Old Iranian Online
Lesson 4: Old Avestan
Scott L. Harvey, Winfred P. Lehmann, and Jonathan Slocum
Reading and Textual Analysis
This hymn, Yasna 30, provides an excellent statement of Zarathustra's dualism. While he maintained monotheism with Ahura Mazda as sole god, he also posited an opposition that existed from the beginning of the world between two principal spirits, Spenta Mainyu, 'the incremental spirit', and Angra Mainyu, 'the fiendish spirit' as stated in stanza 3. They, in turn, reflect a dualism beween Ashu 'Truth' and Angra 'Falsehood'. Human beings choose between these, as did the Daevas -- god-like beings who chose Falsehood. Their resulting status is in direct opposition to that in Indian religion, in which the devas make up the accepted pantheon. But the one who accepts Ahura Mazda is strengthened by Armaiti, 'Devotion'. The rewards or retribution for one's choice are stated graphically in stanzas eight through twelve.
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- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- and
- tā -- demonstrative pronoun; accusative plural neuter <ha-> '(s)he, this' -- those things
- vaxšyā -- verb; 1st person singular future indicative active <vak> 'say, speak, declare' -- I shall proclaim
- išəntō -- present participle active; vocative plural masculine <iš> 'strive, desire, arrive' -- o seekers
- yā -- relative pronoun; accusative plural neuter <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- which
- mazdāθā -- noun; accusative plural neuter <mazdāδa-> 'thing to be considered' -- to be borne in mind
- hyaṯ-cīṯ -- conjunction; <hyaṯ> 'if, so, when' + indefinite participle; <cīṯ> '...' -- even
- vīdušē -- present participle active; dative singular masculine <vid> 'see, know, obtain' -- for one knowing
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- staotā-cā -- noun; nominative plural masculine <staota-> 'hymn, song of praise' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and hymns
- ahurāi -- noun; dative singular masculine <ahura-> 'lord' -- Lord
- yesnyā-cā -- noun; accusative plural masculine <yesnya-> 'sacrifice, worship' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and praises
- vaŋhə̄uš -- adjective; genitive singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' -- good
- manaŋhō -- noun; genitive singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- of mind
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- humązdrā -- adjective; vocative plural masculine <humązdra-> 'careful, good to see' -- attentive ones
- ašā -- noun; instrumental singular neuter <aša-> 'truth' -- for Truth
- ye-cā -- dative ending; plural masculine <-aya> '...' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and # All known manuscripts separate this dative case ending from the word aša to which it should be attached. It should not, therefore, be read as a separate word.
- yā -- relative pronoun; accusative plural neuter <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- which
- raocə̄bīs -- noun; instrumental plural neuter <raocah-> 'light' -- by lights
- darəsatā -- noun; accusative plural neuter <darəsata-> 'visible, beautiful to see' -- beautiful to see
- urvāzā -- noun; accusative plural neuter <urvāza-> 'joy, bliss' -- joys
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- sraotā -- verb; 2nd person plural aorist imperative active <sru> 'hear, listen' -- Listen
- gə̄uš-aiš -- noun; instrumental plural masculine <gə̄uša-> 'ear' -- with ears
- vahištā -- adjective; accusative singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- to the best things
- a-vaēnatā -- preposition; <ā> '(up) to, toward, etc.' + verb; 2nd person plural present imperative active <vaēna-> 'see, observe, look' -- observe
- sūcā -- adjective; instrumental singular neuter <sūca-> 'light, pure, clear' -- radiant
- manaŋhā -- noun; instrumental singular masculine <manah-> 'mind' -- with mind
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- āvarənå -- noun; accusative dual masculine <āvarəna-> 'invitation, choice' -- two alternatives
- vīciθahyā -- noun; genitive singular neuter <vīciδa-> 'decision, judgement' -- choosing
- narə̄m -- noun; accusative singular masculine <nar-> 'man' -- each
- narəm -- noun; accusative singular masculine <nar-> 'man' -- man
- xvah́yāi -- reflexive pronoun; dative singular feminine <x<sup>v</sup>a-> 'self' -- ...
- tanuyē -- noun; dative singular masculine <tanu-> 'body' -- for himself
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- parā -- preposition; <parā> 'before, beyond, away' -- before
- mazə̄ -- adjective; genitive singular neuter <maz-> 'large, great' -- great
- yåŋhō -- noun; genitive singular neuter <yāh-> 'pilgrimage, retribution' -- retribution
- ahmāi -- demonstrative pronoun; dative singular masculine <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- to him
- nə̄ -- enclitic pronoun; 2nd person accusative plural <vaēm-> 'we' -- us
- sazdyāi -- verb; infinitive <saŋh> 'announce, proclaim' -- to announce
- baodantō -- present participle active; nominative plural masculine <bud> 'be attentive, aware' -- being careful
- paiti -- postposition; <paiti> 'near, toward, with respect to' -- ...
