(11) In the same way, O man, reckon up with intelligence In relation to this man Zaid is as Satan, The latter calls Zaid a sincere Mussulman, Zaid, one and the same person, is life to the one, If you desire that God may be pleasing to you, Look not at that Beauty with your own eyes, Look at that Object of desire with His votaries' eyes; Shut your own eyes from beholding that sweet Object, And borrow from His admirers their eyes; Nay, borrow from Him both eyes and sight,

(20) Raguel, one of the holy angels who †takes vengeance on† the world of the luminaries.

(41) Mediæval investigators of the Nature spirits were of the opinion that the most common form of salamander was lizard-like in shape, a foot or more in length, and visible as a glowing Urodela, twisting and crawling in the midst of the fire. Another group was described as huge flaming giants in flowing robes, protected with sheets of fiery armor. Certain mediæval authorities, among them the Abbé de Villars, held that Zarathustra (Zoroaster) was the son of Vesta (believed to have been the wife of Noah) and the great salamander Oromasis. Hence, from that time onward, undying fires have been maintained upon the Persian altars in honor of Zarathustra's flaming father.

(3) He continued and said: "The fourth order is called Parhedrōn Typhōn, who is a mighty ruler, under whose authority are two-and-thirty demons. And it is they which enter into men and seduce them to lusting, fornicating, adultery and to the continual practice of intercourse. The souls then which this ruler will carry off in ravishment, pass one-hundred-and-twenty-and-eight years in his regions, while his demons torment them through his dark smoke and his wicked fire, so that they begin to be ruined and destroyed. "It cometh to pass then, when the sphere turneth itself and the little Sabaōth, the Good, he of the Midst, who is called Zeus, cometh, and when he cometh to the ninth æon of the sphere which is called the Archer, and when Boubastis, who is called in the world Aphroditē, cometh, and she cometh to the third æon of the sphere which is called the Twins, then the veils which are between those of the Left and those of the Right, draw themselves aside, and there looketh forth Zarazaz, whom the rulers call with the name of a mighty ruler of their regions 'Maskelli,' and he looketh on the dwellings of Parhedrōn Typhōn, so that his regions are dissolved and destroyed. And all the souls which are in his chastisements are carried and cast back anew into the sphere, because they are reduced through his dark smoke and his wicked fire."

