Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 09
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 98
________________ 84 - THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [MARCH, 1880. list of the stras alphabetically arranged. The work of collating is being vigorously carried on, and I hope to send the edition to the press in about two or three months. W. GOONETILLERE NOTE. The Niraydvaliyd Suttam by Dr. S. Warren (Amsterdam: J. Müller), is the text in Jain Prakrit, with notes and glossary, of five Jain Upangas, forming the above Sutta, and containing a legend of Bimbisåra and Ajátasattu, a Játaka story by Mahavira, and several short avaddnas or legends of Jain saints. Dr. Warren has not ventured on a translation, and confesses that he has not been able to understand all the text which he edits. The paucity of Jain texts compels us to welcome any new one, carefully edited, as this is, from four MSS.-The Academy, Jan. 17, 1880. THE GÅTHA AHUNAVAITI OF THE PÅRSIS. Yasna III. Now will I speak and proclaim to all who have come to listen. Thy praise, Abura-Mazda, and thine, 0 Vohumano. Asha! I ask that thy grace may appear in the lights of heaven. Hear with your ears what is best, perceive with your minds what is purest, Bo that each man for himself may, before the great doom cometh, Choose the creed he prefers. May the wise ones be on our side! These two spirits are twins; they made known in times that are bygone That which is good and evil, in thought and word and action. Rightly decided between them the good ; not so the evil. When these Two came together, first of all they created Life and death, that at last there might be for such as are evil Wretchedness, but for the good a happy blest ex istence. of these Two the One who was evil chose what Was evil; He who was kind and good, whose robe was the changeless Heaven, Chose what was right; those, too, whose works pleased Ahura Mazda. They could not rightly discern who erred and worshipped the Devas; They the Bad Spirit chose, and having held coun sel together, Turned to Rapine, that so they might make man's life an affliction. But to the good came might; and with might came wisdom and virtue; Armaiti, herself the Eternal, gave to their bodies Vigour; e'en thou wert enriched by the gifts that she scattered, O Mazda! Mazda, the time will come when the crimes of the bad shall be punished: Then shall thy power be displayed in fitly reward. ing the righteousThem that have bound and delivered up falsehood te Asha, the Truth-God. Let us then be of those who advance this world and improve it, Ahura Mazda, 0 Truth-God, bliss-conferring! Let our minds be ever there where wisdom abideth! Then indeed shall be seen the fall of pernicious falsehood; But in the house where dwell Vohu-mano, Mazda, and AshaBeautiful house-shall be gathered for ever such as are worthy. O men, if you but cling to the precepts Mazda has given, Precepts, which to the bad are a torment, but joy to the righteous, Then shall you one day find yourselves victorious through them." The following is Dr. Haug's prose version of the same section of this Gatha: 1. I will now tell you who are assembled here, the wise sayings of Mazda, the praises of Ahura, and the hymns of the good spirit, the sublime truth which I see arising out of these sacred flames. 2. You shall, therefore, hearken to the soul of nature (1.e., to plough and cultivate the earth); The Academy, Jan. 24 and 81, 1880, pp. 60ff., 88ff. 1 Hübschmann, Ein Zoroastrisches Lied, mit Rücksicht auf die Tradision übersetet und erklärt (München, 1872). Compare Max Müller, Lectures on the Science of Religion, pp. 237-9;-Rawlinson's Religions of the Ancient World in Sunday at Home, June 1879, pp. 878, 874. • Hang's Essays, by West, pp. 149–151. • Glush urud means the universal soul of earth, the cause of all life and growth. The literal meaning of the word, "soul of cow," implies & simile; for the earth is compared to a cow. By its cutting and dividing, ploughing is to be understood. The meaning of that decree. issued by Ahuramazds and the heavenly council, is that the soil is to be tilled; it, therefore, enjoins Agricultare a religious duty. Zarathushtrs, when encouraging men by the order of Ahurama da to cultiyate the earth, acta mas prophet of agricultore and civilisation:

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398