23.)

MAH YA5T. 9 1

I will sacrifice unto the Moon, that keeps in it the seed of the Bull, the liberal, bright, glorious, water - giving \ warmth - giving, wisdom - giving ^, wealth-giving ^ riches-giving, thoughtfulness-giving ^, weal-giving, freshness -giving^, prosperity -giving^, the liberal, the healing.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer unto it a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull.

Unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull, we offer up the libations, the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightly-spoken words.

Ye?/he hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura ]\Iazda ....

Yathaahiivairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of the Moon, that keeps in it the seed of the Bull, and of the only-created Bull, and of the Bull of many species.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good.

Give unto that man brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ Or possessing: giving may be replaced by possessing in this word as in the following.

^ Vare)^angha«tem: danak (Phi.); ^wanitaram (Sansk.).

Khjtavawtem : lakshmivantam (Sansk.).

Yaokhjtiva«tem, 'pondering on what good is to be done' (vi/^aryavantam karyanyayanam ; J jj: . XS sjo ,b dLo is^AJl).

^ Zairimyavawtem: haritavarwavantam, kila pr/thivi(m) sardrataram karoti (Sansk.).

Vohvavawtem: uttamasamr/ddhimantam (Sansk.).

VIII. TIR YA^T.

Tijtrya is the leader of the stars against the planets, as stars and planets belong, respectively, to the worlds of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu (Vend. Introd. IV, 36 ; Bund. II, 5 seq.).

This Yast is a description of the production of the rain through the agency of the star Tij-trya. It has to struggle against the Daeva of Drought, Apaosha, is first overcome and conquers at last. This seems to be a refacimento of the old storm myths, which have been in so far renewed as the role of the hero in the original myth has been transferred to a star. It is to be noticed, however, that Apaosha is not described as a planet.

Tijtrya is Sirius \ It presides over the first month of summer (21 June-2i July). This Ya^t appears thus to have been written in a part of Iran where the dog-days must have fallen in July, and the rainy season began in the last days of July, unless the place of Tijtrya in the calendar has been changed at some later period.

This Yajt is recited on the days of Tijtrya, Haurvata/ (as the Genius of Waters), Farvardin (as the Fravashis are his allies in the struggle; § 34), and Bad (the wind; § 32).

The struggle between Tiotrya and Apaosha is described in the Bundahij- (VII), but it has there a cosmological character : it has not for its object the annual and regular return of the rains after the dog-days, but the production of the seas and lakes in the first ages of the world.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced I . . . .

Ashem Voh{i : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto Ti.ytrya, the bright and glorious star, and unto the powerful Satavaesa, made by Mazda, who pushes waters forward ^,

^ "Eva S' dcrrepa npo ndvTcov, olov (})v\aKa Koi Trpoonrrjp fyKarearrjae, top

2(ipiop (Plutarchus, de Iside et Osiride, § 47 ; cf. infra, § 48). ^ Sirozah I, 13.

TIR VAST. 93

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

Ahiira Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathui-tra, saying : ' We worship the lordship and mastership [of Ti^trya], whereby he protects ^ the Moon, the dwelling, the food, when my glorious stars come along and impart their gifts ^ to men. I will sacrifice unto the star Tijtrya, that gives the fields their share [of waters].

' We offer up libations unto Tij-trya, the bright and glorious star, that gives happy dwelling and good dwelling ; the white, shining, seen afar, and piercing ; the health-bringing, loud-snorting ^, and high, piercing from afar with its shining, undefiled rays ; and unto the waters of the wide sea, the Vanguhi of wide renown ^, and the species ^ of the Bull, made by Mazda, the awful kingly Glory, and the Fravashi of the holy Spitama Zarathui-tra.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the star Ti.ytrya.

' Unto Ti^trya, the bright and glorious star, we offer up the libations, the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightlyspoken words ".

^ Doubtful. 2 The rain.

^ In his disguise as a horse ; § 18,

See Vend., pp. 3, 5, note 2.

^ Numa; see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 124. ^ Cf. p. 47.

'Ye;2he hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

II.

' We sacrifice unto Ti^trya, the bright and

glorious star, who is the seed of the waters,

powerful, tall, and strong, whose light goes afar ;

powerful and highly^ working, through whom the

brightness and the seed of the waters come from

the high Apam Napa/^.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

III.

- We sacrifice unto Tirtrya, the bright and glorious star ; for whom long ^ flocks and herds and men. looking forward for him and deceived in their hope*: "When shall we see him rise up, the bright and glorious star Ti^trya ? When will the springs run with waves as thick as a horse's size and still thicker ? Or will they never come ?"

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IV.

'We sacrifice unto Tii-trya, the bright and glorious star ; who flies, towards the sea Vouru-Kasha ^, as swiftly as the arrow darted through the heavenly

^ Powerfully.

^ Or, 'through whom the beauty of the waters comes from Bereza, and their seed from Apfun Napa/.' Bereza, the high, the tall, an epithet of Apam Napa/, became one of his names (Ized Bor^ ; cf. § 34) ; for Apam Napa/, see above, p. 6, note i.

^ Paiti^marewti ; cf. Yt. V, 123.

Or better, ' in their looking.'

° See above, p. 54, note 6.

TIR YAST. 95

Space \ which Erekhsha ^, the swift archer, the Arya amongst the Aryas whose arrow was the swiftest, shot from Mount Khshaotha to Mount //zja.nv3.nl ^

- For Ahura Mazda gave him assistance ; so did the waters and the plants ; and Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, opened a wide way unto him.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

*We sacrifice unto Ti^trya, the bright and glorious star, that afflicts the Pairikas, that vexes the Pairikas, who, in the shape of worm-stars^, fly

Mainivas^?/=mainyu-as«?^ (meaning pun minoi ^ivakih, svargasthanam, Yasna LVII, 27 [LVI, 11, 3]).

^ Erekhsha khshviwi-ishuj, in Pahlavi Avis Shivatir (see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 220), or ' Aris of the swift arrow,' was the best archer in the Iranian army. When Mino/^ihr and Afrasyab determined to make peace and to fix the boundary between Iran and Tiiran, ' it was stipulated that Arii- should ascend Mount Damavand, and from thence discharge an arrow towards the east ; and that the place in which the arrow fell should form the boundary between the two kingdoms. Axis thereupon ascended the mountain, and discharged towards the east an arrow, the flight of which continued from the dawn of day until noon, when it fell on the banks of the Gihun (the Oxus),' (Mirkhond, History of the Early Kings of Persia, trans, by David Shea, p. 175; cf. Noeldeke, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, i88i, p. 445.)

^ Mount Khshaotha seems to be the same as Mount Damavand (see preceding note) ; Mount ffvanvan/ may be the same as Mount B ami an, from which the Balkh river springs, as according to Tabari (trans, by Noeldeke, 1. 1.), Ans' arrow stopped at the Balkh river (an affluent of the Oxus). But it may be that the limits given refer to the course of Tijtrya; cf § 38, text and note.

Doubtful. Shooting stars are alluded to. IMr. Geiger remarks that there is a swarm of shooting stars falling every year just at the time when Tijtrya, in the European climate, is supposed to be most active, on the loth of August.

between the earth and the heavens, in the sea Vouru-Kasha, the powerful sea, the large-sized, deep sea of salt^ waters. He goes to its lake in the shape of a horse, in a holy shape ; and down there he makes the waters boil over, and the winds flow above powerfully all around.

- Then Satavaesa ^ makes those waters flow down to the seven Karshvares of the earth ^, and when he has arrived down there, he stands, beautiful, spreading ease and joy on the fertile countries (thinking in himself): " How shall the countries of the Aryas grow fertile ? "

For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VI.

' We sacrifice unto Ti^trya, the bright and glorious star, who spake unto Ahura Mazda, saying : " Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

IT. ' " If men would worship me with a sacrifice in which I were invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names, then I should have come to the faithful at the appointed time*; I should have come in the appointed time of my

^ See above, p. 66, note 3.

^ Satavaesa is said to be the leader of the western stars (to be read southern stars, Bund. II, 7), and has in its protection the seas of the southern quarter (ibid. XIII, 12); the Satavaesa sea is the Persian gulf.

^ This seems to be an allusion to the tide in the Arabian sea (the sea Vouru-Kasha) and in the gulf of Oman, which, being a southern sea, is under the control of Satavaesa (cf. preceding note and Vend. V, 18, note i).

At the right time of the year when rain is expected.

t{r vast. 97

beautiful, immortal life\ should it be one night, or two nights, or fifty, or a hundred nights."

'We sacrifice unto Tii'trya ;

We sacrifice unto the rains of Ti^trya ^.

*We sacrifice unto the first star^; we sacrifice unto the rains of the first star.

I will sacrifice unto the stars Haptoiri/^ga', to oppose the Yatus and Pairikas.

We sacrifice unto Yanan^^, the star made by Mazda; for' the well-shapen strength, for the Victory, made by Ahura, for the crushing Ascendant, for the destruction of what distresses us, for the destruction of what persecutes us.

We sacrifice unto Tii^trya, whose eye-sight is sound ^.

'For ten nights, O Spitama Zarathu^tra! Ti^- trya, the bright and glorious star, mingles his shape

^ Cf. §§ 23-24 and Yt. X, 54-55, 74.

^ AsTijtrya is the producer of the rain: Tijti7enyas/^a=Tistaratarakasya vr/sh/im (Khorshe^ Nyayij- 8, Sansk. tr.). ^ Tijtrya ; cf. p. 105, note 3.

Haptoiriwga (Ursa Major) is the leader of the stars in the north (Bund. II, 7). It is 'entrusted with the gate and passage of hell, to keep back those of the nine, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand and nine myriad demons, and demonesses, and fairies (Pairikas) and sorcerers (Yatus) who are in opposition to the celestial sphere and constellations' (INIinokhired XLIX, 15; tr. by West).

^ Yananf is the leader of the stars in the south (read west; Bund. II, 7). Cf Yt. XX.

® To obtain .... This invocation is brought about by the very name of Vana;//, which means ' who smites, who overcomes.' The peculiar office of Yananl is to keep the passes and gates of Mount Alborz, around which the sun, the moon, and the stars revolve, and to prevent the Paris and Daevas from cutting off and breaking the road of the sun (INIinokhired XLIX, 1 2).

■^ 'I sacrifice to Tijtar for (=to obtain) the soundness of the sight' (Khorshec/ Nyayij 8, Pahl. tr.).

[23] H

with light, moving in the shape of a man of fifteen years of age^ bright, with clear eyes, tall, full of strength, strong, and clever.

'He is active as the first man ^ was; he goes on with the strength of the first man ; he has the virility^ of the first man.

15*. 'Here he calls for people to assemble, here he asks, saying : " Who now will offer me the libations with the Haoma and the holy meat ? To whom shall I give wealth of male children, a troop of male children, and the purification of his own soul? Now I ought to receive sacrifice and prayer in the material world, by the law of excellent holiness."

'The next ten nights, O Spitama Zarathui-tra! the bright and glorious Tii'trya mingles his shape with light, moving in the shape of a golden-horned bull I

'Here he calls for people to assemble, here he asks, saying : " Who now will offer me the libations with the Haoma and the holy meat ? To whom shall I give wealth of oxen, a herd of oxen, and the purification of his own soul ? Now I ought to receive sacrifice and prayer in the material world, by the law of excellent holiness."

t8. ' The next ten nights, O Spitama Zarathui"tra! the bright and glorious Ti^trya mingles his shape with light, moving in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden caparison.

^ The age of fifteen is the paradisiacal age in the Avesta (YasnalX, 5 [18]).

^ Gayo maratan. But the translation is doubtful ; possibly ' as a first-rate man is.'

3 Doubtful ; of. ere zi, Yt. XIV, 29. ■* Cf. Yt. V, 8.

« Cf. Vend. XIX, 37(123).

TIR YAST. 99

- Here he calls for people to assemble, here he asks, saying : " Who now will offer me the libations with the Haoma and the holy meat ? To whom shall I give wealth of horses, a troop of horses, and the purification of his own soul ? Now I ought to receive sacrifice and prayer in the material world, by the law of excellent holiness."

- Then, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! the bright and glorious Tii'trya goes down to the sea Vouru- Kasha in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden caparison \

'But there rushes down to meet him the Daeva Apaosha, in the shape of a dark horse, black with black ears, black with a black back, black with a black tail, stamped with brands of terror.

'They meet together, hoof against hoof, O Spitama Zarathu^tra! the bright and glorious Ti^- trya and the Daeva Apaosha. They fight together, O Spitama Zarathu^tra! for three days and three nights. And then the Daeva Apaosha proves stronger than the bright and glorious Ti^trya, he overcomes him.

'And Ti^trya flees from the sea Vouru-Kasha, as far as a Hathra's ^ length. He cries out in woe and distress, the bright and glorious Ti^trya : " Woe is me, O Ahura Mazda! I am in distress, O Waters and Plants. ! O Fate and thou. Law of the worshippers of Mazda ! Men do not worship me with a

^ ' Tijtar was converted into three forms, the form of a man and the form of a horse and the form of a bull .... as the astrologers say that every constellation has three forms ' (Bund. VII, 4 ; tr. West). Tijtrya promises his worshippers children (§ 15), oxen (§ 17), or horses (§ 19), according as he appears in the form of a man (§ 13), of a bull (§ 16), or of a horse (§ 18).

2 A mile (Bundahij- XXVI, i ; tr. West, note i).

11 2

lOO YA^TS AND SIROZAHS,

sacrifice in which I am invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names \

' " If men had worshipped me with a sacrifice in which I had been invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names, I should have taken to me the strength of ten horses, the strength of ten camels, the strength of ten bulls, the strength of ten mountains, the strength of ten rivers ^."

'Then I, Ahura Mazda, offer up to the bright and glorious Tii'trya a sacrifice in which he is invoked by his own name, and I bring him the strength of ten horses, the strength of ten camels, the strength of ten bulls, the strength of ten mountains, the strength of ten rivers.

26 ^ ' Then, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! the bright and glorious Tii'trya goes down to the sea Vouru- Kasha in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and golden caparison.

'But there rushes down to meet him the Daeva Apaosha in the shape of a dark horse, black with black ears, black with a black back, black with a black tail, stamped with brands of terror.

'They meet together, hoof against hoof, O Spitama Zarathuj^tra ! the bright and glorious Ti^- trya, and the Daeva Apaosha ; they fight together, O Zarathui-tra ! till the time of noon. Then the bright and glorious Tii'trya proves stronger than the Daeva Apaosha, he overcomes him.

' Then he goes from the sea Vouru-Kasha as far as a Hathra's length: "Hail!" cries the

^ Cf. § 10 and Yt. X, 54 seq., 74.

^ Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 27. ^ §§ 2 6-2 7 = §§ 20-21.

TIR YAST. lOr

bright and glorious Ti^trya. "Hail unto me,0 Ahura Mazda ! Hail unto you, O waters and plants ! Hail, O Law of the worshippers of Mazda ! Hail will it be unto you, O lands ! The life^ of the waters will flow down unrestrained to the big-seeded ^ cornfields, to the small-seeded ^ pasture-fields, and to the whole of the material world!"

' Then the bright and glorious Ti^trya goes back down to the sea Vouru-Kasha, in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden caparison *.

'He makes the sea boil up and down; he makes the sea stream this and that way ; he makes the sea flow this and that way : all the shores of the sea Vouru-Kasha are boiling over, all the middle of it is boiling over.

' And the bright and glorious Ti^trya rises up from the sea Vouru-Kasha, O Spitama Zarathu5tra ! the bright and glorious Satavaesa rises up from the sea Vouru-Kasha ; and vapours rise up above Mount Us-hindu, that stands in the middle of the sea Vouru-Kasha^.

' Adhavo; possibly 'the streams;' cf. Yt. V, i, note 2. A month in the ancient Persian calendar, supposed to correspond to September-October, was called adukani, which might, on that hypothesis, mean '(the month) that makes streams spring up.'

^ Of which the representative is wheat (Bundahij- XXIV, 19).

' Of which the representative is the summer vetch (ibid. 21).

Cf. § i8.

^ ' The Ausindom mountain is that which, being of ruby, of the substance of the sky, is in the midst of the wide-formed ocean (the sea Vouru-Kasha),' (Bund. XII, 6; tr.West). Blount Ausindom receives ils waters through a golden channel from the height Hukairya (cf Yt. V, 3); 'from there one portion flows forth to the ocean for the purification of the sea, and one portion drizzles in moisture upon the whole of this earth, and all the creations cf

I02 YASTS AND SIROZAHS.

'Then the vapours push forward, in the regular shape of clouds i; they go following the wind, along the ways which Haoma traverses, the increaser of the world ^. Behind him travels the mighty wind, made by Mazda, and the rain, and the cloud, and the sleet, down to the several places, down to the fields, down to the seven Karshvares of the earth.

' Apam Napa/ ^, O Spitama Zarathu^tra !

divides the waters amongst the countries in the

material world, in company with the mighty wind,

the Glory, made by the waters *, and the Fravashis

of the faithful ^

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VII.

'We sacrifice unto Ti^trya, the bright and glorious star, who from the shining east, moves along his long winding course, along the path made by the gods, along the way appointed for him the

Auharmazd acquire health from it, and it dispels the dryness of the atmosphere ' (ibid. XIII, 5).

1 Doubtful.

^ Haoma opens the way for the waters from heaven, as being the foremost element in sacrifice (cf. § 24). For the same reason the Bundahi^ numbers Vohu-Mano, * Good Mind,' amongst the cooperators of Tij-trya.

^ See p. 6, note i.

Or better, 'seated in the waters;' see Yt. XIX, 56 seq. and Yt. XIII, 65.

^ The Fravashis are active in the world struggle ; cf Yt. XIII, 43. 'Co-operators with Tutar were Vohuman and the angel Horn, with the assistance of the angel Bur^ (the same as Apam Napa/; see p. 94, note 2) and the righteous guardian spirits in orderly arrangement ' (Bundahij- VII, 3, tr. West).

TfR YA^T. 103

watery way, at the will of Ahura Mazda, at the will of the Amesha-Spe7ztas.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VIII.

'We sacrifice unto Ti^-trya, the bright and glorious star, whose rising is watched by men who live on the fruits of the year, by the chiefs of deep^ understanding 2; by the wild beasts in the mountains, by the tame beasts that run in the plains ; they watch him, as he comes up to the country for a bad year, or for a good year ^, (thinking in themselves): "How shall the Aryan countries be fertile ?"

For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IX.

^'j'^. *We sacrifice unto Ti-?trya, the bright and glorious star, swift-flying and swift-moving, who flies towards the sea Vouru-Kasha, as swiftly as the arrow darted through the heavenly space, which Erekhsha, the swift archer, the Arya amongst the Aryas whose arrow was the swiftest, shot from Mount Khshaotha to Mount Hvd.xs.vdJit.

2,'^. 'Ahura Mazda gave him assistance, and the Amesha-Spe;^tas and Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, pointed him the way : behind him went the

^ Doubtful. ' ^ The chiefs of the state.

^ For good or bad harvest. * § 37=§ 6.

I04 YAS-TS AND SIROZAHS.

tall Ashi^ Vanguhi ^ and Pare;/di - on her light

chariot : always till, in his course, he reached Mount

Hv2iX\w2int on the shining waters^.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

' We sacrifice unto Tii'trya, the bright and glorious star, who afflicts the Pairikas, who destroys the Pairikas, that Angra Mainyus flung to stop all the stars that have in them the seed of the waters*.

' Tii-trya afflicts them, he blows them away

from the sea Vouru-Kasha ; then the wind blows the

clouds forward, bearing the waters of fertility, so

that the friendly showers spread wide over, they

spread helpingly and friendly over the seven

Karshvares.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

- We sacrifice unto Ti^'trya, the bright and glorious star, for whom long the standing waters, and the running spring-waters, the stream-waters, and the rain-waters :

' " When will the bright and glorious Ti^-trya rise up for us ? When will the springs with a flow and overflow of waters, thick as a horse's shoulder, run to the beautiful places and fields, and to the

1 See Yt. XVII. ^ See above, p. 1 1, note 5.

2 Doubtful. Mount ^z^anvaw/, being situated in the sea Vouru- Kasha (as appears from Ti^trya travelling towards that sea, § 38), seems to be the same with Mount Ausindom (§ 32).

Cf. above, § 8.

TIR YA-S-T. 105

pastures, even to the roots of the plants, that they may grow with a powerful growth ?"

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XII.

- We sacrifice unto Tii-trya, the bright and glorious star, who washes away all things of fear ^ who stunts the growth of all ... . ^, and brings health to all these creations, being most beneficent, when he has been worshipped with a sacrifice and propitiated, rejoiced, and satisfied.

' For his brightness and glory, I will oflfer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XIII.

- I will sacrifice unto Tii^trya, the bright and glorious star, whom Ahura Mazda has established as a lord and overseer above all stars ^, in the same way as he has established Zarathu^tra above men ; whom neither Angra Mainyu, nor the Yatus and the Pairikas, nor the men Yatus * can deliver unto death, nor can all the Daevas together prevail for his death.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ Sim^?^, meaning sahmgftn, bhayamkara (Yasna IX, 38

[93])-

^ ? Vazdrij.

^ In the Bundahij it is especially the leader of the eastern stars ; but the Minokhired calls it the first star (XLIX, 5; cf above, § 12).

See above, p. 38, note 3.

I06 YA^-TS AND SIROZAHS

XIV.

'We sacrifice unto Tutrya, the bright and glorious star, to whom Ahura Mazda has given a thousand senses ^ and who is the most beneficent amonpfst the stars that have in them the seed of the waters :

' Who moves in Hght with the stars that have in them the seed of the waters : he, from the sea Vouru-Kasha, the powerful sea, the large-sized, deep, and salt of waters, goes to all the lakes, and to all the beautiful caves, and to all the beautiful channels ^, in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden caparison.

' Then, O Spitama Zarathuj-tra ! the waters flow down from the sea Vouru-Kasha, mother-like ^, friendly, and healing : he divides them amongst these countries, being most beneficent, when he has been worshipped with a sacrifice and propitiated, rejoiced, and satisfied ^

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XV.

' We sacrifice unto Tii"trya, the bright and glorious star, for whom long all the creatures of Spe;-5ta- Mainyu, those that live under the ground, and those that live above the ground ; those that live in the waters, and those that live on dry land ; those that fly, and those that run in the plains^; and all those

^ See Yt. X, 82, note.

2 Those of Ardvi Sura Anahita; cf. Yt. V, 4, loi.

^ Cf. Yt.V, 15. * Cf.§43.

^ See Yt. XIII, 10, note; cf. Visperad I, i, and Bundahii- XXIV, tr. West, note i.

TIR YA5T. 107

that live within this boundless and endless world of the holy Spirit.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XVI.

' We sacrifice unto Tii-trya, the bright and glorious star, the healthful, wise, happy, and powerful, who is the lord of a thousand boons, and grants many boons to that man who has pleased him, whether begging or not begging for them.

'I, O Spitama Zarathui-tra! have created that star Ti^-trya as worthy of sacrifice, as worthy of prayer, as worthy of propitiation, as worthy of glorification as myself, Ahura Mazda ^;

'In order to withstand, to break asunder, to afflict, to drive back the malice of that Pairika Du^- yairya^, whom evil-speaking^ people call Huyairya*.

' Had I not created that star Ti^trya as worthy of sacrifice, as worthy of prayer, as worthy of propitiation, as worthy of glorification as myself, Ahura Mazda ;

'In order to withstand, to break asunder, to afflict, to drive back the malice of that Pairika Du^- yairya, whom evil-speaking people call Huyairya ;

' Cf. Yt. X, I.

^ Bad year, that is to say, sterility, drought. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, also deprecates Duzyairya in one of his inscriptions : ' May Ahura Mazda keep this country from the hostile host, from sterility (du^iyara), from lying (disloyalty) : may never the foreigner enter this country, nor the hostile host, nor sterility, nor lying' (Persepolis, H, 15).

^ People who object to rain and are fond of fine weather (?).

Good year.

I08 YA^-TS AND SIROZAHS.

'Then all day long, all night long, that Pairika Du^'yairya would wage war against this material world of mine, wanting to extinguish its life ^ and she goes on, rushing upon and around it.

' But the bright and glorious Ti^trya keeps that Pairika in bonds, with twofold bonds, with threefold bonds, that cannot be overcome, with bonds all over the body : it is as if there were a thousand men keeping one man in bonds, a thousand men of those who are the strongest in strength.

'If the Aryan countries, O Spitama Zarathui^tra ! would perform in honour of the bright and glorious Tii'trya the due sacrifice and invocation, just as that sacrifice and invocation ought to be performed in the perfection of holiness ; never should a hostile horde enter these Aryan countries, nor any plague, nor leprosy, nor venomous plants 2, nor the chariot of a foe, nor the uplifted spear of a foe.'

57 ^ Zarathurtra asked : 'What is then, O Ahura Mazda! the sacrifice and invocation in honour of the bright and glorious Ti^-trya, as it ought to be performed in the perfection of holiness ? '

Ahura Mazda answered : ' Let the Aryan nations bring libations unto him ; let the Aryan nations tie bundles of baresma for him ; let the Aryan nations cook for him a head of cattle, either white, or black, or of any other colour, but all of one and the same colour.

^ Reading ava[-derenam] ; cf. Vend. XVIII, 18 [45]. ^ Kapasti is properly the colocynthis or bitter-apple: ' Occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni Occidet.' (Eel. IV, 24, 25.)

' §§ 57-6i=Yt. XIV, 49-53; cf. Yt.V, 89 seq.

TiR YAST. 109

' Let not a murderer take of these offerings, nor a whore, nor a .... ^ who does not sino- the

Gathas, who spreads death in the world and withstands the law of Mazda, the law of Zarathui-tra.

' If a murderer take of these offerinofs, or a whore, or a ... . who does not sing the Gathas, who spreads death in the world and withstands the law of Mazda, the law of Zarathunra, then the bright and glorious Ti^trya takes back his healing virtues.

'Plagues will ever pour upon the Aryan nations ; hostile hordes will ever fall upon the Aryan nations ; the Aryans will be smitten, by their fifties and their hundreds, by their hundreds and their thousands, by their thousands and their tens of thousands, by their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads.

'Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Tii-trya, the bright and glorious star, and of the powerful Satavaesa, made by Mazda, who pushes waters forward.

' Ash em Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good .... ' [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones

2 '

^ ? Ashaovo. 2 Cf. Yt. I, 33.

no YA5?TS AND sIroZAHS.

IX. GO^" YA^'T.

Gos, ' the cow,' kut i^oxhv, is a personation of the animal kingdom which she maintains . and protects. She is also called Drvaspa and Gojurun : Drvaspa means ' she who keeps horses in health,' and is nothing more than an epithet of Gbs : Go^urun (from the Zend Gews urvan) means 'the Soul of the Bull' (the primeval Bull). Although urvan is a masculine noun in Zend, yet Gojurun is considered a female angel, as this name is only a substitute for Gbs.

Gos is the angel of the 14th day (Sirozah I, 14), and her Yajt is recited during the Gah U^ahin, on the days of Gbs, Bahman, Mah, and Ram (the same days as those on which the Mah Ya^t is recited ; see above, p. 88).

Gbs is hardly described in this Ya^t (§§ 1-2); the greater part of it being filled with the several prayers addressed to her by the Iranian heroes, Haoshyangha (§ 3), Yima (§ 8), Thraetaona (§ 13), Haoma (§ 17), Husravah (§ 21), Zarathui-tra, and Vutaspa. Her worshippers and their prayers to her are the same as in the case of Ashi Vanguhi (see Yt. XVII).

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced! May Angra Mainyu be afflicted !

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura;

For sacrifice, prayer, satisfaction, and glorification unto Havani, the holy and master of holiness.

Unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holyS

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

^ Sirozah I, 14.

GO^- YAST. Ill

We sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps the flocks in health, the herds in health, the grown-up i (cattle) in health, the young ones in health ; who watches well from afar, with a wide-spread and long-continued welfaregiving friendship ;

Who yokes teams of horses, who makes her chariot turn and its wheels sound, fat and glistening ^ strong, tall-formed, weal- possessing, health -giving, powerful to stand and powerful to turn for assistance to the faithful.

To her did Haoshyangha, the Paradhata^ offer up a sacrifice on the enclosure of the Hara, the beautiful height, made by Mazda, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, and ten thousand lambs, and with an offering of libations :

' Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Drvaspa ! that I may overcome all the Daevas of Mazana* ; that I may never fear and bow through terror before the Daevas, but that all the Daevas may fear and bow in spite of themselves before me, that they may fear and flee down to darkness ^'

The powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon, as he was offering libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ; I will offer her a sacrifice well performed, namely, unto the powerful

^ Doubtful ; possibly ' the friend in health, the child in health.' 2 Doubtful. 3 cf_ p_ ^c)^ j^Qtg j_

Cf. p. 59, note 2. ^ To hell.

Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy. We offer up libations to the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy ; we offer her the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightlyspoken words.

Ye;2he hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda . . . .^

We offer up a sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps the flocks in health ....

Who yokes teams of horses .... for assistance to the faithful ^.

To her did Yima Khshaeta, the good shepherd, offer up a sacrifice from the height Hukairya, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs, and with an offering of libations :

'Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Drvaspa ! that I may bring fatness and flocks down to the world created by Mazda ; that I may bring immortality down to the world created by Mazda ;

'That I may take away both hunger and thirst, from the world created by Mazda ; that I may take away both old age and death, from the world created by Mazda ; that I may take away both hot wind and cold wind, from the world created by Mazda, for a thousand years ^'

The powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon.

^ As above, p. 30. ^ § 7=§§ 1-2.

s §§ 8-10= Yt. XVII, 28-30; cf. Yasna IX, 4-5 [11-20]; Yt. V, 25-27.

COS VAST. ' 113

as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing,

and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

III.

We offer up a sacrifice unto the powerful DrvSspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps the flocks in health ....

Who yokes teams of horses .... for assistance to the faithful.

13 \ To her did Thraetaona, the heir of the

valiant Athwya clan, offer up a sacrifice in the fourcornered Varena, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs, and with an offering of libations :

14, ' Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Drvaspa! that I may overcome A^i Dahaka, the three-mouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand senses, that most powerful, fiendish Dru^, that demon, baleful to the world, the strongest Dru^ that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle ; and that I may deliver his two wives, Savanghava/^ and Erenava/^, who are the fairest of body amongst women, and the most wonderful creatures in the worlds'

The powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ Yt. V, 34; XV, 24; XVII, 34. [23] I

IV.

We offer up a sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps flocks in health ....

Who yokes teams of horses .... for assistance to the faithful.

I7\ To her did Haoma^ offer up a sacrifice, Haoma, the enhvening, the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with golden eyes, upon the highest height of the Haraiti Bareza. He begged of her a boon, saying :

' Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Drvaspa ! that I may bind the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan^ that I may drag him bound, that I may bring him bound unto king Husravah, that king Husravah may kill him, behind the A!'ae/'asta lake*, the deep lake of salt^ waters, to avenge the murder of his father Syavarshana^ a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi-man"^.'

1 §§i7-i9=Yt. XVII, 37-38.

^ Cf. Yasna XI, 7 [20-21]. The destruction of the fiends, being one of the principal effects of sacrifice, is ascribed to Haoma as the most powerful element in the sacrifice. In the Shah Namah, the god Haoma has been turned into a hermit who, living near the cave in which Afrasyab had taken refuge (see above, Yt. V, 41), overhears his lamentations, takes him by surprise, binds him, and delivers him into the hands of Khosrav (Etudes Iraniennes, II, 227).

^ See p. 64, note i. * See above, p. 66, note 2.

^ See p. 66, note 3. ® See p. 64, note i.

' Doubtful (nar a V a, as opposed to nara). Aghraeratha (Aghrerath) was a brother of Afrasyab's; he was a righteous man, and Afrasyab killed him for his having saved the Iranian king Mino- ^ihr with his army, when captive in the Padashkhvar mountains (Bundahij' XXXI, 21). Yet he is still Hving as an immortal in the land of Saukavastan, under the name of Gopatshah (the king of the bulls) ; ' from foot to mid-body he is a bull, and from mid-body to

GO^ VAST. 115

The powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would give him that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

We offer up a sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps the flocks in health ....

Who yokes teams of horses .... for assistance to the faithful.

21 ^ To her did the gallant Husravah, he who united the Arya nations into one kingdom, offer up a sacrifice, behind the A'ae/^'asta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs, and an offering of libations :

' Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Drvaspa! that I may kill the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan, behind the /ifae/'asta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avenge the murder of my father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi- man ^.'

The powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrithe top he is a man ; at all times he stays on the sea-shore, and always performs the worship of God, and always pours holy-water into the sea' (Minokhired LXII, 31 seq., tr. West; Bund. XXIX, 5); according to Bund. XXXI, 20, Aghrerath was not Gopatshah, he was his father. Cf. Yt. XIX, 93,

^ §§ 2 1-22 =Yt. XVII, 41-42.

"^ See p. 114, note 7.

I 2

Il6 YA5'TS AND SIROZAHS.

ficing, and entreating that she would grant him that

boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VI.

We offer up a sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps the flocks in health ....

Who yokes teams of horses .... for assistance to the faithful.

25^. To her did the holy Zarathu^tra offer up a sacrifice in the Airyana Vae^ah, by the good river Daitya, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the speech, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words. He begged of her a boon, saying :

' O good, most beneficent Drvaspa! grant me this boon, that I may bring the good and noble Hutaosa^ to think according to the law, to speak according to the law, to do according to the law, that she may spread my Mazdean law and make it known, and that she may bestow beautiful praises upon my deeds.'

The strong Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon, as he was offering up libations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ §§ 25-26=XVII, 44-45; cf Yt. V, 104.

^ Hutaosa was the wife of king ViJtaspa; cf. Yt. XV, 37.

COS YAST. I I 7

VII.

We offer up a sacrifice unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy, who keeps the flocks in health ....

Who yokes teams of horses .... for assistance to the faithful.

29 ^ To her did the tall Kavi Vi^-taspa offer up a sacrifice behind the waters of the river Daitya, with a hundred male horses, a thousand oxen, ten thousand lambs, and with an offering of libations :

' Grant me this boon, O good, most beneficent Drvaspa ! that I may put to flight Ai-ta-aurva;z/, the son of Vispa-thaurvo-asti, the all-affficting, of the brazen helmet, of the brazen armour, of the thick neck, behind whom seven hundred camels . . . .^ ; that I may put to flight the Z^z^yaona murderer, Are^a/- aspa^ ; that I may put to flight Dar^inika^ the worshipper of the Daevas ;

And that I may smite Tathrava;^/'^ of the bad law ; that I may smite Spin^aurui-ka^, the worshipper of the Daevas ; and that I may bring unto the ofood law the nations of the Varedhakas and of the //z/yaonas^ ; and that I may smite of the ZTz^yaona nations their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their

1 §§ 29-31 =Yt. XVII, 49-51. 2 ? G^ainySvara/.

^ See above, p. 79, note 4. * "Ana^ Xtyofievos.

^ Mentioned Yt. V, 109 and XIX, 87.

" The ZTfyaonas seem to have been the Chionitae, a bellicose tribe, near the land of Gilan, often at war with the first Sassanides (Amm. Marcellinus XVII, 5). The name of the Varedhakas reminds one of the Vertae who are mentioned once in company with the Chionitae (ibid. XIX, i) ; but their geographical situation is not ascertained. In any case the proximity of the Daitya (§ 29) shows that both people must have inhabited the western coast of the Caspian sea.

I 1 8 YA^TS AND siROZAHS.

tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads.

The strong Drvaspa, made by Mazda, the holy Drvaspa, the maintainer, granted him that boon, as he was offering up Hbations, giving gifts, sacrificing, and entreating that she would grant him that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard; I will offer her a sacrifice well performed, namely, unto the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy. We offer up libations to the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy ; we offer her the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightly-spoken words.

Yatha ahfi vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of the powerful Drvaspa, made by Mazda and holy.

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

[Give] unto that man brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

MIHIR VAST. I 19

X. MIHIR YA6^T.

This Yajt, one of the longest of the Avesta and one of the most interesting in a literary point of view, is not very instructive for mythology. It consists of long descriptive pieces, sometimes rather spirited, and of fervent prayers and invocations for mercy or protection. Originally INIithra was the god of the heavenly light (§§ 12, 50, 67, 104, 124 seq., 136 seq., &c.); and in that character he knows the truth, as he sees everything ; he is therefore taken as a witness of truth, he is the preserver of oaths and good faith (§§ 2, 44 seq., 79 seq., 81 seq., &c.) ; he chastises those who break their promises and lie to IMithra, destroys their houses and smites them in battle (§§ 17 seq., 28 seq., 35 seq., 47 seq., 99 seq., 105 seq., 112 seq., 128 seq., &c.).

Particularly interesting are §§ 11 5-1 18, as giving a sketch of moral hierarchy in Iran, and §§ 121-122, as being perhaps the source of the trials in the later Roman Mithriacism. Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 8 and Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 59-61.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas, and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who has a thousand ears, ten thousand eyes, a Yazata invoked by his own name, and unto Rama //z^astra^

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathuj-tra, saying : ' Verily, when I created Mithra, the lord of

' Sirozah I, 16.

I20 YA^-TS AND SIROZAHS.

wide pastures, O Spitama ! I created him as worthy of sacrifice, as worthy of prayer as myself, Ahura Mazda \

'The ruffian who Hes unto Mithra^ brings death unto the whole country, injuring as much the faithful world as a hundred evil-doers^ could do. Break not the contract, O Spitama ! neither the one that thou hadst entered into with one of the unfaithful, nor the one that thou hadst entered into with one of the faithful who is one of thy own faith*. For Mithra stands for both the faithful and the unfaithful.

' Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, gives swiftness to the horses of those who lie not unto Mithra.

' Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, gives the straightest way to those who lie not unto Mithra.

' The good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful give a virtuous offspring to those who lie not unto Mithra.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures.

' We offer up libations unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who gives a happy dwelling and a good dwelling to the Aryan nations.

' May he come to us for help ! May he come to us for ease ! May he come to us for joy ! May he come to us for mercy ! May he come to us for health ! May he come to us for victory ! May he

' Cf. Yt. VIII, 50.

^ The Mithradru^: one might also translate 'who breaks the contract,' as mithra, as a common noun, means 'a contract.' ^ Kayadhas; cf. Yt. I, 19. "* Cf. Arda Viraf, chap. lii.

MIHIR VAST. 121

come to us for good conscienceM May he come to us for bliss 2 ! he, the awful and overpowering, worthy of sacrifice and prayer, not to be deceived anywhere in the whole of the material world, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures.

' I will offer up libations unto him, the strong Yazata, the powerful Mithra, most beneficent to the creatures : I will apply unto him with charity^ and prayers : I will offer up a sacrifice worth being heard unto him, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the speech, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words.

Ye7zhe hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

II.

*We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand ears, well-shapen, with ten thousand eyes, high, with full knowledge^, strong, sleepless, and ever awake ^ ;

^ Cheerfulness at the head of the Alnva/ bridge (Yasna LXII, 6 [LXI, 17]; cf. Vend. XVIII, 6).

^ The condition of the blessed in the next world.

^ Va«ta, 'assistance, that is, making ^adangoi' (Yasna LXII [LXI], I ; ^adangoi is making a collection for the poor (fitudes Iraniennes, II, 155).

As p. 30.

^ Perethu-vaedhayana: sampurwavittaram karyanyayanam (Khorshcf/ Nyayij 6).

"G^aghaurvawnghem: this word, strangely enough, is generally translated 'who has most strong arms'(balish/,^abhui''am); ^agauru is translated in the same way.

' To whom the chiefs of nations offer up sacrifices, as they go to the field, against havocking hosts, against enemies coming in battle array, in the strife of conflicting nations.

' On whichever side he has been worshipped first in the fulness of faith of a devoted heart, to that side turns Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, with the fiend-smiting wind, with the cursing thought of the wise \

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

III.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake.

II.' Whom the horsemen worship on the back of their horses, begging swiftness for their teams, health for their own bodies, and that they may watch with full success those who hate them, smite down their foes, and destroy at one stroke their adversaries, their enemies, and those who hate them^.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IV.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

1 3. * Who first of the heavenly gods reaches over the Hara^ before the undying, swift-horsed sun*;

^ See p. 12, note 13. ^ cf yt. V, 53 ; X, 94.

^ Mount Alborz, whence the sun rises ; see § 50.

Mithra is closely connected with the sun, but not yet identical with it, as he became in later times (.-fr-*, the sun; Deo invicto Soli Mithrae).

MIHIR YAST. 123

who, foremost in a golden array, takes hold of the beautiful summits, and from thence looks over the abode of the Aryans with a beneficent eye.

