92. ' The holy Ahura Mazda confessed that religion and so did Vohu-Mano, so did Asha-Vahii-ta, so did Khshathra -Vairya, so did Spe;^ta-Armaiti, so ^ For the morning service in the Gah Ujahin.
=> Cf. Vend. Ill, i.
MIIIIR YA^T. 143 did Haurvata/ and Amereta/; and all the Amesha-Spe;2tas longed for and confessed his religion. The kind Mazda conferred upon him the mastership of the world; and [so did they'] who saw thee amongst all creatures the right lord and master of the world, the best cleanser of these creatures.
93. ' So mayest thou in both worlds, mayest thou keep us in both worlds, O Mithra, lord of wide pastures! both in this material world and in the world of the spirit, from the fiend of Death, from the fiend Aeshma -, from the fiendish hordes, that lift up the spear of havoc, and from the onsets of Aeshma, wherein the evil-doing Aeshma rushes along with Vidotu ^, made by the Daevas.
94. ' So mayest thou, O Mithra, lord of wide pastures! give swiftness to our teams, strength to our own bodies, and that we may watch with full success those who hate us, smite down our foes, and destroy at one stroke our adversaries, our enemies and those who hate us^.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...95. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; ' Who goes over the earth, all her breadth over, after the setting of the sun ^, touches both ends of "^ See Vend. Introd. IV, 22. ' See ibid.
^ It should seem as if Mithra was supposed to retrace his steps during the night. The Hindus supposed that the sun had a bright face and a dark one, and that during the night it returned from the west to the east with its dark face turned towards the earth.
144 YA5TS AND SIROZAHS this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, and surveys everything that is between the earth and the heavens, 96. ' Swinging in his hands a club with a hundred knots, a hundred edges, that rushes forwards and fells men down; a club cast out of red brass, of strong, golden brass; the strongest of all weapons, the most victorious of all weapons ^; 97. ' From whom Angra Malnyu, who is all death, flees away in fear; from whom Aeshma, the evildoing Peshotanu 2, flees away in fear; from whom the long-handed Bushyasta^ flees away in fear; from whom all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends flee away in fear *.
98. ' Oh! may we never fall across the rush of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, when in anger ^l May Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, never smite us in his anger; he who stands up upon this earth as the strongest of all gods, the most valiant of all gods, the most energetic of all gods, the swiftest of all gods, the most fiend-smiting of all gods, he, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures ^ ' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...XXV.
99. ' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; ' From whom all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends flee away in fear^.
* The lord of nations, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, drives forward at the right-hand side of this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar.
100. ' At his right hand drives the good, holy Sraosha; at his left hand drives the tall and strong Rashnu; on all sides around him drive the waters, the plants, and the Fravashis of the faithful.
loi. 'In his might, he ever brings to them falconfeathered arrows, and, when driving, he himself comes there, where are nations, enemy to Mithra, he, first and foremost, strikes blows with his club on the horse and his rider; he throws fear and fright upon the horse and his rider.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...102. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; * The warrior of the white horse, of the sharp spear, the long spear, the quick arrows; foreseeing and clever; 103. ' Whom Ahura Mazda has established to maintain and look over all this moving^ world, and who maintains and looks over all this moving world; who, never sleeping, wakefully guards the creation of Mazda; who, never sleeping, wakefully maintains the creation of Mazda.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...^ Fravoij; Parsi tradition translates large: fraz (tr. Phi.), buland (Asp., Yasna LVII, 15 [LVI, 7, 3]).
146 YAiTTS AND SIROZAHS 104. ' We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; 'Whose long arms, strong with Mithra-strength, encompass what he seizes in the easternmost river ^ and what he beats with the westernmost river 2, what is by the Sanaka ^ of the Rangha and what is by the boundary of the earth *.
105. 'And thou, O Mithra! encompassing all this around, do thou reach it, all over, with thy arms.
* The man without glory \ led astray from the right way, grieves in his heart; the man without glory thinks thus in himself: " That careless Mithra does not see all the evil that is done, nor all the lies that are told."
106. ' But I think thus in my heart: ' " Should the evil thoughts of the earthly man be a hundred times worse, they would not rise so high as the good thoughts of the heavenly Mithra; ' " Should the evil words of the earthly man be a hundred times worse, they would not rise so high as the good words of the heavenly Mithra; 1 The Sind.
