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366
SHAYAST LÂ-SHAYAST.
apām (Visp. XXIV, 1-12) are, one for the laudation of waters, and one of plants.
41. The nine stanzas of the Vahistôisti (Yas. LII) are on account of those nine things which are : ... the supreme Zaratûstship lodging in the supreme Zaratûsts, the source of fountains, the bridge over waters, and even the navigable river, the righteous man, and the righteous woman. 42. And it is a Gâtha of one chapter, and each stanza of four lines, except Ithâ-i-haithya-narô (Yas. LII, 6)s, for there is always one lord and sovereign in the world. 43. And those four lines are for this reason, because it is declared : kathrus hama yau khshapô dahmayâd parô afritöid', 'four times every night is the “blessing of the holy" (Yas. LIX),' and three times Srôsh", twice Bushâspe, and once Aêshm' will come
1 After the two recitations of Visp. XXIII, 1-9 there follow Vend. XV, XVI, and Visp. XXIII, 10, and then Visp. XXIV, 1-12 is recited twice, in the full Parsi ritual, followed by Visp. XXV.
. Some words are evidently lost here; M6 has m followed by a blank space, and K20 has madam,'on. It is not quite certain whether the things mentioned are to be reckoned as four, five, or six; but assuming they are five, it is possible that the four things missing in the text are the four remaining chieftainships (see § 11), the rulerships of the house, village, tribe, and province lodged in the rulers of the same, respectively.
Which stanza has five lines, and is, therefore, here considered symbolical of the ruling monarch, or pontiff.
This Avesta passage does not appear to be extant elsewhere, and its Pahlavi translation, given in the text, is not quite correct; it would be better thus : 'through the "blessing of the holy” four times every night;' dahma afriti (Pahl. dâhmân afrînô, blessing of the holy ') is the technical name of Yas. LIX.
See Bund. XIX, 33, XXX, 29. This angel, invoked by the blessing' (Yas. LIX, 8), comes to defend mankind against the wiles of Bashâsp and Aeshm.
* The demoness of sloth (see Bund. XXVIII, 26). · The demon of wrath (see Bund. XXVIII, 15-17, 20).
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