- Where the valiant chiefs draw up their many troops in array ^ ; where the high mountains, rich in pastures and waters, yield plenty to the cattle^; where the deep lakes, with salt waters, stand ^j where wide-flowing rivers swell and hurry towards I^kata and Pouruta, Mouru and Haroyu, the Gava- Sughdha and /fvamzem* ;

'On Arezahi and Savahi, on Fradadhafshu and Vidadhafshu, on Vourubare^ti and Vouru^are^ti, on this bright Karshvare of //^;aniratha^ the abode of cattle, the dwelling of cattle, the powerful Mithra looks with a health-bringing eye ;

- He who moves along all the Karshvares, a Yazata unseen, and brings glory; he who moves along all the Karshvares, a Yazata unseen, and brings sovereignty; and increases*' strength for

^ In the flat countries.

^ In the mountainous parts of Iran.

^ In the lake regions (Seistan, Farsistan, Adarbai^an).

In the country of the large rivers in the East. Mouru is Marv (Margiana), with the Murghab river (the Margus) ; Haroyu is the Herat country, with the Harerud ; Gava-Sughdha and Ilvavizm are Sogdiana and Khvarizm, with the Oxus. The situation of li-kata and Pouruta is not clear : one might think of Alexander eschata on the laxartes and the Paretacene country between the Oxus and the laxartes.

^ The earth is divided into seven Karshvares, separated from one another by seas and mountains impassable to men. Arezahi and Savahi are the western and the eastern Karshvare ; Fradadhafshu and Vidadhafshu are in the south ; Vourubare^ti and Vouru^arejti are in the north ; ZTz'aniratha is the central Karshvare. -^^aniratha is the only Karshvare inhabited by man (Bundahij- XI, 3).

« Doubtful.

victory to those who, with a pious intent, hohly offer him hbations.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth

being heard

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Unto whom nobody must lie, neither the master of a house, nor the lord of a borough, nor the lord of a town, nor the lord of a province.

'If the master of a house lies unto him, or the lord of a borough, or the lord of a town, or the lord of a province, then comes Mithra, angry and offended, and he breaks asunder the house, the borough, the town, the province; and the masters of the houses, the lords of the boroughs, the lords of the towns, the lords of the provinces, and the foremost men of the provinces.

' On whatever side there is one who has lied unto Mithra, on that side Mithra stands forth, angry and offended, and his wrath ^ is slow to relent^.

' Those who lie unto Mithra, however swift they may be running, cannot overtake ^ ; riding, cannot . . . .^ ; driving, cannot ... .2. The spear that the foe of Mithra flings, darts backwards, for the

^ Mainyu, in the meaning of the Sanskrit manyu (?).

^ Doubtful; aspa)^a/: cf ^jjLi).j.^, to be late.

^ Apayeiwti, frastanvaiwti, framanyei«te : these are three technical words for the movements of the three classes of soldiers, footmen, horsemen, and chariot-men; the last two words are probably synonymous with the first, but the exact shades of meaning are not known. Mr. West suggests, cannot outrun, outride, outdrive him.

MIHIR YAST. 125

number of the evil spells that the foe of Mithra

works out^

'And even though the spear be flung well,

even though it reach the body, it makes no wound,

for the number of the evil spells that the foe of

Mithra works out \ The wind drives away the

spear that the foe of Mithra flings, for the number

of the evil spells that the foe of Mithra works out.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VI.

2 2. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

Who takes out of distress the man who has not lied unto him, who takes him out of death.

'Take us out of distress, take us out of distresses, O Mithra ! as we have not lied unto thee. Thou bringest down terror upon the bodies of the men who lie unto Mithra; thou takest away the strength from their arms, being angry and all-powerful; thou takest the swiftness from their feet, the eye-sight from their eyes, the hearing from their ears.

' Not the wound 2 of the well-sharpened spear or of the flying arrow reaches that man to whom Mithra comes for help with all the strength of his soul, he, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-seeing, undeceivable Mithra.

For his brightness and glory, I will off'er him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ The sacramental words of the contract, by their not being kept, turn to evil spells against the contract-breaker.

2 Doubtful: j-anamayo, or janamaoyo; read shanmaoyo (?), from shan, Sansk. kshan.

VII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who is lordly, deep, strong, and weal-giving ; a chief in assemblies, pleased with prayers \ high, holily clever, the incarnate Word, a warrior with strong arms ;

' Who breaks the skulls of the Daevas, and is most cruel in exacting pains ; the punisher of the men who lie unto Mithra, the withstander of the Pairikas ; who, when not deceived, establisheth nations in supreme strength ; who, when not deceived, establisheth nations in supreme victory;

2 7. ' Who confounds the ways of the nation that delights in havoc, who turns away their Glory 2, takes away their strength for victory, blows them away helpless ^ and delivers them unto ten thousand strokes ; he, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-seeing, undeceivable Mithra.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VIII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who upholds the columns of the lofty house and makes its pillars* solid ; who gives herds of oxen and male children to that house in which he has been satisfied ; he breaks to pieces those in which he has been offended.

'Thou, O Mithra! art both bad and good to

^Vahmo-sendah; cf. Visperad VIII (IX, i), Phi. tr. 2 Their Hvz.xend. ^ Doubtful.

Aithya; cf. Lat. antae (Brugmann).

MIHIR YA5T. I 27

nations ; thou, O Mithra ! art both bad and good to men ; thou, O Mithra ! keepest in thy hands both peace and trouble for nations.

' Thou makest houses large, beautiful with women, beautiful with chariots, with well-laid foundations ^ and high above their groundwork 2; thou makest that house lofty, beautiful with women, beautiful with chariots, with well-laid foundations, and high above its groundwork, of which the master, pious and holding libations in his hand, offers thee a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name and with the proper words.

'With a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name, with the proper words will I offer thee libations, O powerful Mithra !

' With a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name, with the proper words will I offer thee libations, O most beneficent Mithra !

' With a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name, with the proper words will I offer thee libations, O thou undeceivable Mithra !

'Listen unto our sacrifice^, O Mithra! Be thou pleased with our sacrifice, O Mithra ! Come and sit at our sacrifice ! Accept our libations ! Accept them as they have been consecrated*! Gather them together with love and lay them in the Garo-nmana !

' Grant us these boons which we beg of thee, O powerful god! in accordance^ with the words of revelation, namely, riches, strength, and victory, good conscience and bliss", good fame and a good

1 Doubtful. 2 Doubtful. =* Cf. Yt. Ill, 18.

By the proper prayers (yasiau). ^ Doubtful.

' Cf. § 5.

soul ; wisdom and the knowledge that gives happiness ^ the victorious strength given by Ahura, the crushing Ascendant of Asha Vahi^ta, and conversation (with God) on the Holy Word 2.

'Grant that we, in a good spirit and high spirit, exalted in joy and a good spirit, may smite all our foes ; that we, in a good spirit and high spirit, exalted in joy and a good spirit, may smite all our enemies ; that we, in a good spirit and high spirit, exalted in joy and a good spirit, may smite all the malice of Daevas and Men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf ^

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IX.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

'Victory-making^, army-governing, endowed with a thousand senses^ ; power-wielding, power-possessing, and all-knowing ;

' Who sets the battle a going, who stands against (armies) in battle, who, standing against (armies) in battle, breaks asunder the lines arrayed. The wings of the columns gone to battle shake, and he throws terror upon the centre of the havocking host.

'He can bring and does bring down upon them distress and fear ; he throws down the heads of those who lie unto Mithra, he takes off the heads of those who He unto Mithra.

^ Spiritual happiness, bliss. ^ Vend. XVIII, 51 [m].

^ See above, p. 26, note 2. §§ 3^-34 =§§ 56-59-

Doubtful (reading arenaZ-^aSsha?).

^ See § 82, note.

MiniR VAST. 129

;^S. 'Sad is the abode, unpeopled with children, where abide men who lie unto Mithra, and, verily, the fiendish killer of faithful men. The grazing cow goes a sad straying way, driven along the vales ^ of the Mithradru^es : they ^ stand on the road, letting tears run over their chins ^

' Their falcon-feathered arrows, shot from the string of the well-bent bow, fly towards the mark, and hit it not, as Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, angry, offended, and unsatisfied, comes and meets them.

Their spears, well whetted and sharp, their long spears fly from their hands towards the mark, and hit it not, as Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, angry, offended, and unsatisfied, comes and meets them.

- Their swords, well thrust and striking at the heads of men, hit not the mark, as Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, angry, off"ended, and unsatisfied, comes and meets them.

Their clubs, well falling and striking at the heads of men, hit not the mark, as Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, angry, offended, and unsatisfied, comes and meets them.

'Mithra strikes fear into them; Rashnu * strikes a counter-fear into theni'^- the holy Sraosha blows them away from every side towards the two Yazatas, the maintainers of the world ^. They make the ranks of the army melt away, as Mithra, the lord

^ Doubtful. 2 The cattle.

' The meaning is, that the cattle of the INIithradru^es do not thrive, and that their pasture-fields are waste.

See Yt. XII.

^ As they flee from INIithra, they fall into the hands of Rashnu.

® Thratara; one might feel inclined to read thrastara, 'the fear-striking;' cf. § 36.

[23] K

I30 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

of wide pastures, angry, offended, and unsatisfied, comes and meets them^.

' They cry unto MIthra, the lord of wide pastures, saying : " O Mithra, thou lord of wide pastures ! here are our fiery horses taking us away, as they flee from Mithra ; here are our sturdy arms cut to pieces by the sword, O Mithra!"

' And then Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, throw^s them to the ground, killing their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads ; as Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, is angry and offended.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth

being heard ....

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, . . . . sleepless, and ever awake ;

Whose dwelling, wide as the earth, extends over the material world, large-, unconfined^, and bright, a far-and-wlde-extending abode.

'Whose eight friends^ sit as spies for Mithra, on all the heights, at all the watching-places, observing the man who lies unto Mithra, looking at those, rememberinor those who have lied unto Mithra, but guarding the ways of those whose life Is sought by

1 Cf.§§ 99-101.

2 Doubtful. The text is corrupt.

^ Doubtful. The number eight has probably an astronomical signification, each of the eight ratis of Mithra occupying one of the eight points of the compass.

MIHIR VAST. 131

men who lie unto Mithra, and, verily, by the fiendish killers of faithful men.

- Helping and guarding, guarding behind and guarding in front, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, proves an undeceivable spy and watcher for the man to whom he comes to help with all the strength of his soul, he of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XI.

*We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' A god of high renown and old age ^ whom widehoofed horses carry against havocking hosts, against enemies coming in battle array, in the strife of conflicting nations^,

' And when Mithra drives along towards the

havocking hosts, towards the enemies coming in

battle array, in the strife of the conflicting nations,

then he binds the hands of those who have lied unto

Mithra, he confounds their eye-sight, he takes the

hearing from their ears ; they can no longer move

their feet ; they can no longer withstand those

people, those foes, when Mithra, the lord of wide

pastures, bears them ill-will.

' For his brightness and glory, I will ofier him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake;

' For whom the Maker, Ahura Mazda, has

1 Doubtful. 2 cf. § 8.

K 2

built up a dwelling on the Hara Berezaiti, the bright mountain around which the many (stars) revolve
where come neither night nor darkness, no cold wind and no hot wind, no deathful sickness, no uncleanness made by the Daevas, and the clouds cannot reach up unto the Haraiti Bareza^;

'A dwelling that all the Amesha-Spe^ittas, in one accord with the sun, made for him in the fulness of faith of a devoted heart, and he survevs the whole of the material world from the Haraiti Bareza.

'And when there rushes a wicked worker of evil, swiftly, with a swift step, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, goes and yokes his horses to his chariot, along with the holy, powerful Sraosha and Nairyo-sangha ^, who strikes a blow that smites the army, that smites the strength of the malicious ^

For his brightness and glory, I will oflfer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XIII.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who, with hands lifted up, ever cries unto Ahura Mazda, saying : " I am the kind keeper of all creatures, I am the kind maintainer of all creatures ; yet men worship me not with a sacrifice in which I am invoked by my own name, as they worship the other gods with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names.

55^ '"If men would worship me with a sacrifice

^ Bundahij V, 3 seq. ; cf. Yt. XII, 13, and Yt. X, 13.

^ The Haraiti Bareza is the same as Hara Berezaiti.

^ Sirozah I, 9, notes 4 and 5. * Doubtful (mayaoj).

^ Cf. Yt. VIII, II, 24, and Yt. X, 74.

MIHIR VAST. 133

in which I were invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names, then I would come to the faithful at the appointed time ; I would come in the appointed time of my beautiful, immortal life."

56 \ ' But the pious man, holding libations in his hands, does worship thee with a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name, and with the proper words.

' With a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name, with the proper words will I offer thee libations, O powerful Mithra !

' With a sacrifice, in which thou art Invoked by thy own name, with the proper words will I offer thee libations, O most beneficent Mithra !

' With a sacrifice, in which thou art invoked by thy own name, with the proper words will I offer thee libations, O thou undeceivable Mithra !

' Listen unto our sacrifice, O Mithra! Be thou pleased with our sacrifice, O Mithra! Come and sit at our sacrifice ! Accept our libations ! Accept them as they have been consecrated ! Gather them together with love and lay them in the Garo-nmana!

' Grant us these boons which we beg of thee, O powerful god! in accordance with the words of revelation, namely, riches, strength, and victory, good conscience and bliss, good fame and a good soul ; wisdom and the knowledge that gives happiness, the victorious strength given by Ahura, the crushing Ascendant of Asha-Vahi^ta, and conversation (with God) on the Holy Word.

' §§ 56-59 = §§ 30-34-

- Grant that we, in a good spirit and high spirit,

exalted in joy and a good spirit, may smite all our

foes ; that we, in a good spirit and high spirit,

exalted in joy and a good spirit, may smite all our

enemies ; that we, in a good spirit and high spirit,

exalted in joy and a good spirit, may smite all the

malice of Daevas and Men, of the Yatus and

Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind, and the

deaf.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XIV.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

'Whose renown is good, whose shape is good, whose glory is good ; who has boons to give at his will, who has pasture-fields to give at his will ; harmless to the tiller of the ground, . . . . ^ beneficent ; he, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XV.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Firm-legged -, a watcher fully awake ; valiant, a chief in assemblies ; making the waters flow forward ; listening to appeals ; making the waters run and the plants grow up ; ruling over the Karsh-

^ The text is corrupt (vaso-yaonai inatam ?).

^ Eredhw6-za?zgem: sudr/a'/ia^ahghata, kila karye yad padabhyam yu^yate kartum vyavasayi ^aktaj-^^a (Yasna LXII, 5 [LXI, 13]).

MIHIR YA6'T. 1 35

vares^; delivering^; happy ^; iindeceivable; endowed with many senses^; a creature of wisdom ;

'Who gives neither strength nor vigour to him who has lied unto Mithra ; who gives neither glory nor any boon to him who has lied unto Mithra.

' Thou takest away the strength from their arms, being angry and all-powerful ; thou takest the swiftness from their feet, the eye-sight from their eyes, the hearing from their ears.

Not the wound of the well-sharpened spear or of

the flying arrow reaches that man to whom Mithra

comes for help with all the strength of his soul, he,

of the ten-thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing,

undeceivable god ^.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XVI.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who takes possession ^ of the beautiful, wideexpanding law, greatly and powerfully, and whose face looks over all the seven Karshvares of the earth ;

' W^ho is swift amongst the swift, liberal amongst the liberal, strong amongst the strong, a chief of assembly amongst the chiefs of assemblies ; increase-giving, fatness-giving, cattle-giving, sovereignty-giving, son-giving, cheerfulness '-giving, and bliss ''-giving.

^ Kari-o-razanghem: ke^-var virai (Pahl. tr. ibid.). "^ From Ahriman ; cf. Yasna XXIX, 6 (vy an a = vi)('arijn,vijuddhata.) ^ Yaokh.ytiva7z/: kamakomand (possessing whatever he wishes for. Vend. XX, i [3]).

See Yt. X, 82, note. « From Yt. X, 23-24.

Cf. Yasna XLIII, 7: vyanaya: amat vandinit, yat gn'h«ati. ' Cf. Yt. X, 5, p. 121, notes i and 2.

' With whom proceed Ashi Vanguhi, and Parendi on her hght chariot S the awful Manly Courage, the awful kingly Glory, the awful sovereign Sky, the awful cursinor thouorht - of the wise, the awful Fravashis of the faithful, and he who keeps united together the many faithful worshippers of Mazda \

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XVII.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,

sleepless, and ever awake ;

Who drives along on his high-wheeled chariot, made of a heavenly substance, from the Karshvare of Arezahi ^ to the Karshvare of //z^aniratha, the bright one ; accompanied by ^ the wheel of sovereignty ^ the Glory made by Mazda, and the Victory made by Ahura ;

'Whose chariot is embraced^ by the great Ashi Vanguhi ; to whom the Law of Mazda opens a way, that he may go easily ; whom four heavenly steeds, white, shining, seen afar, beneficent, endowed with knowledge, swiftly ^ carry along the heavenly space^^ while the cursing thought of the wise pushes it forward ;

' From whom all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends ^^ flee away in fear. Oh ! may we

1 Cf. Yt. VIII, 38. ^ See above, p. 12, note 13.

3 Mithra himself (?). " Or ' invisible.'

^ The western Karshvare (see above, p. 123, note 5); this seems to refer to the career of Mithra during the night ; cf. § 95. " And rolling upon it. '' Cf. Yt. XIII, 89, note.

» And uplifted. ' Doubtful.

^" See above, p. 95, note i. " See Vend. Introd. IV, 23.

MIHIR YA-S-T. 137

never fall across the rush of the angry lord\ who

goes and rushes from a thousand sides against his

foe, he, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful,

all-knowing, undeceivable god,

' For his brightness and glory, I will oflfer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XVIII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

Before whom Verethraghna, made by Ahura, runs opposing the foes in the shape of a boar ^, a sharptoothed he-boar, a sharp-jawed boar, that kills at one stroke, pursuing^, wrathful, with a dripping face; strong, with iron feet, iron fore-paws*, iron weapons, an iron tail, and iron jaws ;

- Who, eagerly clinging to the fleeing foe, along with Manly Courage, smites the foe in battle, and does not think he has smitten him, nor does he consider it a blow till he has smitten away the marrow '" and the column of life ^, the marrow ^ and the spring of existence,

.'He cuts all the limbs to pieces, and mingles, together with the earth, the bones, hair, brains, and blood of the men who have lied unto Mithra'^.

' For his brightness and glory, we offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ Cf. § 98.

2 See Yt. XIV, 15; cf. Yt. X, 127.

8 Anupoithwa; cf. poithwa (Vend. XIV [ii4]) = raninijn.

Literally, hands. ^ Doubtful.

» The spine. ' Cf. § 80.

^_ A ,

XIX.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

'Who, with hands lifted up, rejoicing, cries out, speaking thus :

' " O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent spirit ! Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' " If men would worship me^ with a sacrifice in which I were invoked by my own name, as they worship the other gods with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names, then I should come to the faithful at the appointed time ; I should come in the appointed time of my beautiful, immortal life ^."

'May we keep our field; may we never be exiles^ from our field, exiles from our house, exiles from our borough, exiles from our town, exiles from our country.

' Thou dashest in pieces the malice of the malicious, the malice of the men of malice : dash thou in pieces the killers of faithful men !

' Thou hast good horses, thou hast a good chariot: thou art bringing help at every appeal, and art powerful.

' I will pray unto thee for help, with many consecrations, with good consecrations of libations ; with many offerings, with good offerings of libations, that we, abiding in thee, may long inhabit a good abode, full of all the riches that can be wished for.

^ They have worshipped him and he has consequently overcome the Mithradru^es j this accounts for the word rejoicing. 2 Cf. Yt. X, 55. ' Iric; cf. linquo.

MIHIR VAST. 139

yS. * Thou keepest those nations that tender a good worship to Mithra, the lord of wide pastures ; thou dashest in pieces those that dehght in havoc. Unto thee will I pray for help : may he come to us for help, the awful, most powerful Mithra, the worshipful and praiseworthy, the glorious lord of nations.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XX.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who made a dwelling for Rashnu \ and to whom Rashnu gave all his soul for long friendship ;

' Thou art a keeper and protector of the dwelling of those who lie not: thou art the maintainer of those who lie not. With thee hath Verethraghna, made by Ahura, contracted the best of all friendships ^, and thus it is how so many men who have lied unto Mithra, even privily^, lie smitten down on the ground.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXI.

'We sacrifice unto IMithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who made a dwelling for Rashnu, and to whom Rashnu gave all his soul for long friendship ;

'To whom Ahura Mazda gave a thousand

^ The Genius of Truth (Yt. XII) ; Mithra gives a dwelling to the truthful man in the same way as he destroys the dwelling of the liar (§ 80).

2 Cf. § 70.

' Aipi vithiji; Vedic api vyathis (VIII, 45, 19).

senses ^ and ten thousand eyes to see. With those eyes and those senses, he watches the man who injures Mithra, the man who Hes unto Mithra, Through those eyes and those senses, he is undeceivable, he, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Whom the lord of the country invokes for help, with hands uplifted ;

'Whom the lord of the town invokes for help, with hands uplifted ;

' Whom the lord of the borough invokes for help, with hands uplifted ;

' Whom the master of the house invokes for help, with hands uplifted ;

'Whom the . . . .- in danger of death ^ invokes" for help, with hands uplifted ;

' Whom the poor man, who follows the good law, when wronged and deprived of his rights, invokes for help, with hands uplifted.

' The voice of his wailing reaches up to the sky, it goes over the earth all around, it goes over

^ Yaokhjti, the root of Persian ny6jidan, Pahlavi niyokhjitan, to hear; one might be inclined to translate 'a thousand ears,' or ' a thousand hearings ;' but the meaning of the word must have been rather more general, as Neriosengh translates it (prawidhi, IX, 8 [25]).

^ Dva/^ina?

3 Pithe : mrz'tyu (Yasna LIII [LII], 6).

MIHIR YAST. 141

the seven Karshvares, whether he utters his prayer in a low tone of voice ^ or aloud.

' The cow driven astray invokes him for help ^, longing for the stables :

'"When will that bull, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, bring us back, and make us reach the stables ? when will he turn us back to the right way from the den of the Dru^ where we were driven^?"

S"/. 'And to him with whom Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, has been satisfied, he comes with help; and of him with whom Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, has been offended, he crushes down the house, the borough, the town, the province, the country.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXIII.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' To whom the enlivening, healing, fair, lordly, golden-eyed Haoma offered up a sacrifice on the highest of the heights, on the Haraiti Bareza*, he

^ Va^'em, the so-called va^.

^ Most manuscripts have added here, from the preceding clauses, ' with hands uplifted!'

^ An allusion to a myth in which Mithra was described as an Indra delivering the cows carried away by a Vrz'tra : Firmicus Maternus called him abactorem boum (De Errore Profan. Relig. V) ; Commodianus compares him with Cacus :

'Vrtebatque boves alienos semper in antris Sicut et Cacus Vulcani filius ille.' (Apud Windischmann, Mithra, p. 64.)

See above, p. 132, note 2.

the undefiled to one undefiled, with undefiled baresma, undefiled Hbations, and undefiled words;

'Whom^ the holy Ahura Mazda has established as a priest, quick in performing the sacrifice and loud in song. He performed the sacrifice with a loud voice, as a priest quick in sacrifice and loud in song, a priest to Ahura Mazda, a priest to the Amesha-Spe;^tas. His voice reached up to the sky, went over the earth all around, went over the seven Karshvares.

'Who first lifted up Haomas, in a mortar inlaid with stars and made of a heavenly substance. Ahura Mazda longed for him, the Amesha-Spe;^tas longed for him, for the well-shapen body of him whom the swift-horsed sun awakes for prayer from afar ^.

'Hail to Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who has a thousand ears and ten thousand eyes ! Thou art worthy of sacrifice and prayer : mayest thou have sacrifice and prayer in the houses of men ! Hail to the man who shall offer thee a sacrifice, with the holy wood in his hand, the baresma in his hand, the holy meat in his hand, the holy mortar in his hand ^ with his hands well-washed, with the mortar well-washed, with the bundles of baresma tied up, the Haoma uplifted, and the Ahuna Vairya sung through.

' The holy Ahura Mazda confessed that religion and so did Vohu-Mano, so did Asha-Vahii-ta, so did Khshathra -Vairya, so did Spe;^ta-Armaiti, so

^ Haoma; cf. Yasna IX, 26 [81].

^ For the morning service in the Gah Ujahin.

=) Cf. Vend. Ill, i.

MIIIIR YA^T. 143

did Haurvata/ and Amereta/ ; and all the Amesha- Spe;2tas longed for and confessed his religion. The kind Mazda conferred upon him the mastership of the world ; and [so did they'] who saw thee amongst all creatures the right lord and master of the world, the best cleanser of these creatures.

' So mayest thou in both worlds, mayest thou keep us in both worlds, O Mithra, lord of wide pastures! both in this material world and in the world of the spirit, from the fiend of Death, from the fiend Aeshma -, from the fiendish hordes, that lift up the spear of havoc, and from the onsets of Aeshma, wherein the evil-doing Aeshma rushes along with Vidotu ^, made by the Daevas.

' So mayest thou, O Mithra, lord of wide pastures ! give swiftness to our teams, strength to our own bodies, and that we may watch with full success those who hate us, smite down our foes, and destroy at one stroke our adversaries, our enemies and those who hate us^.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXIV.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' Who goes over the earth, all her breadth over, after the setting of the sun ^, touches both ends of

' The Amesha-Spewtas.

"^ See Vend. Introd. IV, 22. ' See ibid.

See Yt. V, 53; X, ri, 114; V, 53.

^ It should seem as if Mithra was supposed to retrace his steps during the night. The Hindus supposed that the sun had a bright face and a dark one, and that during the night it returned from the west to the east with its dark face turned towards the earth.

^„ ^ ,

this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, and surveys everything that is between the earth and the heavens,

' Swinging in his hands a club with a hundred knots, a hundred edges, that rushes forwards and fells men down ; a club cast out of red brass, of strong, golden brass ; the strongest of all weapons, the most victorious of all weapons ^ ;

' From whom Angra Malnyu, who is all death, flees away in fear ; from whom Aeshma, the evildoing Peshotanu 2, flees away in fear ; from whom the long-handed Bushyasta^ flees away in fear; from whom all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends flee away in fear *.

' Oh ! may we never fall across the rush of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, when in anger ^l May Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, never smite us in his anger ; he who stands up upon this earth as the strongest of all gods, the most valiant of all gods, the most energetic of all gods, the swiftest of all gods, the most fiend-smiting of all gods, he, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures ^

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXV.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' From whom all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends flee away in fear^.

Cf. § 132. '^ See Vend. Introd. V, 19.

See ibid. IV, 24. * Cf. § 69.

5 Cf. Yt. X, 69. ' §§ 97-98 = §§ 134-135-

' Cf. § 97.

MIHIR VAST. 145

The lord of nations, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, drives forward at the right-hand side of this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar.

' At his right hand drives the good, holy Sraosha ; at his left hand drives the tall and strong Rashnu ; on all sides around him drive the waters, the plants, and the Fravashis of the faithful.

loi. 'In his might, he ever brings to them falconfeathered arrows, and, when driving, he himself comes there, where are nations, enemy to Mithra, he, first and foremost, strikes blows with his club on the horse and his rider; he throws fear and fright upon the horse and his rider.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXVI.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

The warrior of the white horse, of the sharp spear, the long spear, the quick arrows ; foreseeing and clever ;

' Whom Ahura Mazda has established to maintain and look over all this moving^ world, and who maintains and looks over all this moving world; who, never sleeping, wakefully guards the creation of Mazda ; who, never sleeping, wakefully maintains the creation of Mazda.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ Fravoij; Parsi tradition translates large: fraz (tr. Phi.), buland (Asp., Yasna LVII, 15 [LVI, 7, 3]).

A ,

XXVII.

' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

'Whose long arms, strong with Mithra-strength, encompass what he seizes in the easternmost river ^ and what he beats with the westernmost river 2, what is by the Sanaka ^ of the Rangha and what is by the boundary of the earth *.

'And thou, O Mithra! encompassing all this around, do thou reach it, all over, with thy arms.

The man without glory \ led astray from the right way, grieves in his heart; the man without glory thinks thus in himself: " That careless Mithra does not see all the evil that is done, nor all the lies that are told."

' But I think thus in my heart :

' " Should the evil thoughts of the earthly man be a hundred times worse, they would not rise so high as the good thoughts of the heavenly Mithra ;

' " Should the evil words of the earthly man be a hundred times worse, they would not rise so high as the good words of the heavenly Mithra;

1 The Sind.

2 The Rangha or Tigris. The words ag^urvayeiti and nighne, 'he seizes, he beats,' are the words used of the priest laying the Haoma in the mortar and pounding it with the pestle (Yasna, X, 2 [4-5]). The Sind and the Rangha are thus compared with the two parts of the Havana, the land between is the Haoma, and Mithra's arms are the arms of the priest.

^ Sanake, an aira^ Xeyofifvov; opposed to the aodhas of the Rangha, Yt. XII, 19.

The Arabian sea (?). Cf. Yt. XII, 21.

^ Who has not a ray of the celestial Hght : here, the man of little faith.

MIHIR YA^T. 147

" Should the evil deeds of the earthly man be a hundred times worse, they would not rise so high as the good deeds of the heavenly Mithra ;

'"Should the heavenly wisdom^ in the earthly man be a hundred times greater, it would not rise so high as the heavenly wisdom in the heavenly Mithra;

"'And thus, should the ears of the earthly man hear a hundred times better, he would not hear so well as the heavenly Mithra, whose ear hears well, who has a thousand senses, and sees every man that tells a lie."

Mithra stands up in his strength, he drives in the awfulness of royalty, and sends from his eyes beautiful looks that shine from afar, (saying) :

'" Who will offer me a sacrifice ? Who will lie unto me ? Who thinks me a god worthy of a good sacrifice ? Who thinks me worthy only of a bad sacrifice ? To whom shall I, in my might, impart brightness and glory ? To whom bodily health ? To whom shall I, in my might, impart riches and full weal ? Whom shall I bless by raising him a virtuous ^ offspring ?

'"To whom shall I give in return, without his thinking of it, the awful sovereignty, beautifully arrayed, with many armies, and most perfect ; the sovereignty of an all-powerful tyrant, who fells down heads, valiant, smiting, and unsmitten ; who orders chastisement to be done and his order is done at once, which he has ordered in his aneer ?"

' O Mithra ! when thou art offended and not satisfied, he 3 soothes thy mind, and makes Mithra satisfied.

See above, p. 4, n. 5. 2 Asna : Sansk. sujila (p. 34, n. 4).

He who offers thee a good sacrifice; cf. § 108.

L 2

1 10. *"To whom shall I, m my might, impart sickness and death ? To whom shall I impart poverty and sterility^? Of whom shall I at one stroke cut off the offspring ?

'"From whom shall I take away, without his thinking of It, the awful sovereignty, beautifully arrayed, with many armies, and most perfect; the sovereignty of an all-powerful tyrant, who fells down heads, valiant, smiting, and unsmltten ; who orders chastisement to be done and his order is done at once, which he has ordered In his anger."

*0 Mithra! while thou art satisfied and not angry, he moves thy heart to anger 2, and makes MIthra unsatisfied.

« For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXVIII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

'A warrior with a silver helm ^ a golden cuirass ^, who kills with the poniard, strong, valiant, lord of the borough. Bright are the ways of MIthra, by which he goes towards the country, when, wishing well, he turns Its plains and vales to pasture grounds,

'And then cattle and males come to graze, as many as he wants.

'May Mithra and Ahura*, the high gods, come to us for help, when the poniard lifts up Its voice

1 Doubtful.

2 He who offers thee a bad sacrifice. ' Doubtful.

See Vend. Introd. IV, 8.

MIHIR VAST. 149

aloud ^, when the nostrils of the horses quiver, when the poniards . . . . ^ when the strings of the bows whistle and shoot sharp arrows ; then the brood of those whose libations are hated fall smitten to the ground, with their hair torn off.

'So mayest thou, O Mithra, lord of wide pastures ! give swiftness to our teams, strength to our own bodies, and that we may watch with full success those who hate us, smite down our foes, and destroy at one stroke our adversaries, our enemies, and those who hate us ^

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXIX.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake.

O Mithra, lord of wide pastures ! thou master of the house, of the borough, of the town, of the country, thou ZarathuJtrotema*!

1 16. 'Mithra is twentyfold^ between two friends or two relations;

' Mithra is thirtyfold between two men of the same groups;

Mithra is fortyfold between two partners '^;

^ When it clashes with another. ^ Kahvan.

« SeeYt. V, 53; X, 11, 94.

The chief of the sacerdotal order, the so-called Maubedanmaused.

^ Or 'the contract is twentyfold ....,' that is, twenty times more strictly binding than between any two strangers. This passage is one of the most important of the Avesta, as a short account of the social constitution and morals of Zoroastrian Iran.

Of the same gild (svapahkti, ap. Neriosengh).

'' Hadha-gaetha, co-proprietors of a ga6tha (a rural estate).

' Mithra is fiftyfold between wife and husband i;

'Mithra is sixtyfold between two pupils (of the same master) ;

'Mithra is seventyfold between the pupil and his master ;

' Mithra is eightyfold between the son-in-law and his father-in-law ;

' Mithra is ninetyfold between two brothers ;

117.' Mithra is a hundredfold between the father and the son ;

'Mithra is a thousandfold between two nations 2;

'Mithra is ten thousandfold when connected with the Law of Mazda ^ and then he will be every day * of victorious strength ^.

'May I come unto thee with a prayer that

goes lowly or goes highly! As this sun rises up

above the Hara Berezaiti and then fulfils its career,

so may I, O Spitama! with a prayer that goes lowly

or goes highly, rise up above the will of the fiend

Angra MainyuM

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXX.

119, 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake.

' Offer up a sacrifice unto Mithra, O Spitama ! and order thy pupils to do the same.

1 Doubtful.

^ A fair recognition of the jus gentium.

3 The contract between the faithful and the Law, the covenant (?).

^ Reading [hjamahe ayan.

^ The last clause is doubtful ; the text is corrupt.

^ Prayer follows Mithra in his career, rising and setting with him.

MIHIR YAST. 151

'Let the worshipper of Mazda sacrifice unto thee ^ with small cattle, with black cattle, with flying birds, gliding forward on wings.

'To Mithra all the faithful worshippers of Mazda must give strength and energy with offered and proffered Haomas, which the Zaotar proffers unto him and gives in sacrifice 2. Let the faithful man drink of the libations cleanly prepared, which if he does, If he offers them unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, Mithra will be pleased with him and without anger.'

Zarathu^ra asked him: 'O Ahura Mazda! how shall the faithful man drink the libations cleanly prepared, which if he does and he offers them unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, Mithra will be pleased with him and without anger?'

Ahura Mazda answered: 'Let them wash their bodies three days and three nights ; let them undergo thirty strokes ^ for the sacrifice and prayer unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures. Let them wash their bodies two days and two nights ; let them undergo twenty strokes for the sacrifice and prayer unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures. Let no

^ Mithra.

"^ The translation of this sentence is conjectural.

^ Thirty strokes with the Sraosh6-/^arana (upazana; see Vend. Introd. V, 19); it is an expiation (akayaya^zta) which purges them from their sins and makes them fit for offering a sacrifice to Mithra. One may find in this passage the origin of the painful trials through which the adepts of the Mithriac mysteries had to go before being admitted to initiation {ovk &v ovv els alrov bwriaaiTO Tts reXead^vm, «i ixf] 8id rivav ^ad^xav napeKdcov twv KoXdafcov Sfl^u

e'auroi/ oaiov Ka\ anaO?], Suidas s. V., ap. Windischmann, iiber Mithra, 68 seq.).

'l_ A.

man drink of these libations who does not know the staota yesnya^ : Vispe ratavo 2.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard . . , ,

XXXI.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' To whom Ahura Mazda offered up a sacrifice in the shining Garo-nmana ^

'With his arms Hfted up towards Immortality*, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, drives forward from the shining Garo-nmana, in a beautiful chariot that drives on, ever-swift, adorned with all sorts of ornaments, and made of gold.

• Four stallions draw that chariot, all of the same white colour, living on heavenly food^ and undying. The hoofs of their fore-feet are shod with gold, the hoofs of their hind-feet are shod with silver; all are yoked to the same pole, and wear the yoke ^ and the cross-beams of the yoke ^, fastened with hooks" of Khshathra vairya'^ to a beautiful . . . . ^

'At his right hand drives Rashnu-Razi^ta^ the most beneficent and most well-shapen.

^ The sutud ye^t; the last chapters of the Yasna, from LVIII [LVII] to end, according to Anquetil (Zend-Avesta I, 2, 232).

2 The first words of the Visperad.

^ Paradise.

Towards the abode of the Immortals.

^ Fed with ambrosia {afx^poaiov elbap) like Poseidon's steeds (II. XIII, 35; cf Ovid, Metam. IV, 214).

" Doubtful (simam/^a simoithram/i'a).

■^ Metal. See Vend. Introd. IV, 33.

« Upairispata. ' See Yt. XII.

MIHIR VAST. 15;

At his left hand drives the most upright A'ista
the holy one, bearing libations in her hands, clothed with white clothes, and white herself; and the cursing thought 2 of the Law of Mazda.

'Close by him drives the strong cursing thought 2 of the wise man, opposing foes in the shape of a boar, a sharp-toothed he-boar, a sharpjawed boar, that kills at one stroke, pursuing, wrathful, with a dripping face ^ strong and swift to run, and rushing all around *.

Behind him drives Atar ^ all in a blaze, and the awful kingly Glory.

'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand bows well-made, with a string of cowgut ; they go through the heavenly space ^ they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

' On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand vulture-feathered arrows, with a golden mouth \ with a horn shaft, with a brass tail, and well-made. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

1 30. ' On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand spears well-made and sharp-piercing. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

*On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of

1 See Yt. XVI. ^ See above, p. 12, note 13. ' Cf. Yt. X, 70.

Or better, rushing before (pairi-vaza; cf. the translations of pairi-da-^z^yu, Yt. X, 144 and pairi-vara, Yt. I, 19). Cf. Yt. XIV, 15.

^ The Genius of Fire. ' See p. 95, note i. ''A golden point.

wide pastures, stand a thousand steel-hammers, twoedged, well-made. They go through the heavenlyspace, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand swords, twoedged and well-made. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand maces of iron, wellmade. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stands a beautiful well-falling club, with a hundred knots, a hundred edges, that rushes forward and fells men down ; a club cast out of red brass, of strong, golden brass ; the strongest of all weapons, the most victorious of all weapons \ It goes through the heavenly space 2, it falls through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.

'After he has smitten the Daevas, after he has smitten down the men who lied unto Mithra, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, drives forward through Arezahe and Savahe, through Fradadhafshu and Vidadhafshu, through Vourubare^ti and Vouru- ^are^ti, through this our Karshvare, the bright ZTz^aniratha ^.

'Angra Mainyu, who is all death, flees away in fear; Aeshma, the evil-doing Peshotanu, flees

^ Cf. Yt. X, 96. 2 The text has, they go

^ See above, p. 123, note 5.

MIHIR VAST. 155

away in fear ; the long-handed Bushyasta flees away in fear ; all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends flee away in fear.

'Oh! may we never fall across the rush of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, when in anger ! May Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, never smite us in his anger ; he who stands up upon this earth as the strongest of all gods, the most valiant of all gods, the most energetic of all gods, the swiftest of all gods, the most fiend-smiting of all gods, he, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures^

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXXII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

' For whom white stallions, yoked to his chariot,

draw it, on one golden wheel, with a full shining

axle.

- If Mithra takes his libations to his own dwelling 2, " Happy that man, I think," — said Ahura Mazda, — "O holy ZarathuJtra ! for whom a holy priest, as pious as any in the world ^, who is the Word incarnate, offers up a sacrifice unto Mithra with bundles of baresma and with the [proper] words.

' " Straight to that man, I think, will Mithra come, to visit his dwelling,

- " When Mithras boons will come to him, as he follows God's teaching, and thinks according to God's teaching.

' " Woe to that man, I think," — said Ahura Mazda, —

' §§ i34-i35 = §§ 97-98. ' Cf. Yt. X, 32.

Doubtful. Possibly, * of a pious conscience.'

" O holy Zarathui-tra ! for whom an unholy priest, not pious ^, who is not the Word incarnate, stands behind the baresma, however full may be the bundles of baresma he ties, however long may be the sacrifice he performs."

' He does not delight Ahura Mazda, nor the other Amesha-Spe;ztas, nor Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, he who thus scorns Mazda, and the other Amesha-Spe;2tas, and Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, and the Law, and Rashnu, and Ar^ta/*, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth

being heard

XXXIII.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake.

