Zand-i Vohuman Yasht
CHAPTER 3
Translated by E. W. West, Sacred Books of the East, volume
5, Oxford University Press, 1897.
- 1.
- Zartosht inquired of Ohrmazd thus: 'O Ohrmazd, propitious
spirit! creator of the material world, righteous one! whence do
they restore this good religion of the Mazdayasnians? and by what
means will they destroy these demons with disheveled hair, of
the race of Wrath? 2. O creator! grant me death! and grant my
favored ones death! that they may not live in that perplexing
time; grant them exemplary living! that they may not prepare wickedness
and the way to hell.'
- 3.
- Ohrmazd spoke thus: 'O Zartosht the Spitaman! after the ill-omened
sovereignty of those of the race of Wrath there is a fiend, Shedaspih
of the Kilisyakih, from the countries of Salman;' Mah- vand-dad
said that these people are Ruman (Arumayak), and Roshan said that
they have red weapons, red banners, and red hats (kulah). 4. 'It
is when a symptom of them appears, as they advance, O Zartosht
the Spitaman! the sun and the dark show signs, and the moon becomes
manifest of various colors; earthquakes (bum-guzhand), too, become
numerous, and the wind comes more violently; in the world want,
distress, and discomfort come more into view; and Mercury and
Jupiter advance the sovereignty for the vile, and they are in
hundreds and thousands and myriads. 5. They have the red banner
of the fiend Shedaspih of Kilisyakih, and they hasten much their
progress to these countries of Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created,
up to the bank of the Arvand,' some have said the Frat river,
'unto the Greeks (Yunan) dwelling in Asuristan;' they are Greeks
by strict reckoning, and their Assyrian dwelling is this, that
they slay the Assyrian people therein, and thus they will destroy
their abode, some have said the lurking-holes (grestak) of the
demons.
- 6.
- 'They turn back those of the race of Wrath in hundreds and
thousands and myriads; and the banners, standards, and an innumerable
army of those demons with disheveled hair will come to these countries
of Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created. 7. And the army of the invader
is an extending enemy of the Turk and even the Karm, be it with
banners aloft when he shall set up a banner, be it through the
excessive multitude which will remain -- like hairs in the mane
of a horse -- in the countries of Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created.
- 8.
- 'The leather-belted Turk and the Ruman Shedaspih of Kilisyakih
come forth with simultaneous movement, and in three places, with
similar strife, there was and will be three times a great contest
(ardih), O Zartosht the Spitaman! 9. One in the reign of Kay Kaus,
when through the assistance of demons it was with the archangels,
and the second when thou, O Zartosht the Spitaman! receivedst
the religion and hadst thy conference, and King Vishtasp and Arjasp,
miscreated by wrath, were, through the war of the religion, in
the combat of Sped-razur ("the hoary forest"),' some
have said it was in Pars; 'and the third when it is the end of
thy millennium, O Zartosht the Spitaman! when all the three, Turk,
Arab, and Ruman, come to this place,' some have said the plain
of Nishanak. 10. 'And all those of the countries of Iran, which
I, Ohrmazd, created, come from their own place unto Padashkhvargar,
owing to those of the race of Wrath, O Zartosht the Spitaman!
so that a report of something of the cave dwellings, mountain
dwellings, and river dwellings of these people will remain at
Padashkhvargar and Pars; some have said the fire Gushnasp, on
the deep Lake Chechast which has medicinal water opposed to the
demons, is there (in Padashkhvargar?) as it were conspicuous,'
some have said 'originating,' 'so that they may use it anew, and
the fire may become shining in these countries of Iran which I,
Ohrmazd, created. 11. For when one shall be able to save his own
life, he has then no recollection of wife, child, and wealth,
that they may not live, in that perplexing time, O Zartosht! yet
the day when the hundredth winter becomes the end of thy millennium,
which is that of Zartosht, is so that nothing wicked may go from
this millennium into that millennium.'
- 12.
- Zartosht inquired of Ohrmazd thus: 'O Ohrmazd, propitious
spirit! creator of the material world, righteous one! when they
are so many in number, by what means will they be able to perish?'
- 13.
