Page:History of Zoroastrianism.djvu/173

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140
ZARATHUSHTRA IN THE YOUNGER AVESTA

the most swift, and the most victorious.[1] He is the chief of the material world, the head of the two-footed race.[2] He is the first bearer of the law among peoples.[3] He is the foremost in thinking good thoughts, speaking good words, and doing good deeds. He exemplifies best in himself the virtues of the priest, the warrior, the husbandman and furthers righteousness as never done before.[4] The Amesha Spentas longed for his advent as the lord and the master of the world.[5] He is himself invoked as the wisest, the best-ruling, the brightest, the most glorious, the most worthy of sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification.[6] Homage is paid unto him.[7] The Kingly Glory that belongs to the Aryan nations is also his.[8]

Zarathushtra invokes the Yazatas for various boons. Ahura Mazda asks Zarathushtra to sacrifice unto Ardvi Sura.[9] Zarathushtra thereupon offered a sacrifice unto her and begged of her a boon that he might win over king Vishtaspa to his faith and lead him to think and speak and do according to the law.[10] Ardvi Sura granted him the boon.[11] When assailed by the demon Buiti, he offered sacrifices unto the waters of the river Daitya.[12] Unto Drvaspa he offered sacrifice for the boon that he might succeed in bringing over Hutaosa to think, speak, and do according to his religion and to make his religion known to others.[13] And the boon was granted unto him by Drvaspa.[14] He asks for the same boon from Ashi Vanghuhi and it is given him.[15] He invokes the Fravashis of the faithful to his help whenever he finds himself in danger.[16] From Verethraghna does he ask victorious thinking, speaking, and doing, questioning and answering, which the angel of victory vouchsafes unto him.[17] Unto Chisti, the genius of wisdom, he offers a sacrifice praying for righteousness of thought, word, and deed, agility, soundness of body, keen hearing, and eyesight.[18] He invokes Ashi Vanghuhi with the voice that the female genius declares to be the sweetest of all that invoked her.[19]

  1. Ys. 9. 15.
  2. Yt. 5. 89; 13. 41, 91, 92.
  3. Yt. 13. 90.
  4. Yt. 13. 88, 89, 91.
  5. Yt. 13. 92.
  6. Yt. 13. 152.
  7. Yt. 17. 5.
  8. Yt. 19. 56 f.
  9. Yt. 5. 1.
  10. Yt. 5. 104, 105.
  11. Yt. 5. 106.
  12. Vd. 19. 2.
  13. Yt. 9. 25, 26.
  14. Yt. 9. 27.
  15. Yt. 17. 45-47.
  16. Yt. 19. 41.
  17. Yt. 14. 28-33.
  18. Yt. 16. 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13.
  19. Yt. 17. 17.