Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 238

ON YASNA 41.2
M.A. MEHENDALE
Yasna 41.2 reads : vohu xša@ram tõi mazdă ahurā apgēmā vispāi yavē / huxša Orastū nō nā vā nāiri vā xšaētā ubõyo anhvõ hātām hudāstamā. J. Narten renders the passage as:
"May we, oh wise Lord, reach your good rule for all time. May a good ruler, whether man or woman, rule over us in both the existences, oh Best Worker among those that exist."!
Narten treats tū as an expletive particle and construes hyxšaOras with nā vā nāiri vă meaning any good ruler, whether man or woman. This interpretation is not likely for the following reasons :
1. In the opening sentence of the above passage the assembled devotees express their wish to obtain the good rule (vohū xšadrom) of Ahura Mazdă, It is therefore almost cetain that the word huxšaOras, which immediately follows, refers to Ahura Mazdā himself as one of good rule, and not to any human ruler.
2. In the Avesta huxšaora is used specially with reference to Ahura Mazdā and the Aməša Spentas.
3. The words nā vā nāiri vă are meant, as in Y.35.6 (yadā āt utā nā vā nāiri vă vaēdā haidim), to cover collectively all men and women, and not refer to a single individual, whether man or woman.
4. Hence it follows that the expression nā vā nāiri vā is intended to convey collectivity and not indifference regarding gender distinction, i.e. - whether male or female.' In that case probably we expect the use of words nairya and stri (Skt. nar or puṁs and stri).
5. If the author had intended nā vā nāiri vā to be construed with huxšaOras he would have said huxšarastā nā vā nāiri vā and would not have used the word nă in between them. As the text stands, nā vā nāiri vā has to be construed with na.
6. A human ruler, though good, cannot excercise rule in both the kinds of existence of his dependents viz. the one in this world and the other which extends beyond death. Narten is conscious of this difficulty and hence she pleads that a good ruler helps his subjects to lead a righteous life and thereby cross the Cinvant bridge safely after death. This could be a way out, if there was no other.
7. It is hard to imagine that there was a woman ruler governing the country in ancient Iran.
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