2 The Rangha or Tigris. The words ag^urvayeiti and nighne, 'he seizes, he beats,' are the words used of the priest laying the Haoma in the mortar and pounding it with the pestle (Yasna, X, 2 [4-5]). The Sind and the Rangha are thus compared with the two parts of the Havana, the land between is the Haoma, and Mithra's arms are the arms of the priest.
^ Sanake, an aira^ Xeyofifvov; opposed to the aodhas of the Rangha, Yt. XII, 19.
* The Arabian sea (?). Cf. Yt. XII, 21.
^ Who has not a ray of the celestial Hght: here, the man of little faith.
MIHIR YA^T. 147 * " Should the evil deeds of the earthly man be a hundred times worse, they would not rise so high as the good deeds of the heavenly Mithra; 107. '"Should the heavenly wisdom^ in the earthly man be a hundred times greater, it would not rise so high as the heavenly wisdom in the heavenly Mithra; "'And thus, should the ears of the earthly man hear a hundred times better, he would not hear so well as the heavenly Mithra, whose ear hears well, who has a thousand senses, and sees every man that tells a lie."
* Mithra stands up in his strength, he drives in the awfulness of royalty, and sends from his eyes beautiful looks that shine from afar, (saying): 108. '" Who will offer me a sacrifice? Who will lie unto me? Who thinks me a god worthy of a good sacrifice? Who thinks me worthy only of a bad sacrifice? To whom shall I, in my might, impart brightness and glory? To whom bodily health? To whom shall I, in my might, impart riches and full weal? Whom shall I bless by raising him a virtuous ^ offspring?
109. '"To whom shall I give in return, without his thinking of it, the awful sovereignty, beautifully arrayed, with many armies, and most perfect; the sovereignty of an all-powerful tyrant, who fells down heads, valiant, smiting, and unsmitten; who orders chastisement to be done and his order is done at once, which he has ordered in his aneer?"
' O Mithra! when thou art offended and not satisfied, he 3 soothes thy mind, and makes Mithra satisfied.
* He who offers thee a good sacrifice; cf. § 108.
1 10. *"To whom shall I, m my might, impart sickness and death? To whom shall I impart poverty and sterility^? Of whom shall I at one stroke cut off the offspring?
111. '"From whom shall I take away, without his thinking of It, the awful sovereignty, beautifully arrayed, with many armies, and most perfect; the sovereignty of an all-powerful tyrant, who fells down heads, valiant, smiting, and unsmltten; who orders chastisement to be done and his order is done at once, which he has ordered In his anger."
*0 Mithra! while thou art satisfied and not angry, he moves thy heart to anger 2, and makes MIthra unsatisfied.
« For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...112. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; 'A warrior with a silver helm ^ a golden cuirass ^, who kills with the poniard, strong, valiant, lord of the borough. Bright are the ways of MIthra, by which he goes towards the country, when, wishing well, he turns Its plains and vales to pasture grounds, 113. 'And then cattle and males come to graze, as many as he wants.
'May Mithra and Ahura*, the high gods, come to us for help, when the poniard lifts up Its voice 1 Doubtful.
2 He who offers thee a bad sacrifice. ' Doubtful. * See Vend. Introd. IV, 8.
aloud ^, when the nostrils of the horses quiver, when the poniards...^ when the strings of the bows whistle and shoot sharp arrows; then the brood of those whose libations are hated fall smitten to the ground, with their hair torn off.
114. 'So mayest thou, O Mithra, lord of wide pastures! give swiftness to our teams, strength to our own bodies, and that we may watch with full success those who hate us, smite down our foes, and destroy at one stroke our adversaries, our enemies, and those who hate us ^ ' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...
115. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake.
* O Mithra, lord of wide pastures! thou master of the house, of the borough, of the town, of the country, thou ZarathuJtrotema*!
1 16. 'Mithra is twentyfold^ between two friends or two relations; ' Mithra is thirtyfold between two men of the same groups; * Mithra is fortyfold between two partners '^; ^ When it clashes with another. ^ Kahvan.
* The chief of the sacerdotal order, the so-called Maubedanmaused.
^ Or 'the contract is twentyfold...,' that is, twenty times more strictly binding than between any two strangers. This passage is one of the most important of the Avesta, as a short account of the social constitution and morals of Zoroastrian Iran.
