Yasna XXXVIII. To the Earth and the Sacred Waters

The Zend Avesta, Part III (SBE31), L.H. Mills, tr. [1886], at sacred-texts.com

YASNA XXXVIII.

TO THE EARTH AND THE SACRED WATERS.

1. And now we worship this earth which bears us, together with Thy wives ³, O Ahura Mazda! yea, those Thy wives do we worship which are so desired from their sanctity. 2. We sacrifice to their zealous wishes, and their capabilities, their inquiries (as to duty), and their wise acts of pious reverence,

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and with these their blessedness, their full vigour and good portions, their good fame and ample wealth. 3. O ye waters! now we worship you, you that are showered down, and you that stand in pools and vats, and you that bear forth (our loaded vessels?) ye female Ahuras of Ahura, you that serve us (all) in helpful ways, well forded and full-flowing, and effective for the bathings, we will seek you and for both the worlds! 4. Therefore did Ahura Mazda give you names, O ye beneficent ¹ ones! when He who made the good bestowed you. And by these names we worship you, and by them we would ingratiate ourselves with you, and with them would we bow before you, and direct our prayers to you with free confessions of our debt. O waters, ye who are productive ², and ye maternal ones, ye with heat ³ that suckles the (frail and) needy (before birth), ye waters (that have once been) rulers of (us) all, we will now address you as the best, and the most beautiful; those (are) yours, those good (objects). of our offerings, ye long of arm to reach our sickness, or misfortune ⁴, ye mothers of our life!

Footnotes

286:3 Compare the Indian gnâ´s. The waters are wives, as is the earth; below they are mothers.

287:1 Vanguhîs with K4, &c.

287:2 Compare azi as applied to the Kine.

287:3 Compare agnáyas, reading agnayô. Or is it agnivau with a suffix va?

287:4 Or, 'our sicknesses and welfare.'