Avesta -- Zoroastrian Archives Contents Prev Aog Next Avesta Glossary

Aogemadaeca

Translated by James Darmesteter, Sacred Books of the East, American Edition, 1898, Vol. III, pg 372 ff.

'The Aogemadaeca,' says Dastur Jamaspji,' is a treatise that inculcates a sort of serene resignation to death.' It is a sermon on death, originally written in Pahlavi, but preserved to us in a Parsi transcription; in which original Avesta texts are developed or paraphrased. These Avesta quotations amount to twenty-nine, of which twenty-four are new. A good edition of the Parsi text, with a Sanskrit translation, based upon a manuscript of A. D. 1497, has been published by Prof. Geiger (Erlangen, 1879). Dastur Jamaspji possesses two Pahlavi retranscriptions of an independent Parsi manuscript, which contain useful corrections and additions. We have thought it necessary to give here a complete translation of the treatise, as the Avesta quotations by themselves do not present either a continuous or a complete text. Unlike the Avesta in the Nirangistan, they are not the principal, but only the secondary text.
1.
Aogemaideca usmahica visamadaeca [Y41.5] ('We come, rejoice, and submit').
(Parsi translation:) I come, I accept, I resign;
2. (Parsi gloss:)
I come into this world, I accept evil, I resign myself to death;
3.
Shato-manau vahishto-urvano ('With the mind in joy and the soul in bliss'):
(Gloss:) In joy is he who realises the wish of his soul.
4.
May the accursed Gana Mainyo be smitten, destroyed, and broken, he who has no knowledge, who has evil knowledge, who is full of death,
5.
Who destroys the body of the immortal soul!
6.
May the immortal soul have its share in Paradise!
7.
And may the pleasure and comfort that will dissipate the pain of the immortal soul come to us!
8.
At the fourth dawn, may the holy, strong Sraosha, and Rashn Rast, and the good Vae, and Ashtad the victorious, and Mihr of the rolling country-side, and the Fravashis of the righteous, and the other virtuous spirits come to meet the soul of the blessed one,
9.
And make the immortal soul pass over the Chinvad bridge easily, happily, and fearlessly!
10.
And may Vohuman, the Amshaspand, intercede for the soul of the blessed one,
11.
And introduce it to Ohrmazd and the Amshaspands!
12.
Usehihstad Vohu-Mano; haca gatvo zaranyo-kereto ('Up rises Vohu-Mano from his golden throne').
13.
He will take the blessed one by the hand,
14.
And make him rejoice as much as does the man who rejoices most when on the pinnacle of nobility and glory.
15.
And the Fravashis of the righteous will bring to the soul of the blessed those blessed aliments that are made at the time of Maidyo-zarm:
16.
Hvarethanam he beretam zaremayehe raoghnahe ('Let them bring unto him the butter of Maidhyoi-zaremaya!').
Aliments of waters, wine, sugar, and honey!
17.
Yatha va erezato paiti, yatha va zaranyo paiti, yatha va kacid gaonanam ('Of silver, or gold, or any other kind').
The Amshaspand Vohuman will give to the soul of the blessed one clothes embroidered with gold and a golden throne;
18.
And the demon Ahriman will be powerless to inflict any harm or damage on the soul of the blessed one.
19.
Pasca parairistim daeva drvanto duzhdaungho baodhem avatha frateresenti, yatha maeshi vehrkavaiti vehrkad haca frateresaiti ('The wicked evil- doing Daevas tremble at his perfume after death, as doth a sheep on which a wolf is pouncing').
As the sheep, on which the wolf is pouncing, tremble at the odour of the wolf, so these Drujes tremble at the perfume of the blessed one.
20.
For whosoever has been born and whosoever shall be born must act in such a way that, when the moment comes to leave this world, he may have Paradise as his portion and Garothman as his reward.
21.
There is a passage in which Ohrmazd said to Zarathushtra: 'I created, O Spitama Zarathushtra! good renown and salvation of the soul;'
22.
(That is to say, good renown in this world and salvation of the soul in the next).
And in case of doubt we must consider as being saved,
23.
Him who, for all we have seen and known, has been a believer in body and soul, and has rejoiced Ohrmazd and afflicted Ahriman,
24.
