I. ORMAZD YAST.

May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced! May Angra Mainyu be destroyed! by those who do truly what is the foremost wish (of God ).

I praise well-thought, well-spoken, and well-done thoughts, words, and deeds. I embrace all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds; I reject all evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.

I give sacrifice and prayer unto you, O Amesha-Speṇtas! even with the fulness of my thoughts, of my words, of my deeds, and of my heart: I give unto you even my own life .

I recite the 'Praise of Holiness :’

'Ashem Vohû: Holiness is the best of all good. Well is it for it, well is it for that holiness which is perfection of holiness!'

I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathustra, one who hates the Daêvas and obeys the laws of Ahura ;

For sacrifice , prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Hâvani] , the holy and master of holiness;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Sâvanghi and Vîsya] , the holy and masters of holiness;

For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto the Masters of the days, of the periods of the day, of the months, of the seasons, and of the years .

Unto AHURA MAZDA, bright and glorious, be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.

Yathâ ahû vairyô: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness: the riches of Vohû-Manô shall be given to him who works in this world for Mazda, and wields according to the will of Ahura the power he gave him to relieve the poor.

Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

'What of the Holy Word is the strongest? What is the most victorious? What is the most glorious? What is the most effective?

‘What is the most fiend-smiting? What is the best-healing? What destroyeth best the malice of Daêvas and Men? What maketh the material world best come to the fulfilment of its wishes ? What freeth the material world best from the anxieties of the heart ?’

Ahura Mazda answered: 'Our Name, O Spitama Zarathustra! who are the Amesha-Speṇtas, that is the strongest part of the Holy Word; that is the most victorious; that is the most glorious; that is the most effective;

‘That is the most fiend-smiting; that is the best-healing; that destroyeth best the malice of Daêvas and Men; that maketh the material world best come to the fulfilment of its wishes; that freeth the material world best from the anxieties of the heart.’

Then Zarathustra said: ‘Reveal unto me that name of thine, O Ahura Mazda! that is the greatest, the best, the fairest, the most effective, the most fiend-smiting, the best-healing, that destroyeth best the malice of Daêvas and Men;

‘That I may afflict all Daêvas and Men; that I may afflict all Yatus and Pairikas ; that neither Daêvas nor Men may be able to afflict me; neither Yatus nor Pairikas.’