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The Zend Avesta, Part II (SBE23), James Darmesteter, tr. [1882], at sacred-texts.com


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II. HAPTÂN YAST.

The Yast 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-Spentas. In fact it is nothing more than an extract from the Sîrôzahs, being composed of the first seven formulas in their two forms: §§ 1-5 = Sîrôzah I, 1-7; §§ 6-10 = Sîrôzah II, 1-7. Then come four sections which are the original part of the Yast (§§ 11-15).

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0. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced 1! . . . .

Ashem Vohû: Holiness is the best of all good 1 . . . .

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathustra, one who hates the Daêvas and obeys the laws of Ahura;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Hâvani], the holy and master of holiness 1 . . . .

I.

2. To Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and to the Amesha-Spentas;

To Vohu-Manô; to Peace, whose breath is friendly, and who is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures; to the heavenly Wisdom, made by Mazda, and to the Wisdom acquired through the ear, made by Mazda;

3. To Asha-Vahista, the fairest; to the much-desired Airyaman; to the instrument made by Mazda; and to the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy;

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To Khshathra-Vairya; to the metals; to Mercy and Charity.

1. To the good Spenta-Ârmaiti, and to the good Râta, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy;

To Haurvatât, the master; to the prosperity of the seasons and to the years, the masters of holiness;

And to Ameretât, the master; to fatness and flocks; to the plenty of corn; and to the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.

2. (At the Gâh Hâvan): To Mithra, the lord of wide pastures and to Râma Hvâstra.

(At the Gâh Rapithwin): To Asha-Vahista and to Âtar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

(At the Gâh Uzîren): To Apãm Napât, the tall lord, and to water, made by Mazda.

3. (At the Gâh Aiwisrûthrem): To the Fravashis of the faithful and to the females that bring forth flocks of males; to the prosperity of the seasons; to the well-shapen and tall-formed Strength; to Verethraghna, made by Ahura, and to the crushing Ascendant.

(At the Gâh Usahin): To the holy, devout, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow; to Rashnu-Razista and to Arst, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase 3;

Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification!

Yathâ ahû vairyô: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness . . . .

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II.

1 We sacrifice unto Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious; we sacrifice unto the Amesha-Spentas, the all-ruling, the all-beneficent.

We sacrifice unto Vohu-Manô, the Amesha-Spenta; we sacrifice unto Peace, whose breath is friendly, and who is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures; we sacrifice unto the heavenly Wisdom, made by Mazda; we sacrifice unto the wisdom acquired through the ear, made by Mazda.

2. We sacrifice unto Asha-Vahista, the fairest, the Amesha-Spenta; we sacrifice unto the much-desired Airyaman; we sacrifice unto the instrument made by Mazda; we sacrifice unto the good Saoka, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

We sacrifice unto Khshathra-Vairya; we sacrifice unto the metals; we sacrifice unto Mercy and Charity.

3. We sacrifice unto the good Spenta-Ârmaiti; we sacrifice unto the good Râta, with eyes of love, made by Mazda and holy.

We sacrifice unto Haurvatât, the Amesha-Spenta; we sacrifice unto the prosperity of the seasons; we sacrifice unto the years, the holy and masters of holiness.

We sacrifice unto Ameretât, the Amesha-Spenta; we sacrifice unto fatness and flocks; we sacrifice unto the plenty of corn; we sacrifice unto the powerful Gaokerena, made by Mazda.

4. (At the Gâh Hâvan): We sacrifice unto

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[paragraph continues] Mithra, the lord of wide pastures; we sacrifice unto Râma Hvâstra.

(At the Gâh Rapithwin): We sacrifice unto Asha-Vahista and Âtar, the son of Ahura Mazda.

(At the Gâh Uzîren): We sacrifice unto Apãm Napât, the swift-horsed, the tall and shining lord, the lord of the females; we sacrifice unto the holy waters, made by Mazda.

10 1. (At the Gâh Aiwisrûthrem): We sacrifice unto the good, powerful, beneficent Fravashis of the faithful; we sacrifice unto the females who bring forth flocks of males; we sacrifice unto the prosperity of the seasons; we sacrifice unto the well-shapen, tall-formed Strength; we sacrifice unto Verethraghna, made by Mazda; we sacrifice unto the crushing Ascendant.

