disturbed their harmony; the one section adopting, or adhering to, the Vedic polytheism which they subsequently carried to India; the other embracing the more monotheistic creed which afterwards became the national religion of Persia.
The following hymn of the reformers carries us into the very midst of the strife:—
1. "I will now tell you who are assembled here, the wise sayings of
the most wise, the praises of the living God, and the songs of the good
spirit, the sublime truth which I see arising out of these sacred flames.
2. "You shall, therefore, hearken to the soul of nature (i. e., plough and cultivate the earth);[1] contemplate the beams of fire with a most pious mind! Every one, both men and women, ought to-day to choose his creed (between the Deva and the Ahura religion). Ye offspring of renowned ancestors, awake to agree with us (i. e., to approve of my lore, to be delivered to you at this moment)!"
(The prophet begins to deliver the words, revealed to him
through the sacred flames.)
3. "In the beginning there was a pair of twins, two spirits, each of
a peculiar activity; these are the good and the base, in thought, word,
and deed. Choose one of these two spirits! Be good, not base!
4. "And these two spirits united created the first (material things); the one, the reality, the other, the non-reality. To the liars (the worshipers of the devas, i, e., gods) existence will become bad, whilst the believer in the true god enjoys prosperity.
5. "Of these two spirits you must choose one, either the evil, the originator of the worst actions, or the true holy spirit. Some may wish to have the hardest lot (i. e., those who will not leave the polytheistic deva-religion), others adore Ahura-Mazda by means of sincere actions.
6. "You cannot belong to both of them (i. e., you cannot be worshipers cf the one true God and of many gods at the same time). One of the devas, against whom we are fighting, might overtake you, when in deliberation (what faith you are to embrace), whispering you to choose the no-mind. Then the devas flock together to assault the two
- ↑ The sentences enclosed in parentheses are Haug's explanations of the sense of the text.