And whoever has had this for his main object, or has been the source of this benefit, that from him should flow prosperity and joy, and from him should flow no harm and no pain.
And there is a passage in which the soul says to the body:
25.
Aad mam tanvo ithyejanguhaiti manya manangha humatem.
O thou, my perishable body, think good thoughts with thy mind!
26.
Aad mam tanvo ithyejanguhaiti hizva mruidhi hukhtem.
O thou, my perishable body, speak good words with thy tongue!
27.
Aad mam tanvo ithyejanguhaiti zastaeibya vareza hvarestem shyaothanem.
O thou, my perishable body, do good deeds with thy hands!
28.
Ma mam tanvo ithyejanguhaiti angrai vaire fraspayois yim khrvantem aithivantem, yim daevim afraderesavantem frakerentad angro mainyus pouru-mahrko bunem angheus temanghahe yad ereghato daozanghahe.
O thou, my perishable body, do not throw me down into the Var of Angra Mainyu, terrible, dreadful, (frightful), dark, undiscernible (for the darkness there is so dense that it can be grasped with the hand), which Gana Mainyu fabricated at the bottom of the dark world of endless hell.
29.
There is a passage in which Ohrmazd says to Zarathushtra:
30.
I created, O Spitama Zarathustra! the stars, the moon, the sun, and the red burning fire, the dogs, the birds, and the five kinds of animals; but, better and greater than all, I created the righteous man who has truly received from me the Praise of Asha in the good Religion.
31.
But without any reason men adhere to that evil guide, Passion, created by the demons; so that they do not think of Fate,
32.
And by the bent of their nature they forget death.
33.
They do not keep in mind the working of Time and the transientness of the body,
34.
They ever go wandering about on the way of desire,
35.
They are tossed in doubt by evil Passion,
36.
They clothe themselves with spite, in the course of strife, for the sake of vanishing goods;
37.
They are intoxicated with pride in their youth,
38.
And shall be full of regrets at the end of their time.
39.
For if one say: 'On this earth of the seven Karshvares there is somebody going to die,' everybody ought to think: 'Perhaps it is I,'
40.
Had he sense enough to know that every creature that has been created and has had existence shall die, and that the unseen, deceiving Astivihad comes for every one.
41.
Hamaschid paro avangho isente mashya-kaungho ('All men wish for supplies').
(Now) when a man sets out on a journey, he takes provisions with him;
42.
If it be for one day's march, he takes provisions for two days;
43.
If it be for two days' march, he takes provisions for three;
44.
If it be for ten days' march, he takes provisions for fifteen;
45.
And he thinks that he will come back in health to his well-beloved friends, parents, and brethren.
46.
How then is it that men take no provisions for that unavoidable journey,
47.
On which one must go once for all, for all eternity?
48.
Chim aoshanghau aoshanguhaiti astem isaiti tanva, kim uruna, kim frazainti, chim va gaethahvo mahrkathem?
How is it that a mortal can wish for another mortal the annihilation of his body (that his body should be no more), or of his soul (that his soul should be damned), or death for his children or for his cattle (that his cattle should perish), if he has sense enough to know that he himself is mortal?
49.
Anamarezhdiko zi asti havai marezhdikai.
For he is pitiless to himself (he does not pity himself) and none of the others shall pity him.
50.
Blind are all those who, on this earth, do not follow the religion, do not benefit the living, and do not commemorate the dead.
51.
Oiuim tad va .... ayare ajasaiti, Spitama Zarathushtra! aeva va khshapa ('For there comes a day, O Spitama Zarathustra! or a night').
There comes a day, O Spitama Zarathustra! or a night, when the master leaves the cattle, or the cattle leave the master, or the soul leaves that body full of desires;
52.
But his virtue, which is of all existences the greatest, the best, the finest, never parts from a man.
53.
Ayare amithnaiti juye tanush frayaere ayan bavaiti hubadhro hupaitiznato, adha apare ayan duzhathrem ('Every day the living man ought to think that in the forenoon he is happy and in credit; in the afternoon disgrace may come').
Every day every living body ought to think (for that may happen any day): in the forenoon I am happy, rich, in credit (that is to say, well treated by the king);
54.
