Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 31 — The Zend-Avesta, Part III / Yasna & Gathas (Mills, page scans)

nd I have still more clearly shown them to. be a mass of partly literal, partly free, and at times (be it remarked) alternative translations and comments; and I would again say that to treat them without the closest recognition of these facts would be mere incompetence if it were not also imposture.

I should here thank a few of my friends for glancing over my Latin verbatim translations as proof-readers thereby saving me from several oversights; but I should say that my object was to explain the subject by word-for-word renderings to be studied by students at the finger’s point, and not to execute a piece of dilettanteism by adhering to terms of the classical period which could not express so fully more modern ideas. I have been somewhat gratified as well as surprised to learn from these gentlemen (who are not experts in Zend) that they not only make out the meaning of these verbatims and paraphrases, but even find them of interest.

One final word as to a more recent conjecture that the Gathas, while being the oldest part of the Avesta, are with the rest of it so modern as the year One*. As all students are aware an opinion practically identical with this had been carefully considered in the shape of a doubt by all Zend-scholars and rejected as untenable. I remember Professor Roth’s speaking of the reasons which induced him to believe the Gathas to be genuine and therefore remotely ancient; but I believe that I was historically the first person who ever published the oft-investigated query; see S. B. E. XXXI. Introduction, p. xxxvi fig. No one in rude and uncultured Iran in AD. I, or near it, could forge such documents as the Gathâs with all their pulsation of personal life; and that there was actually a King of the name of Vishtaspa and a prophet called Zarathushtra at that late date seems equally incredible.

Our conclusion is that we have no alternative; we must accept the documents as genuine notwithstanding their remarkable character; and we must place them at such a period in history as is indicated by logical conclusions from the facts,

7 i _ ‘ea we! aCe Ce * ie ; ‘. ‘ cree, Sr ore eas Re rk eas POA wa et SS Kigo ee WOE Piipianatrs ht ( fe reeh * " an craae a9 beth vsreht >) at rye 1 < 6 ee a a “ A ae = 7 rit Oeste 2 Arse y toes ; ees ; sO fe if Ws kate Cte 2 ite Fie! ao cee

Wh

a: Gatha(a) Ahunavaiti(i) (Yasna cap. 28—34). Introduction. cgodsrraxy - Lee - bya : epiae = dawg . Cr} MD fo Tangy - EW EAD . AUD fC» : me & pov )eayrda) nf : Josey & aye}bspys . grGurge . «e ; beg & jeawrbreee

Transliteration. Yanim mané yanim vaché yanim é(k)yaothnem ashaon6 Zarathustrahe [=°hya]. (b) Fra Amesha Spenta Gathao géurvain®), (c)Nemé ve Gathao ashaoni§! (The letter v often = English w throughout, and w = v.)

Verbatim transl. Beneticium-corroborans [est] cogitatio, beneficium verbum, beneficium actio sancti Zarathushtrae. Ad-verbum fi. e.

)yaothnem ashaon6 Zarathustrahe [=°hya]. (b) Fra Amesha Spenta Gathao géurvain®), (c)Nemé ve Gathao ashaoni§! (The letter v often = English w throughout, and w = v.)

Verbatim transl. Beneticium-corroborans [est] cogitatio, beneficium verbum, beneficium actio sancti Zarathushtrae. Ad-verbum fi. e. amplius, prorsus] Immortales Benefici Gathas faciant-ut-excipiant (vel G. excipiant)|. Laus vobis, Gathae sanctae!

Pahl. text transliterated. Yin minishnd, va! yan gdbishnd, va yan kunishnd?* yehevind i* aharibé Zaratishté. [Minishnd, va? gdbishné, vas Kinishnd i+ frarimé rai‘, pavan nadikih arjanik yehevaind]. ° (b) Fraz Ameshéspendand Gasané> vakhdind, {aighshand® pavan sti fraz dashté]. (c) Niyayishné avd lekim, Gasind i aharabd!

* DJ. om. * D. ins. gl as P. * DJ. ins. * D. om. * DJ.-omits kard va, D. om. kard. *so DJ. and D.; Sp. and M.* mim; see the Pers. *Mf. ins. i, and then as D. and P.

Pahl. transl. A blessing was the thought, and a blessing was the word, and a blessing was the deed of the holy Zaratisht. [On account of pious thoughts, words, and deeds he was deserving of happiness]. (b) The

-Ameshdspends took forth the Gathas, [that is, held them forth in the world]. (c) Praise to you, ye sacred Gathas! ey.

Ner.’s sansk. text. translit. Cobhanamanajh]* cobhanavacha[h/}?, karma* babhiva punyatma Jarathugtrafhj. [Manasah vachasah swynle da) : Deeaasl pager» | wergnes 24499 oe v epee » AED « Aur IQparqogngaysD | cern )rdusey - augSng . 49); ssu}ob.s0gH9 -

26g»). PAD erpownrguwdyaygs | Russje-coea)dy Trlit. Ahya yasa nemanha ustdna-zast6 raf(e)dhrahya Mainyéus* Mazda paourvim [°viyem] spefitahya Ash vispéfig Vanheus Kbratim Mananhé ya i se

p. 3

I.

