1
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed,well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong,welfare-giving, healing, with fulness of intellect, and powerful;
2
The daughter of Ahura Mazda, the sister of the Amesha-Spentas,who endows all the Saoshyants with the enlivening intelligence;she also brings heavenly wisdom at her wish, and comes to helphim who invokes her from near and him who invokes her from afar,and worships her with offerings of libations.
3
For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrificeworth being heard; I will offer up unto Ashi Vanguhi a good sacrificewith an offering of libations. We sacrifice unto Ashi Vanguhiwith the libations, with the Haoma and meat, with the baresma,with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holy spells, with thewords, with the deeds, with the libations, and with the rightly-spokenwords.Yenhe-hatam: All those beings of whom Ahura Mazda....
4
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed,well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong,welfare-giving, healing, with fulness of intellect, and powerful.
5
Homage unto Haoma, and unto the Mathra, and unto the holyZarathushtra!Homage unto Haoma, because all other drinks are attended withAeshma, the fiend of the wounding spear: but the drinking of Haomais attended with Asha and with Ashi Vanguhi herself.
6
Ashi is fair; Ashi is radiant with joy; she is far-piercingwith her rays. Ashi gives good Glory unto those men whom thoudost follow, O Ashi! Full of perfumes is the house in which thegood, powerful Ashi Vanguhi puts her ....(obscure) feet, for longfriendship.
7
Those men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi! are kings of kingdoms,that are rich in horses, with large tributes, with snorting horses,sounding chariots, flashing swords, rich in aliments and in storesof food; well-scented where the beds are spread and full of allthe other riches that may be wished for. Happy the man whom thoudost attend! do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirablethings and strong!
8
Those men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have housesthat stand well laid up, rich in cattle, foremost in Asha, andlong-supported. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attendme, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!
9
The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have beds thatstand well-spread, well-adorned, well-made, provided with cushionsand with feet inlaid with gold. Happy the man whom thou dost attend!Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable thingsand strong!
10
The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have theirladies that sit on their beds, waiting for them: they lie on thecushions, adorning themselves, ....(obscure), with square boredear-rings and a necklace of gold: 'When will our lord come? whenshall we enjoy in our bodies the joys of love?' Happy the manwhom thou dost attend! Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sortsof desirable things and strong!
11
The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have daughtersthat sit ....(obscure); thin is their waist, beautiful is theirbody, long are their fingers; they are as fair of shape as thosewho look on can wish. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Dothou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things andstrong!
12
The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have horsesswift and loud-neighing; they drive the chariot lightly, theytake it to the battle, they bear a gallant praiser (of the gods),who has many horses, a solid chariot, a sharp spear, a long spear,and swift arrows, who hits his aim, pursuing after his enemies,and smiting his foes. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Dothou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things andstrong!
13
The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have large-humped,burden-bearing camels, flying from the ground or fighting withholy fieriness. Happy the man whom thou dost attend! Do thou attendme, thou rich in all sorts of desirable things and strong!
14
The men whom thou dost attend, O Ashi Vanguhi! have hoardsof silver and gold brought together from far distant regions;and garments of splendid make. Happy the man whom thou dost attend!Do thou attend me, thou rich in all sorts of desirable thingsand strong!
15
Do not turn thy look from me! turn thy mercy towards me, Ogreat Ashi! thou art well-made and of a noble seed; thou art sovereignat thy wish; thou art Glory in a bodily form.
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Thy father is Ahura Mazda, the greatest of all gods, the bestof all gods; thy mother is Armaiti Spenta; thy brothers are Sraosha,a god of Asha, and Rashnu, tall and strong, and Mithra, the lordof wide pastures, who has ten thousand spies and a thousand ears;thy sister is the Law of the worshippers of Mazda.
17
Praised of the gods, unoffended by the righteous, the greatAshi Vanguhi stood up on her chariot, thus speaking: 'Who artthou who dost invoke me, whose voice is to my ear the sweetestof all that invoked me most?'