I will offer up a sacrifice unto the good Mithra, O Spitama ! unto the strong, heavenly god, who is foremost, highly merciful, and peerless ; whose house is above ^, a stout and strong warrior ;

'Victorious and armed with a well-fashioned weapon, watchful in darkness and undeceivable. He is the stoutest of the stoutest, he is the strongest of the strongest, he is the most intelligent of the gods, he is victorious and endowed with Glory : he, of the ten thousand eyes, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ An unqualified priest; cf. Vend. IX, 47-57; XVIII, i seq. ^ Or, ' whose house is great.'

MIHIR YA.ST. 157

XXXIV.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, .... sleepless, and ever awake ;

'Who, with his manifold knowledge, powerfully increases the creation of Spe;«ta Mainyu, and is a well-created and most great Yazata, self-shining like the moon, when he makes his own body shine ;

'Whose face is flashing with light like the face of the star Ti^trya^ whose chariot is embraced by that goddess who is foremost amongst those who have no deceit in them ^ O Spitama ! who is fairer than any creature in the world, and full of light to shine. I will worship that chariot, wrought by the Maker, Ahura Mazda, inlaid with stars and made of a heavenly substance ; (the chariot) of Mithra, who has ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXXV.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand ears, well-shapen, with a thousand eyes, high, with full knowledge, strong, sleepless, and ever awake.

' We sacrifice unto the Mithra around countries ^ ; 'We sacrifice unto the Mithra within countries;

^ See Yt. VIII. ' Ashi Vanguhi (?) ; cf. § 68.

^ Who watches around countries: aiwida/iyyum is translated U^^ ^j^\j^^,j^ (Pers. tr. of Mihir Nyayij-).

*■„ A ,

'We sacrifice unto the Mithra in this country^; ' We sacrifice unto the Mithra above countries ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra under countries ; 'We sacrifice unto the Mithra before countries ^i ' We sacrifice unto the Mithra behind countries.

'We sacrifice unto Mithra and Ahura, the

two great, imperishable, holy gods^; and unto the stars, and the moon, and the sun, with the trees that yield up baresma^ We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of all countries.

' For his brightness and glory, I will oflfer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures.

'Yatha ahft vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who has a thousand ears, ten thousand eyes, a Yazata invoked by his own name ; and that of Rama

'AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good .... '[Give] unto that man*' brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones !'

^ Ada/zz'yum: o^l^^-i- ^ji}j^ ^j^', cf. Yasna XXVI, 9 [28].

' Pairida^^z'yiim : cu-^l^^^J:.^ ^ji^. »5T

8 Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 8. * Cf. Vend. p. 22, note a.

Cf. Sirozah I, 16. ^ Who sacrifices to Mithra.

A_-, ,, . „ .,*„,. A

SROSH VAST HADHOKHT. 1 59

XI. SROSH YA^-T HADHOKHT.

There are two Yajts dedicated to Sraosha, the angel of divine worship^: one is a part of the Yasna (LVII [LVI]), and this, the other, is called the Srosh Yzst Hadhokht. Whether it belonged to the socalled Hadhokht Nosk ^, one of the twenty-one Nosks of which the original Avesta was formed ', or whether it was recited in the Hadhokht sacrifice *, a particular liturgy, is a matter on which we have no sufficient information.

The two Yajts have a few developments in common (see §§ 8- 9, 10-13): the Hadhokht is more liturgical, the Yasna Yast is more descriptive, and has to a greater degree the poetical imagery of a Ya^t.

The Srosh Yajt Hadhokht is recited every day, during -any gah except the Rapitvin. A Pahlavi translation of this Yast is extant (East India Office, XII, 102; Paris, Supplement Persan, XXXIII, 259 ; edited in Etudes Iraniennes, II), and Anquetil mentions a Sanskrit translation.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced I . . . .

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathuj-tra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto the holy, strong Sraosha, who is the incarnate Word, a mighty-speared and lordly god,

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

^ Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 31. 2 j^id. Ill, 3.

' See an account of the Hadhokht Nosk in the Dinkart (West, Pahlavi Texts, I, 225, note); cf. Introd. to Yt. XXI.

Cf. § 18, note.

l6o YASTS AND SIROZAHS.

We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiendsmiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness.

Good prayer, excellent prayer to the worlds \ O Zarathui-tra !

This it is that takes away the friendship of the fiend and fiends, of the he-fiend and of the shefiend ; it turns away in giddiness their eyes, minds, ears ^, hands, feet, mouths, and tongues ^ ; as good prayer, without deceit and without harm, is Manly Courage *, and turns away the Dru^ ^.

The holy Sraosha, the best protector of the poor, is fiend-smiting; he is the best smiter of the Dru^.

The faithful one who pronounces most words of blessing is the most victorious in victory ; the Mathra Spe;/ta takes best the unseen Dru^ away. The Ahuna Vairya ^ is the best fiend-smiter among all spells ; the word of truth is the fighter "^ that is the best of all fiend-smiters.

The Law of the worshippers of Mazda is the truest giver of all the good things, of all those that are the offspring of the good principle; and so is the Law of Zarathu^tra,

And he who should pronounce that word ^, O Zarathu^tra ! either a man or a woman, with a mind all intent on holiness, with words all intent on

^ ' Has been taught to the world, namely, the Law ' (Pahl. Comm.).

^ Doubtful. ' Derezva: Pahl. huzvan; cf. Yt. I, 28,

Is the same with it, is as powerful.

^ Doubtful (varethrem dare^ta .... zak dr%- varti dajtartum),

See p. 23.

■^ Or, ' is the best of all fiend-smiters in battle.' ^ This chapter (Pahl. Comm.).

SROSH YAST HADh6kHT. i6i

holiness, with deeds all intent on holiness, when he is in fear either of high waters or of the darkness of a rainy night ;

Or at the fords of a river, or at the branching-off of roads ;

Or in the meeting together of the faithful, or the rushing together of the worshippers of the Daevas ^ ;

Whether on the road ^ or in the law ^ he has to fear, not in that day nor in that night shall the tormenting fiend, who wants to torment him, prevail to throw upon him the look of his evil eye, and the malice of the thief ^ who carries off cattle shall not reach him.

Pronounce then that word, O Zarathu^tra ! that word to be spoken ^ when thou fall upon the idolaters ^ and thieves and Daevas rushing together. Then the malice of the wicked worshippers of the Daevas, of the Yatus and their followers, of the Pairikas and their followers, will be affrighted and rush away. Down are the Daevas ! Down are the Daeva-worshippers, and they take back their mouths from biting'^.

Different words are used, as usual, to express the same conflict, according as it refers to the faithful or to the idolaters.

' Aipi-ayanam: madam ras.

'Arethyanam: dadistan (from aretha, meaning dina, dadistan).

Gadha: nn'szmsa. (Neriosengh) ; the Pahlavi has ^aj, a Saka, a Scythe.

^ The praise of Sraosha.

^ Keresas/^-a: krasiak; cf. Neriosengh ad Yasna IX, 24 [75]; that name was in the later periods applied to Christians, as if keresa were the name of Christ ; cf. Bahman Yast II, 19 ; III, 2.

^ Doubtful.

[23] M

And therefore we take around us the holynatured Sraosha, the holy, the fiend-smiter, as one does with shepherds' dogs ; therefore we sacrifice unto the holy-natured Sraosha, the holy, the fiendsmiter, with good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

8 \ For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power, for his offering sacrifices unto . the gods^, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard. I will offer up libations unto the holy Sraosha, unto the great Ashi Vanguhi ^, and unto Nairyo-sangha *, the tall-formed.

So may the holy Sraosha, the fiend-smiter, come to us for help !

We worship the holy Sraosha ; we worship the great master, Ahura Mazda, who is supreme in holiness, who is the foremost to do deeds of holiness.

We worship all the words ^ of Zarathu^tra, and all the good deeds, those done and those to be done.

Y6«h6hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

II.

10". We sacrifice unto the holy, tall -formed, fiend -smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness ;

Who strikes the evil-doing^ man, who strikes the evil-doing woman ; who smites the fiendish

1 §§ 8-9=Yasna LVII, 3-4 [LVI, i, 6-12].

2 See Vend. Introd. IV, 31. =* See Yt. XVII. ' See Vend. XXII, 7 [22] and Sirozah I, 9.

^ The words of the law.

« §§ io-i3=Yasna LVII, 15-18 [LVI, 7].

' Cf Yt. I, 19.

SROSH YA5T HADHOKHT. 1 63

Dru^, and is most strong and world - destroying ; who maintains and looks over all this moving ^ world ;

Who, never sleeping, wakefully guards the creation of Mazda ; who, never sleeping, wakefully maintains the creation of Mazda ; who protects all the material world with his club uplifted, from the hour when the sun is down ;

Who never more did enjoy sleep from the time when the two Spirits made the world, namely, the good Spirit and the evil One ; who every day, every night, fights with the Mazainya Daevas.

He bows not for fear and fright before the Daevas : before him all the Daevas bow for fear and fright reluctantly, and rush away to darkness ^

For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power . . . .^

III.

Yatha ahii vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness ;

Who with peace and friendship* watches the Dru^ and the most beneficent Spirit : so that the Amesha-Spe/2tas may go along the seven Karshvares of the earth ^ ; who is the teacher of the

^ Cf. above, p. 145, note i. ^ To hell.

^ As above, §§ 8-9, * To the creation of Ormazd.

Doubtful. The Yasna has: 'Through whose strength, victorious power, wisdom, and knowledge the Amesha-Spewtas go (avan; Phi. satiinand) along the seven Karshvares of the earth' (LVII, 23 [LVI, 10, 2]).

M 2

Law 1 : he himself was taught it by Ahura Mazda, the holy One.

For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power ....

IV.

Yatha ahft vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness ;

Whom the holy Ahura Mazda has created to withstand Aeshma, the fiend of the wounding spear ; we sacrifice unto Peace, whose breath is friendly, and unto the two withstanders of sin and guilt 2,

The friends of the holy Sraosha ;

The friends of Rashnu Razi^ta^

The friends of the good Law of the worshippers

of Mazda ;

The friends of Arsta.^\ who makes the world o-row. who makes the world increase, who makes the world prosper ;

The friends of Ashi Vanguhi 5;

The friends of the good A^isti ^ ;

The friends of the most right iTista^;

^ He teaches the law to the three saviours to come, Oshedar Bami, OshSdar Mah, and Soshyos (Yasna LVII, 24 [LVI, 10, 2]; Phi. tr.).

2 Pare^tasy^a mravaya^^s-^a, to be corrected, according to various readings, into staretas^a m^-vaydoska. or something like it ; the two genii here alluded to are An a star eta and Amuyamna, Sinlessness and Innocence, who are invoked in company with Akhjti hamvaiwti in Visperad VIII, 4.

» See Yt. XII. * See Yt. XVII.

^ See Vend. XIX, 39. ' See ibid.

^ See Yt. XVI, I.

SROSH YA^T HADIIOKHT. 165

1 7. The friends of all gods ; The friends of the Mathra Spe/^ta ; The friends of the fiend-destroying Law ; The friends of the long-traditional teaching ; The friends of the Amesha-Spe;^tas ; The friends of ourselves, the Saoshya;//s \ the two-footed part of the holy creation ;

The friends of all the beings of the holy world.

For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power ....

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness ;

The first [Sraosha], the next, the middle, and the highest ; with the first sacrifice, with the next, with the middle, and with the highest 2. We sacrifice unto all [the moments]^ of the holy and strong Sraosha, who is the incarnate Word ;

The strong Sraosha, of the manly courage, the warrior of the strong arms, who breaks the skulls of the Daevas ; who smites with heavy blows ^ and is strong to smite ; the holy Sraosha, who smites

^ The faithful, as helping through their good deeds in the work of final restoration, to be performed by Saoshya«/ (cf. Yt. XIII, 1 7).

^ The first sacrifice is the Yasna sacrifice; the next (literally, superior) is the Visperad; the middle sacrifice is the Hadhokht [and] evak homast ; the highest sacrifice is the Dvazdah homast (Pahl.Comm.). Sraosha is called the first, next, middle, and highest, accordingly as he presides over one or the other of those sacrifices. For a definition of the evak homast and Dvazdah homast, see West, Pahlavi Texts, I, 212, note 5.

' Vispan, translated harvisp zaman.

Literally, the smiter who smites with smitings.

t66 YA5TS AND siROZAHS.

with heavy blows ; we sacrifice unto the crushing Ascendant of both the holy Sraosha and Ar^ti ^

We sacrifice for all the houses protected by Sraosha, where the holy Sraosha is dear and friendly treated and satisfied, as well as the faithful man^ rich in good thoughts, rich in good words, rich in good deeds.

We sacrifice unto the body of the holy Sraosha ;

We sacrifice unto the body of Rashnu Razi^ta ;

We sacrifice unto the body of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the holy wind ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ;

We sacrifice unto the body of Ari-ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase, who makes the world prosper ;

We sacrifice unto the body of Ashi Vanguhi ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the good A"isti ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the most right /Tista ;

We sacrifice unto the bodies of all the gods ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the Mathra SpeJtta. ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the fiend-destroying Law ;

We sacrifice unto the body of the long-traditional teaching ;

We sacrifice unto the bodies of the Amesha- Spe?^tas ;

1 The same as Arsta/. Cf. Yasna LVII, 34-35 [LVI, 13, 3-7]. ^ He receives alms (the asho-dad).

SROSH YAST HADHOKHT. 167

We sacrifice unto the bodies of ourselves, the Saoshya;2/s, the two-footed part of the holy creation ;

We sacrifice unto the bodies of all the beings of the holy world ^

For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power ....

Yatha ahfi vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, the strength and vigour of the holy, strong Sraosha, who is the incarnate Word, a mighty-speared and lordly god.

[Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones !

^ Cf. §§ 16-17. ^ Who sacrifices to Sraosha.

XII. RASHN VAST.

Rashnu Razi^ta, 'the truest True,' is the Genius of Truth : he is one of the three judges of the departed, with Mithra and Sraosha : he holds the balance in which the deeds of men are weighed after their death : ' he makes no unjust balance . . . . , neither for the pious nor yet the wicked, neither for lords nor yet rulers ; as much as a hair's breadth he will not vary, and he shows no favour V He is an offshoot either of Mithra, the God of Truth and the avenger of lies, or of Ahura Mazda himself, the all-knowing lord (§ 2 seq.).

This Yai-t seems to be an appeal made to Rashnu to come and attend the performance of the var nirang or ordeal (see p. 170, note 3), of which Rashnu, as the Genius of Truth, was the natural witness and arbiter (cf. Vend. IV, 54-55 [154-156]). As a god of Truth must know everything and be present everywhere, he is called from whatever part of the world he may actually be in. This brings about an enumeration of all the parts of the world, from this earth (§§ 9-22) to the highest heaven (§ 37), passing through the Alborz (§§ 23-26), the star region (§§ 26-32), the moon region (§ 33), and the sun region (§ 34 ; cf. p. 73, note^2).

This Ya^t is recited on the days of Rashn, Murdad, Ashtad, and Zemyad (the i8th, 7th, 26th, and 28th of the month).

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

AshemVohu: Holiness is the best Of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness.

Unto Rashnu Razi^ta ; unto Ar^tat, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase ; unto the true-spoken speech, that makes the world grow^;

^ Minokhirad II, 120-12 1 (tr. West). ^ Sirozah I, 18.

RASHN YA5'T. 1 69

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

YathS ahii vairy6: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

The holy (Zarathuj'tra) asked him M ' O holy Ahura Mazda! I ask thee ; answer me with words of truth, thou who knowest the truth. Thou art undeceivable, thou hast an undeceivable understanding ; thou art undeceivable, as thou knowest everything.

' What of the Holy Word is created true? what is created progress-making ? what is fit to discern ? what is healthful ? what is wise .'* what is happy and more powerful to destroy than all other creatures ^ V

Ahura Mazda answered : ' I will declare that unto thee, O pure, holy Spitama !

'The most glorious Holy Word (itself), this is what in the Holy Word is created true, what is created progress making, what is fit to discern, what is healthful, wise, and happy, what is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures.'

Ahura Mazda said : ' Bind up a three-twigged baresma against the way of the sun, [Address] unto me, Ahura Mazda, these words : " We invoke, we bless [Ahura]'^; I invoke the friendship [of Ahura] towards this var* prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk^], towards the var ^ of oil and the sap '^ of the plants."

Ahura Mazda. 2 q^ Yt. I, i seq.

' The text is apparently corrupt and has Uterally, ' We invoke, we bless me, Ahura Mazda.'

See following page, note 3.

^ Possibly, waters; cf. Yt. V, 132 and Vend. IV, 46 [128], 54 [154] seq.

" Literally, the fat.

'Then I, Ahura Mazda, shall come for help unto thee, towards this var prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of the plants ;

'Along with the fiend-smiting Wind, along with the cursing thought of the wise \ along with the kingly Glory, along with Saoka -, made by Mazda.

' We invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong ; I invoke his friendship towards this var ^ prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of the plants.

'Then Rashnu the tall, the strong, will come for help unto thee, towards this var prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of the plants :

'Along with the fiend-smiting Wind, along with the cursing thought of the wise, along with the kingly Glory, along with Saoka, made by Mazda.

' O thou, holy Rashnu ! O most true Rashnu ! most beneficent Rashnu ! most knowing Rashnu ! most discerning Rashnu ! most fore -knowing Rashnu! most far-seeing Rashnu! Rashnu, the

^ See p. 12, note 13. ^ See Vend. XXII, 3.

^ Var 6; this seems to be the Var nirang or ordeal which is alluded to in several passages of the Avesta ; of. Afrigan I, 9 ; Yasna XXXI, 3 b (see Pahl. Comm. ; of. Coram, ad XXXIV, 4 a) ; cf. Vend. IV, 46, 55. According to the Dinkart, there were thirtythree kinds of var ordeals (Haug, Arda Viraf, p. 145); the most common was to pour melted copper upon the breast of the man whose truth was to be tested : if he went off uninjured, he was considered to have spoken the truth. Cf Vend. Inirod. Ill, 9.

RASHN VAST. I7I

best doer of justiceM Rashnu, the best smiter of thieves ;

' The uninjured, the best killer, smiter, destroyer of thieves and bandits ! in whatever part of the world thou art watching the doings ^ of men and making the account , . . . ^

II.

' Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in the Karshvare Arezahi*, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared^ .... in whatever part of the world thou art

III.

' Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in the Karshvare Savahi^ we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

IV.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Fradadhafshu *, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the

^ ArethamaZ-bairishta: aretha is dina, dadistan (law, justice).

' Keja=kartari (Pahl. Comm. ad Vend. XXI, 3 [14]).

^ I cannot make anything of the rest of the sentence hadhana tanasuj; cf. § 38.

See Yt. X, 15, note 5. ** The rest as in §§ 5-8.

6„ 4.

Karshvare Vidadhafshu ^, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

VI.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Vouru-barei"ti \ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

VII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in the Karshvare Vouru-^are^ti \ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

VIII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in this Karshvare, the bright ^6^aniratha \ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

IX.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the sea Vouru-Kasha ^, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

^ See Yt. X, 15, note 5. ^ See p. 54, note 6.

RASIIN VAST. 173

1 7. ' Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art on the tree of the eagle ^, that stands in the middle of the sea Vouru-Kasha, that is called the tree of good remedies, the tree of powerful remedies, the tree of all remedies, and on which rest the seeds of all plants ; we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XI.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the Aodhas ^ of the Rangha, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the Sanaka^ of the Rangha, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

^ The SaSna, in later mythology the Si namril or Simfirgh; his 'resting-place is on the tree which is Ja.d-hesh (opposed to harm) of all seeds; and always when he rises aloft, a thousand twigs will shoot forth from that tree ; and when he alights, he will break off the thousand twigs, and he sheds their seed therefrom. And the bird Chanmr6sh for ever sits in that vicinity; and his work is this, that he collects that seed which sheds from the tree of all seeds, which is JatZ-besh, and conveys it there where Tishtar seizes the water, so that Tishtar may seize the water with that seed of all kinds, and may rain it on the world with the rain' (Minokhirad LXII, 37; tr. West).

"^ By the floods (? Vend. I, 26); it has probably a geographical meaning ; cf. the following paragraph ; perhaps the marshy country at the mouth of the Tigris.

^ Cf.Yt.X,io4; aodhas and sanaka may refer to the southern and northern basin of the Tigris.

XIII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art at one

of the angles of this earth, we invoke we bless

Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var

prepared ....

XIV.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art at the boundary of this earth, we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XV.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in any place of this earth, we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XVI.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the Hara Berezaiti, the bright mountain around which the many (stars) revolve, where come neither night nor darkness, no cold wind and no hot wind, no deathful sickness, no uncleanness made by the Daevas, and the clouds cannot reach up unto the Haraiti Bareza^; we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared

XVII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art upon the highest Hukairya, of the deep precipices ^ made of gold, wherefrom this river of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita, leaps from a thousand times the height of a man, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

1 Cf. Yt. X, 50.

2 Reading vispo-vaemem; cf. Yt.V, 96, note 7.

RASHN YAST. I 75

XVIII.

- Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art upon the Taera of the height Haraiti, around which the stars, the moon, and the sun revolve ^ we Invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XIX.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the star Vana??/ ^, made by Mazda, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

• XX.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the bright and glorious star Tii'trya ^ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards the var prepared ....

XXI.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the group of the Haptoiri/^ga stars ^, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in those stars that have the seed of the waters in them ^, we

^ See Bund. V, 3 seq. ; cf. Yt. X, 1 3, 50.

2 Cf. Yt. XX and Yt. VIII, 1 2. ' Cf. Yt. VIII, 12.

' The star of water essence is for the increase of water ; and the star of earth essence, for the increase of earth ; and the star of tree essence, for the increase of trees ; and the star of cattle essence,

invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship tOAvards this var prepared ....

XXIII.

- Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in those stars that have the seed of the earth in them \ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXIV.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in those stars that have the seed of the plants in them\ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXV.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the stars that belong to the Good Spirit ^ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXVI.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art In the moon which has the seed of the Bull in it^ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

for the increase of cattle ; and the essence of water, and earth, and trees, and cattle is created for the increase of man ' (Minokhirad XLIX, 7, tr. West).

See preceding note.

^ Excluding the planets which belong to Ahriman (Minokhirad VIII, xg; Bund. Ill, 25 ; V, i).

^ See above, p. 8, note 8.

RASHN YAST. 177

XXVII.

' Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in the swift-horsed sun, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXVIII.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the sovereign endless Light, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXIX.

' Whether thou, O holy Rashnu ! art in the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXX.

Sy. 'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the shining Garo-demana^ we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

XXXI.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art ... .2 we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ....

' For his brightness and glory, I will ofler unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

' The highest heaven, the abode of Ormazd. ^ ?Upa hadhana hadhana tanasui'; cf. § 8, p. 171, note 3. [23] N

' Yewhe hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda .... 40. ' Yatha ahft vairy6 : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Rashnu Razi^ta ; of Ar^-ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase ; and of the true-spoken speech that makes the world grow.

'AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

' [Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'

^ Who shall have worshipped Rashnu.

FARVARdJn YA.ST. I 79

XIII. farvardIn ya^t.

The Fravashi is the inner power in every being that maintains it and makes it grow and subsist. Originally the Fravashis were the same as the Pitr/s of the Hindus or the Manes of the Latins, that is to say, the everlasting and deified souls of the dead (see §§ 49~52) ; but in course of time they gained a wider domain, and not only men, but gods and even physical objects, like the sky and the earth, &c. (§§ 85-86), had each a Fravashi (see Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 111-113).

This Yajt is to be divided into two parts. The former part (§§ 1-84) is a glorification of the powers and attributes of the Fravashis in general; the latter part (§§ 85-158) is an enumeration of the Fravashis of the most celebrated heroes of Mazdeism, from the first man, Gaya Maretan, down to the last, Saoshyaw/.

This latter part is like a Homer's catalogue of Mazdeism. The greatest part of the historical legends of Iran lies here condensed into a register of proper names. This enumeration is divided into seven chapters :

The first (XXIV, §§ 85-95) contains the names of several gods, of the first man, Gaya Maretan, the first law-giver, Zarathujtra, and his first disciple, Maidhyo-maungha ;

The second part (XXV, §§ 96-110) contains the names of the disciples of Zarathujtra, most of them belonging to the epical cyclus of Vii'taspa (Gui'tasp) ;

The third part (XXVI, §§ 111-117) is of uncertain character, and no name contained in it is found in the epical legends ;

The fourth part (XXVII, §§ 118-128) seems to be devoted to the heroes of the other Karshvares and to mythical beings, born or unborn (cf. §§ 121, 122, 127, 128) ;

The fifth part (XXVIII, § 129) is devoted to Saoshyaw/ alone;

The sixth part (XXIX, §§ 130-138) is devoted to the heroes before the time of Zarathujtra ;

The seventh part (XXX, §§ 139-142) is devoted to the holy women of Mazdeism from Hvovi, Zarathujtra's wife, down to SrutaZ-fedhri, Vanghu-fedhri, and EredaZ-fedhri, the future mothers of his three unborn sons.

The second, third, and fourth enumerations all end with the

N 2

l8o YA^-TS AND stROZAHS.

name of AstvaZ-ereta (that is to say, Saoshya«/), which shows that they do not refer to successive generations, but to three independent branches, which are each developed apart down to the time of the Saviour.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness.

Unto the awful, overpowering Fravashis of the faithful ; unto the Fravashis of the men of the primitive law^; unto the Fravashis of the next-of-kin,

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahii vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathu^tra, saying : ' Do thou proclaim, O pure Zarathui^tra ! the vigour and strength, the glory, the help and the joy that are in the Fravashis of the faithful, the awful and overpowering Fravashis ; do thou tell how they come to help me, how they bring assistance unto me, the awful Fravashis of the faithful ^.

' Through their brightness and glory, O Zarathu^tra ! I maintain that sky, there above, shining and seen afar, and encompassing this earth all around.

'It looks like a palace, that stands built of a

The so-called paoiryo-Zkaesha: the primitive law is what 'is considered as the true Mazdayasnian religion in all ages, both before and after the time of Zaratia^t ' (West, Pahlavi Texts, I, 242, note i); of. § 150.

' Cf. §19.

farvardJn yas'T. i8i

heavenly substance ', firmly established, with ends that lie afar, shining in its body of ruby over the three-thirds (of the earth)-; it is like a garment inlaid with stars, made of a heavenly substance, that Mazda puts on, along with Mithra and Rashnu and Spe;zta-Armaiti, and on no side can the eye perceive the end of it.

- Through their brightness and glory, O Zarathui-tra ! I maintain Ardvi Siira Anahita, the wideexpanding and health-giving, who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura, who is worthy of sacrifice in the material world, worthy of prayer in the material w^orld ; the life-increasing and holy, the flocks-increasing and holy, the fold-increasing and holy, the wealth-increasing and holy, the countryincreasing and holy^^;

5 *. ' Who makes the seed of all males pure, who makes the womb of all females pure for bringing forth, who makes all females bring forth in safety, who puts milk in the breasts of all females in the right measure and the right quality;

- The large river, known afar, that is as large as the whole of all the waters that run along the earth ; that runs powerfully from the height Hukairya down to the sea Vouru-Kasha.

' All the shores of the sea Vouru-Kasha are boiling over, all the middle of it is boiling over,

' Reading mainyu-taj-to ; cf. Yt. X, 90, 143, and in this very paragraph vanghanem mainyu-tajtem.

^ A division of the earth different from and older than the division into seven Karshvares ; cf. Yasna XI, 7 [21]; this division was derived by analogy from the tripartite division of the universe (earth, atmosphere, and heaven).

' Yt.V, I. * §§5-8=Yt.V, 2-5.

when she runs down there, when she streams down there, she, Ardvi Sura Anahita, who has a thousand cells and a thousand channels ; the extent of each of those cells, of each of those channels, is as much as a man can ride in forty days, riding on a good horse.

' From this river of mine alone flow all the waters that spread all over the seven Karshvares ; this river of mine alone goes on bringing waters, both in summer and in winter. This river of mine purifies the seed in males, the womb in females, the milk in females' breasts ^

' Through their brightness and glory, O Zarathui'tra ! I maintain the wide earth made by Ahura, the large and broad earth, that bears so much that is fine, that bears all the bodily world, the live and the dead, and the high mountains, rich in pastures and waters ;

- Upon which run the many streams and rivers ; upon which the many kinds of plants grow up from the ground, to nourish animals and men, to nourish the Aryan nations, to nourish the five kinds of animals ^, and to help the faithful.

1 1. * Through their brightness and glory, O Zarathui-tra ! I maintain in the womb the child that has been conceived, so that it does not die from the

^ §§4-8=Yt.V, 1-5.

^ There are five classes of animals : those Hving in waters (upapa), those living under the ground (upasma = upa-zema), the flying ones (fraptar^at), the running ones (ravas/^arant), the grazing ones ()^angrangha)('); Visperad I, i seq.; Yt. XIII, 74. The representatives of those several classes are the kar ma hi fish, the ermine, the kar^ipt, the hare, and the ass -goat (Pahl. Comm. ad Visp. 1. 1.).

FARVARDIN YAST. 1 83

assaults of Vidotu \ and I develop in it ^ the bones, the hair, the . . . . ^, the entrails, the feet, and the sexual organs.

' Had not the awful Fravashis of the faithful given help unto me, those animals and men of mine, of which there are such excellent kinds, would not subsist ; strength would belong to the Dru^, the dominion would belong to the Dru^, the material world would belong to the Dru^.

1 3 ' Between the earth and the sky the immaterial creatures would be harassed by the Dru^ ; between the earth and the sky the immaterial creatures would be smitten by the Dru^; and never afterwards would Angra-Mainyu give way to the blows of Spe;/ta- Mainyu.

'Through their brightness and glory the waters run and flow forward from the never-failing springs ; through their brightness and glory the plants grow up from the earth, by the never-failing springs ; through their brightness and glory the winds blow, driving down the clouds towards the never-failing springs.

'Through their brightness and glory the females conceive offspring ; through their brightness and glory they bring forth in safety ; it is through their brightness and glory when they become blessed with children.

'Through their brightness and glory a man is born who is a chief in assemblies and meetings *, who listens well ^ to the (holy) words, whom Wisdom

1 See Vend. IV, 40 [137]. ^ Doubtful.

' ? Derewda. * A ivoihtjv Xaa)v.

Who learns well, who has the gaosho-srGta khratu.

holds dear \ and who returns a victor from discussions with Gaotema, the heretic ^.

' Through their brightness and glory the sun goes his way ; through their brightness and glory the moon goes her way ; through their brightness and glory the stars go their way.

- In fearful battles they are the wisest for help, the Fravashis of the faithful.

'The most powerful amongst the Fravashis of the faithful, O Spitama ! are those of the men of the primitive law ^ or those of the Saoshya;^/s ■• not yet born, who are to restore the world. Of the others, the Fravashis of the living faithful are more powerful, O Zarathui^tra ! than those of the dead, O Spitama !

'And the man who in life shall treat the Fravashis of the faithful well, will become a ruler of the country with full power, and a chief most strong ; so shall any man of you become, who shall treat Mithra well, the lord of wide pastures, and Ari-ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase.

'Thus do I proclaim unto thee, O pure Spitama ! the vigour and strength, the glory, the help, and the joy that are in the Fravashis of the faithful,

^ Or, 'who wishes for wisdom' (lore; khratukata=khratu- ^inah).

" Y6 naidhyangho gaotemahe par6 ayau par^toi/ avaiti. This seems to be an allusion to controversies with the Buddhists or Gotama's disciples, whose religion had obtained a footing in the western parts of Iran as early as the second century before Christ. Naidhyangho means a heretic, an Ashemaogha (see Pahl. Comm. ad Yasna XXXIV, 8).

^ See above, p. 180, note i. * See above, p. 165, note i.

FARVARDIN \AST. I 85

the awful and overpowering Fravashis ; and how they come to help me, how they bring assistance unto me, the awful Fravashis of the faithful '

II.

Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathui-tra, saying : ' If in this material world, O Spitama Zarathui-tra ! thou happenest to come upon frightful roads, full of dangers and fears, O Zarathui-tra ! and thou fearest for thyself, then do thou recite these words, then proclaim these fiend-smiting words, O Zarathui'tra !

' " I praise, I invoke, I meditate upon, and we sacrifice unto the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful. We worship the Fravashis of the masters of the houses, those of the lords of the boroughs, those of the lords of the towns, those of the lords of the countries, those of the Zarathui'trotemas ^ ; the Fravashis of those that are, the Fravashis of those that have been, the Fravashis of those that will be ; all the Fravashis of all nations ^, and most friendly the Fravashis of the friendly nations ;

'"Who maintain the sky, who maintain the waters, who maintain the earth, who maintain the cattle, Avho maintain in the womb the child that has been conceived, so that it does not die from the assaults of Vidotu, and develop in it the bones, the hair, the . . . . , the entrails, the feet, and the sexual organs * ;

'"Who are much -bringing, who move with

^ Cf. § I. 2 See Yt. X, 115, note.

' See § 143, text and note. * See § 11.

awfulness, well-moving, swiftly moving, quickly moving, who move when invoked ; who are to be invoked in the conquest of good, who are to be invoked in fights against foes, who are to be invoked in battles ;

' " Who give victory to their invoker, who give boons to their lover, who give health to the sick man, who give good Glory to the faithful man that brines libations and invokes them with a sacrifice and words of propitiation ^ ;

'"Who turn to that side where are faithful men, most devoted to holiness, and where is the greatest piety ^ where the faithful man is rejoiced ^ and where the faithful man is not ill-treated ^" '

III.

We worship the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful, who are the mightiest of drivers, the lightest of those driving forwards, the slowest of the retiring ^ the safest ^ of all bridges, the leasterring^ of all weapons and armsS and who never turn their backs \

At once, wherever they come, we worship them, the good ones, the excellent ones, the good, the strong, the beneficent Fravashis of the faithful. They are to be invoked when the bundles of baresma are tied ; they are to be invoked in fights against foes, in battles », and there where gallant men strive to conquer foes.

^ Cf. § 40.

2 Fv6ritau: cf. frdreti=farnamijn, adej-a (Yasna VIII, 2 [4]).

' With alms (asho-dad). * Cf. § 36.

5 Doubtful. * Defensive arms.

' To flee. ' Cf. § 23.

FARVARDfN YAST. 187

Mazda invoked them for help, when he fixed the sky and the waters and the earth and the plants ; when Spe;^ta-Mainyu fixed the sky, when he fixed the waters, when the earth, when the cattle, when the plants, when the child conceived in the womb, so that it should not die from the assaults of Vidotu, and developed in it the bones, the hair, the . . . . , the entrails, the feet, and the sexual organs \

Spe;^ta-Mainyu maintained the sky, and they sustained it from below, they, the strong Fravashis, who sit in silence, gazing with sharp looks ; whose eyes and ears are powerful, who bring long joy, high and high-girded ; well-moving and moving afar, loudsnorting 2, possessing riches and a high renown.

IV.

Fravashis of the faithful ; whose friendship is good, and who know how to benefit; whose friendship lasts long ; who like to stay in the abode where they are not harmed by its dwellers ; who are good, beautiful afar ^, health-giving, of high renown, conquering in battle, and who never do harm first.

Fravashis of the faithful ; whose will is dreadful unto those who vex them ; powerfully working and most beneficent ; who in battle break the dread arms of their foes and haters.

^ Cf. §§ II, 22.

"^ They arc compared to horses; cf. Yt. VIII, 2. ^ Their beauty is seen afar. One manuscript has ' known afar ; ' another, ' whose eyesight reaches far.'

VI.

Fravashis of the faithful; Hberal, vaHant, and full of strength, not to be seized by thought, welfaregiving, kind, and health-giving, following with Ashi's remedies, as far as the earth extends, as the rivers stretch, as the sun rises ^

VII.

Fravashis of the faithful, who gallantly and bravely fight, causing havoc, wounding^, breaking to pieces all the malice of the malicious, Daevas and men, and smiting powerfully in battle, at their wish and will.

You kindly deliver the Victory made by Ahura, and the crushing Ascendant, most beneficently, to those countries where you, the good ones, unharmed and rejoiced, unoppressed and unoffended, have been held worthy of sacrifice and prayer, and proceed the way of your wish.

VIII.

Fravashis of the faithful, of high renown, smiting in battle, most strong, shield-bearing and harmless to those who are true, whom both the pursuing and the fleeing invoke for help : the pursuer invokes

^ All the beneficent powers hidden in the earth, in the waters, and in the sun, and which Ashi Vanguhi (Yt. XVII) imparts to man.

^ Doubtful: urvaSnaitiJ".

FARVARDIN YAST, 189

them for a swift race, and for a swift race does the fleer invoke them ;

Who turn to that side where are faithful men, most devoted to hoHness, and where is the greatest piety, where the faithful man is rejoiced, and where the faithful man is not ill-treated \

IX.

Fravashis of the faithful, who form many battalions, girded with weapons ^, lifting up spears, and full of sheen; who in fearful battles come rushing along where the gallant heroes^ go and assail the Danus^.

There you destroy the victorious strength of the Turanian Danus ; there you destroy the malice of the Turanian Danus; through you the chiefs^ are of high intellect ^ and most successful ; they, the gallant heroes ^ the gallant Saoshya?^/s^ the gallant conquerors of the offspring of the Danus chiefs of myriads, who wound with stones ^

Fravashis of the faithful, who rout the two wings of an army standing in battle array, who make the centre swerve, and swiftly pursue onwards, to help the faithful and to distress the doers of evil deeds.

XI.

1 Cf. § 25. 2 Yasto-zayau. ^ Doubtful.

Yt. V, 72. ' Doubtful.

Hvira; see iStudes Iraniennes, II, 183.

' Cf. p. 165, note I. * Doubtful (a sab an a).

I90 YA^TS AND SIROZAHS.

Fravashis of the faithful ; awful, overpowering, and victorious, smiting in battle, sorely wounding, blowing away (the foes), moving along to and fro, of good renown, fair of body, godly of soul, and holy ; who give victory to their invoker, who give boons to their lover, who give health to the sick man ^ ;

Who give good glory to him who worships them with a sacrifice, as that man did worship them, the holy Zarathui'tra, the chief of the material world, the head of the two-footed race, in whatever struggle he had to enter, in whatever distress he did fear ;

Who, when well invoked, enjoy bliss in the heavens ; who, when well invoked, come forward from the heavens, who are the heads ^ of that sky above, possessing the well-shapen Strength, the Victory made by Ahura, the crushing Ascendant, and Welfare ^, the wealth-bringing, boon-bringing, holy, well fed, worthy of sacrifice and prayer in the perfection of holiness.

They shed Satavaesa* between the earth and the sky, him to whom the waters belong ^ who listens to appeals and makes the waters flow and the plants grow up, to nourish animals and men, to nourish the Aryan nations, to nourish the five kinds of animals", and to help the faithful '^.

Satavaesa comes down and flows between the earth and the sky, he to whom the waters belong, who listens to appeals and makes the waters and the plants grow up, fair, radiant, and full of

' Cf. § 24.

^ 'The chief creatures;' cf. Gah II, 8,

Saoka; cf. Sirozah I, 3, note.

Cf. Yt. VIII, 9, and 34, note. " Ta/-apem. " See above, p. 182, note 2. ' Cf. 'f 10.

FARVARDIN YA^T. I9I

light, to nourish animals and men, to nourish the Aryan nations, to nourish the five kinds of animals, and to help the faithful.

XII.

Fravashis of the faithful ; with helms of brass, with weapons of brass, with armour ^ of brass ; who struggle in the fights for victory in garments of light, arraying the battles and bringing them forwards, to kill thousands of Daevas.

When the wind blows from behind them ^ and brings their breath unto men,

Then men know where blows the breath of victory : and they pay pious homage unto the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful, with their hearts prepared and their arms uplifted.

Whichever side they have been first worshipped in the fulness of faith of a devoted heart ^ to that side turn the awful Fravashis of the faithful, along with Mithra and Rashnu and the awful cursing thought ^ of the wise and the victorious wind.

And those nations are smitten at one stroke by their fifties and their hundreds, by their hundreds and their thousands, by their thousands and their tens of thousands, by their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads, against which turn the awful Fravashis of the faithful, along with Mithra and Rashnu, and the awful cursing thought of the wise and the victorious wind.

^ Doubtful. 2 Literally, blows- them within.

^ Cf. Yt. X, 9. * See above, p. 12, note 12.

XIII.

Fravashis of the faithful, who come and go through the borough at the time of the Hamaspathmaedha^; they go along there for ten nights, asking thus ^ :

' Who will praise us ? Who will offer us a sacrifice ? Who will meditate upon us ? Who will bless us^? Who will receive us with meat and clothes in his hand * and with a prayer worthy of bliss ^ ? Of which of us will the name be taken for invocation*'? Of which of you will the soul be worshipped by you with a sacrifice"^? To whom will this gift of ours be given, that he may have neverfailinof food for ever and ever ?'