(At the Gâh Usahin): We sacrifice unto the holy, tall-formed, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow, the holy and master of holiness; we sacrifice unto Rashnu-Razista; we sacrifice unto Arst, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase.

III.

11. Let the Yâtus be crushed, O Zarathustra 2! both Daêvas and men 3.

Who is he in whose house, O Spitama Zarathustra! every Drug is destroyed, every Drug perishes, when he pronounces these words 4:

12 5 . . . . . . . . . ?

13. It is he who takes the seven Amesha-Spentas,

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the all-ruling, the all-beneficent, as a shield 1 against his enemies.

We worship the Law of the worshippers of Mazda; we worship the waters coming in the shape of a horse 2, made by Mazda.

14-15. He has renounced trespasses and faults, O Zarathustra! he has renounced all trespasses and faults 3, O Zarathustra! when he throws down 4 the destroyer of Vohu-Manô and his words 5, with a hundred times hundredfold, with a many times manifold preaching and smiting, and he takes away the Law of Mazda, that was carried away as a prisoner 6, from the hands of the [ungodly], who are destroyed by his strength.

Ashem Vohû: Holiness is the best of all good. . . .

 

16. Yathâ ahû vairyô: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness . . . .

I bless the sacrifice and the prayer, the strength and vigour

Of Ahura Mazda, bright and glorious, and of the Amesha-Spentas;

Of Vohu-Manô; of Peace, whose breath is friendly 7 . . . .

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Of Asha-Vahista, the fairest; of the much-desired Airyaman 1 . . . .

Of Khshathra-Vairya, of the metals 1 . .

Of the good Spenta-Ârmaiti and of the good Râta 2. . . .

Of Haurvatât, the master 2 . . . .

Of Ameretât, the master 2 . . . .

(At the Gâh Hâvan): Of Mithra 3 . . . .

(At the Gâh Rapithwin): Of Asha-Vahista 3 . . .

(At the Gâh Uzîren): Of the high lord Apãm Napât 3 . . . .

(At the Gâh Aiwisrûthrem): Of the Fravashis of the faithful 4 . . .

(At the Gâh Usahin): Of the holy, devout, fiend-smiting Sraosha, who makes the world grow; of Rashnu-Razista and of Arst, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase.

Ashem Vohû: Holiness is the best of all good . . .

Give unto that man 5 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.


Footnotes

35:1 The rest as above, Yt. I, 0.

35:2 Sîrôzah I, 1-2.

35:3 Sîrôzah I, 3-4.

36:1 Sîrôzah I, 5-7.

36:2 Sîrôzah I, 7.

36:3 Sîrôzah I, 7.

37:1 Sîrôzah II, 1-2.

37:2 Sîrôzah II, 3-4.

37:3 Sîrôzah II, 5-7.

37:4 Sîrôzah II, 7.

38:1 Sîrôzah II, 7.

38:2 Or: Let Zarathustra crush the Yâtus.

38:3 The Yâtus are either demons or men: the man-Yâtu is the sorcerer, the wizard. Cf. Yt. VIII, 44.

38:4 Doubtful.

38:5 I am unable to make anything of this section.

39:1 Doubtful.

39:2 See Yt. VIII, 5, 42; cf. § 20.

39:3 Âtare-vîtaremaibyâ . . . . vîmraot; cf. âtarâish . . . . vî sarem mruyê (Yasna XII, 4 [XIII, 16]): âtareman seems to be a sin by commission, vîtareman a sin by omission.

39:4 Doubtful (fraspâvares: fraspâ is generally translated ramîtûntan).

39:5 Doubtful.

39:6 Cf. Yt. XIII, too; XIX, 86; fravasnãm is the reverse of uzvazhat (1.1.).

39:7 The rest as above, § 1.

40:1 The rest as above, § 2.

40:2 The rest as above, § 3.

40:3 The rest as above, §4.

40:4 The rest as above, § 5.

40:5 Who shall offer a sacrifice to the Amshaspands.


Next: III. Ardibehist Yast