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- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- and
- tā -- pronoun; nominative dual masculine <ha-> '(s)he, this' -- there are two
- mainyū -- noun; nominative dual masculine <mainyu-> 'spirit' -- spirits
- paouruyē -- adjective; nominative dual masculine <paouruya-> 'first, original' -- primeval
- yā -- relative pronoun; nominative dual masculine <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- who
- yə̄mā -- noun; nominative dual masculine <yə̄ma-> 'twin' -- twins
- xvafnā -- noun; instrumental singular masculine <x<sup>v</sup>afna-> 'sleep, dream' -- through dream
- asrvātəm -- verb; 3rd person dual aorist indicative passive <sru> 'hear, listen' -- are revealed
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- manahi-cā -- noun; locative singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- in mind
- vacahi-cā -- noun; locative singular neuter <vacah-> 'speech, word' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and speech
- šyaoθanōi -- noun; locative singular neuter <šyaoθana-> 'act, deed' -- and deed
- hī -- emphatic particle; <hi> 'indeed' -- even
- vahyō -- adjective; accusative singular neuter <vahya-> 'better' -- better
- akəm-cā -- adjective; accusative singular neuter <aka-> 'bad, evil, wicked' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and bad
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- ås-cā -- demonstrative pronoun; genitive dual masculine <a-> 'he, this' -- of these two
- hudåŋhō -- adjective; nominative plural neuter <hudah-> 'of good gifts, beneficent' -- the beneficent
- ərəš -- adverb; <ərəš-> 'right, correct, true' -- rightly
- vīšyātā -- prefix; <vi> 'wide, apart' + verb; 3rd person plural aorist indicative active <ci> 'discriminate, tell apart' -- choose
- nōiṯ -- negative particle; <nōiṯ> 'no, none' -- not
- duždåŋhō -- adjective; nominative plural neuter <duždā-> 'of bad gifts, maleficent' -- the miserly
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- aṯ-cā -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and what is more
- hyaṯ -- conjunction; <hyat> 'as, since, because' -- when
- tā -- pronoun; nominative dual masculine <ha-> '(s)he, this' -- these two
- hə̄m -- preposition; <hə̄m> 'together, with' -- together
- mainyū -- noun; nominative dual masculine <mainyu-> 'spirit' -- spirits
- jasaētəm -- verb; 3rd person dual imperfect indicative middle <gam> 'go' -- came
- paourvīm -- adverb; <paouruya-> 'first, original' -- at the beginning (of the world)
- dazdē -- verb; 3rd person dual imperfect indicative middle <dā-> 'give, put' -- gave
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- gaēm-cā -- noun; accusative singular masculine <gaya-> 'life' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- both life
- ajyāitīm-cā -- noun; accusative singular masculine <ajyaiti-> 'death' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and death
- yaθā-cā -- adverb; <yaθa> 'just as, like' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and likewise
- aŋhaṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular present subjunctive active <ah-> 'be, become' -- will arise
- apə̄məm -- adverb; <apə̄məm> 'last' -- at the end
- aŋhuš -- noun; nominative singular masculine <aŋhu-> 'existence, life' -- a life
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- acištō -- adjective; nominative singular masculine <aka-> 'bad, evil, wicked' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- most wicked
- drəgvatąm -- adjective; genitive plural masculine <drəgvant-> 'possessor of the Lie' -- for followers of the Lie
- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- and
- ašāunē -- noun; dative singular masculine <ašavan-> '(in accordance with) Truth' -- for the followers of Truth
- vahištəm -- adjective; accusative singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- best
- manō -- noun; accusative singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- thought
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- ayå -- demonstrative pronoun; genitive dual masculine <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- these
- mainivå -- noun; genitive dual masculine <mainyu-> 'spirit' -- of two spirits
- varatā -- verb; 3rd person singular aorist indicative middle <var> 'choose' -- chose
- yə̄ -- relative pronoun; nominative singular <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- the one who
- drəgvå -- adjective; nominative dual masculine <drəgvant-> 'possessor of the Lie' -- possessed of the Lie
- acištā -- adjective; accusative plural masculine <aka-> 'bad, evil, wicked' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- the most wicked things
- vərəzyō -- infinitive; <verəz-> 'perform an action' -- to perform
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- ašəm -- noun; accusative singular neuter <aša-> 'truth' -- Truth
- mainyuš -- noun; nominative singular masculine <mainyu-> 'spirit' -- spirit
- spə̄ništō -- adjective; nominative singular masculine <spənta-> 'beneficent, holy, sacred' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- beneficent
