1. From the northern quarter [(Pâz.) from the northern quarters], Angrô-mainyush, the deadly, the demon of demons, rushed forth. Thus spoke the evil-doing Angrômainyush, the deadly: Drukhsh (demon of destruction)! rush forth and kill the righteous Zarathushtra. Then the Drukhsh rushed about him, the demon Bûiti, the destroyer intending to kill. 2. Zarathushtra recited the Ahuna-vairya (formula); he invoked the good waters of good qualities, he confessed the Masdayasnian religion. Drukhsh was overthrown by it; the demon Bûiti, the destroyer intending to kill, ran away. 3. Drukhsh then replied: Impostor Angrô-mainyush! I do not think about doing any harm to Spitama Zarathushtra [(Pâz.) the all-glorious, righteous Zarathushtra]. Zarathushtra perceived in his mind that the wicked, evildoing demons were laying snares for him. Song. 4. Zarathushtra arose [(Pâz.) Zarathushtra went forward] uninjured by the hostile intentions of the evil spirits, holding a stone (?) in his hand, [(Zend) as large as a cottage]. The righteous Zarathushtra was praying to Ahuramazda the creator: Wherever thou touchest this wide, round, farextended earth, incline to support Pourushaspa's house. 5. Zarathushtra informed Angrô-mainyush: Evil-doing Angrô-mainyush! I will destroy the creatures produced not execute (them) he shall attain that life which is for the wicked (and is) gloomy, originating in darkness, (and) dark.1 7. THE NINETEENTH FARGARD. FRAGMENT OF AN OLD EPIC SONG, vers. 4, 6–9. (The devil's attempts to frustrate Zarathusthra's doings.) The verses 1-3 are introductory to the ancient song, and evidently intended as some explanation of the contents of this ancient text. In this introduction is described how Drukhsh, one of the evil spirits in Ahriman's service, came forth from the northern regions at her master's command, to destroy Zarathushtra. The prophet frustrated all such attempts to ruin him by simply repeating the sacred formula Yathâ-ahu-vairyô. Drukhsh, having been thus defeated, told the chief of the evil spirits, Angrô-mainyush, that it was impossible to do any mischief to the prophet. Zarathushtra perceived the snares laid for him, and thought about escaping them. This is described in the verses of the old song, which were undoubtedly current in the mouths of the Iranian people. The song is composed in the heroic metre of the ancient Aryans, the Anusḥtubh, which has given rise to the common Shloka.2 1 It is probable that this sentence in this world, as well as in the futuro refers to rewards and punishments existence. 2 The original ballad is here subjoined in its metrical form, its translation being given in the text. 1. From the northern quarter [(Pâz.) from the northern quarters], Angrô-mainyush, the deadly, the demon of demons, rushed forth. Thus spoke the evil-doing Angrômainyush, the deadly: Drukhsh (demon of destruction) ! rush forth and kill the righteous Zarathushtra. Then the Drukhsh rushed about him, the demon Bûiti, the destroyer intending to kill. 2. Zarathushtra recited the Ahuna-vairya (formula); he invoked the good waters of good qualities, he confessed the Masdayasnian religion. Drukhsh was overthrown by it; the demon Bûiti, the destroyer intending to kill, ran away. 3. Drukhsh then replied: Impostor Angrô-mainyush! I do not think about doing any harm to Spitama Zarathushtra [(Pâz.) the all-glorious, righteous Zarathushtra]. Zarathushtra perceived in his mind that the wicked, evildoing demons were laying snares for him. Song. 4. Zarathushtra arose [(Pâz.) Zarathushtra went forward] uninjured by the hostile intentions of the evil spirits, holding a stone (?) in his hand, [(Zend) as large as a cottage]. The righteous Zarathushtra was praying to Ahuramazda the creator: Wherever thou touchest this wide, round, farextended earth, incline to support Pourushaspa's house. 5. Zarathushtra informed Angrô-mainyush: Evil-doing Angrô-mainyush! I will destroy the creatures produced by the demons, I will destroy death produced by the demons, I will destroy the witch Khnathaiti1 for whose (destruction) the triumphant Soshyâns will be born out of the water Kasoya from the eastern quarter [(Paz.) from the eastern quarters]. 6. To him spoke Angrô-mainyush the creator of evils: Do not destroy my creations, O righteous Zarathushtra ! Thou art Pourushaspa's son, from birth thou invokest. Curse the good Mazdayasnian religion, (then) thou shalt obtain fortune such as King Vadhaghana obtained. 7. To him replied Spitama Zarathushtra: I will not curse the good Mazdayasnian religion, not (if my) body, not (if my) soul, not (if my) life should part asunder. 8. To him spoke Angrô-mainyush the creator of evils: With whose words wilt thou smite? with whose words wilt thou suppress my creatures (who am) Angrômainyush? (and) with what well-made weapons? 9. To him replied Spitama Zarathushtra: The mortar and dish and Homa, and the words pronounced by Mazda are my best weapons; with these words will I smite, with these words will I suppress, with these well-made weapons, O evil-doing Angrô-mainyush! The beneficent spirit made (them), he made (them) in boundless time, the immortal benefactors (Ameshaspentas), the good rulers and good arrangers, co-operated. (The fate of the soul after death, vers. 27–32.) 27. Creator of the settlements supplied with creatures, righteous one! What are the events [(Paz.) what events happen? what events take place? what events are met. with?] (when) a man shall give up his soul in this world of existence ? 28. Then said Ahuramazda: After a man is dead [(Paz.) after a man has departed, when the running evil-doing demons make destruction (of his life)], at daybreak after the third night, [(Paz.) when aurora is shining], he reaches 1 Probably an idol-worshipper in Kandahar, or thereabouts. Mithra, rising above the mountains resplendent with their own rightful lustre [(Pâz.) when the sun rises]. 29. The demon Vizareshô by name, O Spitama Zarathushtra carries the soul bound towards the country of the wicked Deva-worshipping men. It goes on the timeworn paths, which are for the wicked and which are for the righteous, to the Chinvaḍ bridge, created by Mazda, and right, where they ask the consciousness and soul their conduct in the settlements (ie., world) [(Pâz.) what was achieved in the world of existence]. 30. She, the beautiful, well-formed, strong, (and) wellgrown, comes with the dog, with the register, with children, with resources, with skilfulness.2 She dismisses the sinful soul of the wicked into the glooms (hell). She meets the souls of the righteous when crossing the (celestial mountain) Harô-berezaiti (Alborz), and guides them over the Chinvad bridge [(Pâz.) the bridge of the heavenly spirits]. 31. Vohu-manô (the archangel Bahman) rises from a golden throne; Vohu-manô exclaims: How hast thou come hither to us, O righteous one! from the perishable life to the imperishable life? 32. The souls of the righteous proceed joyfully to Ahuramazda, to the Ameshaspentas, to the golden throne, to paradise (Garô-nemâna) [(Pâz.) the residence of Ahuramazda, the residence of the Ameshaspentas, and the residence of the other righteous ones.] (Fragment not connected with the preceding.) 33. The righteous man being purified, the demons, the wicked evil-doers, are so frightened at (his) scent, after death, as a sheep encompassed by wolves is frightened by a wolf. 1 The country of the deva-wor- dently refers to the maiden who is a shippers is India. personification of one's actions during life, and is said to meet the soul after its third night's separation from the body. Compare the Hâdôkht Nask (Yt. xxii. 9, p. 220). 2 The dog is requisite to be looked at by a man at the last gasp, but the meaning of the two following epithets is very uncertain. This passage evi |