smite disobedience in his house, peace may dispel strife, charity may rout niggardliness, devotion may smite heresy, and the truth may rout falsehood,[1] and he concludes by praying that happiness may come to the house and that the offspring and the friendship of Ashi, the genius of fortune, may never leave it.[2] The Fravashis of the righteous shower their blessings upon the inmates of a house in which they are propitiated that a flock of animals and a solid chariot may be in their houses.[3]
Imprecatory prayers. The pious pray that the wicked person may be deprived of his power and driven out from the creation of the Holy Spirit.[4] Haoma is asked to take away from the malicious that may be in the house, village, town and country, the strength of their hands and feet, and their eyesight, to cover up their intelligence, and confound their minds.[5] He is further asked to smite the robbers, tyrants, heretics, courtezans, and slanderers.[6] It is prayed that the waters of Ardvi Sura may not be for men of evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds, and evil religion, and for the tormentors of friends, neighbours, kinsmen, and priests, and for those who rob the good of their property and bring harm to them.[7] Calamities and destruction are invoked upon the thieves and robbers, murderers and oppressors of the righteous, sorcerers and corpse-buriers, vicious and misers, heretics and tyrants.[8]
Exorcising prayers. Spells are recited to deliver men and women and children from the supposed influence of the malignant spirits. The formula recites the names of diseases of the demons and condemns them to flee to the north or perish. In the name of Airyaman, the priest says avaunt to sickness and death, demons and foes, heretics and oppressors,[9] the two-legged brood of snakes and wolves, arrogant and proud, slanderous and inimical, and evil-eyed,[10] worst liars and witches, courtezans and the wind from the north.[11] The priest recites the spell to purify the way over which a dead body is carried or to give cleanliness to a man who has touched a corpse or to one who seeks purification by ceremonial ablutions, and commands the demoness of defile-
