But A^i Dahaka, the three-mouthed, he of the evil law, rushed on his back, thinking of extinguishing it:
48. '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.
49. 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 :
50. '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.
51. 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.'
52. 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.
53. '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 ;
54. '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.
300 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.
55. We sacrifice unto the awful Glory, that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda ....
56. 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.
58. ' 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
59. 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.
61. '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.
62. 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 !'
64. 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 ....
65. We sacrifice unto the awful Glory that cannot be forcibly seized, made by Mazda ....
66. That cleaves unto him ^ who grows up there,
where lies Lake Kasava ^, along with the Haetu-
man^^ river; there where stands Mount Ushidh^u*,
surrounded by waters, that run from the mountain.
67. 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.
68. 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.
69. 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 ....
70. We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....
71. 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^;
72. 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 ....
73. We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....
74^ That clave unto Kavi Husravah for the well-
shapen 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-
304 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS.
unconquerable power of the law ; for the extermina- tion of the enemies at one stroke ;
75. 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 ;
76. And for a dominion full of splendour, for a long, long life, and for all boons and remedies ;
77. 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 ....
78. We sacrifice unto the awful kingly Glory, made by Mazda ....
79. 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.
80. 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.
81. 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 ^
82. 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.