The Anthem called ‘ Ahunavaiti’ (having the ‘Ahuna’ metre, and following the ‘Ahuna’ prayer).

Free transl. A strengthening* blessing* is the thought, a blessing is the word, a blessing is the deed of the holy Zarathushtra. Forth-on* (continuously) may the Bounteous Immortals take up (or ‘cause men to take up’) the chants. (c) Praise to you, ye sacred Anthems! sadvyaparatvat cubhanurtipo babhiiva, yady asau evai chakaral., (b) Prakrishtarh Amaranam Mahattarandm Gathah Sathjagraha, [kila, tab panktya [-tyath*] nidarcayam‘ Asa [sa]}> panktya [-tyam*] nidarganaya®, Karyarh idar babhiiva yady? asau’ vismartum? nasa’ [(?) na tad (tah)] yatobhyahs [(?)yatebhyah] komala!° yatha sarve ’pi karyanyayah" ye samagrebhyah Avistdarthebhyah prakatah tan antar gAthash nidargayaih Asa, tabhyah'? pranamah'3 chakre], (c) yat: namo yusimabhyam, he Gathah punyatmanyah! * Anusyara omitted.

* J.3,J.* Omana, C., P. manasa. 2 J.’, J.* °vacha, P., C. “asa. 9J.3, P, karma, but

C., *mana. *J.%,J.*,P. Sal! seem sa. all nidarcgayanaya. 7J.* om. 2 Jae, Jane bPrnage but J.4, C. nara. 9 J,* 10 S38, Je la Colo, 2 J.* *yenya. 1? J.* *bhyam; J.2°bhya*. 33 so all, Ner. transl.

* Anusyara omitted.

* J.3,J.* Omana, C., P. manasa. 2 J.’, J.* °vacha, P., C. “asa. 9J.3, P, karma, but

C., *mana. *J.%,J.*,P. Sal! seem sa. all nidarcgayanaya. 7J.* om. 2 Jae, Jane bPrnage but J.4, C. nara. 9 J,* 10 S38, Je la Colo, 2 J.* *yenya. 1? J.* *bhyam; J.2°bhya*. 33 so all, Ner. transl. The holy Jarathustra was good in thoughts, words, and deeds; [from good conduct in thought, word, and deed he was deserving of happiness, if so he did}. He took up the Gathas of the Greater Immortals, fi. e. he revealed them in the world for manifestation. ‘This was his deed (or ‘object’), if he made. theni, or ‘it’ (?), easy to those bound* by-them*, that _ they might not forget them, as he also matle manifest in the Gathas all the laws of duty which are revealed by all the Avista-interpretations, and established a worship by, or ‘for’, them], (c) wherefore: Praise to you, O sacred Gathas! Parsi-persian Ms., Wa yan minishn, wa yan gdbishn, wa yan kinishn [néki ra pah néki arzani = frdriin ré Pavan nadiki arzani| bid ashd Zaratusht * [Minishn, gobishn, kfinishn 7 frarin(?) [] pah néki arzAnt bad] * (b) Fraz Amshasfendan Gasan girift (2) [it] [ ] [iz(a)dan = (space), no text] [ ] gurah fraz dash (2) * (c) Niyayishn an shuma Gasan 7 ash % (The letter W = English v; but see pages 154—275),

Fr. With hands outstretched I beseech, with praise for this grace, the first blessing, All actions done in the Right, gift of, Mazda, Thy bounteous spirit, And the Good Mind’s understanding, thus the soul of the Kine appeasing.*

* Exact reproductions of metre and words are not here attempted.

Verbatim transl. Hujus precibus-contendo[-amj laude* erectas-manushabens gratiae (b) Spiritus*, O Magni-donator (?)* (vel, O Sapiens* (?)), primum [donorum omnium] bene -largiti*, [ut] sanctitate erga-omnes [vel omnia] facta [consummata sint], (c) [et] Bonae intelligentiam Mentis [hanc etiam exoro] _ qua satisfaciam Bovisque-animam [-mae]. *' Vel, lege °dao, capa Mazda (?),

p. 4

Pahl. text translit. Zak [mozd i valman i! Attharmazd nafshman]? bavihinam pavan niy4yishné? [amat dadakgdbih i* Yazadan6® shapirand vadtnam-6*], afisténd-yadman {minishnich”] pavan ramishno [i nafshman] (b) pavan minavadikih? Atharmazd? fratim®’ [pavan GAsdnikth] afzdyinishnd Aharayih i pavan harvispo® kdinishno, [aigh, ktnishno'? hamak"* pavan Gasanikih ktinishno], (c) pavan zak i Vohiman!? khirad61® [pavan asno khiradé| shnayinishno'* 1 Goshdtrvan™5, faigh, pahréjd! t gdspendin pavan danakih ktnishnd).

1 DJ. 2M. ins. benafshman. ? D. i. 4DJ. om. *D. ins. va. * D. °yén. 7D. %k. 8 DJ. avla. °so DJ. 20 D. ins. mindayam. “ DJ. and D. D.* vohfiman; DJ. valman. * DJ., D.om, va. “D., othersshnayishnd. *DJ., D., M.1 géush®, (D. arrived* later* here; Mf. follows it).

Pahl. transl.