AHUNAVAR (YATHĀ AHŪ VAIRYŌ)

dYathā1 Ahū2 Vairyō3 athā4 ratush5 ashāt6 chīt7 hachā8,

Vanghēush9 dazdā10 mananghō11 shyaothananãm12 anghēush13 Mazdāi14,

Khshathremchā15 Ahurāi16 ā17 yim18 dregubyō19 dadat20 vāstārem21.

Translation: Just as1 a eKing2 acts according to his will3, so4 does the fDasturān Dastur5 by means8 of righteousness6 getc.7 (acts according to his own will). The gift10 of Vohu-manah9-11 (i.e. Good mind) is for those working12 for Hormazd14 of this world;13 he who18 hconstitutes himself20 to the protector21 (or the nourisher)21 iof the poor19 (accepts) the sovereign rule15 (of the entire world) (as it were) of Hormazd16.

Explanation:- Both, the Sovereign King ruling over the countries and the Pontiff of the Religion are of the same Status and worthy of respect. Those who are performing good deeds for pleasing Hormazd attain Heaven after death. He who gives help unto the poor virtuous brothers, regards, as it were, Hormazd as the Lord of the entire world.

NIRANG-I-GOMEZ MĀLIDAN

Shekasteh1 Shekasteh2 Sheytān,3 Ahriman4 gajasteh5 kār o kerdār,6 na rasad7 gajasteh8 kār o kerdār9; Si-o-sē10 Ameshāspand11 dādār

d As regards Ahunavar it is stated in Yasna Hā XIX that the Creator Hormazd had created the hymn Ahuna Vairya prior to the creation of the sky and the world. Moreover, in the very same Hā it is further stated that he who recites the Ahunavar prayer in the proper metre with full comprehension and intoned without interruption and without omission attains to such meritorious deeds equivalent to hundred other holy chants. It is enjoined to chant this most ancient and excellent prayer of the Avesta in the proper metre with proper intonation and for this verb employed is Srāvaya (Skt. Srāvaya), i.e. to chant. This mantra consists of three lines in poetic form. First line ends at hachā, the second at Mazdā and the third line ends at Vāstārem. Moreover this Ahunavar consists of 21 words corresponding to the 21 Nasks of the original Avesta texts, most of which has been destroyed. We get the contents of each of these twenty-one Nasks from Pahlavi and Persian books. The detailed account of these is given in Pahlavi Denkart Book VIII and IX. In addition to all the matters pertaining to Religion these Nasks contain subject-matters relating to philosophy, medicine, ethics, astronomy, and astrology and all other sciences. For the beauty and excellence of this poetical prayer Ahunavar, see the translation of Srosh Yasht Hādhokht Kardāh I in this book; for further information see the explanation given under the translation of Ahunem Vairim tanum pāiti in Srosh Bāz Prayer.

e Original meaning “The Lord who looks after worldly affairs.”

f Original meaning “The Lord who looks after religious affairs.”

g Righteousness etc. mean righteousness and other virtues associated with it.

h Original meaning “appoints himself” “settles himself”. The last line of Ahunavar resembles to some extent to the last line of Yasna Hā 53, Stanza 9.

i The Latin and English equivalent for Avesta word Vāstār is pastor.