Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 23 — The Zend-Avesta, Part II / Yasts & Nyayis (Darmesteter, page scans)
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The translator’s English as printed. The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
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.
25. ' 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!
26. '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.
p. 32
YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.
' A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies ^ !
' A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies !
* A thousand remedies, ten thousand remedies !
27. '[We worship] the well-shapen, tall -formed Strength ; Verethraghna, made by Ahura ; the crushing Ascendant^, and Spe/2ta-Armaiti.
28. '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 ?'
29. Then Zarathui-tra said : ' I threw you back into the earth ^ and by the eyes of Spe/^ta-Armaiti ^ the ruffian was made powerless ^
30. ' W"e worship the powerful Gaokerena^^, made by Mazda ; the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.
31. ' 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.
irozah 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 -.
32. '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
p. 34
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] Dp. 34 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, all-happy, 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.
p. 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 ^ . . . .
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