Sacred Books of the East/Volume 4/Fragments of the Nasks/Zend Fragments quoted in the Pahlavi Commentary of the Yasna

III.

ZEND FRAGMENTS QUOTED IN THE PAHLAVI COMMENTARY OF THE YASNA.

---

Yasna IX, 1, 3^[1].

Mithrô zayâd Zarathustrem.

'Mitra armis(?) Zoroastrem …'

These words are found in the Commentary to the beginning of the Hôm Yast: Haoma approached Zarathustra 'while he was washing the fire-altar and singing the Gâthas,' and Zarathustra asked him who he was. The Commentary here observes that Zarathusra had recognised Haoma; 'as it appears from the passage, Mithrô zayâd Zarathustrem, that he knew him, that he had already had appointments with most of the Izeds and was well acquainted with them.' — That passage, quoted as usual by its first words, is very likely taken from the Spand, the Nask occupied with the legend of Zoroaster.

---

Yasna IX, 1, 4.

amereza gayêhê stûna.

This quotation refers to the time when everybody will be immortal without a body. It may be translated by conjecture.

'The column of life^[2] [made] marrowless.'

---

Yasna IX, 8, 27.

Kô thwãm yim Ahurem Mazdãm.—'Quis te, Ahura Mazda…?'

This quotation comes after the description of the three-headed serpent, Asi Dahâka. Its beginning reminds one of a similar and perhaps identical question in Vendîdâd XVIII, 61: Kô thwãm yim Ahurem Mazdâm mazistaya inti inaoti, 'Who grieves thee, Ahura Mazda, with the sorest grief?'

---

Yasna IX, 11, 35.

Khshvaêpaya vaênaya bareshna (or barenus.)

The horned serpent, Asi Srvara, whom Keresâspa killed, had yellow poison, a thumb thick, streaming over its body, khshvaêpaya vaênaya bareshna, 'by the anus, by the nose, by the head(?).'

---

Yasna XVII, 55 (ed. Spiegel).

apagayêhê.—Privation of life…

First word of a quotation which appears in passages intended either to prolong life and deprecate the death of a friend (generally under the form : may there be no room for apagayêhê, XLI, 7; XLII, i), or to wish death to an enemy (XLV, 4; XL VIII, 10; LII, 8; LXI, 10; ed. Sp.)

---

Yasna XXXI, 20b (ed. Spinel).

vîshâka (= vîshâadkha, 'also of poison,' at the end of XLVIII, II d, in the best MSS.)

Descriptive of the bad food supplied to the wicked in hell, the vîshayâadka, vish-gaitayâadka of Yt. XXII, 36.

---

Yasna LVI, i, i (ed. Spiegel),

barôithrô-taêzem. — See Fragments at Vd. XVIII, 14, 33 (Sp.)

---

Yasna LXIV, 48 (ed. Spiegel).

pâdhavê zâvare gava aza srûma.

A corrupt quotation in the MSS., from Yt. XVI, 7.

Footnotes

1. The first Arabic number refers to Geldner's, the second to Spiegel's edition.
2. The spine.