And the man who offers them up a sacrifice,

1 The sixth and last Gahambar (see Afrigan Gahambar), or the last ten days of the year (ioth-20th March), including the last five days of the last month, Sapendarmad, and the five complementary days. These last ten days should be spent in deeds of charity, religious banquets (gasan), and ceremonies in memory of the dead. It was also at the approach of the spring that the Romans and the Athenians used to offer annual sacrifices to the dead; the Romans in February 'qui tunc extremus anni mensis erat' (Cicero, De Legibus, II, 21), the Athenians on the third day of the Anthesterion feast (in the same month). The souls of the dead were supposed to partake of the new life then beginning to circulate through nature, that had also been dead during the long months of winter.

'^ Perhaps : asking for help, thus.

^ Frina/: who will pronounce the Afrin?

To be given in alms to poor Mazdayasnians (asho-dad).

^ Asha-nasa: that makes him reach the condition of one of the blessed (ahlayih arzanik, "Vend. XVIII, 6 [17]): the Sanskrit translation has, ' that is to say, that makes him worthy of a great reward.'

As in the invocations from § 87 to the end.

' An allusion to the formula: 'I sacrifice to the Fravashi of my own soul,' Yasna XXIII, 4 [6].

FARVARDiN VAST. 1 93

with meat and clothes in his hand, with a prayer worthy of bliss, the awful Fravashis of the faithful, satisfied, unharmed, and unoffended, bless thus :

'May there be in this house flocks of animals and men ! May there be a swift horse and a solid chariot ! May there be a man who knows how to praise God ^ and rule in an assembly, who will offer us sacrifices with meat and clothes in his hand, and with a prayer worthy of bliss ^.'

XIV.

Fravashis of the faithful, who show beautiful paths to the waters, made by Mazda, which had stood before for a long time in the same place without flowing^:

And now they flow along the path made by Mazda, along the way made by the gods, the watery way appointed to them, at the wish of Ahura Mazda, at the wish of the Amesha-Spe/ztas.

XV.

Fravashis of the faithful, who show a beautiful growth to the fertile* plants, which had stood before for a long time in the same place without growing :

And now they grow up along the path made

^ Stahyo: stutikaro (Sansk. tr. ; cf. Atash Nyayij, 10).

2 §§ 49-52 are a part of the so-called Afrigan Dahman (a prayer recited in honour of the dead); a Sanskrit translation of that Afrigan has been published by Burnouf in his Etudes zendes.

^ In winter.

Doubtful. The word is /iz^awrira, which Aspendiarji makes synonymous with /k- a par a, kind, merciful (Visperad XXI [XXIV], i).

[23] O

4_ A .

by Mazda, along the way made by the gods, in the time appointed to them, at the wish of Ahura Mazda, at the wish of the Amesha-Spe;^tas.

XVI.

Fravashis of the faithful, who showed their paths to the stars, the moon, the sun, and the endless lights, that had stood before for a long time in the same place, without moving forwards, through the oppression of the Daevas and the assaults of the Daevas\

And now they move around in their farrevolving circle for ever, till they come to the time of the good restoration of the world.

XVII.

Fravashis of the faithful, who watch over the bright sea Vouru-Kasha^, to the number of ninety thousand, and nine thousand, and nine hundred, and

ninety-nine.

XVIII.

Fravashis of the faithful, who watch over the stars Hapt6iri;^ga^, to the number of ninety thousand, and nine thousand, and nine hundred, and ninetynine.

XIX.

Fravashis of the faithful, who watch over the body

^ Bundahij VI, 3.

2 To keep the white Horn there from the evil beings that tryto destroy it (Minokhirad LXII, 28). ^ See above, p. 97, note 4.

FARVARDtN VAST. I95

of Keresaspa, the son of Sama^ the club-bearer with plaited hair, to the number of ninety thousand, and nine thousand, and nine hundred, and ninetynine.

XX.

Fravashis of the faithful, who watch over the seed of the holy Zarathui'tra ^, to the number of ninety thousand, and nine thousand, and nine hundred, and ninety-nine.

XXI.

Fravashis of the faithful, who fio^ht at the rio-ht hand of the reigning lord, if he rejoices the faithful ^ and if the awful Fravashis of the faithful are not hurt by him, if they are rejoiced by him, unharmed and unoffended.

XXII.

Fravashis of the faithful, who are greater, who are

^ Keresaspa lies asleep in the plain of Pe^yansai ; ' the glory (far) of heaven stands over him for the purpose that, when Az-i- Dahak becomes unfettered, he may arise and slay him; and a myriad guardian spirits of the righteous are as a protection to him ' (Bundahij XXIX, 8 ; tr. West).

^ ' ZaratiiJt went near unto Hvov (Hvogvi, his wife) three times, and each time the seed went to the ground; the angel Neryosang received the brilliance and strength of that seed, delivered it with care to the angel Anahid, and in time will blend it with a mother' (Bundahij XXXII, 8). A maid, EredaZ-fedhri, bathing in Lake Kasava, will conceive by that seed and bring forth the Saviour Saoshyaw/; his two fore-runners, UkhshyaZ-ereta and UkhshyaZ-nemah, will be born in the same way of SrutaZ-fedhri and Vanghu-fedhri (Yt. XIII, 141-142).

» With alms.

O 2

ig6 YA5TS AND stROZAHS.

Stronger, who are swifter, who are more powerful, who are more victorious, who are more heaHng, who are more effective than can be expressed by words ; who run by tens of thousands into the midst of the Myazdas.

And when the waters come up from the sea Vouru-Kasha, O Spitama Zarathurtra ! along with the Glory made by Mazda \ then forwards come the awful Fravashis of the faithful, many and many hundreds, many and many thousands, many and many tens of thousands,

Seeking water for their own kindred, for their own borough, for their own town, for their own country, and saying thus : ' May our own country have a good store and full joy!'

They fight in the battles that are fought in their own place and land, each according to the place and house where he dwelt (of yore) - : they look like a gallant warrior who, girded up and watchful, fights for the hoard he has treasured up.

And those of them who win bring waters to their own kindred, to their own borough, to their own town, to their own country, saying thus : ' May my country grow and increase ! '

And when the all-powerful sovereign of a country has been surprised by his foes and haters, he invokes them, the awful Fravashis of the faithful.

And they come to his help, if they have not been hurt by him, if they have been rejoiced by him, if they have not been harmed nor offended, the awful Fravashis of the faithful : they come flying unto him, it seems as if they were well-winged birds.

1 Cf. Yt. XIX, 56 seq.; VIII, 34. « Doubtful.

FARVARDIN YAST. 1 97

They come in as a weapon and as a shield, to keep him behind and to keep him in front, from the Dru^ unseen, from the female Varenya fiend, from the evil-doer bent on mischief, and from that fiend who is all death, Angra Mainyu. It will be as if there were a thousand men watching over one man^;

So that neither the sword well-thrust, neither the club well-falling, nor the arrow well-shot, nor the spear well-darted, nor the stones flung from the arm shall destroy him.

yT,. They come on this side, they come on that side, never resting, the good, powerful, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful, asking for help thus : 'Who will praise us? Who will offer us a sacrifice? Who will meditate upon us ? Who will bless us ? Who will receive us with meat and clothes in his hand and with a prayer worthy of bliss ? Of which of us will the name be taken for invocation ? Of which of you will the soul be worshipped by you with a sacrifice ? To whom will that gift of ours be given, that he may have never-failing food for ever and ever 2?'

We worship the perception^; we worship the intellect ; we worship the conscience ; we worship those of the Saoshya;//s^;

We worship the souls; those of the tame animals; those of the wild animals ; those of the animals that live in the waters ; those of the animals that live under the ground ; those of the flying ones ; those of the running ones ; those of the grazing ones ^.

' Cf. Yt. I, 19. 2 Cf. § 50.

' Asna=azana (?). * Cf. p. 165, note 1.

' Cf.Yt. XIII, 10.

We worship their Fravashis ^.

We worship the Fravashis. We worship them, the hberal ;

We worship them, the vaHant ; we worship them, the most vaHant ;

We worship them, the beneficent ; we worship them, the most beneficent ;

We worship them, the powerful ;

We worship them, the most strong ;

We worship them, the Hght ; we worship them, the most hght ;

We worship them, the effective ; we worship them, the most effective.

They are the most effective amongst the creatures of the two Spirits, they the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful, who stood holding fast when the two Spirits created the world, the Good Spirit and the Evil One ^.

When Angra Mainyu broke into the creation of the good holiness, then came in across Vohu Mano and Atar ^

They destroyed the malice of the fiend Angra Mainyu, so that the waters did not stop flowing nor did the plants stop growing ; but at once the most beneficent waters of the creator and

There seems to be in this paragraph a distinction of five faculties of the soul, asna, mana, daena, urvan, fravashi. The usual classification, as given in this Yast, § 149, and in later Parsism (Spiegel, Die traditionelle Literatur der Parsen, p. 172), is: ahu, spirit of life (?); daena, conscience; b aodh 6, perception ; urvan, the soul; fravashi.

^ The Fravashis, ' on war horses and spear in hand, were around the sky .... and no passage was found by the evil spirit, who rushed back ' (Bund. VI, 3-4 ; tr. West).

^ Cf Ormazd et Ahriman, § 107.

FARVARDiN VAST. I 99

ruler, Ahura Mazda, flowed forward and his plants went on growing.

We worship all the waters ; We worship all the plants ;

We worship all the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful.

We worship the waters by their names ^ ;

We worship the plants by their names ^ ;

We worship the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful by their names.

Of all those ancient Fravashis, we worship the Fravashi of Ahura Mazda ; who is the greatest, the best, the fairest, the most solid, the wisest, the finest of body and supreme in holiness ^ ;

Whose soul is the Mathra Spe;^ta, who is white, shining, seen afar ; and we worship the beautiful forms, the active forms wherewith he clothes the Amesha-Spe;^tas ; we worship the swift-horsed sun.

XXIII.

Fravashis of the Amesha-Spe;^tas, the bright ones, whose looks perform what they wish, the tall, quickly coming to do, strong, and lordly, who are undecaying and holy ;

8^. Who are all seven of one thought, who are all seven of one speech, who are all seven of one deed ; whose thought is the same, whose speech is the same, whose deed is the same, whose father and

^ That is to say, after their different kinds (described in Yasna XXXVIII, 3, 5 [7-9, 13-14]; LXVIII, 8 [LXVII, 15]; and Bund. XXI).

2 After their kinds (Bund. XXVII). " Cf. Yasna I, i.

commander is the same, namely, the Maker, Ahura Mazda ;

Who see one another's soul thinking of good thoughts, thinking of good words, thinking of good deeds, thinking of Garo-nmana, and whose ways ^ are shining as they go down towards the libations^.

XXIV.

Fravashis : that of the most rejoicing ^ fire, the beneficent and assembly-making^; and that of the holy, strong Sraosha ^, who is the incarnate Word, a mighty-speared and lordly god ; and that of Nairyo-sangha ^

And that of Rashnu Razii'ta'';

That of Mithra ^, the lord of wide pastures ;

That of the Mathra-Spe;/ta ^ ;

That of the sky ;

That of the waters ;

That of the earth ;

That of the plants ;

That of the Bull '';

That of the living man";

That of the holy creation ^^.

We worship the Fravashi of Gaya Maretan^^,

' The Vedic devayana. ^ q^ yt. XIX, 15, 17.

^ Urvazii-ta. As a proper name Urvazijta is the name of the fire in plants (Yasna XVII, 11 [65], and Bund. XVII, i).

At the hearth and the altar. ^ See Yt. XI.

« See Vend. XXII, 7. ' See Yt. XII.

' See Yt. X. » The Holy Word. "^ See Sirozah I, 12.

" Of mankind ; possibly, of Gaya (Maretan).

12 Doubtful.

^^ The first man. On the myths of Gaya Maretan, see Ormazd et Ahriman, §§ 129-135.

FARVARdJn YA5T. 20I

who first listened unto the thought and teaching of Ahura Mazda ; of whom Ahura formed the race of the Aryan nations, the seed of the Aryan nations.

We worship the piety and the Fravashi of the holy Zarathui^tra ; \

Who first thought what is good, who first spoke what is good, who first did what is good ; who was the first Priest, the first Warrior, the first Plougher of the ground ^ ; who first knew and first taught ; who first possessed ^ and first took possession of the BulP, of Holiness*, of the Word, the obedience to the Word, and dominion, and all the good things made by Mazda, that are the offspring of the good Principle ;

Who was the first Priest, the first Warrior, the first Plougher of the ground ; who first took the turning of the wheel ^ from the hands of the Daeva and of the cold-hearted man; who first in the material world pronounced the praise of Asha*', thus bringing the Daevas to naught, and confessed himself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathui'tra, one who hates the Daevas, and obeys the laws of Ahura. -^

Who first in the material world said the word that destroys the Daevas, the law of Ahura ; who first in the material world proclaimed the word that destroys the Daevas, the law of Ahura ; who

^ As having established those three classes. His three earthly sons, Isa/-vastra, Urvata/-nara, and //z'are-X'ithra (§ 98), were the chiefs of the three classes. Cf.Vend. Introd. Ill, 15, note 3.

2 Doubtful. 3 cf^ Yasna XXIX, 8.

^ The divine Order, Ash a,

^ The wheel of sovereignty (?) ; cf. Yt X, 67 ; this expression smacks of Buddhism.

® Who first pronounced the Ashem Vohii ; cf. Yt. XXI.

first in the material world declared all the creation of the Daevas unworthy of sacrifice and prayer ; who was strong, giving all the good things of life, the first bearer of the Law amongst the nations ;

In whom was heard the whole Mathra, the word of holiness ; who was the lord and master of the world \ the pralser of the most great, most good and most fair Asha^; who had a revelation of the Law, that most excellent of all beings ;

For whom the Amesha-Spe/ztas longed, in one accord with the sun, in the fulness of faith of a devoted heart ; they longed for him, as the lord and master of the world, as the praiser of the most great, most good, and most fair As ha, as having a revelation of the Law, that most excellent of all beings ;

In whose birth and growth the waters and the plants rejoiced ; In whose birth and growth the waters and the plants grew; in whose birth and growth all the creatures of the good creations cried out, HaiP!

' Hail to us ! for he Is born, the Athravan, Spltama Zarathui'tra. Zarathu^tra will offer us sacrifices with libations and bundles of baresma ; and there will the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda come and spread through all the seven Karshvares of the earth.

' There will Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, increase all the excellences of our countries, and allay their troubles ; there will the powerful Apam- Napa/^ increase all the excellences of our countries, and allay their troubles.'

^ Material lord and spiritual master. .

^ The reciter of the Ashem Vohft.

' Cf.Vend. XIX, 46 [143]. " See Sirozah I, 9, note.

FARVARDIN YAST.

We worship the piety and Fravashi of Maidhyom^ungha, the son of Arasti ^, who first Hstened unto the word and teaching of Zarathu^tra.

XXV.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Asmohv2.VLV2Jit ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Asanhv2inv2.nt.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gavayan.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Parsha^*- ^aws ^, the son of Frata ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohvasti, the son of Snaoya ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Isva/, the son of Varaza.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Saena, the son of Ahum-stu^f ^ who first appeared upon this earth with a hundred pupils ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fradhidaya.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Usmanara, the son of Paeshata.

^ Maidhyo-m^ungha was the cousin and first disciple of Zarathujtra ; Zarathujtra's father, Pourushaspa, and Arasti were brothers (Bund. XXXII, 3); cf. Yasna LI [L], 19.

'^ Cf. p. 33, note 2; Yt. XXII, 37.

' Another Parj-a/-gauj is mentioned § 126.

Possibly, ' the holy falcon, praiser of the lord ; ' thus the Law was brought to the Var of Yima by the bird Karxipta (Vend. II, 42), who recites the Avesta in the language of birds (Bund. XIX, 16): the Saena-bird (Simurgh) became in later literature a mythical incarnation of Supreme wisdom (see the Mantik uttair and Dabistan I, 55).

^ Who was the first regular teacher, the first aethrapaiti.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohuraoi-ah, the son of Fr^nya ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashorao/^ah, the son of Frdnya ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Varesmorao/^-ah, the son of Franya.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Isa/- vastra, the son of Zarathu^tra ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Urvata/- nara, the son of Zarathiutra ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy //z^areiithra, the son of Zarathu^tra ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Daevo- Ih'is, the son of Takhma.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Thrimithwa;2/, the son of Spitama I

We worship the Fravashi of the holy D(2ungha, the son of Zairita.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Vktaspa^; the gallant one, who was the incarnate

^ ' By Zaratiut were begotten three sons and three daughters ; one son was Isa(/vastar, one Aurvata^-nar, and one Khurshet/- -^ihar; as Isaa'vastar was chief of the priests he became the Mobad of Mobads, and passed away in the hundredth year of the religion ; Aurvatac^-nar was an agriculturist, and the chief of the enclosure formed by Yim, which is below the earth (see Vend. II, 43 [141]); Khurshe^-y^ihar was a warrior, commander of the army of Peshyotanu, son of Vijtasp (see Yt. XXIV, 4), and dwells in Kangdes ; and of the three daughters the name of one was Fren, of one Srit, and of one P6ru/{'ist (see Yt. XIII, 139). A6rvata^-nar and Khurshea'-y^ihar were from a serving (/takar) wife, the rest were from a privileged (pa^akhshah) wife ' (Bund. XXXII, 5-6 ; tr. West).

^ According to Anquetil, ' the threefold seed of Spitama Zarathuj-tra;' cf. above, § 62.

The king of Bactra, the champion of Zoroastrism ; cf. Yt. V, 98, 108.

FARVARDIN YAST. 205

Word, the mighty-speared, and lordly one ; who, driving the Dru^ ^ before him, sought wide room for the holy religion; who, driving the Dru^^ before him, made wide room for the holy religion, who made himself the arm and support of this law of Ahura, of this law of Zarathui-tra.

I oo. Who took her ^, standing bound ^, from the hands of the Hunus'^, and established her to sit in the middle [of the world], high ruling, never falling back, holy, nourished with plenty of cattle and pastures, blessed with plenty of cattle and pastures ^

loi. We worship the Fravashi of the holy Zairivairi ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Yukhtavairi ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Sriraokh-. shan ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Keresaokhshan ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vanara ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Varaza ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Bto^isravah ^ ;

^ Dru^a paurva«-^a, possibly, ' with the spear pushed forwards' (reading dru-^a),

2 Daena, the religion. s Cf. Yt. 11, 15.

A generic name of the people called elsewhere Varedhakas (Yt. IX, 31 ; XVII, 51) or ZTz^yaonas (ibid, and XIX, 87). The Hunus have been compared with the Hunni ; but it is not certain that this is a proper name ; it may be a disparaging denomination, meaning the brood (hunu=:Sansk. slinu ; cf. Yt. X, 113).

^ Zarir, the brother of Vutaspa and son of Aurva/-aspa (see Yt. V, 1 1 2). The ten following seem to be the names of the other sons of Aurva/-aspa (Bund. XXXI, 29).

Possibly the same with Pat-Khosrav, a brother to Vi.rtaspa in the Ya^kar-i Zariran, as Mr. West informs me.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Berezyar^ti ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ti^yar^ti ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Perethuar)rti ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vi^yar^ti.

Naptya ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Va-^aspa ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Habaspa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vistauru
the son of Naotara.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fra^-hamvareta ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frashokareta.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Atarevanu ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Atarepata;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ataredata;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Atare- -^ithra ;

^ Gustahm, the son of Nodar ; see Yt. V, 76. Strangely enough, Tusa is not mentioned here, unless he is the same with one of the preceding names : possibly the words ' the son of Naotara ' (Naotairyana) refer to all the four.

" Possibly Frashidvard ij^s^J (misspelt from a Pahlavi form Fra^anvard ?»J))»oo^e' (?) ; the Ya(fkar-i Zariran, as Mr. West informs me, has (f)')»oo^e) and 'J'o^'oo^fi')- Frashidvard was a son of Gujtasp : he was killed by one of Ar^asp's heroes and avenged by his brother Isfendyar (Speilto-data). The following names would belong to his brothers : most of them contain the word Atar, in honour of the newly-adopted worship of fire.

FARVARDIN VAST. 207

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Atare- ^z'arenah ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ataresavah ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Atareza;2tu ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ataredanghii.

Hiukyaothna ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Pi^kyaothna ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy and gallant Spe;^t6-d^ta ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Bastavairi ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Kavarazem ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frashaoi'tra *, the son of Hvova ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Camaspa ^, the son of Hvova ;

^ Isfendyar, the heroic son of Gujtasp, killed by Rustem.

^ In the YadkdT-l Zariran, according to Mr. West, Bastvar, the son of Zairivairi, whose death he avenges on his murderer Vidraf^. This makes Bastavairi identical with the Nastur^::^ of Firdausi (read Bastur j).".)^)).

^ Kavarazem is the Gurezm of later tradition (-];.j)) 'the jealous brother of Isfendyar, whom he slandered to his father and caused to be thrown into prison' (Burhan qati'h). Firdausi (IV, 432) has only that he was a relation to Gii^tasp : ]j^.^^li^S"i.^ ^x.^ iy, ;_/jjJ*- ^^^ Etudes Iraniennes, II, 230.

Who gave his daughter, Hvovi, in marriage to Zarathujtra (YasnaL [XLIX], 4, 17).

» See Yt. V, 68.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Avarao^tri \

Hui-kyaothna, the son of Frashao-rtra ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy //"z^adaena, the son of Frashao^tra.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Hanghaurv(^ungh, the son of 6^amaspa ^;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vareshna, the son of Hanghaurv^ungh.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohunemah, the son of Avaraoi"tri,

To withstand evil dreams, to withstand evil visions, to withstand evil . . . .^ to withstand the evil Pairikas.

Mathravaka, the son of Simae^'i, the Aethrapati, the Hamidhpati *, who was able to smite down most of the evil, unfaithful Ashemaoghas, that shout the hymns ^, and acknowledge no lord and no master '', the dreadful ones whose Fravashis are to be broken'^; to withstand the evil done by the faithful «.

^ Another brother to Frashao^tra (?).

^ The son of Gamasp in the Shah Namah is called Girami and Garamik-kard? in the Ya^ar-i Zariran. ^ ? Aoiwra.

Aethrapati, in Parsi herbad, a priest, whose special function is to teach ; his pupils were called aethrya. Aethrapati meant literally 'the master of the hearth' (cf. herkodah, fire-temple). Hamidhpati is literally 'the master of the sacrificial log.'

^ Doubtful.

No temporal lord (ahu) and no spiritual master (ratu). ' Doubtful (avas^asta-fravashinam).

The evil done by Zoroastrians. This Mathravaka (' Proclaimer

FARVARDIN YAST. 209

io6. We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashastu, the son of Maidhyo-m^ungha ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Avarethrabah, the son of Rastare-vagha??/.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Bu^ra, the son of Dazgaraspa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Zbaurva;^/ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy and gallant Karesna -, the son of Zbaurva;/^^ ; who was the incarnate Word, mighty-speared and lordly ;

In whose house did walk the good, beautiful, shining Ashi Vanguhi, in the shape of a maid fair of body, most strong, tall-formed, high-up girded, pure, nobly born of a glorious seed ^ ; who, rushing to the battle, knew how to make room for himself with his ow^n arms ; who, rushing to the battle, knew how to fight the foe with his own arms *.

Viraspa, the son of Karesna ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Azata, the son of Karesna :

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frayaodha, the son of Karesna.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy and good Arshya ; Arshya, the chief in assemblies, the most energetic of the worshippers of Mazda.

of the Holy Word') was apparently a great doctor and confounder of heresies.

^ See above, § 95.

^ Possibly the eponym of that great Karen family, which played so great a part in the history of the Sassanian times, and traced its origin to the time of Gujtasp (Noeldeke, Geschichte der Perser zur Zeit der Sasaniden, p. 437).

' Cf. Yt. V, 64. * a. Yt. XIIT, 99.

[23] P

2IO YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Daraya/- ratha ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fraya/- ratha ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Skaraya^ ratha.

T09. We worship the Fravashi of the holy

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vyarjva;^/; We worship the Fravashi of the holy Paityar^-

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Amru^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy iTamru \

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Dratha ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Paitidratha ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Paitivangha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frashavakhsha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Nemovanghu, the son of Vaedhayangha.

no. We worship the Fravashi of the holy Visadha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashavanghu, the son of Biva;/dangha ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gdivbdanghu, the son of Pairii-tira ^ ;

^ Amru and ^amru are apparently the two mythical birds mentioned above under the names of Sin-amru (the Amru-falcon) and A^amroi- (p. 173, note i).

2 Mr. West compares Ashavanghu, the son of Bivawdangha, and G^arodanghu, the son of Pairi^-tira, with the two high-priests of the Karshvares of Arezahi and Savahi, whose names are, in the

FARVARDIN YAST. 2 I I

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Neremyazdana, the son of Athwyoza.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Bereziiriu, the son of Ara ;

We worship the Fravashi of the hoty Kasupatu, the son of Ara.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frya.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Astva^-

ERETA \

XXVI.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gaopivanghu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy and gallant Ham-baretar vanghvam ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Staotar- Vahii-tahe-Ashyehe ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Pourudhakhjti, the son of Kh^tavaenya ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Khsholwraspa, the son of Kh^-tavaenya.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ayoasti, the son of Pouru-dhakh^ti ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohv-asti, the son of Pouru-dhakh^ti ;

Bundahii-, AshashagahacZ-e ffvandkin and Hoazaiodathhri-e Pare- ■ytyaro (Bund. XXIX, i, notes 4 and 5).

^ Saoshyaw/; cf. §§ 117, 128.

'^ Possibly, 'the holy Ham-baretar vanghvam, the son of Takhma.* His name means, ' the gatherer of good things.'

^ This name means, ' the praiser of excellent holiness ' (the reciter of the Ashem Vohu).

See preceding paragraph.

r 2

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gayadhasti, the son of Poiiru-dhakhi-ti ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Asha-vazdah, the son of Pouru-dhakhi^ti ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Urudhu, the son of Pourii-dhakhi"ti.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Khshathroy^inah, the son of Khshvoiwraspa ^.

Ashahura, the son of Gisti.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frayaza;2ta ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frmah, the son of Frayaza?2ta ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy 6^ar6- vanghu, the son of Frayaza;/ta.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy Ashavazdah and Thrita, the sons of Sayu^dri ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohurao/^ah, the son of Varakasa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Are^angha.n^, the Turanian ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Usinemah.

Yiikhtaspa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashaskyaothna, the son of Gayadhasti ^.

One of the seven immortals, rulers in Z^z'aniratha; cf. Yt. V, 72, text and notes, and Yt. XIII, 120, 124.

^ See preceding paragraph.

^ See Yt. V, 72. The text has 'the Fravashi;' cf. Yt. V, 116, note, and Yt. XIII, 115.

Cf. Yt. XIII, 143. Possibly, the son of Tilra. « Cf. § 112.

FARVARDtN YA^T. 21 3

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohunemah, the son of Katu ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohuvazdah, the son of Katu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashasaredha, the son of Asha-sairya/C^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashasaredha, the son of Zairya/C'.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy A'akhshni.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Syavaspi.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Pouriuti,

the son of Kavi.

Varesmapa, the son of 6^anara.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Nanarasti, the son of Paeshatah ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Zarazdati, the son of Paeshatah,

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gaevani, the son of Vohu-nemah ^

We worship the Fravashis of the holy Arezva and Sr6ta-spadha.

We worship the Fravashis ^ of the holy Zrayah and Spe;2t6-khratu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Var^ni, the son of Vagereza.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fra/^ya,

the son of Taurvati.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vahmaedata, the son of Mathravaka \

1 There are two men of this name; one is the son of Katu (§ 114), the other is the son of Avaraoj-tri (§ 104).

2 The text has 'the Fravashi;' cf. preceding page, note 3. ' See § 105.

2T4 YASTS AND siROZAHS.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy U^tra, the son of Sadhanah.

Danghu-sriita ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Danghufradhah.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Aspopadho-makhi'ti ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Payanghromakhi'ti.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy U^tiza^^ta.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashasavah ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashourvatha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Haomo-

Frava.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Usnaka.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy //z'anva/^/.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Daenovazah.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Are^aona.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Aiwi- /^z^arenah.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Huyazata.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Haredhaspa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Pazinah.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Z?^i7akhshathra.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ashopaoirya.

FARVARDIN YAST. 21$

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Astvat-

ERETA \

XXVII.

Hug^u.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Anghiiyu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gauri ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Y(lsta., the son of Gauri.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Mazdravanghu ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Sriravanghu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ayuta. We worship the Fravashi of the holy Suroyazata.

Eredhwa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Kavi.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ukhshan, the son of the great Vidi-sravah, known afar I

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vanghudhata, the son of i7z^adhata ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Uzya, the son of Vanghu-dhata ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frya.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy one whose name is Ashem-yeNhe-raoyC'(3;u ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy one whose name is Ashem-yeNhe-vereza ;

^ Saoshya;//; cf. §§ no, 128.

2 Perhaps, Ukhshan, the conqueror of glory, known afar, son of

Berezva«/.

2l6 YAS'TS AND SIROZAHS.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy one whose name is Ashem-yahmai-ui"ta ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Yoii'ta^ of the Fryana house.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Usmanara, the son of Paeshatah Paitisrira ^, to withstand the evil done by one's kindred *.

Spiti^, the son of Uspasnu ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Erezraspa, the son of Uspasnu ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Usadhan, the son of Mazdayasna.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frada/- vanghu, the son of Stiva;^/.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy RaoZ'as- /^a^shman^;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Hvare- ^aeshman '^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frasrtjt^ra ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Visrutara.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Baremna.

^ One of the immortals, rulers in ZTz^aniratha : he is said to belong to the Fryana family (Dadislan XC, 3) ; he resides in the district of the river Naivtak (Bund. XXIX, 5).

2 See Yt.V, 81.

' Paitisrira is perhaps an epithet (most beautiful ?), added to distinguish Paeshatah from the hero mentioned in § 115.

An allusion to some legend of domestic feud of which PaSshatah was the hero.

^ The high-priest of the Fradadhafshu Karshvare (Spitoi^-i Ausposinan ; Bund. XXIX, i ; tr. West, note 6).

^ The high-priest of the Vidadhafshu Karshvare (Airi2-rasp Ausposinan ; see ibid., note 7).

' Cf. §128.

FARVARDIN YA5'T. 21 7

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Visrdta. 122. We worship the Fravashi of the holy //z^aspa ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy A'athwaraspa 2.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Dawramaeshi.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fraoraostra, the son of Kaosha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frinaspa, the son of Kaeva.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frada/- nara, the son of Gravaratu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohuu^tra, the son of Akhnangha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vivareshva;^/, the son of Ainyu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frarazi, the son of Ttara ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Stipi, the son of Rava;^^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Parsha;^ta, the son of Ga/zdarewa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Avahya, the son of Spe;^ta.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Aeta, the son of Mayu ;

1 Probably the same with Huvasp, the high-priest in the Vourubarerti Karshvare (Bund. XXIX, i ; tr. West, note 8).

2 Possibly the same with the high-priest in the Vouru-^^'are^ti karshvare, i^akhravak (ibid., note 9). iTakhravak is the generic name of the bird Karshipta (Pahl. Comm. ad II, 42 [139]) 5 it must stand here by mistake for ^aharasp.

3 Or, ' the Turanian ;' cf. §113-

2l8 YA^TS AND SIROZAHS.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Yaetui"- gau, the son of Vyatana.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gari^ta, the son of Kavi.

Pouru-bangha, the son of Zaosha.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohudata, the son of Kata.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Bc^ungha, the son of S^ungha.

We worship the Fravashis ^ of the holy Hvareza and A/^kasa.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Aravaoi'tra, the son of Erezva^danghu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fra/§ithra, the son of Berezva;^/.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vohuperesa, the son of Ainyu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Parodasma, the son of Dai'taghni, a Mka man of the Mi^'a land.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy Fratira and Baeshatastira.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy and pure Avare-g^u, the son of Aoighimatastira.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Gaoma;//, the son of Zavan, a Rao^^dya man of the Rao^'dya land.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Thri/, the son of Aevo-saredha-fyaei"ta, a Tanya man of the Tanya land.

^ The text has 'the Fravashi ;' cf. §§ 113, 127.

farvard!n vast. 219

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Tironakathwa, of the Uspae^ta-Saena housed

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Utayuti Vi/-kavi, the son of Zighri, of the Saena house ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frohakafra, the son of Merezishmya, of the Saena house ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Varesmorao/C-ah, the son of Perethu-afzem.

We worship the Fravashis ^ of the holy Asha-nemah and VidaZ-g^u, of this country.

We worship the Fravashis ^ of the holy Parsha/-g^u and Dazgara-g^u, of the Apakhshira country.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Hufravakhi-, of the Kahrkana house \

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Akayadha, of the Pidha house ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Camaspa, the younger ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Maidhy6- m^ungha, the younger*.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Urvata/- nara, the younger ^

Rao)^as-/^ae^man ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy HvsLve- /^ae^man ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy FradaA ^z^arenah ;

^ See ]Studes Iraniennes, II, 142.

^ The text has ' the Fravashi ;' cf. § 113.

8 Different from Gamaspa, the son of Hvova (§ 103).

Different from Maidhyo-m^zungha, the son of Arasti (§ 95).

^ Different from Urvata/-nara, the son of Zarathujtra (§98).

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vareda/- ^z^arenah ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vourunemah ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vourusavah ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ukhshya/- ereta ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ukhshya/- nemah 2;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy AsTVAr-

ERETA*;

XXVIII.

Whose name will be the victorious Sao- SHYAivr and whose name will be AstvaZ-ereta. He will be SAOSHYAivr (the Beneficent One), because he will benefit the whole bodily world ; he will be AsTVAr-ERETA (he who makes the bodily creatures

^ The six foremost helpers of Saoshya«/, each in one of the six Karshvares : ' It is said that in the fifty-seven years, which are the period of the raising of the dead, R6shan6-/^ashm in Arzah, Khury^ashm inSavah,Frada(f-gadman(Frada/-^z;aren6, Increaser of Glory) in Frada^afsh, Varedarf-gadman (VaredaZ-Az'areno, Multiplier of Glory) in Vidad'afsh, Kamak-vakhshijn (Vouru-nemo, Prayer- loving) in Voriibarj-t, and Kamak-su«/ (Vouru-savo, Weal-loving) in Voru- ^arjt, while Soshans in the illustrious and pure Khvaniras is connected with them, are immortal. The completely good sense, perfect hearing, and full glory of those seven producers of the renovation are so miraculous that they converse from region unto region, every one together with the six others ' (Dadistan XXXVI, 5-6 ; tr. West).

^ The first brother and forerunner to Saoshyaw/, the Oshedar mah of later tradition (see above, p. 196, note 2; cf. § 141, note).

' The second brother and forerunner to Saoshya«/, the Oshedar bami of later tradition (ibid. ; cf. § 142, note).

Saoshyaw/; cf. following paragraph and §§ no, 117.

FARVARdIn YAST. 221

rise up), because as a bodily creature and as a living creature he will stand against the destruction of the bodily creatures, to withstand the Dru^ of the twofooted brood, to withstand the evil done by the faithful ^

XXIX.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Yima^ the son of Vivangha/z/ ; the valiant Yima, who had flocks at his wish 2; to stand against the oppression caused by the Da^vas, against the drought that destroys pastures, and against death that creeps unseen *.

Thraetaona, of the Athwya house ^; to stand against itch, hot fever, humours, cold fever, and incontinency^ to stand against the evil done by the Serpent''.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Aoshnara, the son of Pouru-^ira^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Uzava, the son of Tiimaspa ^.

^ He will suppress both the destructive power of the men of the Dru^ (idolaters and the like) and the errors of INIazdayasnians (?).

^ See above, p. 25, note 4.

^ Vouru-vathwa; cf. fitudes Iraniennes, II, 182.

As he made waters and trees undrying, cattle and men undying. ^ See above, p. 61, note i.

As the inventor of medicine; see Vend. XX, Introd.

'' Disease, being a poison, comes from the Serpent ; see ibid.

« Or ' Aoshnara, full of wisdom ;' cf. Yt. XXIII, 2, and West, Pahlavi Texts, II, 171, note 3.

^ Called in the Shah Namah Zab, son of Tahmasp, who appears to have been a son of Nodar (Bund. XXXI, 23).

YA5TS AND SIRdZAHS.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Aghraeratha, the demi-man ^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Manu5- ^ithra, the son of Airyu^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Kavata^;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Aipivanghu ^;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Usadhan^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Arshan^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Pisanah^;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Byarshan^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Syavarshan^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy king Husravah^ ;

OO'

For the well-shapened Strength ^ for the Victory made by Ahura, for the crushing Ascendant; for the righteousness of the law, for the innocence of

See above, p. 114, note 7 (Yt. IX, 18).

' Airyu, the youngest of the three sons of Thraetaona (see p. 61, note i), was killed by his brothers and avenged by his son Manuj- )^iihra, who succeeded Thraetaona.

» Kavata, Kai Qobad in the Shah Namah, an adoptive son to Uzava, according to Bund. XXXI, 24.

Kai-Apiveh in the Bundahii' ; he was the son of Kai Qobad.

^ Usadhan, Arshan, Pisanah, and Byarshan were the four sons of Aipivanghu ; they are called in Firdausi Kai Kaus, Kai Arish, Kai Pashin, and Kai Armin. Kai Kaus alone came to the throne.

« Syavakhsh and Khosrav ; see above, p. 64, note i.

^ To become possessed of Strength, Victory, &c., as Husravah did.

FARVARDIN VAST. 223

the law, for the unconquerable power of the law; for the extermination of the enemies at one stroke ;

And for the vigour of health, for the Glory made by Mazda, for the health of the body, and for a good, virtuous offspring, wise, chief in assemblies, bright, and clear-eyed, that frees [their father] from the pangs [of hell], of good intellect ; and for that part in the blessed world that falls to wisdom and to those who do not follow impiety;

For a dominion full of splendour, for a long, long life, and for all boons and remedies ; to withstand the Yatus and Pairikas, the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf; to withstand the evil done by oppressors \

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Keresaspa 2, the Sama ^, the club-bearer with plaited hair ; to withstand the dreadful arm and the hordes with the wide battle array, with the many spears, with the straight spears, with the spears uplifted, bearing the spears of havoc; to withstand the dreadful brigand who works destruction*, the man-slayer who has no mercy ; to withstand the evil done by the brigand.

Akhrura"', the son of Husravah;

To withstand the wicked one that deceives his friend and the niggard that causes the destruction of the world *'.

^ Like Frangrasyan ; cf. p. 64, note i.

^ Belonging to the Sama family (Yasna IX, 10).

Like the nine highwaymen killed by Keresaspa, Yt. XIX, 41.

■* Not mentioned in the Shah Namah ; Khosrav was succeeded by a distant relation, Lohrasp.

" An allusion to the lost legend of Akhriira ; see, however, West, Pahlavi Texts, II, 375.

-^-

We worship the Fravashi of the holy and gallant Haoshyangha ;

To withstand the Mazainya Daevas and the Varenya fiends ; to withstand the evil done by the Daevas ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fradhakh^ti, the son of the jar^,

To withstand Aeshma, the fiend of the wounding spear, and the Daevas that grow through Aeshma ; to withstand the evil done by Aeshma.

XXX.

Hvovi^

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fr^ni ; We worship the Fravashi of the holy Thriti ; We worship the Fravashi of the holy Pouru- /§ista *.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Hutaosa^; We worship the Fravashi of the holy Humal We worship the Fravashi of the holy Zairi/^i.

See Yt. V, 21-23.

^ Khumbya, one of the immortals in ZTivaniratha ; he resides in the Pe^yansai plain : * he is Z^z^embya for this reason, because they brought him up in a /ivemh (jar) for fear of Khashm' (Bund. XXIX, 5). He answers pretty well to the Agastya and Vasish//5a of the Vedic legend (see Ormazd et Ahriman, § 177).

^ One of the three wives of Zarathui'tra, the daughter of Frasha- OJtra ; she is the supposed mother of Saoshya;;/ and his brothers (see p. 195, note 2).

The three daughters of Zarathu^-tra and sisters to Isa^vastar (see p. 204, note i).

^ Vutaspa's wife; see Yt. IX, 26, and XVII, 46,

Vi^taspa's daughter, Humai, in the Shah Namah.

