Book of Zoroaster (Vendidad)

iconChapter - 19

1From the region of the north, from the regions of the north, forth rushed Angra Mainyu, the deadly, the Daeva of the Daevas. And thus spoke the evil-doer Angra Mainyu, the deadly: 'Druj,rush down and kill him,' O holy Zoroaster! The Druj came rushing along, the demon Buiti, who is deceiving, unseen death.
2Zoroaster chanted aloud the Ahuna-Vairya: 'The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. The gifts of Vohu-mano to the deeds done in this world for God. He who relieves the poor makes the Lord king.' He offered the sacrifice to the good waters of the good Daitya!He recited the profession of the worshippers of God! The Druj dismayed, rushed away, the demon Buiti, who is deceiving, unseen death.
3And the Druj said unto Angra Mainyu: 'Thou, tormenter, Angra Mainyu! I see no way to kill Spitama Zoroaster, so great is the glory of the holy Zoroaster.' Zoroaster saw (all this) within his soul: 'The wicked, the evil-doing Daevas (thought he) take counsel together for my death.'
4Up started Zoroaster, forward went Zoroaster, unabated by Akem-mano, by the hardness of his malignant riddles; he went swinging stones in his hand, stones as big as a house, which he obtained from the Maker, Lord God, he the holy Zoroaster. 'Whereat on this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, whereat dost thou swing (those stones), thou who standest by the upper bank of the river Dareja, in the mansion of Pourushaspa?'
5Thus Zoroaster answered Angra Mainyu: 'O evil-doer, Angra Mainyu! I will smite the creation of the Daeva; I will smite the Nasu, a creature of the Daeva; I will smite the Pairika Knathaiti,till the victorious Saoshyant come up to life out of the lake Kasava, from the region of the dawn, from the regions of the dawn.'
6Again to him said the Maker of the evil world, Angra Mainyu:'Do not destroy my creatures, O holy Zoroaster! Thou art the son of Pourushaspa; by thy mother I was invoked. Renounce the good Religion of the worshippers of God, and thou shalt gain such a boon as Vadhaghna gained, the ruler of the nations.'
7Spitama Zoroaster said in answer: 'No! never will I renounce the good Religion of the worshippers of God, either for body or life, though they should tear away the breath!'
8Again to him said the Maker of the evil world, Angra Mainyu:'By whose Word wilt thou strike, by whose Word wilt thou repel,by whose weapon will the good creatures (strike and repel) m creation, who am Angra Mainyu?'
9Spitama Zoroaster said in answer: 'The sacred mortar, the sacred cups, the Haoma, the Word taught by God, these are my weapons, my best weapons! By this Word will I strike, by this Word will I repel, by this weapon will the good creatures (strike and repel thee), O evil-doer, Angra Mainyu! The Good Spirit made the creation; he made it in the boundless Time. The Amesha-Spentas made the creation, the good, the wise Sovereigns.'
10Zoroaster chanted aloud the Ahuna-Vairya. The holy Zoroaster said aloud: 'This I ask thee: teach me the truth, O Lord!'
11Zoroaster asked Lord God: 'O Lord God, most beneficent spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! [he was sitting by the upper bank of the Dareja, before Lord God, before the good Vohu-mana, before Asha Vahista, Khshathra Vairya, and Spenta Armaiti;]
12'How shall I free the world from that Druj, from that evil-doer,Angra Mainyu? How shall I drive away direct defilement? How indirect defilement? How shall I drive the Nasu from the house of the worshippers of God? How shall I cleanse the faithful man? How shall I cleanse the faithful woman?'
13The Lord God answered: 'Invoke, O Zoroaster! the good Religion of God. 'Invoke, O Zoroaster! though thou see them not, the Amesha-Spentas who rule over the seven Karshvares of the earth. 'Invoke, O Zoroaster! the sovereign Heaven, the boundless Time,and Vayu, whose action is most high. 'Invoke, O Zoroaster! the powerful Wind, made by God; and Spenta [Armaiti], the fair daughter of Lord God.
14'Invoke, O Zoroaster! my Fravashi, who am Lord God,the greatest, the best, the fairest of all beings, the most solid,the most intelligent, the best shapen, the highest in holiness,and whose soul is the holy Word! 'Invoke, O Zoroaster! this creation of mine, who am Lord God.'
15Zoroaster imitated my words from me, (and said): 'I invoke the holy creation of Lord God. 'I invoke Mithra, the lord of the rolling countryside, a god armed with beautiful weapons, with the most glorious of all weapons,with the most victorious of all weapons. 'I invoke the holy, well-formed Sraosha', who wields a club in his hand, to bear upon the heads of the fiends'.
