AVESTA: YASNA (English): Chapter 47-50 - Spentamainyush GathaAvesta -- 
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AVESTA: YASNA - Spentamainyush Gatha
Translation by Bartholomae, from I.J.S. Taraporewala, The Divine Songs of 
Zarathushtra. Notes in square brackets [] were added by JHP. 



YASNA 47.
  1. 
  For his holy Spirit and for Best Thought, deed, and word, in accordance with 
  Right Mazda Ahura with Dominion and Piety shall give us Welfare and 
  Immortality. 
  2. 
  The best (work) of this most holy Spirit he fulfills with the tongue through 
  words of Good Thought, with work of his hands through the action of Piety, by 
  virtue of this knowledge: he, even Mazda, is the Father of Right. 
  3. 
  Thou art the holy Father of this Spirit, which has created for us the 
  luck-bringing cattle, and for its pasture to give it peace (has created) 
  Piety, when he had taken counsel, O Mazda, with Good Thought. 
  4. 
  From this Spirit have Liars fallen away, O Mazda, but not the Righteous. 
  Whether one is lord of little or of much, he is to show love to the righteous, 
  but be ill unto the Liar. 
  5. 
  And all the best things which by this Holy Spirit thou hast promised to the 
  righteous, O Mazda Ahura, shall the Liar partake of them without thy will, who 
  by his actions is on the side of Ill Thought? 
  6. 
  Through this holy Spirit, Mazda Ahura, and through the Fire thou wilt give the 
  division of good to the two parties, with support of Piety and Right. This 
  verily will convert many who are ready to hear. 
YASNA 48.
  1. 
  When at the Recompensings the Right shall smite the Liar, so that what was 
  long since made known shall be assigned to eternity to Daevas and men, then 
  will it exalt with thy blessings, Ahura, him who prays to thee. 
  2. 
  Tell me, for thou art he that knows, O Ahura: - shall the Righteous smite the 
  Liar before the retributions come which thou hast conceived? That were indeed 
  a message to bless the world. 
  3. 
  For him that knows, that is the best of teachings which the beneficent Ahura 
  teaches through the Right, he the holy one, even thyself, O Mazda, that knows 
  the secret lore through the wisdom of Good Thought. 
  4. 
  Whoso, O Mazda, makes his thought (now) better, (now) worse, and likewise his 
  Self by action and by word, and follows his own inclinations, wishes, and 
  choices, he shall in thy purpose be in a separate place at last. 
  5. 
  Let good rulers rule us, not evil rulers with the actions of the Good Lore, O 
  Piety! Perfect thou for man, O thou most good, the future birth, and for the 
  cow skilled husbandry. Let her grow fat for our nourishing. 
  6. 
  She (Armaiti) will give us peaceful dwelling, she will give lasting life and 
  strength, she the beloved of Good Thought. For it (the cattle) Mazda Ahura 
  made the plants to grow at the birth of the First Life, through Right. 
  7. 
  Violence must be put down! against cruelty make a stand, ye who would make 
  sure of the reward of Good Thought through Right, to whose company the holy 
  man belongs. His dwelling place shall be in thy House, O Ahura. 
  8. 
  Is the possession of thy good Dominion, Mazda, is that of thy Destiny assured 
  to me Ahura? Will thy manifestation, O thou Right, be welcome to the pious, 
  even the weighing of actions by the Good Spirit? 
  9. 
  When shall I know whether ye have power, O Mazda and Right, over everyone 
  whose destructiveness is a menace to me? Let the revelation of Good Thought be 
  confirmed unto me; the future deliverer should know how his own destiny shall 
  be. 
  10. 
  When, O Mazda, will the nobles understand the message? When will thou smite 
  the filthiness of this intoxicant, through which the Karapans evilly deceive, 
  and the wicked lords of the lands with purpose fell? [1] 
  11. 
  When, O Mazda, shall Piety come with Right, with Dominion the happy dwelling 
  rich with pasture? Who are they that will make peace with the bloodthirsty 
  Liars? To whom will the Lore of Good Thought come? 
  12. 
  These shall be the deliverers [[Saoshyants]] of the provinces, who exert 
  themselves, O Good Thought in their action, O Asha, to fulfill their duty, 
  face to face with thy command, O Mazda. For these are the appointed smiters of 
  Violence. 
  NOTES: 
[1] Martin Schwartz tr: "When will they ban(ish) the filth of that 
ditch/reciprocity-gift whereby ... the karapans commit plunder", 'thus Yasna 
48.10 contains no reference to intoxication, let alone condemnation of haoma.' 
Flattery: 'the passage ... has nothing remotely to do with sauma.' (Flattery & 
Schwartz, Haoma and Harmaline, 1989, pp. 105, 6.) 
YASNA 49.
  1. 
  Ever has Bendva been for me the greatest obstacle, I who desire to give 
  satisfaction to those who are neglected, O Right, O Mazda. With good Ada come 
  to me, support me firmly. Prepare for him (his) ruin, O Good Thought. 
