________________
ri
CESE LIBRARIES UNIVERSITY
CALEFE: 131
YASNA xxx.
(Divine) Righteousness; (yea, He so chose) who clothes upon Himself the firm stones of heaven (as His robe). And He chose likewise them who content Ahura with actions, which are performed) really in accordance with the faith?.
6. And between these two spirits the Demon-gods (and they who give them worship) can make no righteous choice 3, since we have beguiled • them. As they were questioning and debating in their councils the (personified) Worst Mind approached them that he might be chosen. (They made their
· Zak i sakht sag nihäftò asmânik. Ner. Gadhataram * âkâsam dadau.
3.Who with actions really good piously content Ahura. Let it be noticed that fraoret is not independently translated by the Pahlavi. It is freely included in avo Adharmazd; and yet this is supposed by some to be a word-for-word rendering! Ner. prakaraiska karmabhih.
Verbatim. Of-these-two spirits he-chose-to-himself (he)-who (was) the evil (the one) the worst (deeds) working *. The-RighteousOrder (accusative) (chose) the spirit most-bountiful (he-)who the most-firm stones clothes-on-himself, (those) who-and will-content Ahura with real actions believingly Mazda.
(Properly a verbatim rendering is only possible in an inflected language.)
* Lå râsto vigînênd. They suffer judicial blindness; a common idea in the Gâthas; compare, who holds them from the sight of the truth,' &c.
• The root is indicated by va můnik valmansân frift. I can see no escape from the above rather adventurous rendering. See also dafshnya hentâ in chap. LIII, 8. Perhaps the idea of injury here preponderates over that of deceit; since we have impaired their power.' The choice between a preterit or an improper subjunctive is also difficult. Possibly, so that we may fatally deceive them.' Poss. nom. 'deception came upon them, even A. M.'
This recalls Vendidad XIX, 45, where the demons assemble in council to consider the advent of Zarathustra.
. Compare verse 4, where Vahistem Manð equals heaven. The
Digitized by
Digitized by Google
.