18
And he said aloud: 'I am Spitama Zarathushtra, who, firstof mortals, recited the praise of the excellent Asha and offeredup sacrifice unto Ahura Mazda and the Amesha-Spentas; in whosebirth and growth the waters and the plants rejoiced; in whosebirth and growth the waters and the plants grew; in whose birthand growth all the creatures of the good creation cried out, Hail!
19
'In whose birth and growth Angra Mainyu rushed away from thiswide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, and he, the evil-doingAngra Mainyu, who is all death, said: "All the gods togetherhave not been able to smite me down in spite of myself, and Zarathushtraalone can reach me in spite of myself.
20
'"He smites me with the Ahuna Vairya, as strong a weaponas a stone big as a house; he burns me with Asha-Vahishta, asif it were melting brass. He makes it better for me that I shouldleave this earth, he, Spitama Zarathushtra, the only one who candaunt me."'
21
And the great Ashi Vanguhi exclaimed: 'Come nearer unto me,thou pure, holy Spitama! lean against my chariot!'Spitama Zarathushtra came nearer unto her, he leant against herchariot.
22
And she caressed him with the left arm and the right, withthe right arm and the left, thus speaking: 'Thou art beautiful,O Zarathushtra! thou art well-shapen, O Spitama! strong are thylegs and long are thy arms: Glory is given to thy body and longcheerfulness to thy soul, as sure as I proclaim it unto thee.'
23
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high, tall-formed,well worthy of sacrifice, with a loud-sounding chariot, strong,welfare-giving, healing, with fulness of intellect and powerful.
24
To her did Haoshyangha, the Paradhata, offer up a sacrifice,upon the enclosure of the Hara, the beautiful height, made byMazda.
25
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may overcome all the Daevas of Mazana; that Imay never fear and bow through terror before the Daevas, but thatall the Daevas may fear and bow in spite of themselves beforeme, that they may fear and flee down to darkness.'
26
The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: Haoshyangha,the Paradhata, obtained that boon.For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice....
27
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
28
To her did Yima Khshaeta, the good shepherd, offer up a sacrificefrom the height Hukairya.
29
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may bring fatness and flocks down to the worldcreated by Mazda; that I may bring immortality down to the worldcreated by Mazda;
30
'That I may take away both hunger and thirst, from the worldcreated by Mazda; that I may take away both old age and death,from the world created by Mazda; that I may take away both hotwind and cold wind, from the world created by Mazda, for a thousandyears.'
31
Then great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: Yima Khshaeta,the good shepherd, obtained that boon.For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....
32
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
33
To her did Thraetaona, the heir of the valiant Athwya clan,offer up a sacrifice in the four-cornered Varena.
34
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may overcome Azhi Dahaka, the three-mouthed, thethree-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand senses, that mostpowerful, fiendish Druj, that demon, baleful to the world, thestrongest Druj that Angra Mainyu created against the materialworld, to destroy the world of the good principle; and that Imay deliver his two wives, Savanghavak and Erenavak, who are thefairest of body amongst women, and the most wonderful creaturesin the world.'
35
The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. Thraetaona,the heir of the valiant Athwya clan, obtained that boon.For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice ....
36
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
37
To her did Haoma offer up a sacrifice, Haoma, the enlivening,the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with golden eyes, uponthe highest height of the Haraiti Bareza.
38
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may bind the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan,that I may drag him bound, that I may bring him bound unto kingHusravah, that king Husravah may kill him, behind the Chaechastalake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avenge the murder of hisfather Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha, a semi-man.'
39
The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. Haoma, theenlivening, the healing, the beautiful, the lordly, with goldeneyes, obtained that boon.For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice....
40
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
41
To her did the gallant Husravah, he who united the Aryan nationsinto one kingdom, offer up a sacrifice, behind the Chaechastalake, the deep lake of salt waters.
42
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may kill the Turanian murderer, Franghrasyan,behind the Chaechasta lake, the deep lake of salt waters, to avengethe murder of my father Syavarshana, a man, and of Aghraeratha,a semi-man.'