FARVARDIN VAST. 22 5

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Vispataurvashi.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ui"tavaiti.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Tuiriamaiti.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Frt'ni, the wife of Usenemah ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fr^^ni, the wife of the son of Frayaza?zta ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fr^ni, the wife of the son of Khshoiwraspa ^ ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Fr^ni, the wife of Gayadhasti *.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Asabani, the wife of Pourudhakh^ti ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Ukhshyei;«ti, the wife of Staotar-Vahi^tahe-Ashyehe ^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid Vadh{i^.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid 6^aghrudh.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid Franghadh.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid UriidhayawA

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid Pa6- sanghanu.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy //z^aredhi.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Hu/^ithra.

We worship the Fravashi of the holy Kanuka.

^ See § 113. ^ Of Frmah or Caro-vanghu, § 113.

3 Of Khshathro-z^inah, § 112. * See § n 2.

"^ See§in. « Ibid.

[23] Q

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid SrutaZ-fedhri \

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid Vanghu-fedhri " ;

We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid Ereda^fedhrl^, who is called Vispa-taurvairi. She is Vispa-taurvairi (the all-destroying) because she will bring him forth, who will destroy the malice of Daevas and men, to withstand the evil done by the 6ahi.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Aryan countries ;

We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Aryan countries.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Turanian countries^;

We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Turanian countries.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Sairimyan countries*';

^ UkhshyaZ-ereta's mother (see above, § 126); the Saddar Bundahij (Etudes Iraniennes, II, 209) calls her Bad, from the last part of her name (fedhri for padhri), and states that, bathing in Lake Kasava, she will become pregnant from the seed of Zarathuj-tra, that is preserved there (see above, p. 195, note 2), and she will bring forth a son, Oshedar bamt.

^ UkhshyaZ-nemah's mother, called Vah Bad in the Saddar ; she will conceive in the same way as SrutaZ-fedhri.

^ Saoshya«/s mother.

Cf. Vend. XIX, 5, and Introd. IV, 39-40.

^ Gogojasp (a commentator to the Avesta) says, ' There are holy men in all religions, as appears from the words tuiryanam d^/ivyunam [We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Turanian countries],' (Pahl. Comm. ad Vend. Ill, end; and Vend. V, 38 [122]); cf. above, §§ 113, 123.

The countries inherited by Sairima (Selm), the third son of

FARVARDIN YA5T. 22;

We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Sairimyan countries.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Saini countries^;

We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Saini countries.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Dahi countries^;

We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Dahi countries.

We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in all countries ;

We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in all countries.

We worship all the good, awful, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful, from Gaya Maretan down to the victorious Saoshyaw/^ May the Fravashis of the faithful come quickly to us ! May they come to our help !

They protect us when in distress with manifest assistance, with the assistance of Ahura Mazda and of the holy, powerful Sraosha, and with the Mathra-Spe;^ta, the all-knowing, who hates the Daevas with a mighty hate, a friend of Ahura Mazda, whom Zarathui-tra worshipped so greatly in the material world.

May the good waters and the plants and

ThraStaona, as Turan and Iran were inherited by Tfira and Airyu. Selm's heritage was RCim, that is to say, Europa and Western Asia.

1 China (Bund. XV, 29).

2 Perhaps the Dahae (Pliny VI, 17; Aeneis VIII, 728) or Aam (Slrabo), called Ta-hia by Chinese geographers, on the south of the Oxus.

^ From the first man to the last.

Q 2

the Fravashis of the faithful abide down here ! May you be rejoiced and well received in this house ! Here are the Athravans of the countries \ thinking of good holiness. Our hands are lifted up for asking help, and for offering a sacrifice unto you, O most beneficent Fravashis !

We worship the Fravashis of all the holy men and holy women whose souls are worthy of sacrifice ^, whose Fravashis are worthy of invocation.

We worship the Fravashis of all the holy men and holy women, our sacrificing to whom makes us good in the eyes of Ahura Mazda : of all of those we have heard that Zarathu^tra is the first and best, as a follower of Ahura and as a performer of the law.

We worship the spirit, conscience, perception, soul, and Fravashi ^ of men of the primitive law ^ of the first who listened to the teaching (of Ahura), holy men and holy women, who struggled for holiness^; we worship the spirit, conscience, perception, soul, and Fravashi of our next-of-kin, holy men and holy women, who struggled for holiness^.

We worship the men of the primitive law who will be in these houses, boroughs, towns, and countries ;

We worship the men of the primitive law who have been in these houses, boroughs, towns, and countries ;

We worship the men of the primitive law who are in these houses, boroughs, towns, and countries.

We worship the men of the primitive law

Itinerant priests are received here.

2 Doubtful. ^ Cf. p. 198, note i.

The Paoiryo-Zkaejas ; see p. 180, note i.

For the triumph of the Zoroastrian law.

FARVARDiN YA^-T. 229

in all houses, boroughs, towns, and countries, who obtained these houses, who obtained these boroughs, who obtained these towns, who obtained these countries, who obtained holiness, who obtained the Mathra, who obtained the [blessedness of the] soul, who obtained all the perfections of goodness.

We worship Zarathu^tra, the lord and master of all the material world, the man of the primitive law ; the wisest of all beings, the bestruling of all beings, the brightest of all beings, the most glorious of all beings, the most worthy of sacrifice amongst all beings, the most worthy of prayer amongst all beings, the most worthy of propitiation amongst all beings, the most worthy of glorification amongst all beings, whom we call well-desired and worthy of sacrifice and prayer as much as any being can be, in the perfection of his holiness,

We worship this earth ; We worship those heavens ;

We worship those good things that stand between (the earth and the heavens) and that are worthy of sacrifice and prayer and are to be worshipped by the faithful man.

We worship the souls of the wild beasts and of the tame \

We worship the souls of the holy men and women, born at any time, whose consciences struggle, or will struggle, or have struggled, for the good.

' Daitika, Persian j^ ; Neriosengh has 'that go by herds,' pahkti^arin. Aidyu; the Pahlavi translation has ayyar, 'that are of help' (domesticated?) ; Neriosengh has misread it as suvar and translated a9vacarin. The expression daitika aidyu answers to the Persian ^bj i^, meaning all sorts of animals (see ^fitudes Iraniennes, II, 150).

2^0 YA^TS AND siROZAHS.

We worship the spirit, conscience, perception, soul, and Fravashi of the holy men and holy women who struggle, will struggle, or have struggled, and teach the Law, and who have struggled for holiness.

Y^nhe hatam: All those beings to whom Ahura Mazda .... Yatha ahii vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

The Fravashls of the faithful, awful and overpowering, awful and victorious ; the Fravashls of the men of the primitive law ; the Fravashls of the next-of-kin ; may these Fravashls come satisfied into this house ; may they walk satisfied through this

house !

May they, being satisfied, bless this house with the presence of the kind AshI Vanguhl ! May they leave this house satisfied! May they carry back from here hymns and worship to the Maker, Ahura Mazda, and the Amesha-Spe;nas ! May they not leave this house of us, the worshippers of Mazda, complaining !

Yatha ahii vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength

and vigour of the awful, overpowering Fravashls of the

faithful ; of the Fravashls of the men of the primitive

law ; of the Fravashls of the next-of-kin.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good .... [Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ Who shall worship the Fravashis.

BAH RAM YA^T. 23 I

XIV. BAHRAM YA^'T.

Regarding Bahram (Verethraghna), the Genius of Victory, see Vend. Introd. V, 8.

This Yast can be divided into four parts: —

I (§§ 1-28). An enumeration of the ten incarnations in which Verethraghna appeared to Zarathui'tra (as a wind, § 2 ; as a bull, § 7 ; as a horse, § 9 ; as a camel, §11; as a boar, §15; as a youth, § 17 ; as a raven, § 19 ; as a ram, § 23 ; as a buck, § 25 ; and as a man, § 27).

II (§§ 30-33). The powers given by Verethraghna to his worshipper, Zarathujtra.

III (§§ 34-46). The magical powers, ascribed to the raven's feather, of striking terror into an army and dispersing it (the raven being the seventh incarnation of Verethraghna).

IV (§§ 47-64). The glorification of Verethraghna.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto Verethraghna, made by Mazda, and unto the crushing Ascendant^ ;

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahft vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I. We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathu.ytra asked Ahura Mazda: 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

^ Sirozah I, 20.

'Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods?' Ahura Mazda answered : 'It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathui"tra!'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him first, running in the shape of a strong, beautiful wind, made by Mazda ; he bore the good Glory, made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda, that is both health and strength.

Then he, who is the strongest \ said unto him^: ' I am the strongest in strength ; I am the most victorious in victory ; I am the most glorious in Glory ; I am the most favouring in favour ; I am the best giver of welfare ; I am the best- healing in healthgiving.

' And I shall destroy the malice of all the malicious, the malice of Daevas and men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf.

'For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ; namely, unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura. We worship Verethraghna, made by Ahura, with an offering of libations, according to the primitive ordinances of Ahura ; with the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightlyspoken words.

'Ye«he hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

II.

'We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.'

^ Verethraghna. ^ Zarathujtra.

BAHRAM YA5T. 233

Zarathu5tra asked Ahiira Mazda : * Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered : ' It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathu^tra !'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the second time, running in the shape of a beautiful bull, with yellow ears and golden horns ; upon whose horns floated the well-shapen Strength, and Victory, beautiful of form, made by Ahura : thus did he come, bearing the good Glory, made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda, that is both health and strength.

Then he, who is the strongest, said unto him : ' I am the strongest in strength . . . . ^

'And I shall destroy the malice of all malicious 2'

For his brightness and glory, I will ofifer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard . . . . ^

III.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

ZarathuJtra asked Ahura Mazda: 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered : 'It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathu^tra!'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the third time, running in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with yellow ears and a golden caparison ; upon whose forehead floated the well-shapen Strength,

^ As above, § 3. ^ As above, § 4. ^ As above, § 5.

and Victory, beautiful of form, made by Ahura: thus did he come, bearing the good Glory, made by Mazda, that is both health and strength.

Then he, who is the strongest, said unto him : ' I am the strongest in strength ....

'And I shall destroy the malice of all malicious '

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IV.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathu^tra asked Ahura Mazda: 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered : 'It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathunra!'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the fourth time, running in the shape of a burdenbearing ^ camel, sharp-toothed '\ swift . . . . •
stamping forwards, long-haired, and living in the abodes of men ^;

1 2. Who of all males in rut shows greatest strength and greatest fire, when he goes to his females. Of all females those are best kept whom a burdenbearing camel keeps, who has thick forelegs and large humps, . . . .^ quick-eyed, long-headed, bright, tall, and strong ;

1 3. Whose piercing look goes afar . . . . ^ even in the dark of the night ; who throws white foam

1 Doubtful (vadharoi^ ^ Doubtful (dadasoij).

^ ? Urvato; cf. § 19. * Tame, domesticated.

^ ? Smarjno. ^ ? Haitahe.

BAHRAM YA5T. 235

alone his mouth : well-kneed, well-footed, standing with the countenance of an all-powerful master :

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda ....

We sacrifice uhto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathu^tra asked Ahura Mazda: 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered : 'It Is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spltama Zarathu^tra !'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the fifth time, running In the shape of a boar, opposing the foes, a sharp-toothed he-boar, a sharp-jawed boar, that kills at one stroke, pursuing, wrathful, with a dripping face\ strong, and swift to run, and rushlnof all around ^.

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda ....

VI.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by

Ahura.

Zarathui-tra asked Ahura Mazda : ' Ahura Mazda.

most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world,

thou Holy One !

' Who Is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered : ' It Is Verethraghna,

made by Ahura, O Spltama Zarathu^tra !'

1 Cf. Yt. X, 70. " Or better, rushing before. Cf. Yt. X, 1 27.

Verethraghna,' made by Ahura, came to him the sixth time, running in the shape of a beautiful youth of fifteen, shining, clear-eyed, thin-heeled.

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda ....

VIL-

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathui-tra asked Ahura Mazda: 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! '

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the seventh time, running in the shape of a raven that . . . . ^ below and . . . . ^ above, and that is the swiftest of all birds, the lightest of the fiying creatures.

He alone of living things, — he or none, — overtakes the flight of an arrow, however well it has been shot. He flies up joyfully at the first break of dawn, wishing the night to be no more, wishing the dawn, that has not yet come, to come ^

He grazes the hidden ways^ of the mountains, he grazes the tops of the mountains, he grazes the depths of the vales, he grazes the summits ^ of the trees, listeningr to the voices of the birds.

^ ? Urvato, pishato.

^ The raven was sacred to Apollo. The priests of the sun in Persia are said to have been named ravens (Porphyrins). Cf. Georgica I, 45.

=* Reading vi^atavo. "Doubtful.

BAHRAM YA5T. 237

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda \ the Glory made by Mazda ....

VIII.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathui'tra asked Ahura Mazda : ' Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered : ' It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathu^tra !'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the eighth time, running in the shape of a wild, beautiful ram, with horns bent rounds

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda ^ the Glory made by Mazda ....

IX.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathui-tra asked Ahura Mazda : 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods ?' Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathui^tra !'

^ The royal Glory is described flying in the shape of a raven, Yt. XIX, 35.

2 Doubtful.

^ While Ardashir, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty, was flying from Ardavan, a beautiful wild ram ran after him and overtook him, and Ardavan understood from this that the kingly Glory had left him and had passed over to his rival (Shah Namah, Ardashir; Kar Namaki Artachshir, tr. Noeldeke, p. 45}.

2^8 YASTS AND SIROZAHS.

•vD'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the ninth time, running in the shape of a beautiful, fighting buck, with sharp horns.

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda ....

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathujftra asked Ahura Mazda: 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' Who is the best-armed of the heavenly gods?' Ahura Mazda answered : 'It is Verethraghna, made by Ahura, O Spitama Zarathu^tra !'

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the tenth time, running in the shape of a man, bright and beautiful, made by Mazda: he held a sword with a golden blade, inlaid with all sorts of ornaments.

Thus did Verethraghna come, bearing the good Glory made by Mazda, the Glory made by Mazda ....

XI.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura, who makes virility, who makes death, who makes resurrection, who possesses peace, who has a free way.

Unto him did the holy Zarathu^-tra offer up a sacrifice, [asking] for victorious thinking, victorious speaking, victorious doing, victorious addressing, and victorious answering.

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, gave him the

BAH RAM YAS-T. 239

fountains of manliness ^ the strength of the arms, the health of the whole body, the sturdiness of the whole body, and the eye-sight of the Kara fish ^ that lives beneath the waters and can measure =^ a rippling of the water, not thicker than a hair, in the Rangha whose ends lie afar, whose depth is a thousand times the height of a man ^.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XII.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura, who makes virility, who makes death, who makes resurrection, who possesses peace, who has a free way.

Unto him did the holy Zarathu^tra offer up a sacrifice, [asking] for victorious thinking, victorious speaking, victorious doing, victorious addressing, and victorious answering.

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, gave him the fountains of manliness, the strength of the arms, the health of the whole body, the sturdiness of the whole body, and the eye-sight of the male horse, that, in the dark of the night, in its first half ^ and through the rain, can perceive a horse's hair lying on the ground and knows whether it is from the head or from the tail *'.

1 Erezi, Pahl. gond (Old Zand-Pahlavi Dictionary, p. 11).

2 See Vendidad XIX, 42. ' Possibly, perceive.

Cf. Yt. XVI, 7, and Bundahij XVIII, 6 : 'those fish . . . . know the scratch of a needle's point (or better hole) by which the water shall increase, or by which it is diminishing ' (tr. West).

"^ Avakhshaityau, the night before hu-vakhsha (before the time when the light begins to grow ; midnight).

« Cf Yt. XVI, 10, and Bundahi^ XIX, 32 : ' Regarding the Arab

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XIII.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahiira, who makes virility, who makes death, who makes resurrection, who possesses peace, who has a free way.

Unto him did the holy Zarathu5tra sacrifice, [asking] for victorious thinking, victorious speaking, victorious doing, victorious addressing, and victorious answermg.

Verethraghna, made by Ahura, gave him the fountains of virility, the strength of the arms, the health of the whole body, the sturdiness of the whole body, and the eye-sight of the vulture with a golden collar ^ that, from as far as nine districts, can perceive a piece of flesh not thicker than the fist, giving just as much light as a needle gives, as the point of a needle gives 2.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XIV.

We sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Zarathu^tra asked Ahura Mazda : * Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

horse, they say that if, in a dark night, a single hair occurs on the ground, he sees it ' (tr. West).

1 Possibly the Gypaetus, the vautour dore,

2 ' Even from his highest flight, he (the vulture) sees when flesh the size of a fist is on the ground' (Bund. XIX, 31 ; tr.West). Cf. Horapollo (I, ii).

BAH RAM VAST. 24 1

If I have a curse thrown upon me, a spell told upon me by the many men who hate me, what is the remedy for it ? '

Ahura Mazda answered : ' Take thou a feather of that bird with . . . .^ feathers, the Vare;^fana, O Spitama Zarathu^-tra ! With that feather thou shalt rub thy own body^ with that feather thou shalt curse back thy enemies.

' If a man holds a bone of that strong bird, or a feather of that strong bird, no one can smite or turn to flight that fortunate man. The feather of that bird of birds brings him help ; it brings unto him the homage of men, it maintains in him his glory.

7,y. 'Then the sovereign, the lord of countries, will no longer kill his^ hundreds, though he is a killer of men ; the ...."* will not kill at one stroke ; he alone smites and goes forwards.

' All tremble before him who holds the feather, they tremble therefore before me ; all my enemies tremble before me and fear my strength and victorious force and the fierceness established in my body.

'He^ carries the chariot of the lords; he carries the chariots of the lordly ones, the chariots of the sovereigns. He carried the chariot of Kavi

^ Pesho-parena. The Varew^ana is the same bird as the Varaghna, the raven.

2 The feather of the Varew^ana plays here the same part as the Simurgh's feather in the Shah Namah. When Riadabah's flank was opened to bring forth Rustem, her wound was healed by rubbing it with a Simurgh's feather ; Rustem, wounded to death by Isfendyar, was cured in the same manner.

^ Of him who holds that feather.

? Vaesaepa. ' That bird.

[23] R

Usa^ ; upon his wings runs the male horse ^ runs the burden-bearing camel, runs the water of the river.

' Him rode the gallant Thraetaona, who smote

Az'i Dahaka, the three-mouthed, the three-headed,

the six-eyed, who had a thousand senses ; that most

powerful, fiendish Dru^, that demon, baleful to the

world, the strongest Dru^ that Angra Mainyu

created against the material world, to destroy the

world of the good principled

' For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XV.

'We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by

Ahura.

' Verethraghna confounds the glory of this house with its wealth in cattle. He is like that great bird, the Saena * ; he is like the big clouds, full of water, that beat the mountains.

' For his brightness and glory, I will oflfer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XVI.

*We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura.'

Zarathu^tra asked Ahura Mazda : 'Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

' Where is it that we must invoke the name of Verethraghna, made by Ahura ? Where is it that

1 Kai Kaus; when he tried to ascend to heaven on a throne carried by eagles (Journal Asiatique, 1 881, I, 513).

2 A metaphor to express the swiftness of the wind, of the camel, and of the rivers.

' Cf. Yt.V, 34. * The Simurgh; cf. p. 241, note 2.

BAHRAM VAST. 243

we must praise him ? That we must humbly praise him?'

Ahura Mazda answered : ' When armies meet together in full array, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! (asking) which of the two is the party that conquers^ and is not crushed, that smites and is not smitten ;

'Do thou throw ^ four feathers ^ in the way. Whichever of the two will first worship the wellshapen Strength, andVerethraghna, beautiful of form, made by Mazda, on his side will victory stand.

' I will bless Strength and Victory, the two keepers, the two good keepers, the two maintainers ; the two who . . . .^, the two who . . . .^ the two who ... .3; the two who forgive, the two who strike off, the two who forget*.

'O Zarathu^tra! let not that spell be shown to any one, except by the father to his son, or by the brother to his brother from the same womb, or by the Athravan to his pupiP. These are words that are awful and powerful, awful and assembly-ruling, awful and victorious, awful and healing; these are words that save the head that was lost and chant away the uplifted weapon.'

XVII.

We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura : who goes along the armies arrayed, and goes here

^ Doubtful.

^ Or an arrow feathered with four Vare?/^ana's feathers. ' A-dhwaozen, vi-dhwaozen, fra-dhwaozen.

Amarezen, cf. ^JJo^^^T; vimarezen, cf. Yt. I, 2 ; fra marezen, cf. ^Jiy^. « Cf. Yt. IV, 10.

R 2

and there asking, along with Mithra and Rashnu : ' Who is it who hes unto Mithra ? Who is it who thrusts [his oath] against Rashnu^ ? To whom shall I, in my might, impart illness and death ^ ?'

48 ^ Ahura Mazda said : * If men sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Ahura, if the due sacrifice and prayer is offered unto him just as it ought to be performed in the perfection of holiness, never will a hostile horde enter the Aryan countries, nor any plague, nor leprosy, nor venomous plants, nor the chariot of a foe, nor the uplifted spear of a foe.'

49*. Zarathui-tra asked :' What is then, O Ahura Mazda ! the sacrifice and invocation in honour of Verethraghna, made by Ahura, as it ought to be performed in the perfection of holiness?'

Ahura Mazda answered : ' Let the Aryan nations bring libations unto him ; let the Aryan nations tie bundles of baresma for him ; let the Aryan nations cook for him a head of cattle, either white, or black, or of any other colour, but all of one and the same colour.

' Let not a murderer take of those offerings, nor a whore, nor a .... , who does not sing the Gathas, who spreads death in the world and withstands the law of Mazda, the law of Zarathui^tra.

' If a murderer take of those offerings, or a whore, or a .... , who does not sing the Gathis, then Verethraghna, made by Ahura, takes back his healing virtues.

Against truth. ^ Cf. Yt. X, 108 seq.

§ 48 ; cf. Yt. VIII, 56. * §§ 49-53 = Yt. VIII, 57-61.

BAHRAM YA^T. 245

' Plagues will ever pour upon the Aryan nations ; hostile hordes will ever fall upon the Aryan nations ; the Aryans will be smitten by their fifties and their hundreds, by their hundreds and their thousands, by their thousands and their tens of thousands, by their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads.'

There Verethraghna, made by Ahura, proclaimed thus : ' The Soul of the Bull \ the wise creature, does not receive from man due sacrifice and prayer ; for now the Daevas and the worshippers of the Daevas make blood flow and spill it like water ;

'For now the . . . .^ Daevas and the worshippers of the Daevas bring to the fire the plant that is called Haperesi, the wood that is called Neme/ka^ ;

' (Therefore) when the . . . .- Daevas and the worshippers of the Daevas bow their backs, bend their waists, and arrange all their limbs'*, they think they will smite and smite not, they think they will kill and kill not ; and then the . . . . ^ Daevas and the worshippers of the Daevas have their minds confounded and their eyes made giddy ^'

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ Gojurun or Drvaspa ; see Yt. IX. The destruction of any living being is an injury to Drvaspa.

"^ ? Vyambura.

^ The Haperesi and the N erne /k a are probably some species of green wood ; it is forbidden to put green wood in the fire as it kills it, and injures the Genius of Water at the same time.

In order to strike.

^ The general meaning of the last four clauses is that the impious are defeated.

XVIII.

We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura. I offer up Haoma, who saves one's head^ ; I offer

up the victorious Haoma ; I offer him up, the good protector; I offer up Haoma, who is a protector to my body, as a man who shall drink ^ of him shall win and prevail^ over his enemies in battle ;

That I may smite this army, that I may

smite down this army, that I may cut in pieces this

army that is coming behind me.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XIX.

We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura. The prince and his son and his sons who are chiefs

of myriads^ offer him up a bright . . . . ^ [saying] :

He is strong, and Victorious is his name ; he is victorious, and Strong is his name ;'

That I may be as constantly victorious as any

one of all the Aryans^ ; that I may smite this army,

that I may smite down this army, that I may cut in

pieces this army that is coming behind me.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

^ ? Sairi-baoghem; cf. § 46.

2 Nivazaiti; literally, swallow (? frot 6 bun burtan, Vend. V, 8 [26]).

' Literally, overtake. " Cf. Yt. V, 85.

^ ? Asanem sighftire. « Cf. Yt. V, 69.

BAHRAM VAST. 247

XX.

We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

In the ox is our strength, in the ox is our need ^ ; in the ox is our speech, in the ox is our victory ; in the ox is our food, in the ox is our clothing ; in the ox is tillage, that makes food grow for us.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXI.

We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura; Who breaks the columns asunder, who cuts the

columns to pieces, who wounds the columns, who makes the columns shake ; who comes and breaks the columns asunder, who comes and cuts the columns to pieces, who comes and wounds the columns, who comes and makes the columns shake, both of Daevas and men, of the Yatus and Pairikas, of the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XXII.

We sacrifice to Verethraghna, made by Ahura. When Verethraghna, made by Ahura, binds the

hands, confounds the eye-sight, takes the hearing

^ From Yasna X, 20 (62), where, instead of the words, ' in the ox is our strength (aniem), in the ox is our need,' the text has, ' in the ox is his need, in the ox is our need,' meaning, ' when we give him his need (water and grass), he gives us our need (milk and calves),' (Pahl. tr.).

from the ears of the Mithradrii^es^ marching in cohimns, alHed by cities, they can no longer move their feet, they can no longer withstand.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength

and vigour of Verethraghna, made by Mazda ; and

of the crushinp- Ascendant.

AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good .... [Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ See p. 120, note 2.

^ Who shall offer a sacrifice to Verethraghna.

RAM VAST. 249

XV. RAM YA^-T.

This Ya^t bears the name of Rama Z^z^astra, the Genius who presides over the 21st day of the month (Sirozah, § 21), and is devoted to his Hamkar, Vayu.

Regarding Rama ffvastra., the Genius that gives good abodes and good pastures, and his connection with Vayu, see Vend. Introd. IV, and Etudes Iraniennes, II, 187.

This Ya^t can be divided into two parts. The first part (§§ 1-140) contains an enumeration of worshippers who sacrificed to Vayu : Ahura Mazda (§ 2), Haoshyangha (§ 7), Takhma Urupa (§ 11), Yima (§ 15), Az'i Dahaka (§ 19), Thraetaona {§ 23), Keresaspa (§ 27), Aurvasara (§ 31), Hutaosa (§ 35), and Iranian maids (§ 39). The second part (§§ 42-58) contains a special enumeration and glorification of the many names of Vayu (§§ 42-50).

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas, and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto Rama HvsLStra, unto Vayu who works highly and is more powerful to afflict than all other creatures \

Be propitiation from me, for sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahfi vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I. I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them 2. I will sacrifice to Peace, whose breath is friendly, and to Weal, both of them.

^ Cf. Sirozah I, 21.

2 Apam Napa/ (Yt. VIII, 34) or Tijtrya (Yt. VIII, i).

To this Vayu do we sacrifice,' this Vayu do we invoke, for this house, for the master of this house, and for the man here who is offering Hbations and giving gifts. To this excellent God do we sacrifice, that he may accept our meat and our prayers, and grant us in return to crush our enemies at one stroke.

2 \ To him did the Maker, Ahura Mazda, offer up a sacrifice in the Airyana Vae^ah^ on a golden throne, under golden beams - and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk]^

He begged of him a boon, saying: ' Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly^, that I may smite the creation of Angra Mainyu, and that nobody may smite this creation of the Good Spirit !'

Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu : we sacrifice to Vayu, who works highly.

To this part of thee do we sacrifice, O Vayu ! that belongs to Spewta Mainyu ^

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the awful Vayu, who works highly. We offer up a sacrifice unto the awful Vayu, who works highly, with the libations, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the

1 Cf. Yt. V, 17. 2 Fraspa/, Persian ,_^ji.

^ Cf. p. 169, note 5. * See p. 10, note 4.

^ As Vayu, the atmosphere, is the place in which the conflict of the two principles takes place, one part of him belongs to the Evil Spirit (see Vend. Introd. IV, 17).

RAM YAST. 251

holy Spells, the words, the deeds, the libations, and the well-spoken words.

Ye«he hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

II.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayii do we

invoke . . . .^

To him did Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, offer up a sacrifice on the Taera of the Hara, bound with iron^ on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk].

He begged of him a boon, saying : ' Grant me, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may smite two-thirds of the Daevas of Mazana and of the fiends ofVarena^'

Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda^ did pursue It.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

III.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

The rest as in clause i.

2 Cf.Yt.V, 21, p. 58, note 2. ' Cf.Yt.V, 21-23.

Introduced from § 4 into this and all similar clauses, except the one relating to Asi Dahaka (§ 21).

1 1. To him did Takhma Urupa^ the well-armed^, offer up a sacrifice on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk].

He begged of him a boon, saying : ' Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may conquer all Daevas and men, all the Yatus and Pairikas, and that I may ride Angra Mainyu, turned into the shape of a horse, all around the earth from one end to the other, for thirty years.'

Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon^, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

. IV.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

Unto him did the bright Yima, the good shep-

^ Takhma Urupa (in later legend Tahmiaraf) was a brother to Yima. He reigned for thirty years and rode Ahriman, turned into a horse. But at last his wife, deceived by Ahriman, revealed to him the secret of her husband's power, and Tahmuraf was swallowed up by his horse. But Yima managed to take back his brother's body from the body of Ahriman and recovered thereby the arts and civilisation which had disappeared along with Tahmuraf (see Minokhired XXVII, 32 ; Ravaet apud Spiegel, Einleitung in die traditionelle Literatur, pp. 317 seq.; Ormazd et Ahriman, § 137 seq.; cf above, p. 60, note i).

2 Azinava^z/ or zaenahvaw/: he kept that epithet in later tradition : Zinavend, ' quod cognomen virum significat armis probe instructum' (Hamza Ispahensis, p. 20, tr. Gottwaldt).

' As told Yt. XIX, 29.

RAM YA^T. 253

herd, sacrifice from the height Hukairya, the allshining and golden, on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk].

He begged of him a boon, saying : ' Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may become the most glorious of the men born to behold the sun : that I may make in my reign both animals and men undying, waters and plants undrying, and the food for eating creatures never-failing'

In the reign of the valiant Yima there was neither cold wind nor hot wind, neither old age nor death, nor envy made by the Daevas^

Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

Unto him did the three-mouthed Kz\ Dahaka offer up a sacrifice in his accursed palace of Kviri;/ta^,

^ Cf. Yasna IX, 4-5 (11-20) and Yt. XIX, 31 seq.

"^ This passage is interpolated from Yasna IX, 5 (17-19).

' Or, 'his accursed palace of the Stork' (upa kviri«tem duzitem). 'Azi Dahaka,' says Hamza (p. 32 in the text, p. 22 in the translation), 'used to live in Babylon (cf. Yt.V, 29), where he had built a palace in the form of a stork; he called it Kuleng Dis ((_^j dli^, the fortress of the Stork; the inhabitants called it Dis Het (o^ ^j-^.^)' Kuleng Dis was in Zend Kviriwta daeza and Dis Het is nothing else than Duzita. One may doubt

on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk],

He begged of him a boon, saying : ' Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may make all the seven Karshvares of the earth empty of men'

In vain did he sacrifice, in vain did he beg, in

vain did he invoke, in vain did he give gifts, in vain

did he bring libations ; Vayu did not grant him that

boon.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VI.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

Unto him did Thraetaona, the heir of the valiant Athwya clan, offer up a sacrifice in the four-cornered Varena, on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk].

He begged of him a boon, saying : ' Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may overcome A^i Dahaka, the three -mouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand senses, that most powerful, fiendish Dru^, that

whether Kviri;2ta is the name of a place or the Zend form of Kuleng, a stork : in any case it was a palace in Bawri (Babylon). In the Shah Namah it is called Di3ukht(dus-ukhta for duz-ita; see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 211). 1 Cf Yt.V, 30 seq.

RAM VAST. 255

demon baleful to the world, the strongest Druc^ that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle ; and that I may deliver his two wives, Savanghava./^ and Erenavak, who are the fairest of body amongst women, and the most wonderful creatures in the world '

Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VII.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

To him did the manly-hearted Keresaspa^ offer up a sacrifice by the Gudha^, a channel of the Rangha, made by Mazda, upon a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk].

He begged of him a boon, saying : 'Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may succeed in avenging my brother Urvakhshaya*, that I may smite Hitaspa and yoke him to my chariot.'

The Ga;^darewa, who lives beneath the waters.

^ Yt.V,34; IX, 14; XVII, 34.

2 Cf.Yt.V, 37 seq.

^ An unknown affluent of the Rangha (Tigris).

Sama had two sons, Keresaspa, a warrior, and Urvakhshaya, a judge and law-giver (Yasna IX, 10 [29 seq.]). We have no further details about Urvakhshaya's legend than that he was killed by ' Hitaspa, the golden-crowned' (cf. Yt. XIX, 41), and avenged by Keresaspa.

is the son of Ahura in the deep, he is the only master of the deep\

Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VIII.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

To him did Aurvasara2,the lord of the country, offer up a sacrifice, towards the White Forest ^ by the White Forest, on the border of the White Forest, on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of full-boiling [milk].

He begged of him a boon, saying : 'Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that the gallant Husravah, he who unites the Aryan nations into one kingdom*, may not smite us; that I may flee from king Husravah^ ; . . . .

^ A disconnected allusion to the struggle of Keresaspa with the Gawdarewa (Yt.V, 38, text and notes; XIX, 41). On the words ' the son of Ahura , . . . ' cf. Ormazd et Ahriman, p. 215, note i.

^ No other mention is made of Aurvasara in the Avesta, unless he is alluded to in Yt.V, 50. He does not appear to have been known to Firdausi.

2 Spaetinij razura is called 'the chief of forests' (Bund. XXIV, 16). According to the Bahman Ya^t (III, 9), it was the seat of the last and decisive battle between Ar^asp and Gujlasp.

Cf.Yt.V, 49 ; IX, 21. ' Cf.YtV, 50.

RAM VAST. 257

'That king Husravah and all the Aryans in the Forest may smite him'

2,3. Vayu, who works highly, granted him that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IX.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

To him did Hutaosa, she of the many brothers^, of the Naotara house ^, offer up a sacrifice, on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of boiling milk.

She begged of him a boon, saying : 'Grant me this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that I may be dear and loved and well-received in the house of king ViJtaspa.'

Vayu, who works highly, granted her that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, 1 will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

^ This line looks as if it should belong to a counter-prayer by Husravah, which was heard by Vayu, as appears from Yt. V, 50. 2 See Yt. IX, 26. ^ See p. 77, note i.

[23] S

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

To him did^ the maids, whom no man had known, offer up a sacrifice on a golden throne, under golden beams and a golden canopy, with bundles of baresma and offerings of boiling milk.

They begged of him a boon, saying : ' Grant us this, O Vayu ! who dost work highly, that we may find a husband, young and beautiful of body, who will treat us well, all life long, and give us offspring ; a wise, learned, ready-tongued husband.'

Vayu, who works highly, granted them that boon, as the Maker, Ahura Mazda, did pursue it.

We sacrifice to the holy Vayu ....

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

XI.

I will sacrifice to the Waters and to Him who divides them ....

To this Vayu do we sacrifice, this Vayu do we invoke ....

We sacrifice to that Vayu that belongs to the Good Spirit", the bright and glorious Vayu.

My name is Vayu, O holy Zarathujrtra ! My name is Vayu, because I go through (vyemi) the two worlds ^ the one which the Good Spirit has

^ It may be doubted whether the allusion here is to a legend of marriage en masse, following the marriage of Hutaosa with Vijtaspa, or whether the aorist is used with an indicative meaning : ' To him do the maids who have known no man .... They beg of him a boon, saying . . . .' Cf.Yt. XVI, 17.

2 Cf. § 5, note 5.

^ An attempt to an etymological explanation of the name Vayu.

Cf § 53.

RAM YA5T. 259

made and the one which the Evil Spirit has made.

My name is the Overtaker (apaeta), O holy Zarathui'tra ! My name is the Overtaker, because I can overtake the creatures of both worlds, the one that the Good Spirit has made and the one that the Evil Spirit has made.

My name is the All-smiting, O holy Zarathui"tra ! My name is the All-smiting, because I can smite the creatures of both worlds, the one that the Good Spirit has made and the one that the Evil Spirit has made.

My name is the Worker of Good, O holy Zarathui-tra ! My name is the Worker of Good, because I work the good of the Maker, Ahura Mazda, and of the Amesha-Spe/;tas\

My name is He that goes forwards. My name is He that goes backwards. My name is He that bends backwards. My name is He that hurls away.

My name is He that hurls down.

My name is He that destroys.

My name is He that takes away.

My name is He that finds out.

My name is He that finds out the Glory (Z/z'areno).

My name is the Valiant ; my name is the Most Valiant.

My name is the Strong ; my name is the Strongest. My name is the Firm ; my name Is the Firmest. My name is the Stout ; my name is the Stoutest. My name is He that crosses over easily. My name is He that goes along hurling away.

' He is their agent and instrument. S 2

26o YASTS AND SIROZAHS.

My name is He that crushes at one stroke. My name is ... .^

My name is He that works against the Daevas. My name is ... .^

My name is He that prevails over maHce ; my name is He that destroys maHce.

My name is He that unites ; my name is He that re-unites ; my name is He that separates.

My name is the Burning ; my name is the Quick of intelHgence^,

My name is DeHverance ; my name is Welfare*.

My name is the Burrow^ ; my name is He who destroys the burrows^; my name is He who spits upon the burrows ^

My name is Sharpness of spear ; my name is He of the sharp spear.

My name is Length of spear; my name is He of the long spear.

My name is Piercingness of spear ; my name is He of the piercing spear.

My name is the Glorious ; my name is the Overglorious.

49 ^ Invoke these names of mine, O holy Zarathui'tra ! in the midst of the havocking hordes, in the midst of the columns moving forwards, in the strife of the conflicting nations.

^ Ainiva(?). ^ Keredharii'a(?).

^ Doubtful; bao/^a, cf. UJ).

Reading sudhij.

^ Gere dha is the burrow of an Ahrimanian creature (see Vend. Ill, 10 [33] ; VII, 24 [61]) : Vayu, in that half of him that belongs to the Evil Spirit, is the seat (the burrow) of Ahriman ; but with his better half, he struggles against the fiend and destroys him.

« Cf.Yt. 1,11,16.

RAM YA5T. 26 1

Invoke these names of mine, O holy Zarathujtra! when the all-powerful tyrant of a country falls upon thee, rushes upon thee, deals wounds upon thee, or hurls his chariot against thee, to rob thee^ of thy wealth, to rob thee of thy health.

Invoke these names of mine, O holy Zarathu^tra! when the unholy Ashemaogha falls upon thee, rushes upon thee, deals wounds upon thee, or hurls his chariot against thee, to rob thee of thy strength, to rob thee of thy wealth, to rob thee of thy health.

Invoke these names of mine, O holy Zarathu^tra ! when a man stands in bonds, when a man is being thrown into bonds, or when a man is being dragged in bonds : thus the prisoners flee from the hands of those who carry them, they flee away out of the prison ^

53.0 thou Vayu ! who strikest fear upon all men and horses, who in all creatures workest against the Daevas, both into the lowest places and into those a thousand times deep dost thou enter with equal power ^

- With what manner of sacrifice shall I worship thee ? With what manner of sacrifice shall I forward and worship thee ? With what manner of sacrifice will be achieved thy adoration, O great Vayu ! thou who art high-up girded, firm, swift-moving, highfooted, wide-breasted, wide-thighed, with untrembling eyes, as powerful in sovereignty as any absolute sovereign in the world ? '

' Literally, coveting,

2 The translation of this clause is doubtful ; the text is corrupt.

^ Cf. § 42.

'Take thou a baresma, O holy Zarathu^tra ! turn it upwards or downwards, according as it is full day or dawning ; upwards during the day, downwards at the dawn\

' If thou makest me worshipped with a sacrifice, then I shall say unto thee with my own voice things of health, made by Mazda and full of glory, so that Angra Mainyu may never do harm unto thee, nor the Yatus, nor those addicted to the works of the Yatu, whether Daevas or men.'

We sacrifice unto thee, O great Vayu ! we sacrifice unto thee, O strong Vayu !

We sacrifice unto Vayu, the greatest of the great ; we sacrifice unto Vayu, the strongest of the strong.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden helm.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden crown.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden necklace.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden chariot.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden wheel.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden weapons.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden garment.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden shoe.

We sacrifice unto Vayu, of the golden girdle.

We sacrifice unto the holy Vayu ; we sacrifice unto Vayu, who works highly.

To this part of thee do we sacrifice, O Vayu ! that belongs to the Good Spirit.

For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the awful Vayu, who works highly ....

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and invocation unto, and the ^ Etudes Iraniennes, II, no.

RAM VA^T. 263

Strength and vigour of Rama i7'^^astra, and Vayu, who works highly, more powerful to afflict than all the other creatures : this part of thee that belongs to the Good Spirit.