16'I invoke the most glorious Holy Word. 'I invoke the sovereign Heaven, the boundless Time, and Vayu,whose action is most high. 'I invoke the mighty Wind, made by God, and Spenta (Armaiti),the fair daughter of Lord God. 'I invoke the good Religion of God, the fiend-destroying Law of Zoroaster.'
17Zoroaster asked Lord God: 'O Maker of the good world, Lord God! With what manner of sacrifice shall I worship, with what manner of sacrifice shall I make people worship this creation of Lord God?'
18The Lord God answered: 'Go, O Spitama Zoroaster! towards the high-growing trees, and before one of them that is beautiful,high-growing, and mighty, say thou these words: "Hail tot hee! O good, holy tree, made by God! Ashem vohu!"
19'[The priest] shall cut off a twig of Baresma, long as anaesha, thick as a yava. The faithful one, holding it in his left hand, shall keep his eyes upon it without ceasing, whilst he is offering up to Lord God and to the Amesha-Spentas, the high and beautiful golden Haomas, and Good Thought and the good Rata,made by God, holy and excellent.'
20Zoroaster asked Lord God: 'O thou, all-knowing Lord God! thou art never asleep, never intoxicated, thou Lord God! Vohu-mano gets directly defiled: Vohu-mano gets indirectly defiled;the Daevas defile him from the bodies smitten by the Daevas: let Vohu-mano be made clean.'
21The Lord God answered: 'Thou shalt take some gomez from a bull ungelded and such as the law requires it. Thou shalt take the man who is to be cleansed to the field made by the Lord, and the man that is to cleanse him shall draw the furrows.
22'He shall recite a hundred Ashem vohu: "Holiness is the best of all good: it is also happiness. Happy the man who is holy with perfect holiness!" 'He shall chant two hundred Ahuna-Vairya: "The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. The gifts of Vohu-mano to the deeds done in this world for God! He who relieves the poor makes the Lord king." 'He shall wash himself four times with the gomez from the ox,and twice with the water made by God.
23'Thus Vohu-mano shall be made clean, and clean shall be the man. The man shall take up Vohu-mano with the left arm and the right, with the right arm and the left: and thou shalt lay down Vohu-mano under the mighty light of the heavens by the light of the stars made by the gods, until nine nights have passed away.
24'When nine nights have passed away, thou shalt bring libations unto the fire, thou shalt bring hard wood unto the fire, thou shalt bring incense of Vohu-gaona unto the fire, and thou shalt perfume Vohu-mano therewith.
25'Thus shall Vohu-mano be made clean, and clean shall be the man. He shall take up Vohu-mano with the right arm and the left,with the left arm and the right, and Vohu-mano shall say aloud:"Glory be to Lord God! Glory be to the Amesha-Spentas!Glory be to all the other holy beings."'
26Zoroaster asked Lord God: 'O thou all-knowing Lord God: Should I urge upon the godly man, should I urge upon the godly woman, should I urge upon the wicked Daeva-worshipper who lives in sin, to give the earth made by the Lord, the water that runs, the corn that grows, and all the rest of their wealth?' Lord God answered: 'Thou shouldst, O holy Zoroaster.'
27O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Where are the rewards given? Where does the rewarding take place? Where is the rewarding fulfilled? Whereto do men come to take the reward that,during their life in the material world, they have won for their souls?
28The Lord God answered: 'When the man is dead, when his time is over, then the wicked, evil-doing Daevas cut off his eyesight.On the third night, when the dawn appears and brightens up, when Mithra, the god with beautiful weapons, reaches the all-happy mountains, and the sun is rising:
29'Then the fiend, named Vizaresha, O Spitama Zoroaster,carries off in bonds the souls of the wicked Daeva-worshippers who live in sin. The soul enters the way made by Time, and open both to the wicked and to the righteous. At the head of the Chinwad bridge, the holy bridge made by God, they ask for their spirits and souls the reward for the worldly goods which they gave away here below.
30'Then comes the beautiful, well-shapen, strong and well-formed maid, with the dogs at her sides, one who can distinguish, who has many children, happy, and of high understanding. 'She makes the soul of the righteous one go up above the Hara-berezaiti;above the Chinwad bridge she places it in the presence of the heavenly gods themselves.
31'Up rises Vohu-mano from his golden seat; Vohu-mano exclaims:"How hast thou come to us, thou Holy One, from that decaying world into this undecaying one?"