43
The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side. The gallantHusravah, he who united the Aryan nations into one kingdom, obtainedthat boon.For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worthbeing heard....
44
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
45
To her did the holy Zarathushtra offer up a sacrifice in theAiryana Vaejah, by the good river Daitya, with the Haoma and meat,with the baresma, with the wisdom of the tongue, with the holyspells, with the speech, with the deeds, with the libations, andwith the rightly-spoken words.
46
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may bring the good and noble Hutaosa to thinkaccording to the law, to speak according to the law, to do accordingto the law, that she may spread my law and make it known, thatshe may bestow beautiful praises upon my deeds.'
47
The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: the holyZarathushtra obtained that boon.For her brightness, and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worthbeing heard....
48
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
49
To her did the tall Kavi Vishtaspa offer up a sacrifice behindthe waters of the river Daitya.
50
He begged of her a boon, saying: 'Grant me this, O great AshiVanguhi! that I may put to flight Asta-aurvant, the son of Vispo-thaurvo-asti,the all-afflicting, of the brazen helmet, of the brazen armour,of the thick neck, behind whom seven hundred camels ....; thatI may put to flight the Hvyaona murderer, Arejat-aspa; that Imay put to flight Darshinika, the worshipper of the Daevas;
51
'And that I may smite Tathravant of the bad law; that I maysmite Spinjaurushka, the worshipper of the Daevas; and that Imay bring unto the good law the nations of the Varedhakas andof the Hvyaonas; and that I may smite of the Hvyaona nations theirfifties and their hundreds, their hundreds and their thousands,their thousands and their tens of thousands, their tens of thousandsand their myriads of myriads.'
52
The great Ashi Vanguhi ran and came to his side: the tallKavi Vishtaspa obtained that boon.For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worthbeing heard ....
53
We sacrifice to Ashi Vanguhi, who is shining, high .... andpowerful.
54
And the great Ashi Vanguhi said: 'None of those libationswill be accepted by me, which are sent to me either by a man whoseseed is dried out, or by the courtezan who produces untimely issues,or by young boys, or by girls who have known no man.'When the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras, clapping theirhands, ran after me,
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'I hid myself under the foot of a bull walking under his burden;then young boys, and girls who had known no man, discovered me,even while the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras, clappingtheir hands, were running after me.
56
'Even I hid myself under the throat of a ram of hundredfoldenergy: then again young boys, and girls who had known no man,discovered me, even while the Turanians and the swift-horsed Naotaras,clapping their hands, were running after me.'
57
The first wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi is her wailingabout the courtezan who destroys her fruit: 'Stand thou not nearher, sit thou not on her bed!' - 'What shall I do? Shall I goback to the heavens? Shall I sink into the earth?'
58
The second wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi is her wailingabout the courtezan who brings forth a child conceived of a strangerand presents it to her husband: 'What shall I do? Shall I go backto the heavens? Shall I sink into the earth?'
59
This is the third wailing of the great Ashi Vanguhi: 'Thisis the worst deed that men and tyrants do, namely, when they deprivemaids, that have been barren for a long time, of marrying andbringing forth children. What shall I do? Shall I go back to theheavens? Shall I sink into the earth?'
60
Ahura Mazda answered: 'O fair and wise Ashi, go not back tothe heavens, sink not into the earth! Stay here and walk insidethe fine kingly palace.'
61
I shall worship thee with such a sacrifice, I shall worshipand forward thee with such a sacrifice as Vishtaspa offered untothee, behind the river Daitya. The Zaotar lifted up a loud voice,with baresma before him. With that sort of sacrifice shall I worshipthee? With that sort of sacrifice shall I worship and forwardthee, O fair and wise Ashi?For her brightness and glory, I will offer her a sacrifice worthbeing heard....
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Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness....I bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigourof Ashi Vanguhi; of the good Chisti; of the good Erethe; of thegood Rasastat; of the Glory and Weal, made by Mazda.Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good....[Give] unto that man brightness and glory, give him health ofbody, .... give him the bright, all-happy, blissful abode of theholy Ones.