Ard Yasht (chapter 17)

1 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed, well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong, welfaregiving, healing, with fulness of intellect5, and powerful;

2 The daughter of Ahura Mazda, the sister of the Amesha-Spentas, who endows all the Saoshyants6 with the enlivening intelligence; she also brings heavenly wisdom at her wish, and comes to help him who invokes her from near and him who invokes her from afar, and worships her with offerings of libations.

3 For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard; I will offer up unto Ashi Vanguhi a good sacrifice with an offering of libations. We sacrifice unto Ashi Vanguhi with the libations, 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. Yenhe-hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda....

4 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed, well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong, welfaregiving, healing, with fulness of intellect, and powerful.

5 Homage unto Haoma, and unto the Mathra8, and unto the holy Zarathushtra! Homage unto Haoma, because all other drinks are attended with Aeshma9, the fiend of the wounding spear: but the drinking of Haoma is attended with Asha and with Ashi Vanguhi herself10.

6 Ashi is fair; Ashi is radiant with joy; she is farpiercing with her rays. Ashi gives good Glory unto those men whom thou dost follow, O Ashi! Full of perfumes is the house in which the good, powerful Ashi Vanguhi puts her ....11 feet, for long friendship.

7 Those men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi! are kings of kingdoms, that are rich in horses, with large tributes, with snorting horses, sounding chariots, flashing swords, rich in aliments and in stores of food12; well-scented where the beds are spread and full of all the other riches that may be wished for. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

8 Those men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have houses that stand well laid up, rich in cattle, foremost in Asha, and longsupported. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

9 The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have beds that stand well-spread, well-adorned, well-made, provided with cushions and with feet inlaid with gold. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

10 The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have their ladies that sit on their beds, waiting for them: they lie on the cushions, adorning themselves, ....13, with square bored ear-rings and a necklace of gold: 'When will our lord come? when shall we enjoy in our bodies the joys of love?' Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

11 The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have daughters that sit ....14; thin is their waist, beautiful is their body, long are their fingers; they are as fair of shape as those who look on can wish. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

Ard Yasht (chapter 17)

12 The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have horses swift and loudneighing; they drive the chariot lightly, they take it to the battle15, they bear a gallant praiser (of the gods), who has many horses, a solid chariot, a sharp spear, a long spear, and swift arrows, who hits his aim, pursuing after his enemies, and smiting his foes. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

13 The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have large-humped, burden-bearing camels, flying from the ground or fighting with holy fieriness16. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

14 The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have hoards of silver and gold brought together from far distant regions; and garments of splendid make. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!

15 Do not turn thy look from me! turn thy mercy towards me, O great Ashi! thou art well-made and of a noble seed17; thou art sovereign at thy wish; thou art Glory in a bodily form.

16 Thy father is Ahura Mazda, the greatest of all gods, the best of all gods; thy mother is Armaiti Spenta; thy brothers are Sraosha18, a god of Asha, and Rashnu19, tall and strong, and Mithra20, the lord of wide pastures, who has ten thousand spies and a thousand ears; thy sister is the Law [Daena]21 of the worshippers of Mazda.

17 Praised of the gods, unoffended by the righteous22, the great Ashi Vanguhi stood up on her chariot, thus speaking: 'Who art thou who dost invoke me, whose voice is to my ear the sweetest of all that invoked me most?'

18 And he said aloud: 'I am Spitama Zarathushtra, who, first of mortals, recited the praise of the excellent Asha23 and offered up sacrifice unto Ahura Mazda and the Amesha-Spentas; in whose birth and growth the waters and the plants rejoiced; in whose birth and growth the waters and the plants grew; in whose birth and growth all the creatures of the good creation cried out, Hail24!

19 'In whose birth and growth Angra Mainyu rushed away from this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, and he, the evil-doing Angra Mainyu, who is all death, said: "All the gods together have not been able to smite me down in spite of myself, and Zarathushtra alone can reach me in spite of myself.

20 '"He smites me with the Ahuna Vairya, as strong a weapon as a stone big as a house25; he burns me with Asha-Vahishta, as if it were melting brass26. He makes it better for me that I should leave this earth, he, Spitama Zarathushtra, the only one who can daunt me."'

21 And the great Ashi Vanguhi exclaimed: 'Come nearer unto me, thou pure, holy Spitama! lean against my chariot!' Spitama Zarathushtra came nearer unto her, he leant against her chariot.

22 And she caressed him with the left arm and the right, with the right arm and the left, thus speaking: 'Thou art beautiful, O Zarathushtra! thou art well-shapen, O Spitama! strong are thy legs and long are thy arms: Glory is given to thy body and long cheerfulness27 to thy soul, as sure as I proclaim it unto thee.'

23 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed, well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong, welfaregiving, healing, with fulness of intellect and powerful.

Ard Yasht (chapter 17)

24 To her did Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, offer up a sacrifice, upon the enclosure of the Hara, the beautiful height, made by Mazda.

25 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may overcome all the Daevas of Mazana; that I may never fear and bow through terror before the Daevas, but that all the Daevas may fear and bow in spite of themselves before me, that they may fear and flee down to darkness.'

26 The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, obtained that boon. For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice....

27 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

28 To her did Yima Khshaeta, the good shepherd, offer up a sacrifice from the height Hukairya.

29 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may bring fatness and flocks down to the world created by Mazda; that I may bring immortality down to the world created by Mazda;

30 'That I may take away both hunger and thirst, from the world created by Mazda; that I may take away both old age and death, from the world created by Mazda; that I may take away both hot wind and cold wind, from the world created by Mazda, for a thousand years.'