32'Gladly pass the souls of the righteous to the golden seat of Lord God, to the golden seat of the Amesha-Spentas, to the Garo-nmanem, the abode of Lord God, the abode of the Amesha-Spentas,the abode of all the other holy beings.
33'As to the godly man that has been cleansed, the wicked evil-doing Daevas tremble at the perfume of his soul after death, as doth a sheep on which a wolf is pouncing.
34'The souls of the righteous are gathered together there: Nairyo-sangha is with them; a messenger of Lord God is Nairyo-sangha.
35Zoroaster imitated those words of mine: 'I invoke the holy world, made by Lord God. 'I invoke the earth made by the Lord, the water made by God, the holy trees. 'I invoke the sea Vouru-kasha. 'I invoke the beautiful Heaven. 'I invoke the endless and sovereign Light.'
36'I invoke the bright, blissful Paradise of the Holy Ones. 'I invoke the Garo-nmanem, the abode of Lord God, the abode of the Amesha-Spentas, the abode of all the other holy beings. 'I invoke the sovereign Place of Eternal Weal, and the Chinwad bridge made by God.
37'I invoke the good Saoka, who has the good eye. 'I invoke the whole creation of weal. 'I invoke the mighty Fravashis of the righteous. 'I invoke Verethraghna, made by the Lord, who wears the Glory made by God. 'I invoke Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star, in the shape of a golden-horned bull.
38'I invoke the holy, beneficent Gathas, who rule over the Ratus: 'I invoke the Ahunavaiti Gatha; 'I invoke the Ushtavaiti Gatha; 'I invoke the Spenta-mainyu Gatha; 'I invoke the Vohu-khshathra Gatha; 'I invoke the Vahishtoishti Gatha.
39'I invoke the Karshvares of Arzahe and Savahe; 'I invoke the Karshvares of Fradadhafshu and Vidadhafshu; 'I invoke the Karshvares of Vourubaresti and Vouruzaresti; 'I invoke the bright Hvaniratha; 'I invoke the bright, glorious Haetumant; 'I invoke the good Ashi; ['I invoke the good Chisti;] 'I invoke the most pure Chista; 'I invoke the Glory of the Aryan regions; 'I invoke the Glory of the bright Yima, the good shepherd.
40'Let him be worshipped with sacrifice, let him be gladdened,gratified, and satisfied, the holy Sraosha, the well-formed, victorious, holy Sraosha. 'Bring libations unto the Fire, bring hard wood unto the Fire,bring incense of Vohu-gaona unto the Fire. 'Offer up the sacrifice to the Vazishta fire, which smites the fiend Spengaghra: bring unto it the cooked meat and full overflowing libations.
41'Offer up the sacrifice to the holy Sraosha, that the holy Sraosha may smite down the fiend Kunda, who is drunken without drinking, and throws down into the Hell of the Druj the wicked Daeva-worshippers, who live in sin.
42'I invoke the Kara fish, who lives beneath waters in the bottom of the deep lakes. 'I invoke the ancient and sovereign Merezu, the most warlike of the creatures of the two Spirits. 'I invoke the seven bright Sru'
43'They cried about, their minds wavered to and fro, Angra Mainyu the deadly, the Daeva of the Daevas; Indra the Daeva, Sauru the Daeva, Naunghaithya the Daeva, Taurvi and Zairi; Aeshma of the murderous spear; Akatasha the Daeva; Winter, made by the Daevas;the deceiving, unseen Death; Zaurva, baneful to the fathers; Buiti the Daeva; Driwi the Daeva; Daiwi the Daeva; Kasvi the Daeva; Paitisha the most Daeva-like amongst the Daevas.
44'And the evil-doing Daeva, Angra Mainyu, the deadly, said: "What! let the wicked, evil-doing Daevas gather together at the head of Arezura!"
45'They rush away shouting, the wicked, evil-doing Daevas; they run away shouting, the wicked, evil-doing Daevas; they run away casting the Evil Eye, the wicked, evil-doing Daevas: "Let us gather together at the head of Arezura!
46'"For he is just born the holy Zoroaster, in the house of Pourushaspa. How can we procure his death? He is the weapon that fells the fiends: he is a counter-fiend to the fiends; he is a Druj to the Druj. Vanished are the Daeva-worshippers, the Nasu made by the Daeva, the false-speaking Lie!"
47'They rush away shouting, the wicked, evil-doing Daevas, into the depths of the dark, raging world of hell. 'Ashem vohu: Holiness is the best of all good.'