Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 23 — The Zend-Avesta, Part II / Yasts & Nyayis (Darmesteter, page scans)

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.

200 YA^TS AND siROZAHS.

commander is the same, namely, the Maker, Ahura Mazda ;

84. 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^.

85. We worship the good, strong, beneficent 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 ^

86. 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 ^^.

87. 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.

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 ; \

88. 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 ;

89. 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 2rning 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. -^

90. 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 ;

91. 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 ;

92. 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 ;

93. 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!

95. ' 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.