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

ing Haoma is an act of religion (cf Yasna XI, 12 [31] seq.).

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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.

7. 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 !

8. 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 !

9. 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 !

10. 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.

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Happy the man whom thou dost attend ! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong !

11. 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 !

12. 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 !

13.

y 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 !

13. 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 !

14. 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

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15. Do not turn thy look from me! turn thy mercy towards me, O great Ashi ! thou art well-made and of a noble seed^- thou art sovereign at thy wish ; thou art Glory in a bodily form.

16. 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 ?'

18. 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^ !

19. '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.

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have not been able to smite me down in spite of myself, and Zarathu^tra alone can reach me in spite of myself

20.

Yt. XII. * See Yt. X.

^ Or, ' doing no harm to the righteous.'

" Zarathujtra. '' The Ahuna Vairya.

« Cf. Yt. XIII, 93.

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have not been able to smite me down in spite of myself, and Zarathu^tra alone can reach me in spite of myself

20. '"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." '

21. 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.

22. 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.

25. 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 ,p. 276 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.'

26. 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.

27. 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.

29. 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 ;

30.