Ashem Vohii : Holiness is the best of all good .... [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

XVI. DlN VAST.

Din (Daena) presides over the 24th day of the month (Sirozah 24) and gives it her name ; she is invoked in company with ^ista, and in fact this Ya^t, though it bears the name of Daena, is consecrated to jSTista (§§ 2, 7). These two Genii are, however, very closely connected in their nature, as Daena is the impersonation of the Zoroastrian Law or Religion, and A'ista is religious knowledge, the knowledge of what leads to bliss (far^anak, nirvawa^ilana ; the same as ^isti).

The description of Alsta is rather pallid, and does not rise above abstractions (see, however, Mihir Ya-rt, § 126). She was not worshipped by the old epic heroes as Anahita was, but by Zarathujtra and his wife, because she must have been, from her very name and nature, a goddess of Zoroastrian origin and growth.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathu^tra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

To the most right iv'ista, made by Mazda and holy, and to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda,

Be propitiation from me, for sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I. We sacrifice to the most right A'ista, made by Mazda and holy : we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda, the supplier of good

dJn vast. 265

stores, who runs quickly to the goal and frees one best from dangers ^ who brings libations, who is holy, clever, and renowned, speedy to work and quick of work ; who goes quickly and cleanses well ; the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ;

To whom Zarathui"tra did sacrifice, saying : ' Rise up from thy seat, come forward from the Abode 2, thou most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy. If thou art before me, stay for me; if thou art behind me, overtake me.

' Let everything be as friendly to us as anything can be : may we go smoothly along the roads, find good pathways in the mountains, run easily through the forests, and cross happily the rivers!'

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy. I will offer up a sacrifice unto the most right A'ista, made by Mazda and holy, with the libations, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the words and deeds, with the libations, with the wellspoken words.

YenhQ hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

We sacrifice to the most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy : we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda . .

^ Reading nimarezijta; cf. vimarezijtem, Yt. I, 2. 2 The heavenly abode, the Garolhmdn. ' The rest as in § i.

To whom Zarathiutra did sacrifice for righteousness of thought, for righteousness of speech, for righteousness of deed, and for this boon,

That the most right ATista, made by Mazda and holy, would give him the swiftness of the feet, the quick hearing of the ears, the strength of the arms, the health of the whole body, the sturdiness of the whole body, and the eye-sight of the Kara fish, that lives beneath the waters, and can measure a rippling of the waters not thicker than a hair, in the Rangha, whose ends lie afar and whose depth is a thousand times the height of a man \

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice worth bemg heard ....

III.

We sacrifice to the most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy : we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ....

To whom Zarathu^tra did sacrifice for righteousness of thought, for righteousness of speech, for righteousness of deed, and for this boon,

That the most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy, would give him the swiftness of the feet, the quick hearing of the ears, the strength of the arms, the health of the whole body, the sturdiness of the whole body, and the eye-sight of the male horse, that, in the dark of the night, through the rain, the snow, the hail, or the sleet, from as far as nine districts, can perceive a horse's hair, mingled with the earth, and knows whether it is from the head or from the tail ^.

DIN VA5T. 267

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

lY.

We sacrifice to the most right A'ista, made by Mazda and holy : we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ....

To whom Zarathu^tra did sacrifice for righteousness of thought, for righteousness of speech, for righteousness of deed, and for this boon,

That the most right TiTista, made by Mazda and holy, would give him the swiftness of the feet, the quick hearing of the ears, the strength of the arms, the health of the whole body, the sturdiness of the whole body, and the eye-sight of the vulture with a golden collar, that, from as far as nine districts, can perceive a piece of flesh, not thicker than a fist, giving just as much light as a needle gives, as the point of a needle gives \

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

We sacrifice to the most right A'ista, made by Mazda and holy : we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ....

To whom the holy Hvovi^ did sacrifice with full knowledge, wishing that the holy ZarathuJtra would give her his good narcotic ■\ that she might

' Cf. Yt. XIV, 33. ^ Zarathu.ftra's wife.

3 JBangha; the so-called Bang of Zoroaster (Vend. XV, 14 [44] ; Phi. tr.). What must have been its virtue may be gathered from the legends of Gu^tasp and Arda Viraf, who are said to have been transported in soul to the heavens, and to have had the higher

think according to the law, speak according to the law, and do according to the law.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice

worth being heard

VI.

1 6. We sacrifice to the most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy : we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ....

1 7. To whom the Athravans, sent afar ^ did sacrifice ^ wishing a good memory to preach the law, and wishing strength for their own body.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

VII.

We sacrifice to the most right Arista, made by Mazda and holy: we sacrifice to the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda ....

To whom the king of the country, the lord of the country does sacrifice, wishing peace for his country, wishing strength for his own body.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer unto her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of hoUness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength

mysteries revealed to them, on drinking from a cup prepared by the prophet (Zardu^t Namah), or from a cup of Gmtasp-bang (Arda Viraf, II, 29).

1 The itinerant priests, the ancestors of the modern dervishes.

2 Or better, do sacrifice ; cf. Yt. XIV, 39.

dJn yast. 269

and vigour of the most right A'ista, made by Mazda and holy, and of the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

[Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him long, long life, give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

XVII. ASHI YAST.

Ashi Vanguhi or 'the good Ashi^'is a feminine impersonation of piety ^ and she is, at the same time, the source of all the good and riches that are connected with piety ■'. She is described, therefore, as a goddess of Fortune and Wealth, and is invoked in company with Pare;;di, the goddess of Treasures {Sirozah 25)

She appears in the latter character in the first part of the Yast (§§ 1-14); she praises and loves Zarathujtra (§§ 15-21). She is worshipped by Hao^yangha(§ 26), Yima (§ 28), Thraetaona (§ 33), Haoma (§ 37), Husravah (§ 41), Zarathui'tra (§ 45), and Vij'taspa (§ 49)*. She rejects the offerings of all sterile people (old men, courtezans, and children, §§ .53-61).

1 . We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed, well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong, welfare-giving, healing, with fulness of intellect^, and powerful ;

The daughter of Ahura Mazda, the sister of the Amesha-Spe;^tas, who endows all the Sao-

^ In Parsi Ardijvang or Ard (Ardii- from Artij-, the Persian form of Ashij); she presides over the 25th day of the month; cf. Sirozah 25.

^ Ashi is not the feminine adjective of Ash a, as the i was originally short (genitive ashoij, not ashyau); ashi is ar-ti, and means bhakti, piety (Neriosengh).

^ The so-called Ashi's remedies (ashoi^ baeshaza; cf. Yt. XIII, 32).

This enumeration is the same as in the Gos Ya^t (§§ 3, 8, 14, 17, 21, 26, 29).

° Perethu-vira; see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 183.

ASIII YAST. 271

shya;^/s ^ with the enlivenhig intelhgence ; she also brings heavenly wisdom at her wish, and comes to help him who invokes her from near and him who invokes her from afar, and worships her with offerings of libations.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ; I will offer up unto Ashi Vansfuhi a orood sacrifice with an offering of libations. We sacrifice unto Ashi Vanguhi with the libations ; with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the words, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words.

Ye;^he hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura

Mazda ....

II.

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tallformed, well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong, welfare-giving, healing, with fulness of intellect, and powerful.

Homage unto Haoma, and unto the Mathra^ and unto the holy Zarathu^tra !

Homage unto Haoma, because all other drinks are attended with Aeshma ^ the fiend of the wounding spear : but the drinking of Haoma is attended with Asha and with Ashi Vanguhi herself ^

Ashi is fair ; Ashi is radiant with joy ; she is far-piercing with her rays. Ashi gives good Glory

^ The allies of Saoshya?;/, who are to be active in the restoration of the world to eternal life (frasho-kereti). Cf. p. 165, note i. Ashi gives them the ' intelligence of life' (frasha khratu), through which they will be enabled to perform their task.

2 Cf Yt. V, 10. ' The Holy Word.

The Daeva of anger.

^ As drinking Haoma is an act of religion (cf Yasna XI, 12 [31] seq.).

unto those men whom thou dost follow, O Ashi! Full of perfumes is the house in which the good, powerful Ashi Vanguhi puts her . . . .^ feet, for long friendship.

Those men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi ! are kings of kingdoms, that are rich In horses, with large tributes, with snorting horses, sounding chariots, flashing swords, rich in aliments and in stores of food 2; well-scented where the beds are spread and full of all the other riches that may be wished for. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

Those men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have houses that stand well laid up, rich in cattle, foremost in Asha, and long-supported. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have beds that stand well-spread, well-adorned, well-made, provided with cushions and with feet inlaid with gold. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi ! have their ladies that sit on their beds, waiting for them: they He on the cushions, adorning themselves, . . . . ^, with square bored ear-rings and a necklace of gold : ' When will our lord come ? when shall we enjoy in our bodies the joys of love?'

^ ? Agairimaitij. ' ^ Cf. Yt. V, 1 30.

^ ? Awkupasmanau.

ASHI VAST. 273

Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi ! have daughters that sit .... ^- thin is their waist, beautiful is their body, long are their fingers ; they are as fair of shape as those who look on can wish. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi ! have horses swift and loud-neighing ; they drive the chariot lightly, they take it to the battle ^, they bear a gallant praiser (of the gods), who has many horses, a solid chariot, a sharp spear, a long spear, and swift arrows, who hits his aim, pursuing after his enemies, and smiting his foes. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi ! have large-humped, burden-bearing camels, flying from the ground or fighting with holy fieriness ^. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi ! have hoards of silver and gold brought together from far distant regions ; and garments of splendid make. Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable thins^s and strong- !

^ PAgamo-paidhija. ^ Doubtful. ^ Cf. Yt. XIV, 11. [23] T

/■

Do not turn thy look from me! turn thy mercy towards me, O great Ashi ! thou art wellmade and of a noble seed^- thou art sovereign at thy wish ; thou art Glory in a bodily form.

Thy father is Ahura Mazda, the greatest of all gods, the best of all gods ; thy mother is Armaiti Spe;^ta ; thy brothers are Sraosha ^ a god of Asha, and Rashnu ^ tall and strong, and Mithra *, the lord of wide pastures, who has ten thousand spies and a thousand ears ; thy sister is the Law of the worshippers of Mazda.

1 7. Praised of the gods, unoffended by the righteous ^, the great Ashi Vanguhi stood up on her chariot, thus speaking : ' Who art thou who dost invoke me, whose voice is to my ear the sweetest of all that invoked me most ?'

And he'' said aloud: 'I am Spitama Zarathui^tra, who, first of mortals, recited the praise of the excellent Asha'^ and offered up sacrifice unto Ahura Mazda and the Amesha-Spe;2tas ; in whose birth and growth the waters and the plants rejoiced ; in whose birth and growth the waters and the plants grew ; in whose birth and growth all the creatures of the good creation cried out, Hail^ !

'In whose birth and growth Angra Mainyu rushed away from this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, and he, the evil-doing Angra Mainyu, who is all death, said : " All the gods together

1 Born from the gods ; cf. Yt. XXII, 9.

2 See Yt. XI. ^ See Yt. XII.

See Yt. X.

^ Or, ' doing no harm to the righteous.'

" Zarathujtra. '' The Ahuna Vairya.

« Cf. Yt. XIII, 93.

AS HI VAST. 275

have not been able to smite me down in spite of myself, and Zarathu^tra alone can reach me in spite of myself

'"He smites me with the Ahuna Vairya, as strong a weapon as a stone big as a house ^; he burns me with Asha-Vahii'ta, as if it were melting brass ^. He makes it better for me that I should leave this earth, he, Spitama Zarathujrtra, the only one who can daunt me." '

And the grreat Ashi Vanofuhi exclaimed: ' Come nearer unto me, thou pure, holy Spitama ! lean against my chariot !'

Spitama Zarathui"tra came nearer unto her, he leant against her chariot.

And she caressed him with the left arm and the right, with the right arm and the left, thus speaking : ' Thou art beautiful, O Zarathui^tra ! thou art well-shapen, O Spitama ! strong are thy legs and long are thy arms : Glory is given to thy body and long cheerfulness ^ to thy soul, as sure as I proclaim it unto thee.'

HI.

23*. We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tallformed, well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong, welfare-giving, healing, with fulness of intellect and powerful.

24 '^. To her did Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, offer up a sacrifice, upon the enclosure of the Hara, the beautiful height, made by Mazda.

He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant

' Cf. Vend. XIX, 4 (13). ^ Cf. Yt. III.

^ Bliss after death. * As § i.

^ For §§ 24-26, cf. Yt. IX, 3-6.

T 2

^„ A ,

me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi ! that I may overcome all the Daevas of Mazana ; that I may never fear and bow through terror before the Daevas, but that all the Daevas may fear and bow in spite of themselves before me, that they may fear and flee down to darkness.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side : Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

IV.

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

28 \ To her did Yima Khshaeta, the good

shepherd, offer up a sacrifice from the height

Hukairya.

He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi ! that I may bring fatness and flocks down to the world created by Mazda ; that I may bring immortality down to the world created by Mazda ;

' That I may take away both hunger and thirst, from the world created by Mazda ; that I may take away both old age and death, from the world created by Mazda; that I may take away both hot wind and cold wind, from the world created by Mazda, for a thousand years.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side : Yima Khshaeta, the good shepherd, obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

1 For §§ 28-31, cf.Yt. IX, 8-1 1.

ASHI VAST. 277

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

33 ^ To her did Thraetaona, the heir of the vahant Athwya clan, offer up a sacrifice in the fourcornered Varena.

He begged of her a boon, saying : 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi ! that I may overcome A^i Dahaka, the three-mouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand senses, that most powerful, fiendish Dru^, that demon, baleful to the world, the strongest Dru^ that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle ; and that I may deliver his two wives, Savanghava/l' and Erenava/^, who are the fairest of body amongst women, and the most wonderful creatures in the world.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came^ to his side. Thraetaona, the heir of the valiant Athwya clan, obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

VI.

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

37 2. To her did Haoma offer up a sacrifice, Haoma, the enlivening, the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with golden eyes, upon the highest heioht of the Haraiti Bareza.

' Cf. Yt.V, 34; IX, 14; XV, 24. 2 For §§ 37-39, cf.Yt. IX, 17-19.

He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi ! that I may bind the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan, that I may drag him bound, that I may bring him bound unto king Husravah, that king Husravah may kill him, behind the A'ae/^asta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avenge the murder of his father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi-man.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. Haoma, the enlivening, the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with golden eyes, obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

VII.

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

41^. To her did the gallant Husravah, he who united the Aryan nations into one kingdom, offer up a sacrifice, behind the AT'aeiasta lake, the deep lake of salt waters.

He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi ! that I may kill the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan, behind the isfae- /^asta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avenge the murder of my father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aofhraeratha, a semi-man.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. The gallant Husravah, he who united the Aryan nations into one kingdom, obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

For §§ 41-43, cf.Yt. IX, 21-23.

ASHI VAST. 279

VIII.

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

45 \ To her did the holy Zarathu^ra offer up a sacrifice in the Airyana Vae^ah, by the good river Daitya, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the speech, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words.

He begged of her a boon, saying : 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi ! that I may bring the good and noble Hutaosa to think according to the law, to speak according to the law, to do according to the law, that she may spread my law and make it known, that she may bestow beautiful praises upon my deeds.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side : the holy Zarathu^tra obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

IX.

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

To her did the tall Kavi Vi^taspa offer up a sacrifice behind the waters of the river Diitya.

He begged of her a boon, saying : ' Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may put to flight A^ta-aurva;zA the son of Vispo-thaurvo-asti, the all-afflicting, of the brazen helmet, of the brazen armour, of the thick neck, behind whom seven

For §§45-47. cf.Yt. IX, 25-27.

hundred camels . . . . ; that I may put to flight the ^z^yaona murderer, Are^a/-aspa ; that I may put to flight Dar^inika, the worshipper of the Daevas ;

'And that I may smite Tathrava;^/^ of the bad law; that I may smite Spin^auru^ka, the worshipper of the Daevas ; and that I may bring unto the good law the nations of the Varedhakas and of the iVz^yaonas ; and that 1 may smite of the //z/yaona nations their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads.'

The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side : the tall Kavi Vi^taspa obtained that boon.

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

And the great Ashi Vanguhi said : ' None of those libations will be accepted by me, which are sent to me either by a man whose seed is dried out
or by the courtezan who produces untimely issues 2, or by young boys, or by girls who have known no

man^

When the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras *, clapping their hands, ran after me,

1 See Vend. Ill, 20 [63], note.

^ By procuring abortion.

' She refuses the offerings of all barren beings.

Cf. Yt. V, 98. The following clauses allude to some myth of Ashi Vanguhi connected with the conflict between the Turanians and the Naotaras (either Tusa and Vistauru ; cf. p. 71, note 7, or more likely Vijtaspa himself, to whom the preceding chapter

ASHI YASr. 281

- I hid myself under the foot of a bull walking under his burden ; then young boys, and girls who had known no man, discovered me, even while the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras, clapping their hands, were running after me.

'Even I hid myself under the throat of a ram of hundredfold energy : then again young boys, and girls who had known no man, discovered me, even while the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras, clapping their hands, were running after me.'

The first wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi is her wailing about the courtezan who destroys her fruit : ' Stand thou not near her, sit thou not on her bed!'— 'What shall I do? Shall I go back to the heavens ? Shall I sink into the earth ?'

The second wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi is her wailing about the courtezan who brings forth a child conceived of a stranger and presents it to her husband : ' What shall I do ? Shall I go back to the heavens .-* Shall I sink into the earth ?'

This is the third wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi : ' This is the worst deed that men and tyrants do, namely, when they deprive maids, that have been barren for a long time, of marrying and bringing forth children. What shall I do ? Shall I go back to the heavens ? Shall I sink into the earth ?'

Ahura Mazda answered : ' O fair and wise Ashi, go not back to the heavens, sink not into the

[§§ 48-52] and the last but one clause of the Ya^t refer). She tried to flee in the way practised by Ulysses in the Cyclops' cavern ; both parties were pursuing the animal that bore her, though they knew not what it bore, till children discovered her.

earth ! Stay here and walk inside the fine kingly palace.'

6t. I shall worship thee with such a sacrifice, I shall worship and forward thee with such a sacrifice as Vii-taspa offered unto thee, behind the river Daitya ^ The Zoatar lifted up a loud voice, with baresma before him. With that sort of sacrifice shall I worship thee ? With that sort of sacrifice shall I worship and forward thee, O fair and wise Ashi ?

For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Ashi Vanguhi ; of the good TTisti ; of the good Ereth^; of the good Rasasta/; of the Glory and Weal, made by Mazda I

Ashem VohA: Holiness is the best of all good ....

[Give] unto that man brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

' Cf. §§ 49 seq. ' Cf. Sirozah, § 25.

AST Ad vast. 283

XVIII. A6TAD YA6T.

Arsti/ is Truthfulness: she is invoked in company with the Genius of Truth, Rashnu Razi^ta (Sirozah, § i8), on the day Rashn. On the day especially dedicated to her, the 26th day of the month, she is invoked in company with Mount Ushi-darena, which accounts for the singular fact that her Ya^t is wholly devoted to the Hv^xtno, and thus is hardly distinguishable from the Zamyad Ya^t, as Mount Ushi-darena is the actual seat of the Hvdstnb (Yt. I, 31, text and note ; cf. Yt. XIX, 66). Whence comes this particular connection of Kxsiil with Mount Ushi-darena is uncertain, unless it alludes to the fact that the possession of the HvdiXenb can be secured only through truthfulness : as soon as Yima ' began to find delight in words of falsehood and untruth,' the Hvzxtnb flew away from him (Yt. XIX, 34).

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathu)ftra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto the Glory of the Aryans, made by Mazda, Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathui-tra, saying : ' I made the Aryan Glory, rich in food, rich in flocks, rich in wealth^, rich in Glory ; provided with full store of intelligence, with full store of money, to withstand Need, and to withstand enemies.

^ As it gives food, flocks, and wealth to those who get possessed of it.

' It destroys Angra Mainyu, who is all death ; it destroys Aeshma, the fiend of the wounding spear^ ; it destroys the yellow Bushyasta^; it destroys the contagion^of Aekha*; it destroys the fiend of death, Apaosha^ ; it destroys the non-Aryan nations.

' And I made the great Ashi Vanguhi ; she comes in, amid the family ; she comes in, inside the fine royal palace*'.

' Let Ashi, with fulness of welfare, follow the man who gladdens the faithful with his gifts ^! she comes in, inside his family; she comes in, inside his fine royal palace.

' With all sorts of flocks, with all victory, with all intelligence, with all Glory, the great Ashi Vanguhi puts one foot^ inside his family ; she comes in, inside his fine royal palace.

' Horses multiply a thousandfold, flocks multiply a thousandfold; and so does his virtuous offspring, (as) the bright, glorious star Ti^trya moves on equally^ and so does the strong wind made by Mazda, and so does the Glory of the Aryas.

'And they bring increase on the tops of all mountains, down the depths of all vales ; they bring increase to all the growing plants '^ the fair, the golden-hued. And they bring (away)^^ the contagion

1 See Vendidad, Introd. IV, 22.

2 Ibid. Introd. IV, 24. ^ Doubtful.

? A daeva or a disease. ^ See Yt. VIII, 22.

« See Yt. XVII.

"^ Who gives alms to the poor Mazdayasnians.

8 Even one foot(?), when she stays not there 'for long friendship' (Yt. XVII, 6).

9 So that the rain falls in due time (Yt. VIII, 11).

A^TAD YAST. 285

of Aekha, they bring (away) the fiend of death, Apaosha.

' Hail to the bright and glorious star Ti^trya !

Hail to the strong wind, made by Mazda ! Hail to

the Glory of the Aryas !

' Yatha ahft vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

'Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

' We worship the Ahuna Vairya.

' We worship Asha-Vahi^ta, the fairest Amesha- Spe;^ta.

We worship the rightly-spoken Words\ fiendsmiting and healing.

' We worship the healing, well-spoken Words, the fiend-smitingr.

' We worship the Mathra Spe;^ta and the Law of Mazda, and (piety) that delights in Haoma^. ' We worship the Glory of the Aryas.

' Yewhe hatam : All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

'Yatha ahii vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of the Glory of the Aryas, made by Mazda.

'Ashem Vohii : Holiness is the best of all good .... '[Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.*

^ Arshukhdha va.k6, the words conformable to the rites. ^ Haoma/^inem; see Etudes Iraniennes, II, 148. ^ Who shall have sacrificed to the Aryan Glory.

XIX. ZAMYAD YA^'T.

This Yast, inscribed to the Genius of the Earth, is devoted to a description of the mountains and the kingly Glory (kavaem IlvzTend), which are invoked, together with the Earth, in the corresponding formula of the Sirdzah (§ 28): there is no Ya^t devoted to the Earth itself

The mountains are simply enumerated (§§ 1-8). The rest of the Yajt is devoted to the praise of the ffvaveno, or, more precisely, to that of those who possessed it, whose powers or feats are described. The list begins with Ahura Mazda (§ 10), and closes with Saoshya«/ (§ 89); that is to say, it begins with the beginning of the world, and closes with its end. It includes the Amesha- Spewtas (§ 15), Haoshyangha {§ 26), Takhma Urupa (§ 28), Yima (§ 31), Mithra (§ 35), Thraetaona (§ 36), Keresaspa (§ 38), the kings of the Kaianyan dynasty (§§ 66-72), Kavi Husravah (§ 74), Zarathujtra (§ 79), Vi^taspa (§ 84). The unsuccessful efforts of Franghrasyan to take possession of it are described at length

(§§ 56-64).

This Yaj-t would serve as a short history of the Iranian monarchy,

an abridged Shah Namah.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

Ashem Vohu: Hohness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto Mount Ushi-darena, made by Mazda, the seat of holy happiness ; unto the kingly Glory, made by Mazda ; unto that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda \

^ Sirozah I, 28.

zamyAd vast. 287

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ah(a vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

The first mountain that rose up out of the earth, O Spitama Zarathu^-tra ! was the Haraiti Barez^ That mountain stretches all along the shores of the land washed by waters^ towards the east.

The second mountain was Mount Zeredho, outside^ Mount Manusha^: this mountain too stretches all along the shores of the land washed by waters towards the east.

From there grew up Mount Ushi-dh^u Ushi-darena^, Mount Erezifya®, and Mount Fraorepa.

The sixth was Mount Erezura'^. The seventh was Mount Bumya^. The eighth was Mount Raoidhita^.

^ The same as the Hara Berezaiti, the later Alborz; see p. 58, note 3.

^ The Caspian sea.

' Doubtful: pare«tarem aredho; possibly beyond.

According- to the Bundahij, Manusha is another name of Mount Zeredho (XII, 2). It is the mountain on which Manm/iihar was born (ibid. 10).

® * The mountain that gives understanding, that preserves understanding,' the later Mount O^da^tar; see p. 33, note i.

'' Sec p. 65, note 2.

' Mount Arziir 'is a summit at the gate of hell' (Bundahij XII, 8; cf.Vend. Ill, 7 (23); XIX, 140).

The Arzur Bdm of Bundahijr XII, 2, which ' is in the direction of Arum ' (Asia Minor, Bundahij XII, 16).

^ The Royijn-omand mountain of Bundahij XII, 27; its name

The ninth was Mount Mazl^i^v^u. The tenth was Mount A^^tare-danghu. The eleventh was Mount Erezisha. The twelfth was Mount Vaiti-gaesa^

And Mount Adarana, Mount Bayana, Mount I^kata Upairi-saena^, with the . . . .^ snows; the two Hama;2kuna mountains, the eight Vasna mountains, the eight powerful Frava^^ku, the four Vidhvana summits;

Mount Aezakha, Mount Maenakha, Mount Vakhedrakae, Mount Asaya, Mount Tudhaskae, Mount li'avae, Mount Draoshii-v^u, Mount Siiriv^u, Mount Nanghui'm^u, Mount Kakahyu, Mount A;2tare-Kangha*;

Mount Si/^idava^ Mount Ahuna, Mount Raemana, Mount Asha-stembana, Mount Uru-

nyo-vaidhkae, Mount Asnava/2/°, Mount Ushaoma, Mount Usta.-/iva.ren2ih, Mount Syamaka"^, Mount Vafray^u, Mount Vourusha;

means 'the mountain on which vegetation has grown' (ibid. tr. West).

^ The Badghes mountain near Herat, jjMwJ:.)b.

^ Or * Mount Ijkata (" rugged "), belonging to the Upairi-saena ridge.' The Upairi-saena ridge or Aparsen ridge is ' the mountain of Persia, and its beginning is in Seistan and its end in Susiana' (Bund. XII, 9).

^ ? Kaso-tafedhra; possibly the name of a mountain : Mount Kaso-tafedhra Vafra.

See p. 67, note 4.

^ ' Si/^idav, a mountain among those which are in Kangdez' (Bund. XII, 2, tr.West).

" See p. 7, note 5.

■^ The Mount Siyak-omand ('the black mountain') and Mount Vafar-omand ('the snowy mountain') of Bundahij XII, 22, which are said to have grown out of the Aparsen ridge and to extend towards China.

ZAMYAD YAST. 289

Amongst which stand Mount 6^atara, Mount Adhutav^u, Mount Spitavarena, Mount Spentodata^, Mount Kadrva-aspa^, Mount Kaoirisa^, Mount Taera*, Mount Baro-srayana, Mount Barana, Mount Frapay^Ju, Mount Udrya, and Mount 'Ra.evB.n^^, and all those heights to which men have given the name of mount,

To the number of two thousand mountains, and two hundred and forty and four^, O Spitama Zarathu^tra !

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto the awful kingly Glory. Unto the awful kingly Glory we offer up the libations, the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations, and the rightly- spoken words ''.

Ye;2he hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda "^ ....

II.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ; most conquering, highly working, that possesses health, wisdom, and happiness, and is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures ;

^ The Spendyad mountain, near Mount Revand (Bundahix XII, 23).

2 The K6ndrasp mountain, by the town of Tiis (in Khorasan, Bund. XII, 24).

^ The Koiras mountain in Iran-Ve^ (Bund. XII, 25).

Cf. Yt. XV, 7, and p. 58, note 2.

^ See p. 8, notes i and 2.

^ ' The other mountains have grown out of AlbCir^, in number 2244 mountains' (Bund. XII, 2).

' See notes to Yt. Ill, 17 (p. 47).

[23] U

That belongs to Ahura Mazda, as (through it) Ahura Mazda made the creatures, many and good, many and fair, many and wonderful, many and prosperous, many and bright ;

11^. So that they may restore the world, which will (thenceforth) never grow old and never die, never decaying and never rotting, ever living and ever increasing, and master of its wish, when the dead will rise, when life and immortality will come, and the world will be restored at its wish ;

When the creation will grow deathless, — the prosperous creation of the Good Spirit, — and the Dru^ shall perish, though she may rush on every side to kill the holy beings ; she and her hundredfold brood shall perish, as it is the will of the Lord ^.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

III.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda . . . .^

15*. That belongs to the Amesha-Spe;2tas, the bright ones, whose looks perform their wish, tall, quickly coming to do, strong, lordly, who are undecaying and holy ;

Who are all seven of one thought, who are all seven of one speech, who are all seven of one deed ; whose thought is the same, whose speech is the same, whose deed is the same, whose father and commander is the same, namely, the Maker, Ahura Mazda.

^ §§ ii-i2=§§ 19-20, 23-24, 89-90. ^ Doubtful.

» As above, § 9. * §§ i5-i7 = Yt. XIII, 82-84.

ZAMYAD YAST. 29 1

1 7. Who see one another's soul thuiking of good thoughts, thinking of good words, thinking of good deeds, thinking of Garo-nmana, and whose ways are shining as they go down to the libations ;

18, Who are the makers and governors, the shapers and overseers, the keepers and preservers of these creations of Ahura Mazda.

19^ It is they who shall restore the world, which will (thenceforth) never grow old and never die, never decaying and never rotting, ever living and ever increasing, and master of its wish, when the dead will rise, when life and immortality will come, and the world will be restored at its wish ;

When the creation will grow deathless, — the prosperous creation of the Good Spirit, — and the Dru(^ shall perish, though she may rush on every side to kill the holy beings ; she and her hundredfold brood shall perish, as it is the will of the Lord.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

IV.

2 1. We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

2 2. That belonofs to the eods in the heavens and to those in the material world, and to the blessed ones, born or not yet born, who are to perform the restoration of the world '-.

23 ^ It is they who shall restore the world, which will (thenceforth) never grow old and never die, never deca) ing and never rotting, ever living and

' §§ I9-20 = §§ 11-12. ^ The Saoshya?//s; see p. 165, note i. ^ §§ 23-24= §§ 19-20. U 2

ever increasing, and master of its wish, when the dead will rise, when life and immortality will come, and the world will be restored at its wish ;

When the creation will grow deathless, — the prosperous creation of the Good Spirit, — and the Dru^ shall perish, though she may rush on every side to kill the holy beings ; she and her hundredfold brood shall perish, as it is the will of the Lord.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

That clave unto Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, for a long time \ when he ruled over the seven Karshvares of the earth, over the Daevas and men, over the Yatus and the Pairikas, over the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf; he who smote two-thirds of the Daevas of Mazana and of the Varenya fiends ^

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

VI.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

That clave unto Takhma Unipa, the wellarmed, while he ruled over the seven Karshvares of the earth, over the Daevas and men, the Yatus and Pairikas, the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf;

When he conquered all Daevas and men, all the Yatus and Pairikas, and rode Angra Mainyu,

^ For forty years, according to the Bundahij (XXXIV, 4) ; for thirty years, according to Firdausi. 2 See Yt.V, 22.

Z AMY AD YAST. 293

turned Into the shape of a horse, all around the earth from one end to the other, for thirty years \

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

VII.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

That clave unto the bright Yima, the good shepherd, for a long time -, while he ruled over the seven Karshvares of the earth, over the Daevas and men, the Yatus and Pairikas, the oppressors, the blind, and the deaf;

He who took from the Daevas both riches and welfare, both fatness and flocks, both weal and Glory ^;

In whose reign both aliments* were never failing for feeding creatures, flocks and men were undying, waters and plants were undrying ;

In whose reign there was neither cold wind nor hot wind, neither old age nor death, nor envy made by the Daevas ^, in the times before his lie, before he beean to have delight in words of falsehood and untruth.

But when he began to find delight in words of falsehood and untruth ^ the Glory was seen to flee away from him in the shape of a bird. When his Glory had disappeared, then the great '^ Yima

1 Cf. Yt. XV, 12, and notes.

2 For six hundred and sixteen years and six months (Bundahij XXXIV, 4).

' See Yt.V, 26, text and note.

Food and drink. ' Cf Yt. XV, 16.

^ He pretended to be a god (Firdausi).

■^ Doubtful : fraejta.

Khshaeta, the good shepherd, trembled and was in sorrow before his foes ^ ; he was confounded, and laid him down on the ground.

The first time^ when the Glory departed from the bright Yima, the Glory went from Yima, the son of Vivangha;^^, in the shape of a Varaghna bird ^

Then Mithra seized that Glory, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, whose ear is quick to hear, who has a thousand senses. We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of all countries, whom Ahura Mazda has created the most glorious of all the gods in the heavens.

The second time when the Glory departed from the bright Yima, the Glory went from Yima, the son of Vivangha/?/, in the shape of a Varaghna bird.

Then Thraetaona seized that Glory, he, the heir of the valiant Athwya clan, who was the most victorious of all victorious men next to Zarathurtra ;

Who smote Az'i Dahaka, the three-mouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who had a thousand senses, that most powerful, fiendish Dru^, that demon baleful to the world, the strongest Dru^ that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle ^

^ Az'i Dahaka and his followers.

'^ The Glory is described as departing three limes, because it is threefold, according as it belongs to the king considered as a priest, a warrior, or a husbandman. In that threefold character it is identical with Adar Froba, Adar Gushasp, and Adar Biarzin Mihr (p. 7, notes).

^ A raven, one of the incarnations of the Genius of Victory (Yt. XIV, 18-21; cf ibid. § 35).

Cf. Yt. V, 34.

ZAMYAD VAST. 295

2,S. The third time when the Glory departed from the bright Yima, that Glory went from Yima, the son of Vivanghawi', in the shape of a Varaghna bird.

Then the manly-hearted Keresaspa^ seized that Glory ; he who was the sturdiest of the men of strength, next to Zarathu5tra, for his manly courage.

For Manly Courage clave unto him. We worship Manly Courage, firm of foot, unsleeping, quick to rise, and fully awake, that clave unto Keresaspa ;

Who killed the snake Srvara, the horsedevouring, men-devouring, yellow, poisonous snake, over which yellow poison flowed a thumb's breadth thick. Upon him Keresaspa was cooking his food in a brass vessel : at the time of noon, the fiend felt the heat, and stood upon his feet : he rushed from under the brass vessel and upset the boiling w^ater : the manly-hearted Keresaspa fell back affrighted^;

Who killed the golden-heeled Ga;^darewa, that was rushing with open jaws, eager to destroy the living world of the good principle ^;

Who killed the brood of Pathana, all the nine'*;

' See V, 37 (pp. 62-63, and notes); XIII, 136 ; XV, 27.

^ Cf. Yasna IX, 11 (34-39). This tale belongs to the widespread cyclus of the island-whale (a whale whose back is mistaken by sailors for an island ; they land upon it, cook their food there, and the monster, awaked by the heat, flies off and carries them away : see Arabian Nights, Seventy-first Night ; Baba Bathra, 5).

' See Yt. V, 38.

Known in the Minokhired (XXVII, 50) as 'the wolf Kapo^/' (perhaps 'the blue wolf,' as INIr. West suggests), 'which they also call Pfhan.' Those nine sons of Pathana were nine highwaymen (the very word Pathana seems to have that meaning): their defeat is told by Keresaspa in a Pahlavi Rivayat as follows : ' I have slain the highwaymen who were so big in body that, when they were

and the brood of Nivika, and the brood of Da^tayana;

Who killed the golden-crowned Hitaspa\ and Vareshava, the son of Dana ^, and Pitaona, attended by many Pairikas ^;

Who killed Arezo-shamana, him of the manly courage, who was strong, well-beloved ^ hail, energetically rushing, fully awake, never falling back — ^ ;

Who killed Snavidhaka, him who killed with his nails, the stone-handed : thus did he exclaim to all around : ' I am an infant still, I am not yet of age : if I ever grow of age, I shall make the earth a wheel, I shall make the heavens a chariot ;

' I shall bring down the Good Spirit from the shining Garo-nmana ; I shall make the Evil Spirit rush up from the dreary Hell. They will carry my

walking, people considered in this way, that " below them are the stars and moon, and below them moves the sun at dawn, and the water of the sea reaches up to their knees," And I reached up to their legs, and they were smitten on the legs by me ; they fell, and the hills on the earth were shattered by them' (West, Pahlavi Texts, II, 376). Keresaspa's Fravashi, accordingly, is invoked against thieves (Yt. XIII, 136). Perhaps the assimilation of the wolf Kap6«/ with P^han is merely a guess of the author of ihe Minokhired.

^ The murderer of Keresaspa's brother, Urvakhshaya (Yt. XV, 28).

^ Doubtful: danayana. Varesha is the Pahlavi name of a bird of prey (Bund. XIV, 30), which might induce us to identify Vareshava with the gigantic bird Kamak, 'which overshadowed the earth and kept off the rain till the rivers dried up' (West, 1.1. 378), and whose destruction was one of the feats of Keresaspa.

^ Like the Pairika Knfithaiti, who clave to Keresaspa (Vend. I, 10 [36]).

Doubtful: frazu^tem.

^ The rest of the sentence is obscure, and the text seems to be corrupt.

ZAMYAD VAST. 297

chariot, both the Good Spirit and the Evil One, unless the manly-hearted Keresaspa kill me.'

The manly-hearted Keresaspa killed him, his life went away, his spirit vanished \

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

VIII.

We sacrifice unto the awful Glory, that cannot be forcibly seized'^, made by Mazda ....

For which the Good Spirit and the Evil One did struggle with one another^: for that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized ^ they flung each of them their darts most swift.

The Good Spirit flung a dart, and so did Vohu- Mano, and Asha-Vahi^ta and Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

The Evil Spirit flung a dart, and so did Akem- Mano^, and Aeshma of the wounding spear, and A^i Dahaka and Spityura, he who sawed Yima in twain ^

1 Snavidhaka reminds one vividly of the Titanic Olus and Ephialtes (Odyssea XI, 308) :

' Such were they youths ! Had they to manhood grown, Almighty Jove had trembled on his throne : But ere the harvest of the beard began To bristle on the chin, and promise man, His shafts Apollo aim'd.' (Pope.) ^ The sacerdotal Glory; see p. n, note 6, cf. § 53. ^ When it had departed from Yima.

Bad Thought, the demoniac counterpart of Vohu-Mano (Vend. Introd.IV, 34).

^ Spityura was a brother of Yima's (Bund. XXXI, 3 : ' Spitur was he who, with Dahak, cut up Yim,' ibid. 5, tr. West). Nothing more is known of him, though he appears to have played a great part in the original Yima legend, and to have stood to his brother in the same relation as Barmayfan and Katayun to Feridun, or

Then forward came Atar ^ the son of Ahura Mazda, thinking thus in his heart : ' I want to seize that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized.'

But A^i Dahaka, the three-mouthed, he of the evil law, rushed on his back, thinking of extinguishing it:

'Here give it up to me-, O Atar, son of Ahura Mazda : if thou seizest that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, I shall rush upon thee, so that thou m.ayest never more blaze on the earth made by Ahura and protect the world of the good principle.'

And Atar took back his hands, as the instinct of life prevailed, so much had A^'i affrighted him.

Then Az, the three-mouthed, he of the evil law, rushed forward, thinking thus in his heart : * I want to seize that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized.'

But Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, advanced behind him, speaking in these words :

'There give it up to me^ thou three-mouthed A^-i Dahaka. If thou seizest that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, then I will enter thy hinder part, I will blaze up in thy jaws, so that thou mayest never more rush upon the earth made by Mazda and destroy the world of the good principle.'

Then Az\ took back his hands, as the instinct of life prevailed, so much had Atar affrighted him.

That Glory swells up and goes to the sea

Shagad to Rustam. Firdausi does not mention him, and makes Dahak himself saw Gemshid.

^ Adar Froba (the Glory of the Priest) is meant here : ' when they sawed Yim, Adar Froba saved his Glory from the hand of Dahak' (Bund. XVII, 5; Etudes Iraniennes, II, 70, 84).

2 Doubtful.

ZAMYAD VAST. 299

Vouru-Kasha. The swift-horsed Son of the Waters^ seizes it at once : this is the wish of the Son of the Waters, the swift-horsed : ' I want to seize that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, down to the bottom of the sea Vouru-Kasha, in the bottom of the deep rivers.'