* Of the same gild (svapahkti, ap. Neriosengh).
150 YA,STS AND SIROZAHS.
' Mithra is fiftyfold between wife and husband i; 'Mithra is sixtyfold between two pupils (of the same master); 'Mithra is seventyfold between the pupil and his master; ' Mithra is eightyfold between the son-in-law and his father-in-law; ' Mithra is ninetyfold between two brothers; 117.' Mithra is a hundredfold between the father and the son; 'Mithra is a thousandfold between two nations 2; 'Mithra is ten thousandfold when connected with the Law of Mazda ^ and then he will be every day * of victorious strength ^.
118. 'May I come unto thee with a prayer that goes lowly or goes highly! As this sun rises up above the Hara Berezaiti and then fulfils its career, so may I, O Spitama! with a prayer that goes lowly or goes highly, rise up above the will of the fiend Angra MainyuM ' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...XXX.
119, 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake.
' Offer up a sacrifice unto Mithra, O Spitama! and order thy pupils to do the same.
1 Doubtful.
^ A fair recognition of the jus gentium.
3 The contract between the faithful and the Law, the covenant (?).
^ Reading [hjamahe ayan.
^ The last clause is doubtful; the text is corrupt.
^ Prayer follows Mithra in his career, rising and setting with him.
'Let the worshipper of Mazda sacrifice unto thee ^ with small cattle, with black cattle, with flying birds, gliding forward on wings.
120. 'To Mithra all the faithful worshippers of Mazda must give strength and energy with offered and proffered Haomas, which the Zaotar proffers unto him and gives in sacrifice 2. Let the faithful man drink of the libations cleanly prepared, which if he does, If he offers them unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, Mithra will be pleased with him and without anger.'
121. Zarathu^ra asked him: 'O Ahura Mazda! how shall the faithful man drink the libations cleanly prepared, which if he does and he offers them unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, Mithra will be pleased with him and without anger?'
122. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Let them wash their bodies three days and three nights; let them undergo thirty strokes ^ for the sacrifice and prayer unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures. Let them wash their bodies two days and two nights; let them undergo twenty strokes for the sacrifice and prayer unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures. Let no ^ Mithra.
"^ The translation of this sentence is conjectural.
^ Thirty strokes with the Sraosh6-/^arana (upazana; see Vend. Introd. V, 19); it is an expiation (akayaya^zta) which purges them from their sins and makes them fit for offering a sacrifice to Mithra. One may find in this passage the origin of the painful trials through which the adepts of the Mithriac mysteries had to go before being admitted to initiation {ovk &v ovv els alrov bwriaaiTO Tts reXead^vm, «i ixf] 8id rivav ^ad^xav napeKdcov twv KoXdafcov Sfl^u e'auroi/ oaiov Ka\ anaO?], Suidas s. V., ap. Windischmann, iiber Mithra, 152 YA5TS AND SIROZAIIS man drink of these libations who does not know the staota yesnya^: Vispe ratavo 2.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard..,, XXXI.
123. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; ' To whom Ahura Mazda offered up a sacrifice in the shining Garo-nmana ^ 124. 'With his arms Hfted up towards Immortality*, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, drives forward from the shining Garo-nmana, in a beautiful chariot that drives on, ever-swift, adorned with all sorts of ornaments, and made of gold.
125. • Four stallions draw that chariot, all of the same white colour, living on heavenly food^ and undying. The hoofs of their fore-feet are shod with gold, the hoofs of their hind-feet are shod with silver; all are yoked to the same pole, and wear the yoke ^ and the cross-beams of the yoke ^, fastened with hooks" of Khshathra vairya'^ to a 126. 'At his right hand drives Rashnu-Razi^ta^ the most beneficent and most well-shapen.
^ The sutud ye^t; the last chapters of the Yasna, from LVIII [LVII] to end, according to Anquetil (Zend-Avesta I, 2, 232).
2 The first words of the Visperad.
^ Paradise.
* Towards the abode of the Immortals.
^ Fed with ambrosia {afx^poaiov elbap) like Poseidon's steeds (II. XIII, 35; cf Ovid, Metam. IV, 214).
■^ Metal. See Vend. Introd. IV, 33.
« Upairispata. ' See Yt. XII.
MIHIR VAST. 15; * At his left hand drives the most upright A'ista \ the holy one, bearing libations in her hands, clothed with white clothes, and white herself; and the cursing thought 2 of the Law of Mazda.