(9) Through false believers the tormentor makes Thy helpers refusers ; (those who once helped our heroes shall no longer give succour). The estranged thus desires, and the reprobate wills it, with the will that he harbours to conquer our honour . Where is then the Lord righteous who will smite them from life , and (beguile) them of license? Mazda! Thine is that power, (which will banish and conquer). And Thine is the Kingdom ; and by it Thou bestowest the highest (of blessings) on the right-living poor ! 190:1 Some lay stress upon the literal form 'was heard,' and regard the expression as indicating the fact that Zarathustra was no longer living (see the remarks in the summary). 190:2 Free. 190:3 I follow the Pahlavi with all; it has hû-âhûînâd. 190:4 I follow the frîftâr of the Pahlavi, as the conversion of those formerly hostile is suggested by vaurayâ and Fryâna, not to speak of the primary rendering of duserethrîs kikhshnushâ. The Pahlavi also has, 'even he who is the deceiver is to be instructed in the word and deed of the good religion.' The MSS. should not hastily be abandoned. 190:5 That more than a ritualistic sanctity is meant is certain (see Y. XXX, 3); but that no sanctity could be recognised apart from worship is equally undeniable. 190:6 Who was the Zarathustrian Spitâma? Some change the text after the Pahlavi translator, reading Zarathustra Spitâma; but I would not follow this evil example in a first translation of a translatable text. Why should a Spitâma, who was not Zarathustra, be called Zarathustrian? Were some of the Spitâmas not in sympathy with their great kinsman, Spitâmas who were Mazdayasnians, but not 'of Zarathustra's order?' One would however suppose that some one of Zarathustra's family was meant who occupied the position of his especial representative and natural successor. 191:1 Free. 191:2 Recall the 'path made for the Kine,' and 'the way' which 'Thou declarest to be that of the Good Mind.' 191:3 That is, will permanently found, establish. 191:4 Verses have here fallen out, as some allusion must have been made to the bridegroom. 191:5 So more according to the hint of the Pahlavi and the statement of the Bundahis; West, XXXII, 5. So Geldner, K.Z. 28, 195. 191:6 Or, 'will he, the Saoshyant, the bride's father.' 191:7 A chieftain, a protecting head. 191:8 It is, perhaps, safer to refer this 'questioning' to the pair; but forms of ham with pares are also used of consultations with the Deity (see Y. XXXIII, 6). Y. XLIV, 13 nearly necessitates the wider and less concrete view here. 191:9 Varânî looks somewhat like a gloss, but the metre seems to demand it. 191:10 Her father's sanction was a reason for devotion to the man to whom he had given her. 192:1 The Pahlavi translator has sîrîh here. 192:2 Bet = bád lies certainly nearer than beet=bavat. 192:3 See the previous verse. 192:4 Or, 'being zealous.' 192:5 These words do not seem adapted to the bridesmaids. 192:6 Gaini is elsewhere used in an evil sense. 192:7 I can only render thus literally: From the Drûg as a generous guide (I) who (compare ye in Y. XXVIII) (for) mine, (mê) a watching guardian (I guide as a râthema; nom. sing. with verbal force) increasing prosperity, i.e. progress, of the Drûg I pray (forth*; I exorcise) of the bond (?) (of the Drûg) the malicious injuries* from the body or person. *yêsê-parâ. *to 3rd pî. 192:8 'If ye bear, or promote, the interests of Vayu.' 192:9 Or, 'evil food.' 192:10 Some line here is gloss; the first thought would be to eliminate p. 193 the difficult second line; but the third line might be an effort (by the poet himself, or an associate, see the metrical form) to explain, or relieve, the awkward second line. Reading yemâ and râthemâ, and taking genayô as in an evil sense, with spasuthâ as a second plural, we might render as a question: 'Do ye, O ye twain, ye helpers of the Drûg; do ye regard promotion (as thus to be gained)?' But in that case verses 6 and 7 should be regarded as separated by many lost verses from the fifth verse. But is not the first line the gloss? It is merely an address. 193:1 Free. 193:2 Lit. 'the greatness.' 193:3 The difficulty here lies in the first line which seems to declare a reward in a good sense. Mîzdem is hardly used of retribution. It must therefore be taken in a good sense. The following evil results must be supposed to have been avoided; and 'Vayu' to be uttered in triumph. Vayu is used in an evil sense in verse 6. If mîzdem could be supposed to express retribution, then evil men and women would be threatened, and Vayu would be a cry uttered in woe. As to Vayu with his two natures, see part ii as per index. 193:4 The foiling of the evil here recalls âdebaomâ. 193:5 The Pahlavi translator seems to me too free in rendering zahvyâkâ (zahyâkâ), zanisn-hômand. It also makes a curious imitation of letters in gêh va mar for genarãm. It is of course far from certain that he had our present text. 193:6 See verse 9; also Y. XLVI, 4. 193:7 Recall the delivering of the evil into the two hands of Asha (Y. XXX, 8, and Y. XLIV, 14). 193:8 Khrûnerãmkâ must be a gloss. 194:1 'Let him "rout" or "stir" them.' 194:2 Comp. mazista = the strongest in Y. XLIX, 1, 'the prevailer.' Lit. 'with the chaining of death the greatest.' 194:3 For narpîs I can only suggest the suspiciously simple nar = hero (comp. the frequent nâ) and pî = nourish, support. The Pahlavi translator seems likewise to have had some such rendering in mind, for he translates dastôbar. 194:4 As to rigîs, the Pahlavi translation, which is here more than usually difficult, hints in the direction above followed, by a word which I would restore as rêgînênd. 194:5 The Pahlavi translator erroneously sees 'bridge' in peshô, or is free with his tanâpûharkânŏ hômand. See Geldner, Stud. 3. 194:6 See Geldner, Stud. 54. 194:7 See Y. XLVI, 4. 194:8 Comp. the Ahuna-vairya which takes its last line from this place, and Y. XXXIV, 5. Vahyô is a variation for vangheus vahyô. 194:9 Here I have endeavoured to imitate the swing of the rhythm by breaking up the sentences, especially in the second line. Literally it would be, 'with the desire, with the virtue-conquering (desire) of the reprobate.' Such freedom as the above is often a critical necessity in the attempts to reproduce the warmth of the original. Next: Yasna I. The Sacrifice Commences Sacred Texts | Zoroastrianism « Previous: The Zend Avesta, Part III (SBE31): The Gâthas: Yasn... Index Next: The Zend Avesta, Part III (SBE31): The Yasna: Yasna I. Th... » Sacred Texts | Zoroastrianism

(20) Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus.

(43) According to the Persians, there coexisted in eternity two principles. The first of these, Ahura-Mazda, or Ormuzd, was the Spirit of Good. From Ormuzd came forth a number of hierarchies of good and beautiful spirits (angels and archangels). The second of these eternally existing principles was called Ahriman. He was also a pure and beautiful spirit, but he later rebelled against Ormuzd, being jealous of his power. This did not occur, however, until after Ormuzd had created light, for previously Ahriman had not been conscious of the existence of Ormuzd. Because of his jealousy and rebellion, Ahriman became the Spirit of Evil. From himself he individualized a host of destructive creatures to injure Ormuzd.