We sacrifice unto the Son of the Waters, the swift-horsed, the tall and shining lord, the lord of females; the male god, who helps one at his appeal; who made man, who shaped man ^, a god who lives beneath waters, and whose ear is the quickest to hear when he is worshipped.

'And whosoever of you, O men,' — thus said Ahura Mazda, — ' O holy Zarathu^tra ! shall seize that Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, he has the gifts ^ of an Athravan ^ ; whosoever shall long for the illumination of knowledge, he has the gifts of an Athravan ; whosoever shall long for fulness of knowledge, he has the gifts of an Athravan ;

'And Riches will cleave unto him, giving him full welfare, holding a shield before him, powerful, rich of cattle and garments ; and Victory will cleave unto him, day after day ; and likewise Strength, that smites more than a year. Attended by that Victory, he will conquer the havocking hordes ; attended by that Victory, he will conquer all those who hate him.'

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

^ Apam Napa/; see p. 6, note i.

^ An allusion to old myths on the igneous origin of life (Ormazd et Ahriman, § 78). 3 Doubtful.

As that Glory is the one that belongs to the Athravan.

IX.

We sacrifice unto the awful Glory, that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda ....

Which the Turanian ruffian Frangrasyan tried to seize in the sea Vouru-Kasha. He stripped himself naked, wishing to seize that Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy Zarathui^tra \ But the Glory escaped, the Glory fled away, the Glory changed its seat, and an arm of the sea Vouru-Kasha was produced, namely, that lake that is called Lake Husravah ^

57^ Then the most crafty Turanian Frangrasyan rushed out of the sea Vouru-Kasha, O Spitama Zarathui'tra ! thinking evil thoughts : ' . . . . ^ I have not been able to conquer the Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy Zarathui'tra.

' Then I will defile all corn and liquors^ as to greatness, goodness, and fairness.'

— 'Ahura Mazda will come against thee, ever eager to create new creatures ''

Then the most crafty Turanian Frangrasyan rushed down into the sea Vouru-Kasha, O Spitama Zarathui-tra !

^ See Etudes Iraniennes, II, 227 ; of. § 82. ^ ' Lake Husru is within fifty leagues (parasang) of Lake A^e/^ast' (Lake Urumiah, Bund. XXII, 8, tr. West). ^ Cf. §§ 60, 63.

Itha itha yathana ahmai.

^ Tarshu/^a khshudra/^a, translated dhanyani madhuni/^a (Sansk. tr. to Afrigan Gahambar, § 1 2). Afrasyab was charged with having laid Iran waste by filling up or conducting away rivers (Hamzah Ispahensis, p. 34 ; cf. Bund. XXI, 6).

This looks like an answer to Afrasyab's threats.

ZAMYAD YAST. 3OI

A second time he stripped himself naked, wishing to seize that Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy Zarathiutra. But the Glory escaped, the Glory fled away, the Glory changed its seat, and an arm of the sea Vouru-Kasha was produced, namely, that lake that is called Lake Vanghazdrt;u \

60 ^. Then the most crafty Turanian Frangrasyan rushed out of the sea Vouru-Kasha, O Spitama Zarathui-tra ! thinking evil thoughts: '. . . .M have not been able to conquer the Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy ZarathuJtra.

'Then I will defile all corn and liquors, as to greatness, goodness, and fairness.'

— 'Ahura Mazda will come against thee, ever eager to create new creatures.'

Then the most crafty Turanian Frangrasyan rushed down into the sea Vouru-Kasha.

A third time he stripped himself naked, wishing to seize the Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy Zarathui-tra. But the Glory escaped, the Glory fled away, the Glory changed its seat, and an arm was produced in the sea Vouru-Kasha, namely, the water that is called Aw^-danva.

63 ^ Then the most crafty Turanian Frangrasyan rushed out of the sea Vouru-Kasha, O Spitama Zarathujtra ! thinking evil thoughts : * .... M have

' The situation of that lake is not stated. ^ Cf. §§ 57, 63.

' Itha itha yathana ahmai avatha itha yathana ahmai.

Cf. §§ 57, 60.

" Itha itha yathana ahmai avatha itha yathana ahmai avoya itha yathana ahmai.

YAS'TS AND siROZAHS.

not been able to conquer the Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy Zarathui-tra !'

He was not able to seize the Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations, born and unborn, and to the holy Zarathui^tra.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

We sacrifice unto the awful Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda ....

That cleaves unto him ^ who grows up there, where lies Lake Kasava ^, along with the Haetuman^^ river; there where stands Mount Ushidh^u*, surrounded by waters, that run from the mountain.

It^ runs unto him, it flows and swells unto him, bringing good pastures and fine horses, bringing plenty, full of glory; with beauty and weal; powerful and friendly, rich of pastures, prolific and golden. It runs unto him, it flows and swells unto him, bright and glorious, making the white . . . .^ grow, smiting away all plagues.

And there comes with him a horse's strength, there comes wath him a camel's strength, there

^ That is to say, to any one who .... The Kavis or Kings of Iran are meant : Lake Kasava was supposed to be ' the home of the Kayan race' (Bund. XXI, 7). The Kavis are enumerated in the following clauses (§§ 7 1 seq.).

^ The present Zarah or Hamian sea in Seistan.

^ The Helmend ('Eri3/xav(5/)oi ; cf.Vend. I, 14).

The seat of the ^z'areno ; see p. 33, note i, p. 287, note 5, and Introduction to Yt. XVIII.

® The water of the rivers in which the Glory lies, and in the midst of which the Kavi has been nourished.

? Varemij-.

ZAMYAD YAST. 303

comes with him a man's strength, there comes with him the kingly Glory : and there is in him, O holy Zarathu^tra! so much of kingly Glory as might extinguish at once all the non-Aryan nations.

And then (through it) living creatures may keep away^ hunger and death, living creatures (may keep away) cold and heat^ Such is the kingly Glory, the keeper of the Aryan nations and of the five kinds of animals ^ made to help the faithful and the Law of the worshippers of Mazda.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

XI.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

That clave unto Kavi Kavata, and unto Kavi Aipivohu, and unto Kavi Usadha, and unto Kavi Arshan, and unto Kavi Pisina, and unto Kavi Byarshan, and unto Kavi Syavarshan^;

So that they were all of them brave, all of them strong, all of them healthful, all of them wise, all of them happy in their wishes, all of them powerful kings.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

XII.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

74^ That clave unto Kavi Husravah for the wellshapen Strength, for the Victory made by Ahura, for the crushing Ascendant ; for the righteousness of the law, for the innocence of the law, for the

^ Doubtful. 2 See p. 182, note 2. ^ See Yt. XIII, § 132.

§§ 74-76=Yt.XIII, 133-135-

unconquerable power of the law ; for the extermination of the enemies at one stroke ;

And for the vigour of health, for the Glory made by Mazda, for the health of the body, and for a good, virtuous offspring, wise, chief in assemblies, bright, and clear-eyed, that frees [their father] from the pangs [of hell], of good intellect ; and for that part in the blessed world that falls to wisdom and to those who do not follow impiety ;

And for a dominion full of splendour, for a long, long life, and for all boons and remedies ;

So that king Husravah [had the lead] all along the long race, and he could not pass through the forest, he\ the murderer, who was fiercely striving against him on horseback; the lord Kavi Husravah prevailed over all ; he put in bonds Frangrasyan and Keresavazda ^, to avenge the murder of his father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi-man ^

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

XIII.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

That clave unto the holy Zarathu^tra, so that

he thought according to the Law, spake according

^ Aurvasara; see Yt. XV, 32 ; cf. Yt. V, 50 (where the words all along the long race have been omitted in the translation). The words have the lead here have been supplied from Yt. V, 50 : the text here has two words, tarn keresem, of which both the reading and the meaning are doubtful.

^ Keresavazda, the Karsivaz of Firdausi, the brother of Afrasyab and the murderer of Syavarshana : he was put to death by Husravah in company with his brother (£tudes Iraniennes, II, 227).

^ See p. 114, note 7.

ZAMYAD YAST. 305

to the Law, and did according to the Law ; so that he was the holiest in hoHness in all the living world, the best-ruling in exercising rule, the brightest in brightness, the most glorious in glory, the most victorious in victory.

At his sight the Daevas rushed away ; at his sight the (demoniac) malices were extinguished ; at his sight the (7ainis ^ drew back their ways from the mortals and, lamenting^ and wailing, laid violent hands on the Daevas.

And that one prayer, the AhunaVairya, which the holy Zarathui-tra sang and repeated four times, with a song that waxed louder and louder, drove back all the Daevas beneath the earth, and took oif from them sacrifice and prayer ^

It was it, the Glory of Zarathui'tra, that the Turanian ruffian Frangrasyan tried to seize to rule over all the Karshvares ; round about the seven Karshvares did that ruffian Frangrasyan rush, trying to seize the Glory of Zarathui^tra \ But that Glory escaped to hidden inlets of the sea^; and there those two*' made my will" roll on^; they entered my will, as it was my wish, Ahura Mazda's, and as it was the wish of the Law of Mazda.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer ii a sacrifice ....

' SeeVend. XX, 10.

^ Doubtful. Perhaps: and lamenting and wailing the Daevas left off injuring.

See above, §§ 56-64. ^ Cf. §§ 56, 59, 62.

^ Zarathujtra and Vijtaspa(?); cf. §§ 84-87.

^ Meaning my law. » Cf. Yt. XIII, 89, note 5.

[-^3] X

XIV.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

That clave unto king Vi^taspa, so that he thought according to the Law, spake according to the Law, and did according to the Law ; so that he professed that Law, destroying his foes and causing the Daevas to retire.

85 \ Who, driving the Dru^ before him ^ sought wide room for the holy religion ; who, driving the Dru^ before him, made wide room for the holy religion ; who made himself the arm and support of this law of Ahura, of this law of Zarathurtra ;

S6. Who took her, standing bound, from the hands of the Hunus, and established her to sit in the middle [of the world], high ruling, never falling back, holy, nourished with plenty of cattle and pastures, blessed with plenty of cattle and pastures.

The valiant king VUtaspa conquered all enemies, Tathrava;^^' of the evil law, Peshana, the worshipper of the Daevas, and the fiendish wicked Are^a/-aspa and the other wicked Zfz/yaonas ^.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

XV.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....

89*. That will cleave unto the victorious Saoshya;z/ and his helpers ^ when he shall restore the

^ Or ' with his spear pushed forwards ;' see p. 205, note i. ' Of. Yt. V, 109. * §§ 89-90=§§ 11-12.

^ See p. 117, note 6.

ZAMYAD YAiS-T. 3O7

world, which will (thenceforth) never grow old and never die, never decaying and never rotting, ever living and ever increasing, and master of its wish, when the dead will rise, when life and immortality will come, and the world will be restored at its wish ;

When the creation will grow deathless, — the prosperous creation of the Good Spirit, — and the Dru^ shall perish, though she may rush on every side to kill the holy beings ; she and her hundredfold brood shall perish, as it is the will of the Lord.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

XVI.

We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by ]\Iazda ....

When AstvaZ-ereta ^ shall rise up from Lake Kasava -, a friend of Ahura Mazda, a son of Vispataurvairi ^, knowing the victorious knowledge.

It was that Glory that Thraetaona bore with him when A^'i Dahaka was killed*;

That Frangrasyan, the Turanian, bore when Drv«u° was killed, when the Bull was killed'' ;

That king Husravah bore when Frangrasyan, the Turanian, was killed "^ ;

^ Saoshya;//; cf. Yt. XIII, 129.

2 Cf.§ 66 and Vend. XIX, 5 {18).

=) See Yt. XIII, 142. " Cf. § 36. ' Or 'the demon.'

® This Hne is in contradiction with w^hat we know of the Frangrasyan legend, unless the text is corrupt and the name of Frangrasyan has been introduced here by mistake (for Keresaspa?). Yet it may allude to brighter sides, unknown to us, of the Turanian hero : the Bull (gauj) may be his brother Aghraeratha, the Bull-man (Gopatishah) ; see p. 114, note 7.

' See §77.

X 2

That king Vt^t^spa bore, when he victoriously maintained HoHness against the host of the fiends and took off the Dru^ from the world of the good principle ^

He ^, with the eye of intelligence ", shall look down upon all the creatures of the Paei'i^ "*, her of the evil seed : he shall look upon the whole living world with the eye of plenty, and his look shall deliver to immortality the whole of the living creatures.

And there shall his friends ^ come forward, the friends of AstvaZ-ereta, who are fiend-smiting, well-thinking, well-speaking, well-doing, following the good law, and whose tongues have never uttered a word of falsehood.

Before them shall Aeshma of the wounding spear, who has no Glory, bow and flee ; he shall smite the most wicked Dru^, her of the evil seed, born of darkness.

Akem-Mano '^ smites, but Vohu-Mano shall smite him ; the Word of falsehood smites, but the Word of truth shall smite it. Haurvata/ and Amereta/' shall smite both hunofer and thirst: Haurvata/ and Amereta/ shall smite the evil hunger and the evil thirst. The evil-doing Angra Mainyu bows and flees, becoming powerless.

For its brightness and glory, I will offer it a sacrifice ....

Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

^ Cf. § 84. 2 Saoshyaw/. ' Cf. Yt. I, 28.

A name of the Dru_^. ^ See p. 220, note i.

® See p. 297, note 4. ' The Genii of the waters and of the plants (cf. Vend. Introd.

iv, 34).

ZAMYAD YA^T. 309

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Mount Ushi-darena, made by Mazda, the seat of holy happiness ; of the kingly Glory, made by Mazda; of the Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda \

Ashem Vohia : Holiness is the best of all good .... [Give] unto that man ^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ Cf §0. 2 Who sacrifices to the kingly Glory.

XX. VAN ANT VAST.

This Yast ought to follow immediately after the Tir Yajt, as it is derived from the same Sirozah formula ; the one in which Ti.ftrya is invoked along with Vana«/ and Haptoiriwga (Sirozah, § 13). It is a mere supplement to that Yajt. On Vana«/, see p. 97, note 6.

o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced 1 . . . .

Ashem Vohfi : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathujtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness ....

Unto the star Vana;^/, made by Mazda, Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahu vairyo : The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

We sacrifice unto the star Vana;//, made by Mazda, the holy and master of holiness.

I will sacrifice unto Vanan^, strong, invoked by his own name ^ healing, in order to withstand the accursed and most fiDul Khrafstras ^ of the most abominable Angra Mainyu.

Yatha ahij vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of the star Vana;//, made by Mazda.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good .... [Give] unto that man^ brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

^ See p. 13, note 2.

^ The reptiles and other Ahrimanian creatures (Vendidad, Introd. V, 11) which are destroyed by the rain (Bund. VII, 7). ^ Who sacrifices to Vanaw/.

YA5'T FRAGMENT. 3 ^ ^

XXI AND XXII. YA^-T FRAGMENTS.

These two Yajts or Ya^t fragments are known among the Parsis as the Hadhokht Nask, though their context does not correspond to any part of the description of that Nask as given in the Dinkart (West, Pahlavi Texts, I, 224, note 8). A Pahlavi translation of these Ya^ts has been edited by Haug and West (The Book of Arda Viraf, p. 269 seq.).

XXI. YA^'T FRAGMENT.

Yajt XXI is a eulogy of the AshemVohu prayer, the value of which rises higher and higher, according as the circumstances under which it is being recited are of greater importance.

Zarathu^tra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

' What is the only word in which is contained the glorification of all good things, of all the things that are the offspring of the good principle ?'

Ahura Mazda answered : ' It is the praise of Holiness \ O Spitama Zarathu^tra !

' He who recites the praise of Holiness\ in the fulness of faith and with a devoted heart, praises me, Ahura Mazda ; he praises the waters, he praises the earth, he praises the catde, he praises the plants, he praises all good things made by Mazda, all the things that are the offspring of the good principle.

' For the reciting of that word of truth, O Zarathu^tra ! the pronouncing of that formula, the Ahuna Vairya, increases strength and victory in one's soul and piety.

' Asha: the Ashem Vohu..

C!T2 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

' For that only recital of the praise of Holiness is worth a hundred khshnaothras of the beings of Holiness \ when delivered while going to sleep, a thousand when delivered after eating, ten thousand when delivered during cohabitation, or any number when delivered in departing this life.'

' What is the one recital of the praise of Holiness that is worth ten others in greatness, goodness, and fairness ? '

Ahura Mazda answered : ' It is that one, O holy Zarathu-ytra ! that a man delivers when eating the gifts of Haurvata/ and Amereta/^ at the same time professing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and rejecting evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.'

' What is the one recital of the praise of Holiness that is worth a hundred others in greatness, goodness, and fairness ? '

Ahura Mazda answered : 'It is that one, O holy Zarathui'tra ! that a man delivers while drinking of the Haoma strained for the sacrifice, at the same time professing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and rejecting evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.'

'What is the one recital of the praise of Holiness that is worth a thousand others In greatness, goodness, and fairness ? '

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is that one, O holy Zarathui-tra ! that a man delivers when starting

A hundred times the formula: 'Be propitiation (khshnaothra) unto N, . . . , the holy and master of holiness' (cf p. i, note 2).

Eating or drinking (see Vendidad, Introd. IV, 33).

YAST FRAGMENT. 3 I

.•)

up from his bed or going to sleep again, at the same time professing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and rejecting evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.'

'What is the one recital of the praise of Holiness that is worth ten thousand others in greatness, goodness, and fairness ? '

Ahura Mazda answered: ' It is that one, O holy Zarathu^tra ! that a man delivers when waking up and rising from sleep, at the same time professing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and rejecting evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.'

'What is the one recital of the praise of Holiness that is worth this Karshvare of ours, /z^iyaniratha \ with its cattle and its chariots, without its men, in greatness, goodness, and fairness ? '

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is that one, O holy Zarathu^tra ! that a man delivers in the last moments of his life, at the same time professing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and rejecting evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.'

'What is the one recital of the praise of Holiness that is worth all that is between the earth and the heavens, and this earth, and that luminous space, and all the good things made by Mazda, that are the offspring of the good principle in greatness, goodness, and fairness ?'

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is that one, O holy Zarathu5tra ! that a man delivers to renounce evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds ^.'

' See p. 123, note 5.

^ In a conversion, or in the recital of the penitential prayers.

YA^-T XXII.

This Ya^t is a description of the fate that attends the soul of the righteous (§§ 1-18) and the soul of the wicked (§§ 19-37) after death. They spend the first three nights (the sadis or sidos; of. Commentaire du Vendidad, XIII, 55) amongst the highest enjoyments or pains ; they are then met by their own conscience in the shape of a beautiful heavenly maiden (or a fiendish old woman ^), and are brought in four steps up to heaven or down to hell, through the three paradises of Good -Thought, Good -Word, and Good- Deed, or the three hells of Evil -Thought, Evil -Word, and Evil- Deed : there they are praised and glorified by Ahura, or rebuked and insulted by Angra Mainyu, and fed with ambrosia or poison.

Similar developments are to be found in Ya^t XXIV, 53-65; Arda Viraf XVII ; Minokhired II, 123-194.

Zarathiutra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

' When one of the faithful departs this life, where does his soul abide on that nio^ht ? ' Ahura Mazda answered :

2, * It takes its seat near the head, singing the Uj-tavaiti Gatha ^ and proclaiming happiness: " Happy is he, happy the man, whoever he be, to whom Ahura Mazda gives the full accomplishment of his wishes!" On that nio-ht his soul tastes^ as

much of pleasure as the whole of the living world can taste.'

^ See p. 319, note i.

^ The name of the second Gatha, which begins with the word ujta : the words in the text, 'Happy the man ....,' are its opening line (Yaj-na XLII, i).

^ Literally, sees, perceives.

VAST XXII. 315

— ' On the second night where does his soul abide ?'

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It takes its seat near the head, singing the U^tavaiti Gatha and proclaiming happiness : " Happy is he, happy the man, whoever he be, to whom Ahura Mazda gives the full accomplishment of his wishes!" On that night his soul tastes as much of pleasure as the whole of the living world can taste.'

— 'On the third night where does his soul abide?'

Ahura Mazda answered : 'It takes its seat near the head, singing the U^tavaiti Gatha and proclaiming happiness : " Happy is he, happy the man, whoever he be, to whom Ahura Mazda gives the full accomplishment of his wishes!" On that night his soul tastes as much of pleasure as the whole of the livins: world can taste.'

At the end^ of the third night, when the dawn appears, it seems to the soul of the faithful one as if it were brought amidst plants and scents : it seems as if a wind were blowing from the region of the south, from the regions of the south, a sweetscented wind, sweeter-scented than any other wind in the world.

And it seems to the soul of the faithful one as if he were inhaling that wind with the nostrils, and he thinks: 'Whence does that wind blow, the sweetestscented wind I ever inhaled with my nostrils ?'

And it seems to him as if his own conscience were advancing to him in that wind, in the shape of a maiden fair, bright, white-armed, strong, tall-

^Thraojta: in Pahlavi roijman.

'^l6 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

formed, high -standing, thick-breasted, beautiful of body, noble, of a glorious seed ^ of the size of a maid in her fifteenth year, as fair as the fairest things in the world.

And the soul of the faithful one addressed her, asking : ' What maid art thou, who art the fairest maid I have ever seen ? '

And she, being his own conscience, answers him : ' O thou youth of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, of good religion, I am thy own conscience !

Everybody did love thee for that greatness, goodness, fairness, sweet-scentedness, victorious strength and freedom from sorrow, in which thou dost appear to me ;

'And so thou, O youth of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, of good religion ! didst love me for that greatness, goodness, fairness, sweetscentedness, victorious strength, and freedom from sorrow, in which I appear to thee.

'When thou wouldst see a man making derision^ and deeds of idolatry, or rejecting^ (the poor) and shutting his door ^, then thou wouldst sit singing the Gathas and worshipping the good waters and Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, and rejoicing^ the faithful that would come from near or from afar.

' ' That is to say, from the gods' (Pahl. Comm.).

^ Of holy things.

^ Doubtful. The Pahlavi commentary has the following gloss : ' He would not give his friends what they begged for.'

To the poor: — Urvaro-straya: urvar babai/^ kart (Pahl. Comm.): aighshan bab^ bara asrunast (star, to tie, as in frastaretem baresma). Cf. Yt. XXIV, 37, 59.

^ With alms to the poor Mazdayasnians (asho-dad).

VAST XXII. 317

' I was lovely and thou madest me still lovelier ; I was fair and thou madest me still fairer ; I was desirable and thou madest me still more desirable; I was sitting in a forward place and thou madest me sit in the foremost place, through this good thought, through this good speech, through this good deed of thine ; and so henceforth men worship me for my having long sacrificed unto and conversed with Ahura Mazda.

' The first step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Good -Though t ^ Paradise ;

' The second step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Good-Word^ Paradise ;

' The third step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Good-Deed^ Paradise;

' The fourth step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Endless Lights *.'

Then one of the faithful, who had departed before him, asked him, saying: 'How didst thou depart this life, thou holy man ? How didst thou come, thou holy man ! from the abodes full of cattle and full of the wishes and enjoyments of love ? From the material world into the world of the spirit? From the decaying world into the undecaying one ? How long did thy felicity last ?'

And Ahura Mazda answered: 'Ask him not what thou askest him, who has just gone the dreary

^ The so-called Hum at Paradise (cf.Yt. Ill, 3). ^ The so-called Hfikht Paradise. ^ The so-called Hvarsht Paradise.

The seat of the Garothman.

3l8 YASTS AND SIROZAHS.

way, full of fear and distress, where the body and the soul part from one another.

1 8. '[Let him eat] of the food brought to him, of the oil of Zaremaya ^ : this is the food for the youth of good thoughts, of good words, of good deeds, of good religion, after he has departed this life ; this is the food for the holy woman, rich in good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, well-principled and obedient to her husband, after she has departed this life,'

Zarathu^tra asked Ahura Mazda 1 'O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One !

( 'When one of the wicked perishes, where does his soul abide on that night.-*'

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It rushes and sits near the skull, singing the Kima^ Gatha, O holy Zarathui'tra !

'"To what land shall I turn, O Ahura Mazda? To whom shall I go with praying?"

' On that night his soul tastes as much of suffering as the whole of the living world can taste.'y

— 'On the second night, where does his soul abide ?'

Ahura Mazda answered: Tt rushes and sits near the skull, singing the Kima Gatha, O holy

^ Zaremaya is the spring: the word translated oil (raoghna, Persian ^^^ might perhaps be better translated 'butter;' the milk made in the middle of spring was said to be the best (Visperad I, 2 ; PahL Comm.; cf. Dadistan XXXI, 14).

^ The Gatha of lamenting, beginning with the word Kam (Kam neme zam : ' To what land shall I turn ?') ; Yasna XLVI (XLV).

YA5'T XXII. 319

Zarathui-tra ! "To what land shall I turn, O Ahura Mazda ? To whom shall I go with praying?"

'On that night his soul tastes as much of suffering as the whole of the livingf world can taste.'

23^. — 'On the third night, where does his soul abide ?'

Ahura Mazda answered : ' It rushes and sits near the skull, singing the Kima Gatha, O holy Zarathui'tra ! " To what land shall I turn, O Ahura Mazda ? To whom shall I go with praying ?"

'On that night his soul tastes as much of suffering as the whole of the living world can taste.'

At the end of the third night, O holy Zarathui-tra ! when the dawn appears, it seems to the soul of the faithful one as if it were brought amidst snow and stench, and as if a wind were blowing from the region of the north, from the regions of the north, a foul-scented wind, the foulest-scented of all the winds in the world.

26-32. And it seems to the soul of the wicked man as if he were Inhaling that wind with the nostrils, and he thinks: 'Whence does that wind blow, the foulestscented wind that I ever inhaled with my nostrils V )

^ A development similar to that in §§ 9-14 is to be supplied here : in the Arda Viraf and the INIinokhired the soul of the wicked is met by a horrid old woman, who is his own conscience : ' And in that wind he saw his own religion and deeds, as a profligate woman, naked, decayed, gaping, bandy-legged, lean-hipped, and unlimitedly spotted, so that spot was joined to spot, like the most hideous noxious creatures (khrafstar), most filthy and most stinking' (cf. § 9).

Then that wicked soul spoke thus : ' Who art thou ? than whom I never saw any one of the creatures of Auharmazd and Akharman uglier, or filthier or more stinking' (cf. § 10).

To him she spoke thus : ' I am thy bad actions, O youth of evil thoughts, of evil words, of evil deeds, of evil religion I It

The first step that the soul of the wicked man made laid him in the Evil --Thought Hell ;

The second step that the soul of the wicked man made laid him in the Evil-Word Hell ;

The third step that the soul of the wicked^ man made laid him in the Evil-Deed Hell ;

The fourth step that the soul of the wicked man made laid him in the Endless Darkness.

Then one of the wicked who departed before him addressed him, saying: 'How didst thou perish,

0 wicked man? How didst thou come, O fiend! from the abodes full of cattle and full of the wishes and enjoyments of love ? From the material world into the world of the Spirit ? From the decaying

is on account of thy will and actions that I am hideous and vile, iniquitous and diseased, rotten and foul-smelling, unfortunate and distressed, as appears to thee (cf. §§ 11-12).

' When thou sawest any one who performed the Yazishn and Dron ceremonies, and praise and prayer and the service of God, and preserved and protected water and fire, catile and trees, and other good creations, thou practisedst the will of Akharman and the demons, and improper actions. And when thou sawest one who provided hospitable reception, and gave something deservedly in gifts and charity, for the advantage of the good and worthy who came from far, and who were from near, thou wast -avaricious, and shuttedst up thy door (cf. § 13).

'And though I have been unholy (that is, I have been considered bad), I am made more unholy through thee ; and though I have been frightful, I am made more frightful through thee; though

1 have been tremulous, I am made more tremulous through thee ; though I am settled in the northern region of the demons, I am settled further north through thee; through these evil thoughts, through these evil words, and through these evil deeds, which thou practisedst. They curse me, a long time, in the long execration and evil communion of the Evil Spirit (cf. § 14).

'Afterwards that soul of the wicked advanced the first footstep on Dush-humat (the place of evil thoughts), &c.' (The Book of Arda Viraf, XVII, 12-27, as translated by Haug).

YAST XXII. 321

world into the undecaying one ? How long did thy suffering last ?'

Angra Mainyu, the lying one, said: 'Ask him not what thou askest him, who has just gone the dreary way, full of fear and distress, where the body and the soul part from one another.

' Let him eat of the food brought unto him, of poison and poisonous stench ' : this is the food, after he has perished, for the youth of evil thoughts, evil words, evil deeds, evil religion after he has perished ; this is the food for the fiendish woman, rich in evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds, evil religion, ill-principled, and disobedient to her husband.

37^. 'We worship the Fravashi of the holy man, whose name is Asm6-//iyanva;^/^; then I will worship the Fravashis of the other holy Ones who were strong of faith*.

38 ^. ' We worship the memory of Ahura Mazda, to keep the Holy Word.

' We worship the understanding of Ahura Mazda, to study the Holy Word.

' We worship the tongue of Ahura Mazda, to speak forth the Holy W^ord.

' We worship the mountain that gives understanding, that preserves understanding ; [we worship

Cf. Yasna XXXI, 20 : 'He who would deceive the holy One, to him afterwards (will be) a long weeping in the dark place, bad food and words of insult. O wicked! this is the place down which your own conscience will bring you through your own deeds.'

"^ §§ 3l~3^i 39-40. 41-42 are separate fragments.

^ One of the first disciples of Zoroaster ; cf. Yt. XIII, 96.

Cf. p. 33, note 2.

[23] Y

it] by day and by night, with offerings of Hbations well-accepted \

'O Maker ! how do the souls of the dead, the Fravashis of the holy Ones, manifest^ themselves * ?'

Ahura Mazda answered: 'They manifest themselves from goodness of spirit and excellence of mind^.'

41^. Then towards the dawning of the dawn'', that bird Par6dar5^ that bird Kareto-dasu^ hears the voice of the F'ire.

1 §38=Yt. I, 31.

^ A Pahlavi translation of the following two fragments is found in MS. 33, Paris, Supplement Persan (edited in Etudes Iraniennes,II). 3 ^ithra (Paris MS. p. 255).

' How do they manifest their assistance ?' (Pahl. tr. ibid.); that is to say, when do they assist their relations and countrymen ? (see Yt. XIII, 49 seq.)

? When men are instinct with good spirit and good thought.

® The Pahlavi translation of this fragment has here §§ 14-16 of the Atash Nyayij, then §§ 18-19 of Vendidad XVIII. Therefore the whole passage is to be restored as follows :

Atar looks at the hands of all those who pass by : ' What does the friend bring to his friend ..,.?' (Atash N. 14.)

And if that passer-by brings him wood holily brought, or bundles of baresma holily tied up .... , then Atar .... will bless him thus :

May herds of oxen grow for thee .... (Atash N. 15-16).

In the first part of the night, Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls the master of the house for help, saying :

' Up ! arise, thou master of the house . . . . ' (Vend. XVIII, 18-19).

Then towards the dawning of the dawn . . . . ' (see the text). ' CfVend. XVIII, 23.

'He who has knowledge made,' or 'He who has the knowledge of what is made' (kartak danishn); his other name Parodar.r is 'He who foresees.'

^ Here again a large passage is omitted : it can only partly be

YAST XXII. 323

Here the fiendish Biishyasta, the long-handed, rushes from the region of the north, from the regions of the north, speaking thus, lying thus : ' Sleep on, O men ! Sleep on, O sinners ! Sleep on and live in sin.'

supplied from the Pahlavi translation ; the words in brackets refer to Zend texts lost to us :

'Then he flaps his wings and lifts up his voice, saying: "Arise,

O men! [and also women, grown-up people, and children, &c

Put on well your girdle and shirt, wash your hands, put your girdle around your body, go and give food to the cattle and recite aloud the five holy Gathas of Spitama Zarathujtra."]

' Here the fiendish Bushyasta . . . / (see the text). Then the Pahlavi translation has : ' Never care for the three excellent things, good thoughts, good words, good deeds' (cf. Vend. XVIII, 25).

V 2

xxiii-xxiv. AfrIn paighambar zar-

TIJST AND VI6TASP YA^'T.

'God taught the Zendavasta to Zartusht— a subUme work .... God said to Zartusht, "Go and before Shah Gushtasp read this book, that he may come into the faith .... keep all my counsel and repeat it word by word to Shah Gushtasp '

Zartusht, in obedience to God, went to the court of Gushtasp : ' He came forward and called down a blessing on the Shah^.' Then he read to him the Zandavasta and said : ' Learn its statutes and walk therein. If your desire is towards its laws, your abode shall be in the paradise of heaven. But if you turn away from its commandments, you shall bring down your crowned head to the dust. Your God will be displeased with you, and will overthrow your prosperous condition. At the last you shall descend into hell, if you hear not the counsel of the Almighty ^'

These lines of the Zartusht-Namah are a summary of the following two Yajts. The first, entitled ' The blessing of the prophet Zartu^t,' contains the words of blessing addressed by Zarathujtra w^hen appearing before the king. These words seem to have followed a similar blessing pronounced by (Pamaspa ^ the prime minister of Vii-taspa ^

Ya^t XXIV contains the exhortations of the prophet to the king to follow and closely adhere to the Law of Mazda. It is a counterpart to the XlXth Fargard of the Vendidad, as Zarathu^-tra plays here the same part to Vijtaspa as Ahura does there to Zarathujtra. It is, therefore, a summary of the Law, of the duties it

^ The Zartusht-Namah, translated by E. B. Eastwick, in Wilson's Parsi Religion, p. 495.

'^ Ibid. p. 499. ^ Ibid. p. 501.

See Yt. XXIII, 2 ; whether Anquetil's staten.ent to that effect (Zend-Avesta II, 623) rests on independent tradition or only on the text of our Yajt is not clear.

'' See above, p. 70, note i.

AFRIN PAIGHAMBAR ZARTU5T. 325

enforces and of the rewards it promises. This accounts for the strange disconnection apparent in it, which makes it a crux inter pre turn, as, besides the very corrupt state of the text, the chief difficulty of this Yart arises from the fact that many passages in it are incomplete quotations from the Vendidad, or allusions to statements therein \ which, when supplied, help a good deal to relieve this Yajt from its apparent state of utter incoherence.

For this translation I was able to avail myself of a Pahlavi translation, of which a copy was kindly lent to me by Mr, West. That translation is apparently of late date and often manifestly wrong ; yet it was very useful to me in several passages, besides its giving a Zend text generally more correct and more correctly divided than the text in Westergaard's edition '^.

Ya^t XXIII was originally no independent Yajt, being nothing more than the beginning of Yaj-t XXIV, detached from it, with some slight alterations and inversions.

XXIII. AfrIn PAIGHAMBAR ZARTO^T.

*I am a pious man, who speaks words of

blessing.'

— ' Thou appearest unto me full of Glory.' And Zarathiutra spake unto king Vi.rtaspa, sayino- : ' I bless thee, O man ! O lord of the country ! with the living of a good life, of an exalted life, of a long life. May thy men live long! May thy women live long ! May sons be born unto thee of thy own body !

' Mayest thou have a son like 6^imaspa, and may he bless thee as (6^amaspa blessed) Vi^taspa (the lord) of the country ^ !

For instance, §§ 28, 30, 31, 39, &c.

2 The various readings in Mr. West's manuscript are indicated by the letter W. in the notes.

^ See the introduction to this Ya^t and Yt. XXIV, 3, text and note.

' Mayest thou be most beneficent, like Mazda ! ' Mayest thou be fiend-smiting, hke Thraetaona ^ ! 'Mayest thou be strong, Hke 6^amaspa ^ !

Mayest thou be well-armed, like Takhma- Urupa ^ !

' Mayest thou be glorious, like Yima Khshaeta, the good shepherd !

' Mayest thou be instructed with a thousand senses, like Azi Dahaka, of the evil law ^ !

' Mayest thou be awful and most strong, like Keresaspa ^ !

' Mayest thou be a wise chief of assemblies, like UrvakhshayaM

' Mayest thou be beautiful of body and without fault, like Syavarshana "^ !

' Mayest thou be rich in cattle, like an Athwyanide ^ !

' Mayest thou be rich in horses, like Pouru^-aspa ^ !

' Mayest thou be holy, like Zarathu^tra Spitama !

' Mayest thou be able to reach the Rangha, whose shores lie afar, as Vafra Navaza was ^^^ !

' Mayest thou be beloved by the gods and reverenced by men " !

^ Cf. Yt. V, 33. 2 cf Yt. V, 68.

^ Cf. Yt. XV, II.

Cf. Yt. V, 29. ^ Cf. Yt. V, 37.

« See Yt.XV, 28. '' See p. 64, note i.

One belonging to the Athwya family, of which Thraetaona was a member. All of them bore names that show them to have been rich in cattle: Pur-tora, Sok-tora, Bor-tora, &c. ('one with abundant oxen, with useful oxen, with the brown ox, &c.,' Bundahij, tr.West, XXXI, 7, note 8).

® Pouruj^-aspa was the father of Zarathujtra. His name means, 'He who possesses many horses,' ivokv-nvnos.

'' Cf. Yt. V, 61. " Cf. Yt. XXIV, 4.

AFRIN PAIGHAMBAR ZARTU^T. 327

' May ten sons be born of you M In three of them mayest thou be an Athravan ! In three of them mayest thou be a warrior! In three of them mayest thou be a tiller of the ground ^ ! And may one be like thyself, O Vt^taspa !

' Mayest thou be swift-horsed, like the Sun ^ !

Mayest thou be resplendent, like the moon ! ' Mayest thou be hot-burning, like fire !

' Mayest thou have piercing rays, like Mithra ! ' Mayest thou be tall-formed and victorious, like the devout Sraosha ^ !

' Mayest thou follow a law of truth, like Rashnu ^ !

' Mayest thou be a conqueror of thy foes, like Verethraghna ^ made by Ahura !

' Mayest thou have fulness of welfare, like Rama HvdiStvdi. '' !

Mayest thou be freed from sickness and death, like king Husravah ^ !

'Then the blessing goes for the bright, allhappy, blissful abode of the holy Ones ^

'May it happen unto thee according to my blessing !

'I'' Let us embrace and propagate the good thoughts, good words, and good deeds that have been done and that will be done here and elsewhere, that we may be in the number of the good.

1 Of Vijtaspa and his wife Hutaosa.

2 Cf. Yt. XXIV, 4. ' Cf. Sirozah, § ri.

4 Cf. Yt. XI. ^ Cf. Yt. XII, Introduction.

« Cf! Yt. XIV. ' Cf. Yt. XV.

" Kai Khosrav went alive to Paradise (Firdausi).

' He closes his blessing by wishing him bliss in heaven,

10 Yasna XXXV, 2 (4-5).

f28 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.

'Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

'Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

' [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'

XXIV. vI^'tAsp ya^t.

' I am a pious man, who speaks words of blessing,' thus said Zarathurtra to the young king Vi^taspa \ — ' She - appears to me full of Glory, O Zarathunra !' — 'O young king Vi^-taspa ! [I bless thee ^] with the living of a good life, of an exalted life, of a long life. May thy men live long ! May thy women live long ! May sons be born unto thee of thy own body * !

'Mayest thou thyself'' be holy, like Zarathurtra! 'Mayest thou be rich in cattle, like an Athwyanide ^ !

' Mayest thou be rich in horses, like Pourui'-aspa'^!

' Mayest thou have a good share of bliss ^ like king Husravah !

' Mayest thou have strength to reach the Rangha, whose way lies afar, as Vafra Navaza did ^.

^ Literally, O young king Vijtaspa ! (or, O my son, king Vijtaspa !)

2 The law of Mazda (Pahl.).

^ Understood in ahi-vakau (who speaks blessing).

Cf.Yt. XXIII, I.

^ Khay^uj (=nafjm an) belongs to § 2 (W.).

See p. 326, note 8. "^ See p. 326, note 9.

Immortality (cf. Yt. XXIII, 7). W. has ashem merez6 = ahlayih patmanik, amargig (Pahl.).

« Cf. Yt. XXIII, 4.

VWTASP YAST. 329

-1 J-

' May ten sons be born of thy own body ^ ! three as Athravans '\ three as warriors ^, three as tillers of the ground ^ ! May one of them be like 6amaspa ^ that he may bless thee with great and ever greater happiness ^ !

' Mayest thou be freed from sickness and death, like Pesho-tanu '^.

' Mayest thou have piercing rays, like Mithra ! ' Mayest thou be warm, like the moon ! ' Mayest thou be ^ resplendent, like fire ! ' Mayest thou be long-lived, as long-lived as an old man can be ^ !

' And when thou hast fulfilled a duration of a thousand years, [mayest thou obtain] the bright, allhappy, blissful abode of the holy Ones !

'Ashem Vohfi : Holiness is the best of all good ....