127. 'Close by him drives the strong cursing thought 2 of the wise man, opposing foes in the shape of a boar, a sharp-toothed he-boar, a sharpjawed boar, that kills at one stroke, pursuing, wrathful, with a dripping face ^ strong and swift to run, and rushing all around *.
* Behind him drives Atar ^ all in a blaze, and the awful kingly Glory.
128. 'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand bows well-made, with a string of cowgut; they go through the heavenly space ^ they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
129. ' On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand vulture-feathered arrows, with a golden mouth \ with a horn shaft, with a brass tail, and well-made. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
1 30. ' On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand spears well-made and sharp-piercing. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
*On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of 1 See Yt. XVI. ^ See above, p. 12, note 13. ' Cf. Yt. X, 70.
* Or better, rushing before (pairi-vaza; cf. the translations of pairi-da-^z^yu, Yt. X, 144 and pairi-vara, Yt. I, 19). Cf. Yt.
^ The Genius of Fire. ' See p. 95, note i. ''A golden point.
wide pastures, stand a thousand steel-hammers, twoedged, well-made. They go through the heavenlyspace, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
131. 'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand swords, twoedged and well-made. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a thousand maces of iron, wellmade. They go through the heavenly space, they fall through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
132. 'On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stands a beautiful well-falling club, with a hundred knots, a hundred edges, that rushes forward and fells men down; a club cast out of red brass, of strong, golden brass; the strongest of all weapons, the most victorious of all weapons \ It goes through the heavenly space 2, it falls through the heavenly space upon the skulls of the Daevas.
133. 'After he has smitten the Daevas, after he has smitten down the men who lied unto Mithra, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, drives forward through Arezahe and Savahe, through Fradadhafshu and Vidadhafshu, through Vourubare^ti and Vouru-^are^ti, through this our Karshvare, the bright ZTz^aniratha ^.
134. 'Angra Mainyu, who is all death, flees away in fear; Aeshma, the evil-doing Peshotanu, flees ^ Cf. Yt. X, 96. 2 The text has, they go away in fear; the long-handed Bushyasta flees away in fear; all the Daevas unseen and the Varenya fiends flee away in fear.
135. 'Oh! may we never fall across the rush of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, when in anger! May Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, never smite us in his anger; he who stands up upon this earth as the strongest of all gods, the most valiant of all gods, the most energetic of all gods, the swiftest of all gods, the most fiend-smiting of all gods, he, Mithra, the lord of wide pastures^ ' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...XXXII.
136. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; ' For whom white stallions, yoked to his chariot, draw it, on one golden wheel, with a full shining axle.
137. * If Mithra takes his libations to his own dwelling 2, " Happy that man, I think," — said Ahura Mazda, — "O holy ZarathuJtra! for whom a holy priest, as pious as any in the world ^, who is the Word incarnate, offers up a sacrifice unto Mithra with bundles of baresma and with the [proper] words.
' " Straight to that man, I think, will Mithra come, to visit his dwelling, 138. * " When Mithras boons will come to him, as he follows God's teaching, and thinks according to God's teaching.
' " Woe to that man, I think," — said Ahura Mazda, — * Doubtful. Possibly, * of a pious conscience.'
" O holy Zarathui-tra! for whom an unholy priest, not pious ^, who is not the Word incarnate, stands behind the baresma, however full may be the bundles of baresma he ties, however long may be the sacrifice he performs."
139. ' He does not delight Ahura Mazda, nor the other Amesha-Spe;ztas, nor Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, he who thus scorns Mazda, and the other Amesha-Spe;2tas, and Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, and the Law, and Rashnu, and Ar^ta/*, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard XXXIII.
140. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake.
* I will offer up a sacrifice unto the good Mithra, O Spitama! unto the strong, heavenly god, who is foremost, highly merciful, and peerless; whose house is above ^, a stout and strong warrior; 141. 'Victorious and armed with a well-fashioned weapon, watchful in darkness and undeceivable. He is the stoutest of the stoutest, he is the strongest of the strongest, he is the most intelligent of the gods, he is victorious and endowed with Glory: he, of the ten thousand eyes, of the ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...^ An unqualified priest; cf. Vend. IX, 47-57; XVIII, i seq. ^ Or, ' whose house is great.'