- Ohrmazd spoke thus: 'O Zartosht the Spitaman! when the demon
with disheveled hair of the race of Wrath comes into notice in
the eastern quarter, first a black token becomes manifest, and
Aushedar son of Zartosht is born on Lake Frazdan. 14. It is when
he comes to his conference with, me, Ohrmazd, O Zartosht the Spitaman!'
that in the direction of Chinistan, it is said -- some have said
among the Hindus -- 'is born a prince (kai); it is his father,
a prince of the Kayanian race, approaches the women, and a religious
prince is born to him; he calls his name Warharan the Varjavand,'
some have said Shahpur. 15. 'That a sign may come to the earth,
the night when that prince is born, a star falls from the sky;
when that prince is born the star shows a signal.' 16. It is Dad-Ohrmazd
who said that the month Aban and day Vad is his father's end;
'they rear him with the damsels of the king, and a woman becomes
ruler.
- 17.
- 'That prince when he is thirty years old' -- some have told
the time -- 'comes with innumerable banners and divers armies,
Hindu and Chini, having uplifted banners for they set up their
banners -- having exalted banners, and having exalted weapons;
they hasten up with speed as far as the Veh river' -- some have
said the country of Bambo -- 'as far as Bukhar and the Bukharans
within its bank, O Zartosht the Spitaman! 18. When the star Jupiter
comes up to its culminating point (balist) and casts Venus down,
the sovereignty comes to the prince. 19. Quite innumerable are
the champions, furnished with arms and with banners displayed,'
some have said from Sagastan, Pars, and Khurasan, some have said
from the lake of Padashkhvargar, some have said from the Hiratis
and Kohistan, some have said from Taparistan; and from those directions
'every supplicant for a child comes into view. 20. It is concerning
the displayed banners and very numerous army, which were the armed
men, champions, and soldiers from the countries of Iran at Padashkhvargar
-- whom I told thee that they call both Kurd and Karman -- it
is declared that they will slay an excessive number, in companionship
and under the same banner, for these countries of Iran.
- 21.
- 'Those of the race of Wrath and the extensive army of Shedaspih,
whose names are the two-legged wolf and the leather-belted demon
on the bank of the Arvand, wage three battles, one in Sped-razhur
and one in the plain of Nishanak;' some have said that it was
on the lake of the three races, some have said that it was in
Maruv the brilliant, and some have said in Pars. 22. 'For the
support of the countries of Iran is the innumerable army of the
east; its having exalted banners is that they have a banner of
tiger skin (bopar post), and their wind banner is white cotton;
innumerable are the mounted troops, and they ride up to the lurking-holes
of the demons; they will slay so that a thousand women can afterwards
see and kiss but one man.
- 23.
- 'When it is the end of the time, O Zartosht the Spitaman those
enemies will be as much destroyed as the root of a shrub when
it is in the night on which a cold winter arrives, and in this
night it sheds its leaves; and they will reinstate these countries
of Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created.
- 24.
- 'And with speed rushes the evil spirit, with the vilest races
of demons and Wrath with infuriate spear, and comes on to the
support and assistance of those demon-worshippers and miscreations
of wrath, O Zartosht the Spitaman! 25. And I, the creator Ohrmazd,
send Neryosang the angel and Srosh the righteous unto Kangdezh,
which the illustrious Siyavarshan formed, and to Chitro-miyan
son of Vishtasp, the glory of the Kayanians, the just restorer
of the religion, to speak thus: "Walk forth, O illustrious
Peshotan! to these countries of Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created;
consecrate the fire and waters for the Hadhokht and Dvazdah-homast!
that is, celebrate them with the fire and waters, and such as
is appointed about the fire and waters!"
- 26.
- 'And Neryosang proceeds, with Srosh the righteous, from the
good Chakad-i-Daitik to Kangdez, which the illustrious Siyavarshan
formed, and cries out from it thus: "Walk forth, O illustrious
Peshotan! O Chitro-miyan son of Vishtasp, glory of the Kayanians,
just restorer of the religion! walk forth to these countries of
Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created! restore again the throne of sovereignty
of the religion!"
- 27.
- 'Those spirits move on, and they propitiate them; with holy-water
the illustrious Peshotan celebrates the Dvazdah-homast, with a
hundred and fifty righteous who are disciples of Peshotan, in
black marten fur, and they have garments as it were of the good
spirit. 28. They walk up with the words: "Humat, hukht, huvarsht,"
and consecrate the fire of the waters; with the illustrious Hadokht
they bless me, Ohrmazd, with the archangels; and after that it
demolishes one-third of the opposition. 29. And the illustrious
Peshotan walks forth, with the hundred and fifty men who wear
black marten fur, and they celebrate the rituals (yasnan) of the
Gadman-homand ("glorious") fire, which they call the
Roshano-kerp ("luminous form"), which is established
at the appointed place (dato-gas), the triumphant ritual of the
Farnbag fire, Hordad, and Amurdad, and the ceremonial (yazishn)
with his priestly cooperation; they arrange and pray over the
sacred twigs; and the ritual of Hordad and Amurdad, in the chapter
of the code of religious formulas (Nirangistan) demolishes three-thirds
of the opposition. 30. Peshotan son of Vishtasp walks forth, with
the assistance of the Farnbag fire, the fire Gushnasp, and the
fire Burzhin-Mihr, to the great idol-temples, the abode of the
demons; and the wicked evil spirit, Wrath with infuriate spear,
and all demons and fiends, evil races and wizards, arrive at the
deepest abyss of hell; and those idol-temples are extirpated by
the exertions of the illustrious Peshotan.
