XVIII. Â<I>s</I>tâd Ya<I>s</I>t

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

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XVIII. ÂSTÂD YAST.

Arstât is Truthfulness: she is invoked in company with the Genius of Truth, Rashnu Razista (Sîrôzah, § 18), on the day Rashn. On the day especially dedicated to her, the 26th day of the month, she is invoked in company with Mount Ushi-darena, which accounts for the singular fact that her Yast is wholly devoted to the Hvarenô, and thus is hardly distinguishable from the Zamyâd Yast, as Mount Ushi-darena is the actual seat of the Hvarenô (Yt. I, 31, text and note; cf. Yt. XIX, 66). Whence comes this particular connection of Arstât with Mount Ushi-darena is uncertain, unless it alludes to the fact that the possession of the Hvarenô can be secured only through truthfulness: as soon as Yima 'began to find delight in words of falsehood and untruth,' the Hvarenô flew away from him (Yt. XIX, 34).

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

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

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 . . . .

Unto the Glory of the Aryans, made by Mazda, Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

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

1. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathustra, saying: 'I made the Aryan Glory, rich in food, rich in flocks, rich in wealth ¹, rich in Glory; provided with full store of intelligence, with full store of money, to withstand Need, and to withstand enemies.

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2. 'It destroys Angra Mainyu, who is all death: it destroys Aêshma, the fiend of the wounding spear ¹; it destroys the yellow Bûshyãsta ²; it destroys the contagion ³ of Aêkha ⁴; it destroys the fiend of death, Apaosha ⁵; it destroys the non-Aryan nations.

3. 'And I made the great Ashi Vanguhi; she comes in, amid the family; she comes in, inside the fine royal palace ⁶.

4. 'Let Ashi, with fulness of welfare, follow the man who gladdens the faithful with his gifts ⁷! she comes in, inside his family; she comes in, inside his fine royal palace.

'With all sorts of flocks, with all victory, with all intelligence, with all Glory, the great Ashi Vanguhi puts one foot ⁸ inside his family; she comes in, inside his fine royal palace.

5. 'Horses multiply a thousandfold, flocks multiply a thousandfold; and so does his virtuous offspring, (as) the bright, glorious star Tistrya moves on equally ⁹, and so does the strong wind made by Mazda, and so does the Glory of the Aryas.

6. 'And they bring increase on the tops of all mountains, down the depths of all vales; they bring increase to all the growing plants ¹⁰, the fair, the golden-hued. And they bring (away) ¹¹ the contagion

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of Aêkha, they bring (away) the fiend of death, Apaosha.

7. 'Hail to the bright and glorious star Tistrya! Hail to the strong wind, made by Mazda! Hail to the Glory of the Aryas!

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

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

8. 'We worship the Ahuna Vairya.

'We worship Asha-Vahista, the fairest Amesha Spenta.

'We worship the rightly-spoken Words ¹, fiend-smiting and healing.

'We worship the healing, well-spoken Words, the fiend-smiting.

'We worship the Mãthra Spenta and the Law of Mazda, and (piety) that delights in Haoma ². We worship the Glory of the Aryas.

'Yênhê hâtãm: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda . . . .

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

'I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of the Glory of the Aryas, made by Mazda.

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

'[Give] unto that man ³ brightness and glory, . . give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'

Footnotes

283:1 As it gives food, flocks, and wealth to those who get possessed of it.

284:1 See Vendîdâd, Introd. IV, 22.

284:2 Ibid. Introd. IV, 24.

284:3 Doubtful.

284:4 ? A daêva or a disease.

284:5 See Yt. VIII, 22.

284:6 See Yt. XVII.

284:7 Who gives alms to the poor Mazdayasnians.

284:8 Even one foot (?), when she stays not there 'for long friendship' (Yt. XVII, 6).

284:9 So that the rain falls in due time (Yt. VIII, 11).

284:10 Cf. Yt. VIII, 29.

284:11 Cf. § 2.

285:1 Arshukhdha vakô, the words conformable to the rites.

285:2 Haomakinem; see Études Iraniennes, II, 148.

285:3 Who shall have sacrificed to the Aryan Glory.