MIHIR YA.ST. 157 XXXIV.
142. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures,...sleepless, and ever awake; 'Who, with his manifold knowledge, powerfully increases the creation of Spe;«ta Mainyu, and is a well-created and most great Yazata, self-shining like the moon, when he makes his own body shine; 143. 'Whose face is flashing with light like the face of the star Ti^trya^ whose chariot is embraced by that goddess who is foremost amongst those who have no deceit in them ^ O Spitama! who is fairer than any creature in the world, and full of light to shine. I will worship that chariot, wrought by the Maker, Ahura Mazda, inlaid with stars and made of a heavenly substance; (the chariot) of Mithra, who has ten thousand spies, the powerful, all-knowing, undeceivable god.
' For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard...XXXV.
144. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand ears, well-shapen, with a thousand eyes, high, with full knowledge, strong, sleepless, and ever awake.
' We sacrifice unto the Mithra around countries ^; 'We sacrifice unto the Mithra within countries; ^ See Yt. VIII. ' Ashi Vanguhi (?); cf. § 68.
^ Who watches around countries: aiwida/iyyum is translated U^^ ^j^\j^^,j^ (Pers. tr. of Mihir Nyayij-).
'We sacrifice unto the Mithra in this country^; ' We sacrifice unto the Mithra above countries; * We sacrifice unto the Mithra under countries; 'We sacrifice unto the Mithra before countries ^i ' We sacrifice unto the Mithra behind countries. 145. 'We sacrifice unto Mithra and Ahura, the two great, imperishable, holy gods^; and unto the stars, and the moon, and the sun, with the trees that yield up baresma^ We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of all countries.
' For his brightness and glory, I will oflfer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard, namely, unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures.
'Yatha ahft vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness...' I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who has a thousand ears, ten thousand eyes, a Yazata invoked by his own name; and that of Rama 'AshemVohu: Holiness is the best of all good...'[Give] unto that man*' brightness and glory,...give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones!'
8 Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 8. * Cf. Vend. p. 22, note a.
* Cf. Sirozah I, 16. ^ Who sacrifices to Mithra.
SROSH VAST HADHOKHT. 1 59 XI. SROSH YA^-T HADHOKHT.
There are two Yajts dedicated to Sraosha, the angel of divine worship^: one is a part of the Yasna (LVII [LVI]), and this, the other, is called the Srosh Yzst Hadhokht. Whether it belonged to the socalled Hadhokht Nosk ^, one of the twenty-one Nosks of which the original Avesta was formed ', or whether it was recited in the Hadhokht sacrifice *, a particular liturgy, is a matter on which we have no sufficient information.
The two Yajts have a few developments in common (see §§ 8-9, 10-13): the Hadhokht is more liturgical, the Yasna Yast is more descriptive, and has to a greater degree the poetical imagery of a Ya^t.
The Srosh Yajt Hadhokht is recited every day, during -any gah except the Rapitvin. A Pahlavi translation of this Yast is extant (East India Office, XII, 102; Paris, Supplement Persan, XXXIII, 259; edited in Etudes Iraniennes, II), and Anquetil mentions a Sanskrit translation.
o. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced I...Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good...I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathuj-tra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura; For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness...
Unto the holy, strong Sraosha, who is the incarnate Word, a mighty-speared and lordly god, Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.
Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness...^ Cf. Vend. Introd. IV, 31. 2 j^id. Ill, 3.
' See an account of the Hadhokht Nosk in the Dinkart (West, Pahlavi Texts, I, 225, note); cf. Introd. to Yt. XXI.
l6o YASTS AND SIROZAHS.
I.
1. We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiendsmiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness.
Good prayer, excellent prayer to the worlds \ O Zarathui-tra!
2. This it is that takes away the friendship of the fiend and fiends, of the he-fiend and of the shefiend; it turns away in giddiness their eyes, minds, ears ^, hands, feet, mouths, and tongues ^; as good prayer, without deceit and without harm, is Manly Courage *, and turns away the Dru^ ^.
3. The holy Sraosha, the best protector of the poor, is fiend-smiting; he is the best smiter of the Dru^.
The faithful one who pronounces most words of blessing is the most victorious in victory; the Mathra Spe;/ta takes best the unseen Dru^ away. The Ahuna Vairya ^ is the best fiend-smiter among all spells; the word of truth is the fighter "^ that is the best of all fiend-smiters.