And every day other people eagerly wish him evil; that he should be torn away from his palace, that he should have his head cut off and his wealth seized upon. Every day the living body is thrown for food to the birds that fly in the empty sky.
55.
This is the way of things on this earth.
56.
Deusgdatayau fraeshta drvanto duzdaungho ('It is ignorance that ruins most people, those ill-informed').
It is ignorance that ruins most people, those ill-informed; both amongst those who have died, and those who shall die.
57.
Aad mraod Ahuro Mazdau frakeresto Asto-vidhotush zirijau (read zivijau?) apairiayo ('Ahura Mazda said: Astovidhotush has been created a destroyer of the living and one whom none escape ).
Ohrmazd said: Astivihad has been created for the destruction of mortals (when the mortals see him, they tremble so much that they are unable to struggle with the Druj) and no one escapes him (as said before).
58.
Yahmad hacha naechish bungayad aoshanguhatam mashyanam ('From whom not one of mortal men can escape').
From whom not one of mortal men can escape; no one has escaped to this day, and no one will escape hereafter.
59.
Noid aethrapatayo, noid danhupatayo, noid sasevishtau, noid asevishtau ('Neither aethrapaitis, nor chiefs of countries, neither well-doers, nor evil-doers').
Neither the herbed (the Mobedan Mobed), nor the chief of the country (the King of kings), neither well-doers, nor evil-doers.
60.
Noid usyastacho, noid niya ('Neither those who run up, nor those who go down').
Neither those who run up (those who fly in the empty sky), like Kahos; with all his strength and kingly glory, he could not escape from Astivihad.
61.
Nor those who go down deep (who hide themselves under the earth), like Afrasyab the Turk, who made himself an iron palace under the earth, a thousand times the height of a man, with a hundred columns;
62.
In that palace he made the stars, the moon, and the sun go round, making the light of day.
63.
In that palace he did everything at his pleasure,
64.
And he lived the happiest life.
65.
With all his strength and witchcraft, he could not escape from Astivihad.
66.
Naedha frakanem anhau zemo yad pathanayau skarenayau duraeparayau.
Nor he who dug this wide, round earth, with extremities that lie afar, like Dahak,
67.
Who went from the East to the West, searching for immortality and did not find it.
68.
With all his strength and power, he could not escape from Astivihad.
69.
Anye angheush frasho-charethrau ('Except the producers of the world of resurrection').
Thus until the author of the resurrection, Saoshyos: until Saoshyos comes, no one shall escape from Astivihad.
70.
To every one comes the unseen, deceiving Astivihad,
71.
Who accepts neither compliments, nor bribe,
72.
Who is no respecter of persons,
73.
And ruthlessly makes men perish.
74.
And this glorious One must go the way he never went,
75.
See what he never saw,
76.
And discuss with him whom no one can deceive or mislead.
77.
Pairithwo bavaiti pantau yim danush paiti fra bunad tachintish; hau did aevo apairithwo, yo vayaosh anamarezhdikahe: --
The way may be traversed which is barred by a river springing from the deep; but one way cannot be traversed, namely, the way of the pitiless Vayu.
78.
Pairithwo bavaiti pantau yim azhish paiti gaustavau, aspanghadho, viranghadho, viraja, anamarezhdika; hau did aevo apairithwo, yo vayaosh anamarezhdikahe:
The way may be traversed which is barred by a serpent as big as an ox, horse-devouring, man-devouring, man-killing, and pitiless; but one way cannot be traversed, namely, the way of the pitiless Vayu.
79.
Pairithwo bavaiti pantau yim aresho paiti akhshaeno anamarezhdiko; hau did aevo apairithwo, yo vayaosh anamarezhdikahe:
The way may be traversed which is barred by a brown bear, [with a white forehead, man-killing, and] pitiless; but one way cannot be traversed, namely, the way of the pitiless Vayu.
80.
Pairithwo bavaiti pantau yim mashyo gadho paiti aevojano anamarezhdiko; hau did aevo apairithwo, yo vayaosh anamarezhdikahe: -- The way may be traversed which is defended by a highwayman who kills at one stroke, (who stops the way and lets no one pass alive); but one way cannot be traversed, namely, the way of the pitiless Vayu.