31 Then great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: Yima Khshaeta, the good shepherd, obtained that boon. For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

32 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

33 To her did Thraetaona, the heir of the valiant Athwya clan, offer up a sacrifice in the fourcornered Varena.

34 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may overcome Azhi Dahaka, the three-mouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand senses, that most powerful, fiendish Druj, that demon, baleful to the world, the strongest Druj that Angra Mainyu created against the material world, to destroy the world of the good principle; and that I may deliver his two wives, Savanghavak and Erenavak, who are the fairest of body amongst women, and the most wonderful creatures in the world.'

35 The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. Thraetaona, the heir of the valiant Athwya clan, obtained that boon. For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....

36 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

37 To her did Haoma offer up a sacrifice, Haoma, the enlivening, the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with golden eyes, upon the highest height of the Haraiti Bareza.

38 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may bind the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan, that I may drag him bound, that I may bring him bound unto king Husravah, that king Husravah may kill him, behind the Chaechasta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avenge the murder of his father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi-man.'

Ard Yasht (chapter 17)

39 The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. Haoma, the enlivening, the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with golden eyes, obtained that boon. For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice....

40 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

41 To her did the gallant Husravah, he who united the Aryan nations into one kingdom, offer up a sacrifice, behind the Chaechasta lake, the deep lake of salt waters.

42 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may kill the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan, behind the Chaechasta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avenge the murder of my father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi-man.'

43 The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. The gallant Husravah, he who united the Aryan nations into one kingdom, obtained that boon. For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard....

44 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

45 To her did the holy Zarathushtra offer up a sacrifice in the Airyana Vaejah, by the good river Daitya, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with the speech, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightlyspoken words.

46 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may bring the good and noble Hutaosa to think according to the law, to speak according to the law, to do according to the law, that she may spread my law and make it known, that she may bestow beautiful praises upon my deeds.'

47 The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: the holy Zarathushtra obtained that boon. For her brightness, and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard....

48 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

49 To her did the tall Kavi Vishtaspa offer up a sacrifice behind the waters of the river Daitya.

50 He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great Ashi Vanguhi! that I may put to flight Ashta-aurvant, the son of Vispothaurvo-asti, the all-afflicting, of the brazen helmet, of the brazen armour, of the thick neck, behind whom seven hundred camels ....; that I may put to flight the Hvyaona murderer, Arejat-aspa; that I may put to flight Darshinika, the worshipper of the Daevas;

51 'And that I may smite Tathravant of the bad law; that I may smite Spinjaurushka, the worshipper of the Daevas; and that I may bring unto the good law the nations of the Varedhakas and of the Hvyaonas; and that I may smite of the Hvyaona nations their fifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands, their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousands and their myriads of myriads.'

52 The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: the tall Kavi Vishtaspa obtained that boon. For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard ....

53 We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... and powerful.

54 And the great Ashi Vanguhi said: 'None of those libations will be accepted by me, which are sent to me either by a man whose seed is dried out35, or by the courtezan who produces untimely issues36, or by young boys, or by girls who have known no man37.

Ard Yasht (chapter 17)

55 'When the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras38, clapping their hands, ran after me39, I hid myself under the foot of a bull walking under his burden; then young boys, and girls who had known no man, discovered me, even while the Turanians and the swifthorsed Naotaras, clapping their hands, were running after me.

56 'Even I hid myself under the throat of a ram of hundredfold energy: then again young boys, and girls who had known no man, discovered me, even while the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras, clapping their hands, were running after me.'

57 The first wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi is her wailing about the courtezan who destroys her fruit: 'Stand thou not near her, sit thou not on her bed!' — 'What shall I do? Shall I go back to the heavens? Shall I sink into the earth?'

58 The second wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi is her wailing about the courtezan who brings forth a child conceived of a stranger and presents it to her husband: 'What shall I do? Shall I go back to the heavens? Shall I sink into the earth?'

59 This is the third wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi: 'This is the worst deed that men and tyrants do, namely, when they deprive maids, that have been barren for a long time, of marrying and bringing forth children. What shall I do? Shall I go back to the heavens? Shall I sink into the earth?'

60 Ahura Mazda answered: 'O fair and wise Ashi, go not back to the heavens, sink not into the earth! Stay here and walk inside the fine kingly palace.'

61 I shall worship thee with such a sacrifice, I shall worship and forward thee with such a sacrifice as Vishtaspa offered unto thee, behind the river Daitya40. The Zaotar lifted up a loud voice, with baresma before him. With that sort of sacrifice shall I worship thee? With that sort of sacrifice shall I worship and forward thee, O fair and wise Ashi? For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worth being heard....

62 Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness.... I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour of Ashi Vanguhi; of the good Chisti41; of the good Erethe; of the good Rasastat; of the Glory and Weal, made by Mazda. Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good.... [Give] unto that man brightness and glory, give him health of body, .... give him the bright, allhappy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.

Chapter 18

0 May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced!.... Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good.... I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathushtra. one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura; For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Havani], the holy and master of holiness .... Unto the Glory of the Aryans, made by Mazda, Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification. Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness....

1 Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathushtra, saying: 'I made the Aryan Glory, rich in food, rich in flocks, rich in wealth, rich in Glory; provided with full store of intelligence, with full store of money, to withstand Need, and to withstand enemies.