The Law of the worshippers of Mazda is the truest giver of all the good things, of all those that are the offspring of the good principle; and so is the Law of Zarathu^tra, 4. And he who should pronounce that word ^, O Zarathu^tra! either a man or a woman, with a mind all intent on holiness, with words all intent on ^ ' Has been taught to the world, namely, the Law ' (Pahl. Comm.).
^ Doubtful. ' Derezva: Pahl. huzvan; cf. Yt. I, 28, * Is the same with it, is as powerful.
^ Doubtful (varethrem dare^ta...zak dr%- varti dajtartum), ■^ Or, ' is the best of all fiend-smiters in battle.' ^ This chapter (Pahl. Comm.).
SROSH YAST HADh6kHT. i6i holiness, with deeds all intent on holiness, when he is in fear either of high waters or of the darkness of a rainy night; Or at the fords of a river, or at the branching-off of roads; Or in the meeting together of the faithful, or the rushing together of the worshippers of the Daevas ^; 5. Whether on the road ^ or in the law ^ he has to fear, not in that day nor in that night shall the tormenting fiend, who wants to torment him, prevail to throw upon him the look of his evil eye, and the malice of the thief ^ who carries off cattle shall not reach him.
6. Pronounce then that word, O Zarathu^tra! that word to be spoken ^ when thou fall upon the idolaters ^ and thieves and Daevas rushing together. Then the malice of the wicked worshippers of the Daevas, of the Yatus and their followers, of the Pairikas and their followers, will be affrighted and rush away. Down are the Daevas! Down are the Daeva-worshippers, and they take back their mouths from biting'^.
* Different words are used, as usual, to express the same conflict, according as it refers to the faithful or to the idolaters.
' Aipi-ayanam: madam ras.
'Arethyanam: dadistan (from aretha, meaning dina, dadistan).
* Gadha: nn'szmsa. (Neriosengh); the Pahlavi has ^aj, a Saka, a Scythe.
^ The praise of Sraosha.
^ Keresas/^-a: krasiak; cf. Neriosengh ad Yasna IX, 24 [75]; that name was in the later periods applied to Christians, as if keresa were the name of Christ; cf. Bahman Yast II, 19; III, 2.
^ Doubtful.
7. And therefore we take around us the holynatured Sraosha, the holy, the fiend-smiter, as one does with shepherds' dogs; therefore we sacrifice unto the holy-natured Sraosha, the holy, the fiendsmiter, with good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.
8 \ For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power, for his offering sacrifices unto. the gods^, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard. I will offer up libations unto the holy Sraosha, unto the great Ashi Vanguhi ^, and unto Nairyo-sangha *, the tall-formed.
So may the holy Sraosha, the fiend-smiter, come to us for help!
9. We worship the holy Sraosha; we worship the great master, Ahura Mazda, who is supreme in holiness, who is the foremost to do deeds of holiness.
We worship all the words ^ of Zarathu^tra, and all the good deeds, those done and those to be done.
Y6«h6hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda...II.
10". We sacrifice unto the holy, tall -formed, fiend -smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness; Who strikes the evil-doing^ man, who strikes the evil-doing woman; who smites the fiendish 2 See Vend. Introd. IV, 31. =* See Yt. XVII. ' See Vend. XXII, 7 [22] and Sirozah I, 9.
^ The words of the law.
Dru^, and is most strong and world - destroying; who maintains and looks over all this moving ^ world; 11. Who, never sleeping, wakefully guards the creation of Mazda; who, never sleeping, wakefully maintains the creation of Mazda; who protects all the material world with his club uplifted, from the hour when the sun is down; 12. Who never more did enjoy sleep from the time when the two Spirits made the world, namely, the good Spirit and the evil One; who every day, every night, fights with the Mazainya Daevas.
13. He bows not for fear and fright before the Daevas: before him all the Daevas bow for fear and fright reluctantly, and rush away to darkness ^ For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious III.
14. Yatha ahii vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness...We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness; Who with peace and friendship* watches the Dru^ and the most beneficent Spirit: so that the Amesha-Spe/2tas may go along the seven Karshvares of the earth ^; who is the teacher of the ^ Cf. above, p. 145, note i. ^ To hell.
^ As above, §§ 8-9, * To the creation of Ormazd.
