FIVE GĀHS TO BE RECITED SEPARATELY

rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha.

af(During Rapithwan Gāh)

Rapithwināi ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha, vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha. Frādat-fshave zantumāicha ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha.

(During Uzirin Gāh)

Uzyerināi ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha. Frādat-vīrāi dakhyumāicha ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha.

(During Aiwisruthrem Gāh)

Aiwisrūthremai aibigayāi ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha. Frādat-vispām hujyāitee zarathushtrotemāicha ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha.

(During Ushahen Gāh)

Ushahināi ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha. Berejyai nmanyāicha ashaone ashahe rathwe, yasnāicha vahmāicha khshnaothrāicha frasastayaēcha.

SROSH BĀZ

agKhshnaothra1 Ahurahe Mazdāo2 Ashem Vohū 1.

Pa nāme1 yazdān2 Hormazd3 Khodāe4 awazūnī,5 gorje6 khoreh7 awazāyād,8 Sarosh9 ashō,10 tagi,11 tan-farmān,12 shekaftzin,13 zinawazār,14 sālāre dāmāne Ahura Mazda15 be-rasād.16 Az hamā gunāh17 patet pashemānum;18 az19 harvastin20 dushmata21 duzhukhta22 duzhuvarshta,23 mem24 pa geti25 manid26 oem goft,27 oem kard,28 oem jast29 oem būn būd ested,30 az ān gunāh31 manashni33 gavashni33 kunashni,34 tani35 ravāni36 geti37 minoāni,38 okhe39 avākhsh39 pashemān40 pa sē gavashnī41 pa patet hom.42 Yathā Ahū Vairyō 5, Ashem Vohū 3.

af Note that from Roz Hormazd Month Awān up to Gatha Vahishtoisht Rapithwan Gāh is not recited, but in its stead there is Second Hāvan. During this period in the Khshuman of all prayers, Rapithwan Gāh is not recited, but it is enjoined to recite Hāvan Gāh. For the remaining seven months i.e. from Roz Hormazd Māh Fravardin up to Roz Aneran Māh Meher, five Gāhs are recited. The reason is that during these five months (according to original correct calculation) of winter, hours during the day-time are shorter than those of the summer months. Moreover, during winter there is less heat during noon-time. The Gāh pertaining to summer-season (Rapithwan) therefore is discarded. About these winter days in the Persian Rivayets it is figuratively written that heat during those days is buried underneath the earth.

ag The portion from “pa nāme yazdān” up to “pa patet hom” is in Pazend language. Similarly it is to be understood in every Niyāyesh and Yasht.

Translation: (May there be) propitiation1 of (the Creator) Ahura Mazda! (I begin to recite this) with (the help of) the name1 of (the Creator) Hormazd,3 the Lord2 and the Lord4 (of the whole world) and munificent.5

May the splendour6 and glory7 (of the Creator Hormazd) increase!8 May Srosh9 (yazad) the holy,10 strong,11 word-incarnate12 (i.e. whose body even is the Holy Spell), possessed of efficacious weapons13 (in order to smite the daevas and wicked men), possessed of victorious weapon14 (and) the chief of the creatures of Hormazd15 come16 (to my help)! I renunciate, and desist18

from all sins;17-20 all wicked thoughts21 which in this world25-24 I have thought,26 wicked words21 which I have spoken,27 wicked deeds23 which I have committed28 (and) which have been caused through me29 (and ) which have been originated by me30 (all these sins mentioned above) relating to thought,32 relating to word33 and relating to deed,34 pertaining to (my own) body,36 pertaining to (my own) soul,36 pertaining to this world,37 pertaining to the world beyond,38 all these sins,31 O Hormazd! I discard and keep myself away40 (and) with the three words41 (i.e. good thought, good word and good deed) I repent.

ahFravarāne43 Mazdayasnō44 Zarathushtrish45 vīdaēvō46 Ahuratkaeshō47 (gah according to the period of the day) frasastayaēcha Sraoshahe48 ashyehe,49 takhmahe,50 tanu mānthrahe,51 darshi-draosh,52 āhūiryehe,53 kshnaothra54 yasnāicha55 vahmāicha56 khshnaothrāicha57 frasastayāecha,53 Yathā Ahū Vairyō59 zaotā60 frā-me61 mrūte,62 athā ratush ashāt chīt hachā63 frā ashava64 vīdhvāo65 mraotū.66

I profess43 myself to be a worshipper of Hormazd,44 follower in accordance with the religion revealed by (the prophet) Zarathushtra,45 abstainer from (the path of) aidaevas46 and act according to the Law of Ahura Mazda47