2 ' Like Aturpat, the son of Mahraspand ' (Pahl. Comm.). ^ ' Like Spenddat (Isfendyar), the son of Gmtasp ' (ibid.).

' Like Zav' (Uzava ; ' Zav .... urbes et castella, quae Afrassiab deleverat, refici jussis, aperuit fluvios, quos ille operuerat, .... agros denuo coluit, qui in optimam, qua antehac floruerant, conditionem redierunt,' Hamzah Ispahensis, p. 24 of the Gottwaldt translation).

° Cf. Yt. XXIII, 2.

W. has the same text as Yt. XXIII, 2 : yatha dangh^ uj Vijtaspai, which is interpreted afrin pataj obdunat X-igun Gamasp kart madam matapat Gfijtasp.

"^ Peshotanu was a son of ViJtaspa: Zarathujtra made him drink of a certain sort of milk, and ' he forgot death.' He is one of the seven immortals, and reigns in Kangdez (Zartusht-Namah and Bundahij XXIX, 5).

8 Bavahi (W.).

» Doubtful. The Pahlavi translation follows Yt. XXIII, 4, though the text is the same as in Westergaard (only bavai and zarnumato instead of bavahi, zaranumato).

II.

6 ^ ' Give ^ him strength and victory ! Give him welfare in cattle and bread ^ ! ' thus said Zarathiutra to the young king Vi^taspa ! ' Give him a great number* of male children, praisers^ [of God] and chiefs in assemblies, who smite and are not smitten, who smite at one stroke their enemies, who smite at one stroke their foes, ever in joy and ready to help.

' Ye gods of full Glory, ye gods of full healing, let your greatness become manifest ! '

Zarathu^tra addressed him, saying : ' O young king Vktaspa! May their greatness become manifest as it is called for !

' Ye Waters, impart and give your Glory to the man who offers you a sacrifice !

This is the boon we beg (for thee) of Ashi Vanguhi ^ of Rata \ with eyes of love.'

Pare^^di ^ of the light chariot, follows : ' Mayest thou^ become manifest unto him, the young king ViJtaspa !

'May plenty dwell in this house, standing upon high columns and rich in food ^^ ! Thou wilt never

^ For §§ 6-7, cf. Mah Nyayij, lo-ii. 2 The prayer is addressed to Waters. ^ Zfz^athro-nahim: asanih lahmak.

Paourvatatem: kebad farzand. ^ Stahyanam : kebad stayitar.

« See Yt. XVI. ' See Vend. Introd. IV, 30.

8 See p. II, note 5. ® Parewdi.

" Plenty will reign in thy house, if thou wilt be liberal to the priest.

vbrAsp YA-sT. 331

offer and give bad food to a priest : for a priest must be to thee like the brightest ^ offspring of thy own blood.'

Zarathiutra spake unto him : ' O young king Vi^^taspa !

' He who supports the Law of the worshippers of Mazda, as a brother or as a friend, he who treats her friendly in any way, looks to keep off want of food from her ^Z

The holy Zarathuj^tra preached that law to Frashao^tra ^ and 6'amaspa : ' May ye practise holiness and thrive, O young Frashao^tra (and 6"amaspa) !'

Thus said Ahura Mazda unto the holy Zarathu5tra, and thus again did Zarathui^tra say unto the young king Vi^taspa : ' Have no bad priests or unfriendly priests ; for bad priests or unfriendly priests will bring about much harm, and, though thou wish to sacrifice, it will be to the Amesha- Spe/ztas as if no sacrifice had been offered *.

' Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

in.

1 3. ' When I teach thee, that thou mayest do the same to thy son ^, O Vii-taspa ! receive thou well that teaching ; that will make thee rich in children and rich in milk ; rich in seed, in fat, in milk ^

^ Ra6vatam ^a (not rashvatam /('a) belongs to § 9 (W.).

^ W. has, hanaire vaem aiwi vaina/ (vaem = Sansk.vayas?).

' See Yt. XIII, 103. Frashaojtra and Gamaspa were brothers.

Cf. Vend. XVIII, 1-13. Perhaps, ' Be not bad to the priests! Be not unfriendly to the priest I For he who is bad to the priest, he who is unfriendly to the priest . . . .'

» Doubtful. « Cf. Vend. XXI, 6-7.

'Thus do we announce unto thee, Ahura Mazda, and Sraosha, and Ashi, and the Law of the worshippers of Mazda, with the whole of all her hymns, with the whole of all her deeds, with the whole of her performances ; the Law of Mazda, who obtains her wishes, who makes the world grow, who listens to the songs and rejoices the faithful man at his wish ; who protects the faithful man, who maintains the faithful man ;

'From whom come the knowledge of holiness and the increase in holiness of the world of the holy Principle, and without whom ^ no faithful man ^ can know holiness.

' To thee ^ come every Havanan, every Atarevakhsha, every Frabaretar, every Abere/, every Asnatar, every Rathwi^kar, every Sraosha-varez ^ ;

1 6. ' Every priest, every warrior, every husbandman ; every master of a house, every lord of a borough, every lord of a town, every lord of a province ;

1 7. ' Every youth of good thoughts, good words, good deeds, and good religion ; every youth who speaks the right words ; every one who performs the next-of-kin marriage ^ ; every itinerant priest ; every mistress of a house ; every wandering priest, obedient to the Law.

'To thee come all the performers ^ (of holiness), all the masters of holiness, who, to the

1 Doubtful.

2 Saoshya;/tem, W. has srashyawtem. ^ To the Law.

The seven priests engaged in the sacrifice (Vendidad, p. 64, note i).

^ The /zz'agtvodatha (Vend. Introd. p. xlv, note 7 ; see West, Pahlavi Texts, II, 389 seq.).

6 Thatu^: kar kartar (Pahl.).

VWTASP YAS'T. 32)3

number of three and thirty \ stand next to Havani, beine masters of holiness.

1 9. ' May they be fully protected ^ in thee, O young king Vii-taspa ! While thou smitest thy adversaries, thy foes, those who hate thee, a hundred times a hundred for a hundred ^ a thousand times a thousand for a thousand, ten thousand times ten thousand for ten thousand, myriads of myriads for a myriad.

' Proclaim thou that word, as we did proclaim it unto thee !

' O Maker of the good world ! Ahura Mazda, I worship thee with a sacrifice, I worship and forward thee with a sacrifice, I worship this creation of Ahura Mazda.'

21'^. The young king Vi^taspa asked Zarathu^tra : ' With what manner of sacrifice shall I worship, with what manner of sacrifice shall I worship and forward this creation of Ahura Mazda ?'

Zarathunra answered: 'We will make it known unto thee, O young king Vij-taspa !

' Go towards that tree that is beautiful, highgrowing, and mighty amongst the high-growing trees, and say thou these words : "Hail to thee ! O good, holy tree, made by Mazda ! Ash em Vohu !"

' Let the faithful man cut off twigs of baresma, either one, or two, or three : let him bind them and

^ See Yasna I, 10 (33).

^ Thratotemo belongs to § 19 (W.).

' He kills a hundred times a hundred of them, while they kill a hundred of his people.

For this clause and the following two, cf. Vend. XIX, 17 seq., text and notes.

^„ A .

tie them up according to the rites, being bound and unbound according to the rites.

' The smallest twig of Haoma, pounded according to the rules, the smallest twig prepared for sacrifice, gives royalty to the man (who does it).'

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

IV.

24 ^ Zarathu^tra said : ' O young king Vi-Jtispa !

' Invoke Ahura Mazda, who is full of Glory, Ahura Mazda, and the sovereign Heaven, the boundless Time, and Vayu who works highly.

' Invoke the powerful Wind, made by Mazda, and Fate.

' Repeat thou those words, that the god invoked may give thee the boon wished for ; that thou, strong, and belonging to the creation of the good Spirit, mayest smite and take away the Dru^ and watch with full success those who hate thee ; smite down thy foes, and destroy at one stroke thy adversaries, thy enemies, and those who hate thee ^.

' Proclaim thou those prayers : they will cleanse thy body from deeds of lust^ O young king Virtaspa !

' I will worship thee, O Fire, son of Ahura Mazda, who art a valiant warrior. He falls upon the fiend Ku/^da ^ who is drunken without drinking, upon the men of the Dru^, the slothful ones ^ the wicked Daeva-worshippers, who live in sin.

1 Cf. Vend. XIX, 13. ' Cf. Yt. V, 53.

' Paourvo vasta jaota: read jkyaothna (cf. § 40), as in Vend. XVI, 14 (paourv6-vasna j-kynothna).

Cf. Vend. XI, 9 and Bundahi^r XXVIII, 42.

•^ Cf. Vend. XIX, 41 ; better : 'on the Dru^askan' (the sons of the Dru^^? see Bund. XXXI, 6).

VI^TASP YAST. 335

'He^ trembles at the way^ made by Time and open both to the wicked and to the righteous.

' They ^ tremble at the perfume of his soul ^ as a sheep does on which a wolf is falling.

' Reciting the whole collection of the Staota Yesnya^ prayers brings one up all the way to the blessed Garo-nmana, the palace beautifully made. That indeed is the way.

29, ' That man does not follow the way of the Law, O Zarathui^tra ^ ! who commits the Baodh6-(vari"ta) crime "^ with a damsel and an old woman ^,' said Zarathu^tra to the young king Vi^taspa.

Let him^ praise the Law, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! and long for it and embrace the whole of the Law, as an excellent horse turns back from the wrong way and goes along the right one, smiting the many Drupes ^'\

' Go forward with praises, go forward the way of the good Mazdean law and of all those who walk in her ways, men and women.

^ The dead man.

2 The A"inva/-bridge (Vend. XIX, 29).

The fiends (Vend. XIX, 33). * The soul of the righteous. ^ See page 152, note i.

® The Pahlavi has, 'the way of Zarathujtra' (la Zartuh^tig ras yakhsunit).

■^ Wilful murder (Vend. p. 84, note i).

To procure miscarriage (see Vend. XV, 12-14). ° The sinner.

^" 'As a horseman on the back of a good horse, when he has gone the wrong way, perceiving that he has lost his way, turns back his horse from that direction and makes him go the right way ; so thou, turn back thy horse to the right way ; that is to say, turn him to the way of the Law of Mazda ; that is to say, receive the Law' (Pahl. Comm.).

'He who wishes to seize the heavenly reward ^ will seize it by giving gifts to him who holds up (the Law) to us^ in this world here below ^ ....

'Let him* give (the Law) to him who is unfriendly to her, that he may become friendly.

'Wash thy hands with water, not with gomez^, and let thy son, who will be born of thy wife ^, do the same.

' Thus thy thought will be powerful to smite him ^ who is not so ^ ; thy speech will be powerful to smite him, who is not so ; thy deed will be powerful to smite him.

' " Hear me ! Forgive me ^ ! " — We, the Amesha-Spe;2tas, will come and show thee, O Zarathu^tra ! the way to that world ^^, to long glory in the spiritual world, to long happiness of the soul in Paradise ;

' To bliss and Paradise, to the Garo-nmana of Ahura Mazda, beautifully made and fully adorned,

^ Bliss, eternal life.

^ Y6 no ... . nidar6 anghe: lanman dm bara dashtar (Pahl).

' Naedh/^a vanghe paiti ujta vangho buya/; saoshyas dis verethraga. I cannot make anything of these words, nor reconcile them with the Pahlavi translation : ' It is not fair when he wishes weal for his own person ; that is to say, when, being satisfied himself, he does not satisfy other people and wishes comfort for himself. (Make the Law of Mazda current, till the time when) the victorious Soshyosh will make it current.' The last three Zend words appear to be abridged from a longer passage.

The faithful man.

^ This is an allusion to the Bareshnum purification (Vend. VIII, 39). The unclean man washes himself with gom^z first and with water last.

Doubtful. "^ The sinner. * Friendly to the Law.

® He recites the prayer Sraota me, mere^data me (Yasna XXXIII, 11). '" The world above.

vii^TASP YAST. 337

when his soul goes out of his body through the will of fate, when I, Ahura Mazda, when I, Ahura Mazda, gently show him his way as he asks for it. 'Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

' They ^ will impart to thee full brightness and Glory.

'They will give him^ quick ^ and swift horses, and good sons.

He wishes to go to the Law, the young king Vi^taspa.'

Zarathujtra said : ' Let him who is unfriendly to her become a follower of the Law of Mazda, such as we proclaim it.

' Proclaim thou ever (unto the poor) : " Ever mayest thou wait here for the refuse that is brought unto thee, brought by those who have profusion of wealth M" Thus the Dru^ will not fall upon thee and throw thee away ; thou wilt wield kingly power there ^.

' The Law of Mazda will not deliver thee unto pain^ Thou art entreated (for charity) by the whole of the living world, and she "^ is ever standing at thy door in the person of thy brethren in the faith : beggars are ever standing at the door of the stranger, amongst those who beg for bread.

' The Amesha-Spewtas (see § 46).

2 To Vutaspa. » Hathwadh/^a : Pahl. ttz/Ji.

Cf. Vend. Ill, 29.

^ If he practises charity he will be a king even in Garothman.

Aspahe, from a-spa (no comfort, anasanih tangih, Pahl. Comm.).

''The Law.

' Ever will that bread be burning coal upon thy head \

' The good, holy Rata 2, made by Mazda, goes and nurses thy bright offspring ^.'

Zarathu5tra addressed Virtaspa, saying: 'O young king Vij-taspa ! The Law of Mazda, O my son ! will give thy offspring the victorious strength that destroys the fiends.

' Let no thought of Angra Mainyu ever infect thee, so that thou shouldst indulge in evil lusts, make derision and idolatry, and shut (to the poor) the door of thy house *.

38 ^ ' Atar thus blesses the man who brings incense to him, being pleased with him and not angry, and fed as he required : " May herds of oxen grow for thee, and increase of sons ! May fate and its decrees bringf thee the boons thou wishest for ! Therefore do thou invoke and praise (me) excellently in this glorious world ! That I may have unceasing food, full of the glory of Mazda ^ and with which I am well pleased."

' O Mazda ! take for thyself the words of our praise : of these words I speak and speak again, the strength and victorious vigour, the power of health and healing, the fulness, increase, and growth.

' Bring it together with the words of hymns up to the Garo-nmana of Ahura Mazda. He will '^ first

^ Hvarishni dagh pun r6ii-mani lak yahv&nat (Pahl. Comm.). ^ Charity.

^ If thou art charitable, thy children will thrive. ' See Yt. XXII, 13. « Cf. Vend. XVIII, 27.

^ ZTwarnamazdau (W.).

'' He who will pronounce all prayers and hymns : the full formula is found in the Aban Nyayij, § 8.

.* _ A

VWTASP YA5'T. 339

enter there. Therefore do thou pronounce these prayers.

' Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

VI.

' Converse ye with the Amesha-Spe;^tas,' said Zarathu^tra unto the young king Vi^tispa, * and with the devout Sraosha, and Nairyo-sangha, the tall-formed, and Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, and the well-desired kingly Glory.

' Men with lustful deeds address the body ^ ; but thou, all the night long, address the heavenly Wisdom 2 ; but thou, all night long, call for the Wisdom that will keep thee awake.

' Three times a day raise thyself up and go to take care of the beneficent cattle.

- Of these men may the lordship ^ belong to the wisest of all beings, O Zarathu^'tra ! May their lord belong to the wisest, O Zarathui"tra ! Let him show them the way of holiness, let him show them at once the way thereto, which the Law of the worshippers of Mazda enters victoriously. Thus the soul of man, in the joy of perfect holiness, walks over the bridge, known afar, the powerful A^inva/- bridge*, the well-kept, and kept by virtue.

'How the worlds were arranged was said to thee first, O Zarathu^tra ! Zarathu^'tra said it again to the young king Vii-taspa ; therefore do thou ^ praise him *^ who keeps and maintains the moon and the sun.

1 Cf. § 26. 2 cf. Vend. IV, 45 ; XVIII, 6.

The supervision and care, * See § 27.

^ Thou Vutaspa. " Ahura Mazda.

Z 2

' He who has little friendship for the Law, I have placed him down below to suffer.'

Thus said Angra Mainyu, he who has no Glory in him, who is full of death : ' This is an unbeliever, let us throw him down below ; this is a liar, or a traitor to his relatives, and like a mad dog who wounds cattle and men ; but the dog v^^ho inflicts wounds pays for it as for wilful murder ^.

' The first time he shall smite a faithful man, the first time he shall wound a faithful man, he shall pay for it as for wilful murder.

'Ashem Voh^ : Holiness is the best of all good ....

VII.

- Mayest thou receive ^ O holy young king Vii-taspa ! (a house) with a hundred . . . . ^ ten thousand large windows, ten thousand small windows, all the year long ^, O holy Vi-ftaspa ! never growing old, never dying, never decaying, never rotting, giving plenty of meat, plenty of food, plenty of clothes to the other worshippers of Mazda.

' May all boons be bestowed upon thee, as I proclaim it unto thee! May the Amesha-Spe/ztas impart to thee their brightness and glory and plenty ^' May they give him quick and swift horses and good sons, strong, great in all things, powerful to sing the hymns.

' See Vend. XIII, 31.

2 In Paradise ; see Vend. XVIII, 28, text and note. ^ Satayare: that stands a hundred years (?). The Vend. XVIII, 28 has 'with a hundred columns.'

Uninjured by the changes of temperature. ' Cf. § 34-

VI5TASP VAST. 341

'He wields his power according to the wish of Ahura Mazda, the Good Spirit, and for the destruction of the Evil Spirit, whichever of two men goes quicker to perform a sacrifice (to Ahura) ; but if he chooses to perform the sacrifice and prayer to us not in the right way, he does not wield the right power, he will not reign ^.

' He will receive bad treatment in the next world, though he has been the sovereign of a country, with good horses to ride and good chariots to drive. Give royalty to that man, O Zarathui'tra ! who gives royalty unto thee with good will ^.

49 ^ ' Thou shalt keep away the evil by this holy spell : " Of thee [O child !] I will cleanse the birth and growth ; of thee [O woman !] I will make the body and the strength pure ; I make thee a woman rich in children and rich in milk ; a woman rich in seed, in milk, and in offspring. For thee I shall make springs run and flow towards the pastures that will give food to the child."

' Do not deliver me ^ into the hands of the fiend ^ ; if the fiend take hold of me, then fever with loss of all joy will dry up the milk of the good Spe;2ta-Armaiti ^ The fiend is powerful to distress, and to dry up the milk of the woman who indulges in lust and of all females.

'The perfume of fire, pleasant to the Maker,

^ In Paradise (Pahl. Comm.).

2 Doubtful. ' Cf. Vend. XXI, 6-7.

The Law.

^ That is to say, let not impiety prevail.

« If impiety prevails, the earth will grow barren (cf. Vend. XVIII, 64).

Ahura Mazda, takes them ^ away from afar ; . . . . ^ ; and all those that harm the creation of the Good Spirit are destroyed 3;

'Whom Mithra, and Rashnu Razi^ta, and the Law of the worshippers of Mazda wish to be taken far away, longing for a man who is eager to perform and does perform the ceremonies he has been taught ; . . .^

'Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good . . • .

VHP.

'The words of the Vahii-toi^ti "^ Gatha are to be sung : " Happy is he, O holy ViMspa ! happy the man, whoever he be, to whom Ahura Mazda gives the full accomplishment of his wishes."

' Where does his soul abide on that night ' ? '

Ahura Mazda answered : ' O my son, Frashaortra ! It takes its seat near the head, singing the U^tavaiti Gatha and proclaiming happiness : " Happy is he, happy the man whoever he be ! "

' On the first night, his soul sits in Good Words ^ ;

1 The demons (see Vend. VIII, 80).

2 Noi/ ta/ paiti vohu mano katha sisraya aya-^a. The Pahlavi Commentary has : ' That is to say, good will happen to thee through the good will of Atar (fire).'

2 Te )^inashanya (W. ; — read tae/^'a nashanya?); aigh harvaspin beshitaran min spinak minoi daman Ivit apetak avin yahvunit (Pahl. Comm.).

Yatha ya/ te fravaoiami (fravao/^ama,W.) puthro berethya/ sairimananam (sairi mananam,W.) bakhedhrai (translated as hakhedhrai: dostih, friendship).

^ This chapter is borrowed, though slightly altered, from Yt. XXII.

« Read u.rtavaiti (?cf. § 54 andYt. XXII, 2) : the Vahi.yt6i.rti Gatha is the fifth and last Gatha.

'' On the night of his departmg.

^ Not in the Good- Word Paradise, to which he will go later

VI5TASP YAST. 343

on the second night, it sits in Good Deeds ; on the third night, it goes along the ways (to Garo-nmina).

'At the end of the third night, O my son, Frashaoi^tra ! when the dawn appears, it seems to the soul of the faithful one as if it were brought amidst plants [and scents : it seems as if a wind were blowing from the region of the south, from the regions of the south] \ a sweet-scented wind, sweeter-scented than any other wind in the world, and it seems to his soul as if he were inhalino- that wind with the nose, and it asks, saying : " Whence does that wind blow, the sweetest-scented wind I ever inhaled with my nose r

' And it seems to him as if his own conscience were advancing to him in that wind, in the shape of a maiden fair, bright, white-armed, strong, tallformed, high-standing, thick-breasted, beautiful of body, noble, of a glorious seed, of the size of a maid in her fifteenth year, as fair as the fairest things in the world.

'And the soul of the faithful one addressed her, asking : " What maid art thou, who art the fairest maid I have ever seen ?"

' And she, being his own conscience, answers him : " O thou youth, of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, of good religion ! I am thy own conscience.

" Everybody did love thee for that greatness, goodness, fairness, sweet-scentedness, victorious strength, and freedom from sorrow, in which thou

(§ 61). but in the thought and delightful remembrance of his good words (cf. Yt. XXII, 2).

1 Supplied from Yt. XXII, 7.

dost appear to me ; [and so thou, O youth of good thoughts, good v/ords, and good deeds, of good rehgion ! didst love me for that greatness, goodness, fairness, sweet-scentedness, victorious strength, and freedom from sorrow, in which I appear to thee.

' " When thou wouldst see a man ^] making derision and deeds of idolatry, or rejecting (the poor) and shutting (his door), then, thou wouldst sit, singing the Gathas, and worshipping the good waters, and Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, and rejoicing the faithful that would come from near or from afar.

' " I was lovely, and thou madest me still lovelier ; I was fair, and thou madest me still fairer ; I was desirable, and thou madest me still more desirable ; I was sitting in a forward place, and thou madest me sit in the foremost place, through this good thought, through this good speech, through this good deed of thine ; and so henceforth men worship me for my having long sacrificed unto and conversed with Ahura Mazda."

- The first step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Good-Thought Paradise ; the second step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Good- Word Paradise ; the third step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Good-Deed Paradise ; the fourth step that the soul of the faithful man made, placed him in the Endless Light.

'Then one of the faithful, who had departed before him, asked, saying : " How didst thou depart this life, thou holy man ? How didst thou come,

' FromYt. XXII, 12-13.

vts'TASP YAST. 345

thou holy man ! from the abodes full of cattle and full of the wishes and enjoyments of love ? from the material world into the world of the spirit ? from the decaying world into the undecaying one ? How long did thy felicity last ? " '

And Ahura Mazda answered: 'Ask him not what thou askest him, who has just gone the dreary way, full of fear and distress, when the body and the soul part from one another.

' [Let him eat] of the food brought to him, of the oil of Zaremaya : this is the food for the youth of good thoughts, of good words, of good deeds, of good religion, after he has departed this life ; this is the food for the holy woman, rich in good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, well-principled, and obedient to her husband, after she has departed this life.'

Spitama Zarathui"tra said to the young king Vii-taspa : ' To what land shall I turn, O Ahura Mazda ? To whom shall I go with praying V

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

^ This clause, taken from Yt. XXII, 20, shows that the second part ofYt. XXII (§§ 19-36), describing the fate of the wicked, should be inserted here.

NYAYI5.

A Nyayi^ is properly a begging prayer, as opposed to Sitayij, a prayer of praise. It is a term particularly applied to five prayers addressed to the Sun, to Mithra, to the Moon, to Waters, and to Fire. Every layman over eight years old is bound to recite the Nyayij : he recites it standing and girded with his Kosti.

The Sun Nyayij is recited three times a day, at the rising of the sun (Gah Havan), at noon (Gah Rapitvin), and at three o'clock in the afternoon (Gah Uziren). The Mithra Nyayix is recited with the Sun Nyayij, as IMithra follows the sun in its course (see Yt. X, 13).

The Moon Nyayij is recited three times a month : first, at the time when it begins to be seen ; second, when it is at the full ; third, when it is on the wane.

The Waters Nyayii- and the Fire Nyayij are recited every day, when one finds oneself in the proximity of those elements. The Fire Nyayij is recited with the Penom on (see Vend. p. 168, 7).

The first four Nyayij must be recited especially on the days over which the Izads invoked preside ; that is to say, on the Khorshe^/, Mihir, Mah, and Aban days (the eleventh, sixteenth, twelfth, and tenth days of the month) \

I. KHORSHfeZ^ NYAYI^.

I. [Hail unto the Sun, the swift-horsed! May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ^I]

^ Anquetil, Zend-Avesta II, pp. 6, 22, 565-566. '^ This clause is wanting in most n:\anuscripts.

Hail unto thee, O Ahura Mazda, in the threefold way^l [Hail unto thee] before all other creatures!

Hail unto you, O Amesha-Spe;^tas, who are all of you of one accord with the Sun !

May this prayer come unto Ahura Mazda ! May it come unto the Amesha-Spe;^tas ! May it come unto the Fravashis of the holy Ones ! May it come unto the Sovereign Vayu of the long Period ^1

[Hail unto the Sun, the swift-horsed !]

May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced! May Angra Mainyu be destroyed! by those who do truly what is the foremost wish (of God). I recite the ' Praise of Holiness-.'

I praise well-thought, well-spoken, and well-done thoughts, words, and deeds. I embrace all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds; I reject all evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds \

I give sacrifice and prayer unto you, O Amesha-

Spe7«tas ! even with the fulness of my thoughts, of

my words, of my deeds, and of my heart : I give

unto you even my own life.

1 recite the 'Praise of Holiness^ :'

' Ashem Vohii : Holiness is the best of all good. Well is it for it, well is it for that holiness which is perfection of holiness * ! '

5^ Hail to Ahura Mazda!

Hail to the Amesha-Spe;nas !

Hail to Mithra, the lord of wide pastures !

Hail to the Sun, the swift-horsed !

Hail to the two eyes of Ahura Mazda !

Hail to the Bull !

Hail to Gaya^ !

^ In thought, speech, and deed (Pers. and Sansk. transl).

2 Vayu, as being the same with Fate (Vend. Introd. IV, 17), became identified with Time.

3 The Ashem Vohu. * See p. 22. « § 5=Yasna LXVIII (22-23 [LXVII, 58-67]).

Gaya Maretan, the first man.

KHORSHED NYAYI5. 35^

Hail to the Fravashi of the holy Spitama Zarathui-tra !

Hail to the whole of the holy creation that was, is, or will be !

May I grow in health of body through Vohu-Mano, Khshathra, and Asha, and come to that luminous space, to that highest of all high things \ when the world, O Spey^ta Mainyu ! has come to an end!

Ashem Vohil : Holiness is the best of all good ....

We sacrifice unto the bright, undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun.

We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand ears.well-shapen, with ten thousand eyes, high, with full knowledge, strong, sleepless, and ever awake ^.

We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of all countries, whom Ahura Mazda made the most glorious of all the gods in the world unseen ^.

So may Mithra and Ahura, the two great gods, come to us for help !

We sacrifice unto the bright, undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun.

We sacrifice unto Tii-trya, whose sight is sound *.

We sacrifice unto Ti^trya ; we sacrifice unto the

rains of Ti^trya^.

We sacrifice unto Ti^trya, bright and glorious.

We sacrifice unto the star Vana;^^f^ made by Mazda.

^ The sun: 'May my soul arrive at the sun-region 1' (Pahl. transl.) 2 Yt. X, 7. 3 In heaven. * See Yt. VIII, 12, note 7.

5 See Yt.VIII, 12, note 2. * See Yt. XX.

We sacrifice unto Ti^trya, the bright and glorious star.

We sacrifice unto the sovereign sky.

We sacrifice unto the boundless Time.

We sacrifice unto the sovereign Time of the long Period.

We sacrifice unto the beneficent, well-doing Wind.

We sacrifice unto the most upright Arista \ made by Mazda and holy.

We sacrifice unto the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda.

We sacrifice unto the way of content^.

We sacrifice unto the golden instruments We sacrifice unto Mount Saoka/^ta, made by Mazda \

We sacrifice unto all the holy gods of the world unseen.

We sacrifice unto all the holy gods of the material world.

We sacrifice unto our own soul.

We sacrifice unto our own Fravashi.

We sacrifice unto the good, strong, beneficent Fravashis of the holy Ones.

We sacrifice unto the bright, undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun.

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathu5'tra ....

1 See Yt. XVI. ^ Qr, of pleasure.

^ ' On Mount Saoka«ta there is a golden tube coming from the root of the earth ; the water that is on the surface of the earth goes up through the hole of that tube to the heavens, and being driven by the wind, spreads everywhere, and thus the dew is produced' (Sansk. transl.).

. A

MIHIR NYAYIS-. 353

Unto the bright, undying, shining, swift-horsed Sun ;

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification . . . . ^

Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

[We sacrifice] unto the Ahurian waters ^ the waters of Ahura, with excellent libations, with finest libations, with libations piously strained ^.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

[Give] unto that man brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

II. MIHIR NYAYI^-.

I*. Hail unto thee, O Ahura IMazda, in the threefold way! [Hail unto thee] before all other creatures !

Hail unto you, O Amesha-Spewtas, who are all of you of one accord with the Sun !

INIay this prayer come unto Ahura IMazda ! INIay it come unto the Amesha-Spewtas ! May it come unto the Fravashis of the holy Ones ! ]\Iay it come unto the sovereign Vayu of the long Period !

May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced ! . . . .

I praise well-thought, well-spoken, and well-done thoughts, words, and deeds ....

I give sacrifice and prayer unto you, O Amesha-Spewtas ! . . . .

Hail to Ahura Mazda I . . . .

May I grow in health of body through Vohu-Mano, Khshathra, and Asha, and come to that luminous space, to that highest of all high things, when the world, O Spewta Mainyu, has come to an end!

6^ We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assembHes, with a thousand ears, well-shapen, with ten thousand

^ The whole of the Kh6rshe(f Ya^t is inserted here. ^ Rivers considered as Ahura's wives (cf. Ormazd et Ahriman, § 32)-

-' From Yasna LXVIII, 10 (LXVII, 30); cf. p. 34.

§§ i-5 = Kh6rshet^ Nyayij, §§ 1-5. ' §§ 6-7 = Kh6rshe(^ Nyayi^, §§ 6-7. [23] A a

eyes, high, with full knowledge, strong, sleepless, and ever awake.

We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of all countries, whom Ahura Mazda made the most glorious of all the heavenly gods.

So may Mithra and Ahura, the two great gods, come to us for help !

We sacrifice unto the undying, shining, swifthorsed Sun.

8 ^. We sacrifice unto Tij-trya, whose sight is sound .... 9. We sacrifice unto all the holy gods of the world unseen .... 10 ^ I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathu-ftra ....

11^ We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand ears, well-shapen, with a thousand eyes, high, with full knowledge, strong, sleepless, and ever awake.

We sacrifice unto the Mithra around countries ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra within countries ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra in this country ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra above countries ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra under countries ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra before countries ;

We sacrifice unto the Mithra behind countries.

We sacrifice unto Mithra and Ahura, the two

great, imperishable, holy gods ; and unto the stars,

and the moon, and the sun, with the trees that

yield baresma. We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord

of all countries.

1 3''. For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard ....

1 §§ 8-9 = Kh6rsha^ Nyayij, §§ 8-9. ^ Yt. X, o.

' §§ ii-i2=Yt. X, 144-145. ' §§ i3-i5=Yt. X, 4-6.

MAH NYAYI.S. 355

We offer up libations unto Mithra ....

May he come to us for help! May he come to us for ease ! . . . .

I will offer up libations unto him, the strong Yazata, the powerful Mithra ....

Yenhe hatfim: AUthose beings of whom Ahura IMazda ....

16 \ Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Mithra ....

Ashem Vohfi: Holiness is the best of. all good ....

[Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

III. MAH NYAYI^-.

I ^. Hail to Ahura Mazda I Hail to the Amesha-Spewtas ! Hail to the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull 1 Hail to thee when we look at thee ! Hail to thee when thou lookest at us !

2^ Unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull; unto the only-created Bull and unto the Bull of many species ;

Be propitiation ....

Hail to Ahura Mazda ! . . . .

How does the moon wax? How does the moon wane? ....

We sacrifice unto the Moon that keeps in it the seed of the Bull

And when the light of the moon waxes warmer ....

I will sacrifice unto the Moon ....

For its brightness and glory ....

Yatha ahil vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

lo*. Give us strength and victory! Give us welfare in cattle and in bread! Give us a great number of male children, praisers [of God] and chiefs in assemblies, who smite and are not smitten, who smite at one stroke their enemies, who smite at one stroke their foes, ever in joy and ready to help.

' Yt. X, 146. - § I =Mah Yast, § i . » §§ 2-9 = Mah Yast.

§§io-ii; cf.Yt. XXiV, 6-8.

A a 2

35^ NYAYI5.

1 1 . Ye gods of full Glory, ye gods of full healing, let your greatness become manifest! let your assistance become manifest as soon as you are called for ! and ye, Waters, manifest your Glory, and impart it to the man who offers you a sacrifice.

Ashem Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good .... [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

IV. ABAN NYAYI^-.

I. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced! ....

Unto the good Waters, made by Mazda ; unto the holy water-spring Ardvi Anahita; unto all waters, made by Mazda ; unto all plants, made by Mazda,

Be propitiation ^ . . . .

2 ^. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathujtra, saying : ' Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathu^tra ! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita ....

'Who makes the seed of all males pure, who makes the womb of all females pure for bringing forth ....

'The large river, known afar, that is as large as the whole of the waters that run along the earth ....

'All the shores of the sea Vouru-Kasha are boiling over, all the middle of it is boiling over, when she runs down there ....

'From this river of mine alone flow all the waters that spread all over the seven Karshvares ;

- I, Ahura Mazda, brought it down with mighty vigour, for the increase of the house, of the borough, of the town, of the country^.

' He from whom she will hear the staota yesnya'^; he from whom she will hear the Ahuna

1 As Aban Ya^t, o. ^ §§ 2-6 = Aban Yajt, §§ 1-5.

^ Cf. Aban Y3.st, § 6. * See above, p. 152, note i.

ATA5 NYAYI5. 357

vairya^ he from whom she will hear the Ashavahi^ta^; he by whom the good waters, will be made pure ; with the words of the holy hymns \ he will enter first the Gar6-nmana of Ahura Mazda : she will give him the boons asked for*.

' For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard; I will offer her a sacrifice well-performed. Thus mayest thou advise us when thou art appealed to! Mayest thou be most fully worshipped.

' We sacrifice unto the holy Ardvi Sflra Anahita with libations. We sacrifice unto Ardvi Siira Anahita, the holy and master of holiness, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the words, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words.

'Ye«he hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda ....

' Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of

holiness ....

' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of

the holy water-spring Anahita.

' [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'

V. Ata^- nyAyi5.

I ^ Take me out \ O Ahura ! give me perfect piety and strength ....

4^ May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced! ....

^ The Yatha ahft vairyo prayer,

"^ The Ashem Vohij prayer.

3 Cf. Yt. XXII, 2, and Yt. XXIV, 39.

Cf. Aban Ya^t, §§ 19, 23, 27, 35, 39, 47, &c.

Cf, Aban Ya^t, § 9. 6 §§ i-3=Yasna XXXIII, 12-14.

' Deliver me from Ahriman ' (Pahl. Comm.). ^ As in Ormazd Ya^t, o.

Hail unto thee, O Fire, son of Ahura Mazda,

thou beneficent and most great Yazata!

^ Ash em Vohu : Holiness is the best of all good ....

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda ....

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification ....

Unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda; unto thee Atar, son of Ahura Mazda !

5I Unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda; unto the Glory and the Weal, made by Mazda; unto the Glory of the Aryas, made by Mazda ; unto the Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda.

Unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ; unto king Husravah ; unto the lake of Husravah ; unto Mount Asnava;^/*, made by Mazda; unto Lake A'ae/C'asta, made by Mazda; unto the Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda.

Unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda; unto Mount Raeva;//, made by Mazda; unto the Glory of the Kavis, made by Mazda.

Unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

Unto Atar, the beneficent, the warrior ; the God who is a full source of Glory, the God who is a full source of healing.

Unto Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, with all Atars ; unto the God Nairyo-sangha, who dwells in the navel of kings ;

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yatha ahft vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

7 2. I bless the sacrifice and invocation, and the

' As in Ormazd Ya.st, o. ^ Cf. Sirozah, § 9.

^ §§7-i6=Yasna LXII, i-io (LXI). See the Sanskrit translation in Etudes Iraniennes, II.

AT AS NYAYW. 359

good offering, the beneficent offering, the offering of assistance offered unto thee, O Atar, son of Ahura Mazda !

Thou art worthy of sacrifice and invocation ; mayest thou receive the sacrifice and the invocation in the houses of men.

Well may it be unto the man who ever worships thee with a sacrifice, holding the sacred wood in his hand, the baresma in his hand, the meat in his hand, the mortar ^ in his hand,

Mayest thou have the right ^ wood ! Mayest thou have the right incense! Mayest thou have the right food! Mayest thou have the right fuel ^ I

Mayest thou be full-grown for protecting (this house)! Mayest thou grow excellent for protecting!

Mayest thou burn in this house ! Mayest thou ever burn in this house ! Mayest thou blaze in this house ! Mayest thou increase in this house ! Even for a long time, till the powerful restoration of the world, till the time of the good, powerful restoration of the world !

Give me, O Atar, son of Ahura Mazda ! lively welfare, lively maintenance, lively living ; fulness of welfare, fulness of maintenance, fulness of life ;

Knowledge, sagacity ; quickness of tongue ; (holiness of) soul ; a good memory ; and then the understanding that goes on growing and the one that is not acquired through learning*;

^ The mortar for pounding the Haoma.

"^ In quality and quantity.

^ Upasayeni : what is added to keep up the fire when lighted (Pers. transl.).

The gaosh6-srfita khratu and the asna khratu (see p. 7, note i).

And then the manly courage,

Firm-footed, unsleeping-, (sleeping only) for a third part of the day and of the night, quick to rise up from bed, ever awake ;

And a protecting, virtuous offspring, able to rule countries and assemblies of men, well growing up, good, freeing us from the pangs (of hell), endowed with a good intellect, that may increase my house, my borough, my town, my country, my empire.

Give me, O Atar, son of Ahura Mazda! however unworthy I am \ now and for ever, a seat in the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

May I obtain the good reward, a good renown ^, and long cheerfulness for my soul^!

Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, lifts up his voice to all those for whom he cooks their evening meal and their morning meal*. From all those he wishes a good offering, a beneficent offering, an offering of assistance, O Spitama !

Atar looks at the hands of all those who pass by : ' What does the friend bring to his friend ? What does he who comes and goes bring to him ^ who stays motionless ?'

We sacrifice unto Atar, the valiant warrior ^.

And if the passer-by brings him wood holily brought, or bundles of baresma holily tied up, or

1 Ya mk afras(2ungh£zu angha/: ya me abhut ayogyata (Sansk. transl.).

2 Here. ^ Above.

Khshafnim, suirim (Etudes Iraniennes, II, 161).

® Atar.

^ 'Bodily he is infirm (ar me j-t, motionless); spiritually he is a warrior' (Pahl. Comm.).

ATA5' NY-AY 15-. ^6 1

O''

twigs of Hadhanaepata\ then Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda, well pleased with him and not angry, and fed as required, will thus bless him :

1 6, 'May herds of oxen grow for thee, and increase of sons ; may thy mind be master of its vow, may thy soul be master of its vow, and mayest thou live on in the joy of the soul all the nights of thy life.'

This is the blessing which Atar speaks unto him who brings him dry wood, well-examined by the light of the day, well-cleansed with godly intent ^.

Yatha ah(i vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness ....

I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Atar, the son of Ahura Mazda ^ . . . .

AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good ....

18^. We gladden by our virtue thy mighty Fire, O Ahura ! thy most quick and powerful Fire, who shows his assistance^ to him who has ever comforted him, but delights in taking vengeance with his hands on the man who has harmed him.

^ See Vend. p. 94, note i. "" Cf. Vend. XVIII, 26-27. ^ From Yasna XXXIV, 4.

'In the var nirang' (Pahl. Comm.), that is to say, in the fire ordeal ; see above, p. 1 70, note 3.