81.
Pairithwo bavaiti pantau yo haenayau chakhra-vaityau vyazdayau; hau did aevo apairithwo, yo vayaosh anamarezhdikahe:
The way may be traversed which is held by a horde armed with discs, and uplifted spears (that is, carrying spears to pierce men); but one way cannot be traversed, namely, the way of the pitiless Vayu.
81 bis.
Aad mraod Ahuro Mazdau: dushkhratum apairi gaetham athravayad gatham.
[This incomplete quotation is found only in the Pahlavi transcription, with a corrupt paraphrase as follows: 'Ohrmazd said, "The man without intelligence (that is, with a bad intelligence) ... who has not sung the Gathas (that is, who has not performed the sacrifice; cf Nirang. 41) has no good renoun on this earth nor bliss in heaven (cf. 21, 22)..."']
82.
Yatha drvau gaom isti, uta drvau aspem isti, uta drvau maeshinem yavanghem isti:
The wicked acquire cattle, the wicked acquire horses, the wicked acquire sheep and corn; but the wicked tyrant does not acquire a store of good deeds.
83.
Seek ye for a store of good deeds, O Zarathushtra, men and women! for a store of good deeds is full of salvation, O Zarathustra!
84.
Pasnush gavo, pasnush aspa, pasnush erezhatem zaranim, pasnush naro chiryo takhmo:
(For) the ox turns to dust, the horse turns to dust, silver and gold turn to dust, the valiant strong man turns to dust; [the bodies of all men mingle with the dust. What do not mingle with the dust are the Ashem-vohu which a man recites in this world and his almsgiving to the holy and righteous].
85.
For if there were or could be any escape from death, the first of the world, Gayomard, king of the Mountain, [would have escaped],
86.
Who for three thousand years kept the world free from death and old age, from hunger, thirst, and evil;
87.
Yet, when death came over him, he delivered up his body and could not struggle with death.
88.
Or there was Hoshang, the Peshdadian,
89.
Who destroyed two-thirds of all the evil creatures of Ahriman;
90.
Yet, when death came over him, he delivered up his body and could not struggle with death.
91.
Or there was Tahmuraf, the well-armed, the son of Vivanghat,
92.
Who made the Demon of demons, Gana Mainyo, his steed, and extorted from him the seven kinds of writing;
93.
Yet, when death came over him, he delivered up his body and could not struggle with death.
94.
Or there was Jim, the Shed, the good shepherd, the son of Vivanghat; (he was Shed, that is to say, shining; he was a good shepherd, that is to say, he kept in good condition troops of men and herds of animals);
95.
Who, for 616 years, 6 months and 13 days, kept this world free from death and old age, and kept away greed and need from the creation of Ohrmazd;
96.
Yet, when death came over him, he delivered up his body and could not struggle with death.
97.
Or there was Dahak, he of the evil religion, who kept the world under his tyranny during a thousand years, less one day,
98.
And introduced into the world many ways of witchcraft and evil-doing;
99.
Yet, when death came over him, he delivered up his body and could not struggle with death.
100.
Or there was Fredun, the Athwyan,
101.
Who smote and bound Azi Dahak, that great evil-doer; he put in chains the Devs of Mazandaran, and introduced into the world a number of talismans;
102.
Yet, when death came over him, he delivered up his body and could not struggle with death.
103.
I am grateful to the Lord Ohrmazd.
104.
I think thus in a grateful spirit: the beast of burden does not throw off its burden: fate has come, it cannot be thrown away.
105.
May the blessed one have Paradise as his portion!
106.
As to the righteous man who has come to this banquet, who has shared this banquet, may he for each step get nearer to the bright Paradise, the all-happy Garothman, by twelve hundred steps!
107.
When he is approaching it, may his merits increase!
108.
When he is leaving it, may his sin be uprooted!
109.
May righteousness and goodness prevail!
110.
May his soul enter the Garothman!
111.
I am one of the righteous.
Atha jamyad: May it happen according to this wish of mine!
Humatanam. All the good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, done or to be done, here or elsewhere, we seize upon and we transmit them, that we may be in the number of the righteous.


Avesta -- Zoroastrian Archives Contents Prev Aog Next Avesta Glossary