(Gāh according to the period of the day) for the worship, veneration,56 propitiation57 and glorification,58 with propitiatory formula54 (Khshnumān) of

ah “Fravarāne Mazdayasnō Zarathushtrish Vidaēvō Ahura-tkaeshō” is the shortest Zoroastrian Creed. This is a sort of a Creed as regards the kind of religion the reciter observes.

ai The word “dev” which is called “daeva” in the Avesta has four different meanings according to the opinion of Sheth Kharshedji Rustomji Cama, or in other words we learn of four types of dev from the Avesta: (1) daevas having the appearance of man; (2) daevas producing diseases; (3) immoral daevas (4) daevas decreasing prosperity: (1). These persons who produce wickedness by increasing diseases or by decreasing prosperity or by ruining morality, are called the daevas having the appearance of men; e.g. Zohak, wicked people of Gilān and Māzandarān, etc. (2). Those who emit diseases and untimely death by whatever means or objects are also called “daevas,” e.g. a statement is made in Vendidad frakart VII about some daevas residing in the tombs. Here the meaning of daeva is to be understood as impure. They produce diseases while coming out of the tombs. (3). Whatever incites us to follow the path of wickedness is also termed “daeva”, e.g., slander, deceit, heresy, evil eye, impurity, etc. (4). Whatever causes disturbance in the spread of prosperity is also known by the term daeva, e.g. the demon Apaosha prevents rain i.e. the causes responsible for the prevention of rain are known by the name “apaosha”. Excessive cold is regarded as the queen of demons. See Sheth K.R. Cama “Zarthosht Nāmu” VI... “Who is daeva”.

SROSH BĀZ

Srosh43 the holy,49 powerful,50 word-incarnate,51 of infuriate weapon52 (for smiting the daevas) and according to the law of Ahura let the Zaotar60

(officiating priest60) recite62 to me61 the (the excellences of the sacred verses of) Yathā Ahū Vairyō for propitiation54 (of the Creator Hormazd) (in so and so Gāh) for the worship55 of Srosh yazad48 the holy,49 the powerful,50 wordincarnate51 (for smiting the daevas), mighty-speared52 (and) acting according to the Law of Ahura Mazda,53 for (his) praise,56 for (his) propitiation54 (and) for (his) glorification.57 Let (Rāspi the assistant priest who is) righteous64 and learned65 ajrecite66 (the excellences of such verses) “athā ratush ashāt-chit hacha.”63

Explanation: The words from “Yathā Ahū Vairyō Zaotā” up to “vidhvāo mraotu” which are recited in every Niyāyesh, Gāh and Yasht after “fravarāne mazdayasnō” are borrowed from the yasna. Rāspi, i.e. the assistant priest sitting opposite the Zaotar, addresses him thus: “Yathā Ahū Vairyō zaotā frā me mrute” implying that Zaotar may explain the excellences of “Yathā Ahū Vairyō” and the Religion of Zarathushtra to him. The Zaotar then replies. The Rāspi after having fully comprehending the excellencies and grasping the essence of the Religion of Zarathushtra would now put them into practice and expound them to others.

Sraoshem,66 Ashīm,67 huraodhem,68 verethrājanem69 frādat-gaēthem70 ashavanem71 ashahe72 ratūm73 yazamaide73 Ahunem74 vairīm75 tanūm76 pāiti,77 Ahunem vairīm tanūm paiti, Ahunem vairīm tanūm pāiti. Yathā Ahū Vairyō 1.

We praise Sraosha66 the Holy,67 the beautiful,68 the victorious,69 bringingprosperity-to the-world,70 the Righteous one,71 the Lord73 of Righteousness.72

Ahunavar75 protects77 the body.76

Explanation: The significance of Ahunavar. To understand the verse of Yathā Ahū Vairyō. By remembering the Creator Hormazd, by keeping full faith in the verse of Ahunavar, by chanting and reciting it properly, we become powerful and to some extent we get strength to avoid the difficulty or impending calamity. Regarding the efficacious excellence of Ahunavar we get some explanation from the beginning portion of Vendidad XIX fargard and from the first Kardāh of Srosh Yasht Hādhokt. In the Vendidad fargard XIX it is stated that when Ahriman and the entire army of daevas and drujas came to kill the holy Zarathushtra, amongst the remedies applied by the holy prophet in order to destroy them, the foremost was that he recited and chanted aloud the most powerful verse of Ahunavar. Besides, some Zoroastrians while commencing any work or during any calamity say, “Athā thy help”, “athā” is originally “Yathā” and “Yathā” is the first word of “Yathā Ahū vairyō”.

aj Frā....mrute also means speak loudly, speak in a loud tone.