FARGARD XXII.1— (THE SPELL AGAINST SICKNESS)

I

1. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathushtra, saying: "I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion,2 the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I go up, there may I arrive!).

2. "Then the ruffian looked at me; 3 the ruffian Angra Mainyu, the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand diseases. So mayst thou heal me, thou most glorious Mathra Spenta!

3. "Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, swiftrunning steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka,* made by Mazda and holy.

"Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, highhumped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

4. Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

"Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females big with young, of all species of small cattle; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

1 It has already been seen that, of all healers, the most powerful is the one who treats with the Holy Word (Mathra Spenta), that is with sacred spells. Of all sacred spells, the most efficacious is the Airyama ishyo. This is expressed under a mythological form in this Fargard.

Angra Mainyu having created 99,999 diseases, Ahura applies for remedy to the Holy Word (Mathra Spenta; sections 1-5).— How shall I manage? asks Mathra Spenta (section 16). Ahura sends his messenger to Airyaman with the same request. Airyaman comes at once to Ahura's call, and digs nine furrows. It is no doubt in order to perform the Barashnum, by the virtue of which the strength of the demon and of the demon's work will be broken. The Fargard ends therefore with spells against sickness and against death, added to the usual spells of the ordinary Barashnum.

2 “The Garotman.”— Commentary. Paradise.

And cast on me the evil eye; "it was by casting the evil eye on the good creatures of Ormazd that Ahriman corrupted them." Compare Fargard xx, 3.

4 The Genius of the good eye.

5. "And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing, that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man sound again.

6. "Mathra Spenta, the all-glorious, replied unto me: 'How shall I heal thee? How shall I drive away from thee those nine diseases, and those ninety, those nine hundred, those nine thousand, and those nine times ten thousand diseases?""

II

5

7. The Maker Ahura Mazda called for Nairyo-sangha: Go thou, Nairyo-sangha, the herald, and drive toward the mansion of Airyaman, and speak thus unto him:

8. Thus speaks Ahura Mazda, the Holy One, unto thee: "I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I ascend, there may I arrive!).

9. "Then the ruffian looked at me; the ruffian Angra Mainyu, the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand diseases. So mayst thou heal me, O Airyaman, the vow-fulfiller!

10. "Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, swiftrunning steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

"Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, highhumped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

11. "Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

"Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females big with young, of all species of small cattle. I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

12. "And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of

The messenger of Ahura Mazda. He is a form of Atar, the Fire.

the righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing, that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man sound again."

III

13. In obedience to Ahura's words he went, Nairyo-sangha, the herald; he drove toward the mansion of Airyaman, he spake unto Airyaman, saying:

14. Thus speaks Ahura Mazda, the Holy One, unto thee: “I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I go up, there may I arrive!).

15. "Then the ruffian looked at me; the ruffian Angra Mainyu, the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand diseases. So mayest thou heal So mayest thou heal me, O Airyaman,

the vow-fulfiller!

16. "Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, swift-running steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

"Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet, highhumped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

17. "Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

"Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females, big with young, of all species of small cattle; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.

18. "And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing, that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man sound again."

IV

19. Quickly was it done, nor was it long, eagerly set off

the vow-fulfilling Airyaman, toward the mountain of the holy Questions, toward the forest of the holy Questions.

20. Nine kinds of stallions brought he with him, the vowfulfilling Airyaman.7

Nine kinds of camels brought he with him, the vowfulfilling Airyaman.

Nine kinds of bulls brought he with him, the vowfulfilling Airyaman.

Nine kinds of small cattle brought he with him, the vowfulfilling Airyaman.

He brought with him the nine twigs; he drew along nine furrows.

21. "I drive away Ishire and I drive away Aghuire; I drive away Aghra and I drive away Ughra; I drive away sickness and I drive away death; I drive away pain and I drive away fever; I drive away Sarana and I drive away Sarastya; I drive away Azana, and I drive away Azahva; I I drive away Kurugha and I drive away Azivaka; I drive away Duruka and I drive away Astairya. I drive away the evil eye, rottenness, and infection which Angra Mainyu has created against the bodies of mortals.

22. "I drive away all manner of sickness and death, all the Yatus and Pairikas, and all the wicked Gainis.

23. "May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman come here, for the men and women of Zarathushtra to rejoice, for Vohu-mano to rejoice; with the desirable reward that Religion deserves. I solicit for holiness that boon that is vouchsafed by Ahura.

24. "May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman smite all manner of sickness and death, all the Yatus and Pairikas, and all the wicked Gainis.

25. "Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. The gifts of Vohu-mano to the deeds done in this world for Mazda. He who relieves the poor makes Ahura king.

• The mountain where "the holy conversations" between Ormazd and Zoroaster took place.

7 According to Framji, "He brought with him the strength of nine stallions," to infuse it into the sick man.

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Kem-na mazda: What protector hast thou given unto me, O Mazda! while the hate of the wicked encompasses me? Whom but thy Atar and Vohu-mano, through whose work I keep on the world of righteousness? Reveal therefore to me thy Religion as thy rule!

"Ke verethrem-ga: Who is the victorious who will protect thy teaching? Make it clear that I am the guide for both worlds. May Sraosha come with Vohu-mano and help whomsoever thou pleasest, O Mazda!

"Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Armaiti Spenta! Perish, O fiendish Druj! Perish, O brood of the fiend! Perish, O world of the fiend! Perish away, O Druj! Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of Righteousness! "

END OF THE VENDIDAD