- 31.
- 'And I, the creator Ohrmazd, come to Mount Hukairya with the
archangels, and I issue orders to the archangels that they should
speak to the angels of the spiritual existences thus: "Proceed
to the assistance of the illustrious Peshotan!" 32. Mihr
of the vast cattle-pastures, Srosh the vigorous, Rashn the just,
Warharan the mighty, Ashtad the victorious, and the glory of the
religion of the Mazdayasnians, the stimulator of religious formulas
(nirang), the arranger of the world, proceed to the assistance
of the illustrious Peshotan, through the order of which I, the
creator, have just written.
- 33.
- 'Out of the demons of gloomy race the evil spirit cries to
Mihr of the vast cattle-pastures thus: "Stay above in truth,
thou Mihr of the vast cattle-pastures!"
- 34.
- 'And then Mihr of the vast cattle-pastures cries thus: "Of
these nine thousand years' support, which during its beginning
produced Dahak [Zohak] of evil religion, Frasiyav of Tur, and
Alexander the Ruman, the period of one thousand years of those
leather-belted demons with disheveled hair is a more than moderate
reign to produce."
- 35.
- 'The wicked evil spirit becomes confounded when he heard this;
Mihr of the vast cattle-pastures will smite Wrath of the infuriate
spear with stupefaction; and the wicked evil spirit flees, with
the miscreations and evil progeny he flees back to the darkest
recess of hell. 36, And Mihr of the vast cattle-pastures cries
to the illustrious Peshotan thus: "Extirpate and utterly
destroy the idol-temples, the abode of the demons! proceed to
these countries of Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created! restore again
the throne of sovereignty of the religion over the wicked! when
they see thee they will be terrified."
- 37.
- 'And the illustrious Peshotan advances, and the fire Farnbag,
the fire Gushnasp, and the triumphant fire Burzin-Mihr will smite
the fiend of excessive strength; he will extirpate the idol-temples
that are the abode of demons; and they celebrate the ceremonial
(yazishn), arrange the sacred twigs, solemnize the Dvazdah-homast,
and praise me, Ohrmazd, with the archangels; this is what I foretell.
38. The illustrious Peshotan walks forth to these countries of
Iran which I, Ohrmazd, created, to the Arvand and Veh river; when
the wicked see him they will be terrified, those of the progeny
of gloom and those not worthy.
- 39.
- 'And regarding that Warharan the Varjavand it is declared
that he comes forth in full glory, fixes upon Vandid-khim ("a
curbed temper"), and having entrusted him with the seat of
mobadship of the mobads, and the seat of true explanation of the
religion, he restores again these countries of Iran which I, Ohrmazd,
created; and he drives away from the world covetousness, want,
hatred, wrath, lust, envy, and wickedness. 40. And the wolf period
goes away, and the sheep period comes on; they establish the fire
Farnbag, the fire Gushnasp, and the fire Burzin-Mihr again at
their proper places, and they will properly supply the firewood
and incense; and the wicked evil spirit becomes confounded and
unconscious, with the demons and the progeny of gloom. 41. And
so the illustrious Peshotan speaks thus: "Let the demon be
destroyed, and the witch be destroyed! let the fiendishness and
vileness of the demons be destroyed! and let the gloomy progeny
of the demons be destroyed! The glory of the religion of the Mazdayasnians
prospers, and let it prosper! let the family of the liberal and
just, who are doers of good deeds, prosper! and let the throne
of the religion and sovereignty have a good restorer!" 42.
Forth comes the illustrious Peshotan, forth he comes with a hundred
and fifty men of the disciples who wear black marten fur, and
they take the throne of their own religion and sovereignty.'
- 43.
