12. RASHN YASHT.

Translated by James Darmesteter (From Sacred Books of the East, American Edition, 1898.)

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 Rashnu Razishta; unto Arshtat, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase; unto the true-spoken speech, that makes the world grow;
Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.
Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness....

I

1.

The holy (Zarathushtra) asked him: 'O holy Ahura Mazda! I ask thee; answer me with words of truth, thou who knowest the truth. Thou art undeceivable, thou hast an undeceivable understanding; thou art undeceivable, as thou knowest everything.
'What of the Holy Word is created true? what is created progress-making? what is fit to discern? what is healthful? what is wise? what is happy and more powerful to destroy than all other creatures?'

2.

Ahura Mazda answered: 'I will declare that unto thee, O pure, holy Spitama!
'The most glorious Holy Word (itself), this is what in the Holy Word is created true, what is created progress making, what is fit to discern, what is healthful, wise, and happy, what is more powerful to destroy than all other creatures.'

3.

Ahura Mazda said: 'Bind up a three-twigged baresma against the way of the sun. [Address] unto me, Ahura Mazda, these words: "We invoke, we bless [Ahura]; I invoke the friendship [of Ahura] towards this var (ordeal) prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of the plants."

4.

'Then I, Ahura Mazda, shall come for help unto thee, towards this var prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of the plants;
'Along with the fiend-smiting Wind, along with the cursing thought of the wise, along with the kingly Glory, along with Saoka, made by Mazda.

5.

'We invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong; I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of: the plants.

6.

'Then Rashnu the tall, the strong, will come for help unto thee, towards this var prepared, towards the fire and the baresma, towards the full boiling [milk], towards the var of oil and the sap of the plants:
'Along with the fiend-smiting Wind, along with the cursing thought of the wise, along with the kingly Glory, along with Saoka, made by Mazda.

7.

'O thou, holy Rashnu! O most true Rashnu! most beneficent Rashnu! most knowing Rashnu! most discerning Rashnu I most fore-knowing Rashnu! most far-seeing Rashnu I Rashnu, the best doer of justice! Rashnu, the best smiter of thieves;

8.

'The uninjured, the best killer, smiter, destroyer of thieves and bandits! in whatever part of the world thou art watching the doings of men and making the account... (obscure).

II

9.

'Whether thou, O hoIy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Arezahi, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

III

10.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Savahi, we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared ... in whatever part of the world thou art.

IV

11.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Fradadhafshu, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

V

12.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Vidadhafshu, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

VI

13.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Vouru-bareshti, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

VII

14. ' Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the Karshvare Vouru-jareshti, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

VIII

15.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in this Karshvare, the bright Hvaniratha, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

IX

16.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the sea Vouru-Kasha, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared .... in whatever part of the world thou art.

X

17.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the tree of the eagle, that stands in the middle of the sea Vouru-Kasha, that is called the tree of good remedies, the tree of powerful remedies, the tree of all remedies, and on which rest the seeds of all plants; we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XI

18.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the Aodhas of the Rangha, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XII

19.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the Sanaka of the Rangha, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XIII

20.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art at one of the angles of this earth, we invoke we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XIV

21.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art at the boundary of this earth, we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XV

22.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in any place of this earth, we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XVI

23.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art on the Hara Berezaiti, the bright mountain around which the many (stars) revolve, where come neither night nor darkness, no cold wind and no hot wind, no deathful sickness, no uncleanness made by the Daevas, and the clouds cannot reach up unto the Haraiti Bareza; we invoke, we bless Rashnu. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XVII

24.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art upon the highest Hukairya, of the deep precipices, made of gold, where from this river of mine, Ardvi Sura Anahita, leaps from a thousand times the height of a man, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XVIII

25.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art upon the Taera of the height Haraiti, around which the stars, the moon, and the sun revolve, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XIX

26.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the star Vanant, made by Mazda, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XX

27.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the bright and glorious star Tishtrya, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards the var prepared....

XXI

28.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the group of the Haptoiringa stars, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXII

29.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in those stars that have the seed of the waters in them, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXIII

30.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in those stars that have the seed of the earth in them, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXIV

31.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in those stars that have the seed of the plants in them, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXV

32.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the stars that belong to the Good Spirit, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXVI

33.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the moon which has the seed of the Bull in it, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXVII

34.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the swift-horsed sun, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXVIII

35.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the sovereign endless Light, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXIX

36.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXX

37.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art in the shining Garo-demana, we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

XXXI

38.

'Whether thou, O holy Rashnu! art, ... (obscure) we invoke, we bless Rashnu, the strong. I invoke his friendship towards this var prepared....

39.

'For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice worth being heard....
'Yenhe hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda....

40.

'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 Rashnu Razishta; of Arshtat, who makes the world grow, who makes the world increase; and of the true-spoken speech that makes the world grow.
'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, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'