ness, and so shall he be as long as the struggle between the rival spirits of good and evil lasts.[1] He praises righteousness.[2] The ideal of his life will be that he will endeavour to be like Ahura Mazda and Zarathushtra and Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa and all those that have proved themselves to be the righteous and true benefactors of mankind and even like the good waters and trees and cattle.[3] He undertakes to protect the Mazdayasnian settlements from harm and drought,[4] and neither for the love of his body nor his life will he ever be a source of harm to them.[5] By his thoughts, words, and deeds, does he abjure and hate the chieftainship of the daevas, sorcerers, and those addicted to sorcery.[6] Thus will he denounce the guidance of the daevas even as Zarathushtra did at the command of Ahura Mazda when they communed together.[7]
Devotional prayers. The devout pray that through good mind and through rectitude and through the deeds and words of wisdom they may go near Ahura Mazda.[8] They pay homage and acknowledge themselves his debtors.[9] As Ahura Mazda has thought and spoken and decreed and done what is good, so do they give unto him, praise him, and worship him.[10] They long to approach him through righteousness and devotion,[11] or through fire.[12] Through the best and fairest righteousness they yearn to see him and attain to his perfect friendship.[13] They worship him with their bodies and their lives.[14] They dedicate themselves unto him and beseech him to be even their lives and bodies.[15] They love him and lean upon him for strength, and ask him to make them cheerful and happy and give them lifelong joy in him.[16] Ahura Mazda is the king of both the worlds and the faithful aspire to attain unto his Kingdom for ever;[17] and for all time do they seek fellowship with him and Asha, in this world and the next.[18] With the sacrifice and invocation and propitiation and glorification they long to approach the Amesha Spentas,[19] and they proffer unto them sacrifice and prayer with
- ↑ Ys. 10. 16.
- ↑ Ys. 11. 18.
- ↑ Ys. 12. 7.
- ↑ Ys. 12. 2.
- ↑ Ys. 12. 3.
- ↑ Ys. 12. 4.
- ↑ Ys. 12. 5, 6.
- ↑ Ys. 36. 4, 5; 39. 4.
- ↑ Ys. 13. 5; 36. 4, 5; 39. 4.
- ↑ Ys. 13. 5.
- ↑ Ys. 13. 6; 39. 5.
- ↑ Ys. 36. 1, 3.
- ↑ Ys. 60. 12.
- ↑ Ys. 37. 3.
- ↑ Ys. 41. 3.
- ↑ Ys. 41. 4.
- ↑ Ys. 41. 2.
- ↑ Ys. 40. 1.
- ↑ Ys. 14. 1; Vsp. 5. 1.