- Ohrmazd said to Zartosht the Spitaman: 'This is what I foretell,
when it is the end of thy millennium it is the beginning of that
of Aushedar. 44. Regarding Aushedar it is declared that he will
be born in 1600, and at thirty years of age he comes to a conference
with me, Ohrmazd, and receives the religion. 45. When he comes
away from the conference he cries to the sun with the swift horse,
thus: "Stand still!"
- 46.
- 'The sun with the swift horse stands still ten days and nights;
and when this happens all the people of the world abide by the
good religion of the Mazdayasnians. 47. Mihr of the vast cattle-pastures
cries to Aushedar, son of Zartosht, thus: "O Aushedar, restorer
of the true religion! cry to the sun with the swift horse thus:
'Move on!' for it is dark in the regions of Arezahi and Sawahi,
Fradadhafshu and Widadhafshu, Wouru-bareshti and Wourujareshti,
and the illustrious Xwaniratha."
- 48.
- 'Aushedar son of Zartosht cries, to the sun he cries, thus:
"Move on!" 49. The sun with the swift horse moves on,
and Varjavand and all mankind fully believe in the good religion
of the Mazdayasnians.
- 50.
- Ohrmazd spoke thus: 'O Zartosht the Spitaman! this is what
I foretell, that this one brings the creatures back to their proper
state. 51. When it is near the end of the millennium Peshotan
son of Vishtasp comes into notice, who is a Kayanian that advances
triumphantly; and those enemies who relied upon fiendishness,
such as the Turk, Arab, and Ruman, and the vile ones who control
the Iranian sovereign with insolence and oppression and enmity
to the sovereignty, destroy the fire and make the religion weak;
and they convey their power and success to him and every one who
accepts the law and religion willingly; if he accept it unwillingly
the law and religion ever destroy him till it is the end of the
whole millennium.
- 52.
- 'And, afterwards, when the millennium of Aushedar-mah comes,
through Aushedar-mah the creatures become more progressive, and
he utterly destroys the fiend of serpent origin; and Peshotan
son of Vishtasp becomes, in like manner, high. priest and primate
(rad) of the world. 53. In that millennium of Aushedar-mah mankind
become so versed in medicine, and keep and bring physic and remedies
so much in use, that when they are confessedly at the point of
death they do not thereupon die, nor when they smite and slay
them with the sword and knife.
- 54.
- 'Afterwards, one begs a gift of any description out of the
allowance of heretics, and owing to depravity and heresy they
do not give it. 55. And Ahriman rises through that spite on to
the mountain of Damawand, which is the direction of Bevarasp,
and shouts thus: "Now it is nine thousand years, and Faridoon
is not living; why do you not rise up, although these thy fetters
are not removed, when this world is full of people, and they have
brought them from the enclosure which Yim [Jamshed] formed?"
- 56.
- 'After that apostate shouts like this, and because of it,
Az-i Dahak [Zohak] stands up before him, but, through fear of
the likeness of Faridoon in the body of Faridoon, he does not
first remove those fetters and stake from his trunk until Ahriman
removes them. 57. And the vigor of Az-i Dahak [Zohak] increases,
the fetters being removed from his trunk, and his impetuosity
remains; he swallows down the apostate on the spot, and rushing
into the world to perpetrate sin, he commits innumerable grievous
sins; he swallows down one-third of mankind, cattle, sheep, and
other creatures of Ohrmazd; he smites the water, fire, and vegetation,
and commits grievous sin.
- 58.
- 'And, afterwards, the water, fire, and vegetation stand before
Ohrmazd the lord in lamentation, and make this complaint: "Make
Faridoon alive again! so that he may destroy Az-i Dahak [Zohak];
for if thou, O Ohrmazd! dost not do this, we cannot exist in the
world; the fire says thus: I will not heat; and the water says
thus: I will not flow."
- 59.
- 'And then I, Ohrmazd the creator, say to Srosh and Neryosang
the angel: "Shake the body of Kersasp the Saman, till he
rises up!"
- 60.
- 'Then Srosh and Neryosang the angel go to Kersasp; three times
they utter a cry, and the fourth time Sam rises up with triumph,
and goes to meet Az-i Dahak [Zohak]. 61. And Sam does not listen
to his words, and the triumphant club strikes him on the head,
and smites and kills him; afterwards, desolation and adversity
depart from this world, while I make a beginning of the millennium.
62. Then Soshyant makes the creatures again pure, and the resurrection
and future existence occur.'
- 63.
- May the end be in peace, pleasure, and joy, by the will of
God (yazdano)! so may it be! even more so may it be!
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