  2. 
  The perverter of this Bendva has long time impeded me, the Liar who has fallen 
  away from Right. He cares not that holy Piety should be his, nor takes the 
  counsel with Good Thought, O Mazda. 
  3. 
  And in this belief (of ours), O Mazda, Right is laid down, for blessing, in 
  the heresy the Lie, for ruin. Therefore I strive for the fellowship of Good 
  Thought, I forbid all intercourse with the Liar. 
  4. 
  They who make the increase of violence and cruelty with their tongues, the 
  foes of cattle-nurture among its friends; whose ill deeds prevail, not their 
  good deeds: these (shall be) in the house of the Daevas, (the place for) the 
  Self of the Liar. 
  5. 
  But he, O Mazda, - happiness and satiety be his who links his own Self with 
  Good Thought, being through Right an intimate of Piety. And with all these 
  (may I be) in Thy Dominion, Ahura. 
  6. 
  I beseech you twain, O Mazda and the Right, to say what are the plans of your 
  will, that we may discern how we might teach the Religion of such as you, O 
  Ahura. 
  7. 
  And this let Good Thought hear, O Mazda, let the Right hear, do thou also 
  listen, O Ahura, which men of the brotherhood, what noble is it according to 
  the Law who brings to the community fame. 
  8. 
  On Frashaoshtra do thou bestow the most gladsome fellowship with the Right - 
  this I ask thee, O Mazda Ahura - and on myself the hold on what is good in thy 
  Dominion. To all eternity we would be thy messengers. 
  9. 
  Let the helper hear the ordinance, he that is created to bring deliverance. 
  The man of right words is no regarder of fellowship with the Liar, if they 
  that are partakers of Right are to make their Selves partake in the best 
  reward at the Judgment, O Jamaspa. 
  10. 
  And this, O Mazda, will I put in thy care within thy House - the Good Thought 
  and the souls of the Righteous, their worship, their Piety and zeal, that thou 
  mayst guard it, O thou mighty Dominion, with abiding power. 
  11. 
  But these that are of an evil dominion, of evil deeds, evil words, evil Self, 
  and evil thought, Liars, the Souls go to meet them with evil food; in the 
  House of the Lie they shall be meet inhabitants. 
  12. 
  What help hast thou, O Right, for Zarathushtra that calls upon me? What hast 
  thou, Good Thought? -- for me who with praises seeks your favor, O Mazda 
  Ahura, longing for that which is best in your possession. 
YASNA 50.
  1. 
  (Zarathushtra:) Can my soul count on any one for help? Who is there found for 
  my herd, who for myself a protector, indeed, at my call other than the Right 
  and thyself. O Mazda Ahura, and the Best Thought? 
  2. 
  How, O Mazda, should one desire the luck-bringing cattle, one who would fain 
  it would come to him with the pasture?
  (Mazda:) They that live uprightly according to the Right among the many that 
  look upon the sun, those whom they stand in judgment, I will settle in the 
  dwellings of the wise. 
  3. 
  (Zarathushtra:) So this (reward) shall come to him through the Right, O Mazda, 
  (this reward) which by the Dominion and Good Thought he promised, whomsoever 
  by the power of his Destiny prospers the neighboring possession that now the 
  Liar holds. 
  4. 
  I will worship you with praise, O Mazda Ahura, joined with Right and Best 
  Thought and Dominion, that they, desired of pious men, may stand as Judges on 
  the path of the obedient unto the House of Song. 
  5. 
  Assured by you, O Mazda Ahura and Right, are the pointings of the hand - since 
  you are well-disposed to your prophet - which shall bring us to bliss, 
  together with visible manifest help. 
  6. 
  The prophet Zarathushtra, O Mazda, who lifts up his voice in worship, as 
  friend of Asha - may the Creator of Wisdom teach me his ordinances through 
  Good Thought, that my tongue may have a pathway. 
  7. 
  For you I will harness the swiftest steeds, stout and strong, by the 
  promptings of your praise, that ye may come hither, O Mazda, Right, and Good 
  thought. 
  8. 
  Ever with verses that are recognized as those of pious zeal I will come before 
  you with outstretched hands, O Mazda, before you, O thou Right, with worship 
  of the faithful man, before you with all the capacity of Good Thought. 
  9. 
  With those prayers I would come and praise you, O Mazda and thou Right, with 
  actions of Good Thought. If I be master of my own destiny as I will, then will 
  I take thought for the portion of the wise in the same. 
  10. 
  Those actions that I shall achieve and those done aforetime, and those, O Good 
  Thought, that are precious in thy sight, the rays of the sun, the shimmering 
  uprisings of the days, all is for your praise, O thou Right and Mazda Ahura. 
  11. 
  Your praiser, Mazda, will I declare myself and be, so long, O Right, as I have 
  strength and power. May the Creator of the world accomplish through Good 
  Thought its fulfillment of all that most perfectly answers to his will. 
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