- Doubtful. The Yasna has: 'Through whose strength, victorious power, wisdom, and knowledge the Amesha-Spewtas go (avan; Phi. satiinand) along the seven Karshvares of the earth' Law 1: he himself was taught it by Ahura Mazda, the holy One.
For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power...IV.
15. Yatha ahft vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness...We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness; Whom the holy Ahura Mazda has created to withstand Aeshma, the fiend of the wounding spear; we sacrifice unto Peace, whose breath is friendly, and unto the two withstanders of sin and guilt 2, 16. The friends of the holy Sraosha; The friends of Rashnu Razi^ta^ The friends of the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda; The friends of Arsta.^\ who makes the world o-row. who makes the world increase, who makes the world prosper; The friends of Ashi Vanguhi 5; The friends of the good A^isti ^; The friends of the most right iTista^; ^ He teaches the law to the three saviours to come, Oshedar Bami, OshSdar Mah, and Soshyos (Yasna LVII, 24 [LVI, 10, 2]; Phi. tr.).
2 Pare^tasy^a mravaya^^s-^a, to be corrected, according to various readings, into staretas^a m^-vaydoska. or something like it; the two genii here alluded to are An a star eta and Amuyamna, Sinlessness and Innocence, who are invoked in company with Akhjti hamvaiwti in Visperad VIII, 4.
» See Yt. XII. * See Yt. XVII.
^ See Vend. XIX, 39. ' See ibid.
^ See Yt. XVI, I.
SROSH YA^T HADIIOKHT. 165 1 7. The friends of all gods; The friends of the Mathra Spe/^ta; The friends of the fiend-destroying Law; The friends of the long-traditional teaching; The friends of the Amesha-Spe;^tas; The friends of ourselves, the Saoshya;//s \ the two-footed part of the holy creation; The friends of all the beings of the holy world.
For his brightness and glory, for his strength and victorious power...V.
18. Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness...We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world increase, the holy and master of holiness; The first [Sraosha], the next, the middle, and the highest; with the first sacrifice, with the next, with the middle, and with the highest 2. We sacrifice unto all [the moments]^ of the holy and strong Sraosha, who is the incarnate Word; 19. The strong Sraosha, of the manly courage, the warrior of the strong arms, who breaks the skulls of the Daevas; who smites with heavy blows ^ and is strong to smite; the holy Sraosha, who smites ^ The faithful, as helping through their good deeds in the work of final restoration, to be performed by Saoshya«/ (cf. Yt. XIII, 1 7).
^ The first sacrifice is the Yasna sacrifice; the next (literally, superior) is the Visperad; the middle sacrifice is the Hadhokht [and] evak homast; the highest sacrifice is the Dvazdah homast (Pahl.Comm.). Sraosha is called the first, next, middle, and highest, accordingly as he presides over one or the other of those sacrifices. For a definition of the evak homast and Dvazdah homast, see West, Pahlavi Texts, I, 212, note 5.
' Vispan, translated harvisp zaman.
* Literally, the smiter who smites with smitings.
t66 YA5TS AND siROZAHS.
with heavy blows; we sacrifice unto the crushing Ascendant of both the holy Sraosha and Ar^ti ^ 20. We sacrifice for all the houses protected by Sraosha, where the holy Sraosha is dear and friendly treated and satisfied, as well as the faithful man^ rich in good thoughts, rich in good words, rich in good deeds.
21. We sacrifice unto the body of the holy Sraosha; We sacrifice unto the body of Rashnu Razi^ta; We sacrifice unto the body of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures; We sacrifice unto the body of the holy wind; We sacrifice unto the body of the good Law of the worshippers of Mazda; We sacrifice unto the body of Ari-ta/, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase, who makes the world prosper; We sacrifice unto the body of Ashi Vanguhi; We sacrifice unto the body of the good A"isti; We sacrifice unto the body of the most right /Tista; We sacrifice unto the bodies of all the gods; 22. We sacrifice unto the body of the Mathra SpeJtta.; We sacrifice unto the body of the fiend-destroying Law; We sacrifice unto the body of the long-traditional teaching; We sacrifice unto the bodies of the Amesha- Spe?^tas; 1 The same as Arsta/. Cf. Yasna LVII, 34-35 [LVI, 13, 3-7]. ^ He receives alms (the asho-dad).
SROSH YAST HADHOKHT. 167