IV. Âbân Nyâyi<I>s</I>

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

IV. ÂBÂN NYÂYIS.

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

Unto the good Waters, made by Mazda; unto the holy water-spring ARDVI ANÂHITA; unto all waters, made by Mazda; unto all plants, made by Mazda,

Be propitiation ¹ . . . .

2 ². Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathustra, saying: 'Offer up a sacrifice, O Spitama Zarathustra! unto this spring of mine, Ardvi Sûra Anâhita . . . .

3. 'Who makes the seed of all males pure, who makes the womb of all females pure for bringing forth . . . .

4. 'The large river, known afar, that is as large as the whole of the waters that run along the earth . . . .

5. 'All the shores of the sea Vouru-Kasha are boiling over, all the middle of it is boiling over, when she runs down there . . . .

6. 'From this river of mine alone flow all the waters that spread all over the seven Karshvares;

7. 'I, Ahura Mazda, brought it down with mighty vigour, for the increase of the house, of the borough, of the town, of the country ³.

8. 'He from whom she will hear the staota yêsnya ⁴; he from whom she will hear the Ahuna

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vairya ¹; he from whom she will hear the Asha-vahista ²; he by whom the good waters will be made pure; with the words of the holy hymns ³, he will enter first the Garô-nmâna of Ahura Mazda: she will give him the boons asked for ⁴.

9 ⁵. 'For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard; I will offer her a sacrifice well-performed. Thus mayest thou advise us when thou art appealed to! Mayest thou be most fully worshipped.

'We sacrifice unto the holy Ardvi Sûra Anâhita with libations. We sacrifice unto Ardvi Sûra Anâhita, the holy and master of holiness, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the words, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spoken words.

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

10. 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 holy water-spring Anâhita.

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

Footnotes

356:1 As Âbân Yast, 0.

356:2 §§ 2-6 = Âbân Yast, §§ 1-5.

356:3 Cf. Âbân Yast, § 6.

356:4 See above, p. 152, note 1.

357:1 The Yathâ ahû vairyô prayer.

357:2 The Ashem Vohû prayer.

357:3 Cf. Yt. XXII, 2, and Yt. XXIV, 39.

357:4 Cf. Âbân Yast, §§ 19, 23, 27, 35, 39, 47, &c.

357:5 Cf. Âbân Yast, § 9.