This digital edition prepared by Joseph H. Peterson, 1995; updated Jul 7, 2001.
Translated by James Darmesteter (From Sacred Books of the East, American Edition, 1898.)
It has already been seen that of all healers, the most powerful is the one who treats with the Holy Word (Manthra Spenta), that is with sacred spells (Vd7.44): Of all sacred spells, the most efficacious is the Airyema ishyo, which forms the fifty-fourth Ha of the Yasna. This is expressed under a mythological form in the following Fargard (cf. Westergaard's Fragments, IV).
Angra Mainyu having created 99,999 diseases, Ahura applies for remedy to the Holy Word (Manthra Spenta; §§ 1-5). -- How shall I manage? asks Manthra Spenta (§ 16). Ahura sends his messenger to Airyaman with the same request.
This Fargard is unfinished or, more correctly, the end of it is
understood. Airyaman comes at once to Ahura's call, and digs nine
furrows. It is no doubt in order to perform the Barashnom,
by the virtue of which the strength of the demon and of the demon's
work will be broken. The Fargard ends therefore with spells against
sickness and agailist death, added to the usual spells of the
ordinary Barashnom.
I. | Notes: |
| 1. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathushtra, saying: 'I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion1, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I go up, there may I arrive!) | 1. 'The Garothman' (Comm.), Paradise. |
2. 'Then the ruffian looked at me2; the ruffian Angra Mainyu, the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand diseases. So mayst thou heal me, thou most glorious Manthra Spenta! |
2. And cast on me the evil eye; 'it was by casting the evil eye on the good creatures of Ohrmazd that Ahriman corrupted them' (Eznig, Refutatio Haeresiarum II). See Vd20.3. |
3. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, swift-running steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka3, made by Mazda and holy. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, high-humped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. | 3. The Genius of the good eye; see Vd19.37, and note. |
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4. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that
do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by
Mazda and holy.
'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females big with young, of all species of small cattle; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 5. 'And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing, that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man sound again. 6. 'Manthra Spenta, the all-glorious, replied unto me: "How shall I heal thee? How shall I drive away from thee those nine diseases, and those ninety, those nine hundred, those nine thousand, and those nine times ten thousand diseases?"' II. | |
| 7. The Maker Ahura Mazda called for Nairyo-sangha4: Go thou, Nairyo-sangha, the herald, and drive towards the mansion of Airyaman, and speak thus unto him: | 4. The messenger of Ahura Mazda. He is a form of Atar, the Fire (Yasna 17.11). |
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8. Thus speaks Ahura Mazda, the Holy One, unto thee:
'I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I ascend, there may I arrive!) 9. 'Then the ruffian looked at me; the ruffian Angra Mainyu, the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand diseases. So mayst thou heal me, O Airyaman, the vow-fulfiller! 10. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, swift-running steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy, 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, high-humped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy, 11. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females big with young, of all species of small cattle. I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 12. 'And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that make, the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing, that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man sound again.' III.13. In obedience to Ahura's words he went, Nairyo-sangha, the herald; he drove towards the mansion of Airyaman, he spake unto Airyaman, saying: 14. Thus speaks Ahura Mazda, the Holy One, unto thee: 'I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I go up, there may I arrive!) 15. 'Then the ruffian looked at me; the ruffian Angra Mainyu, the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand diseases. So mayst thou heal me, O Airyaman, the vow-fulfiller! 16. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, swift-running steeds ; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, high-humped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 17. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females, big with young, of all species of small cattle; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy. 18. 'And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing, that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man sound again.' IV. | |
| 19. Quickly was it done, nor was it long, eagerly set off the vow-fulfilling Airyaman, towards the mountain of the holy Questions5, towards the forest of the holy Questions. | 5. The mountain where 'the holy conversations' between Ohrmazd and Zarathushtra took place (cf. Vd19.11). |
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20. Nine kinds of stallions brought he with him, the
vow-fulfilling Airyaman6.
Nine kinds of camels brought he with him, the vow-fulfilling Airyaman. Nine kinds of bulls brought he with him, the vow-fulfilling Airyaman. Nine kinds of small cattle brought he with him, the vow-fulfilling Airyaman. He brought with him the nine twigs7; he drew along nine furrows8. |
6. According to Framji, 'He brought with him the strength
of nine stallions,' to infuse it into the sick man
(cf. Yasht 8.24).
7. That is to say, 'the nine-knotted stick' (Framji; cf. Vd9.14). 8. To perform the Barashnom, 'the great service of the Nirang Din, through which all evil, moral and natural, including evil passions, disease, and death will be removed' (Wilson, The Parsi Religion, p. 341). |
| [219. 'I drive away Ishire and I drive away Aghuire; I drive away Aghra and I drive away Ughra; I drive away sickness and I drive away death; I drive away pain and I drive away fever; I drive away Sarana and I drive away Sarastya; I drive away Azhana and I drive away Azhahva; I drive away Kurugha and I drive away Azhivaka; I drive away Duruka and I drive away Astairya. I drive away the evil eye, rottenness, and infection which Angra Mainyu has created against the bodies of mortals. | 9. From the Vendidad Sada; as Vd20.9-13. |
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22. 'I drive away all manner of sickness and death, all the
Yatus and Pairikas, and all the wicked Jainis.
23. 'A Airyema Ishyo:- May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman come here, for the men and women of Zarathushtra to rejoice, for Vohu-mano to rejoice; with the desirable reward that Religion deserves. I solicit for holiness that boon that is vouchsafed by Ahura. 24. 'May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman smite all manner of sickness and death, all the Yatus and Pairikas, and all the wicked Jainis. 25. 'Yatha ahu vairyo:- The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. The gifts of Vohu-mano to the deeds done in this world for Mazda. He who relieves the poor makes Ahura king. 'Kem-na mazda:- What protector hast thou given unto me O Mazda! while the hate of the wicked encompasses me? Whom but thy Atar and Vohu-mano, through whose work I keep on the world of righteousness? Reveal therefore to me thy Religion as thy rule! 'Ke verethrem-ja:- Who is the victorious who will protect thy teaching? Make it clear that I am the guide for both worlds. May Sraosha come with Vohu-mano and help whomsoever thou pleasest, O Mazda! 'Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Armaiti Spenta! Perish, O fiendish Druj! Perish, O brood of the fiend! Perish, O world of the fiend! Perish away, O Druj! Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of Righteousness!'] |