________________
404
SHAYAST LA-SHAYAST.
28. May Zamyâd destroy for thee the demon and fiend out of thy dwelling!
29. May Mâraspend hold thee a throne in the resplendent heaven!
30. May Anirân the immortal, with every kind of all wealth, become thy desire! the horses of God (yazdân)1 who shall come that he may go, and thou mayest obtain a victory.
31. May destiny give thee a helper! he is the guardian of the celestial sphere for all these archangels whose names I have brought forward; may he be thy helper at all times, in every good work and duty!
32. Homage to Srit 2 the teacher! may he live long! may he be prosperous in the land! may his be every pleasure and joy, and every glory of the Kayâns, through the will of the persistent Aûharmazd!
CHAPTER XXIII.
o. In the name of God and the good creation be health!
I. Aûharmazd is more creative, Vohûman is more
1 Both nouns are in the plural, and both verbs in the singular. Anîrân is a personification of Av. anaghra raokau, 'the beginningless lights,' or fixed stars (which, however, are said to have been created by Aûharmazd in Bund. II, 1), and these stars appear to have been considered as horses of the angels (Bund. VI, 3, SZS. VI, 1). There are several uncertain phrases in §§ 30-32.
• This would appear to be the name of the person to whom the benediction is addressed, as it can hardly be meant for the ancient hero Thrita, the Athrat of Bund. XXXI, 27, and the Srîtô of SZS. XI, 10, note.
Two versions of this chapter, detailing the qualities of the
Digitized by Google