- yə̄ -- relative pronoun; nominative singular <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- which
- xraoždištə̄ng -- adjective; accusative plural masculine <xrūždra-> 'hard, firm' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- hardest
- asə̄nō -- noun; accusative plural masculine <asan-> 'stone, heaven' -- stones
- vastē -- verb; 3rd person singular present indicative middle <vas> 'be clothed, swathed' -- is clothed
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- yaē-cā -- relative pronoun; nominative plural <ya-> 'who, what, which' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and who
- xšnaošən -- verb; 3rd person plural s-aorist indicative active <xsnu> 'satisfy' -- satisfy
- ahurəm -- noun; accusative singular masculine <ahura-> 'lord' -- the Lord
- haiθyāiš -- adjective; instrumental plural neuter <haiθya-> 'true, real' -- true
- šyaoθanāiš -- noun; instrumental plural neuter <šyaoθana-> 'act, deed' -- with actions
- fraorəṯ -- adverb; <fraorəṯ> 'readily' -- readily
- mazdąm -- noun; accusative singular masculine <mazda-> 'wise one' -- Wise One
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- ayå -- demonstrative pronoun; genitive dual masculine <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- (between) these two
- nōiṯ -- negative particle; <nōiṯ> 'no, none' -- not
- ərəš -- adverb; <ərəš-> 'right, correct, true' -- correctly
- vīšyātā -- verb; 3rd person plural aorist indicative active <vi> 'wide, apart' + ; <ci> 'discriminate, tell apart' -- did choose
- daēvā-cinā -- noun; nominative plural masculine <daēva-> 'divine being' + indefinite particle; <cinā> '...' -- the Daevas... whatsoever
- hyaṯ -- conjunction; <hyat> 'as, since, because' -- since
- īš -- enclitic demonstrative pronoun; accusative plural <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- them
- ā-dəbaomā -- preposition; <ā> '(up) to, toward, etc.' + noun; nominative singular masculine <dəbaoman-> 'beguilement, deception' -- Deception
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- pərəsmanəng -- present participle middle; accusative plural masculine <pərəs-> 'ask' -- deliberating
- upā-jasaṯ -- verbal prefix; <upa> 'near, up on/to, etc.' + verb; 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active <gam> 'go' -- approached
- hyaṯ -- conjunction; <hyat> 'as, since, because' -- ...
- vərənātā -- verb; 3rd person plural present injunctive middle <vərən-> 'choose' -- they chose
- acištəm -- adjective; accusative singular neuter <aka-> 'bad, evil, wicked' + superlative suffix; <-ista-> indicates superlative -- worst
- manō -- noun; accusative singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- thought
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- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- thereby
- aēšəməm -- noun; accusative singular masculine <aēšəma-> 'anger, fury, wrath' -- wrath
- hə̄ndvārəntā -- verb; 3rd person plural imperfect indicative middle <həm> '...' + ; <dvar> 'rush together' -- rushed headlong
- yā -- relative pronoun; instrumental singular masculine <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- by which
- bąnayən -- verb; 3rd person plural present injunctive active <banaya-> 'poison, make ill' -- poison
- ahūm -- noun; accusative singular masculine <aŋhu-> 'existence, life' -- life
- marətānō -- noun; genitive singular masculine <marəta-> 'mortal' -- moral men
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- ahmāi-cā -- demonstrative pronoun; dative singular masculine <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- yet... unto him
- xšaθrā -- noun; instrumental singular neuter <xšaθra-> 'power' -- with power
- jasaṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active <gam> 'go' -- he goes
- manaŋhā -- noun; instrumental singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- with mind
- vohū -- adjective; instrumental singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' -- good
- ašā-cā -- adjective; instrumental singular neuter <aša-> 'truth' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and with Truth
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- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- and
- kəhrpə̄m -- noun; accusative singular feminine <kəhrp-> 'form, body, outward appearance' -- body
- utayūitiš -- adjective; nominative singular feminine <utayūiti-> 'fresh, lasting, enduring' -- youthful
- dadāṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active <dā-> 'give, put' -- gives
- ārmaitiš -- noun; nominative singular feminine <ārmaiti-> 'devotion, piety' -- Armaiti
- ąnmā -- noun; accusative singular neuter <ąnman-> 'spirit, breath' -- breath
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- aēšąm -- demonstrative pronoun; genitive plural <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- of these things
- tōi -- personal pronoun; dative singular <tvə̄m-> 'you' -- for you
- ā -- preposition; <ā> '(up) to, toward, etc.' -- ...
- aŋhaṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular present subjunctive active <ah-> 'be, become' -- will arise
- yaθā -- adverb; <yaθa> 'just as, like' -- just as
- ayaŋhā -- noun; instrumental singular neuter <ayah-> 'metal, iron' -- by molten iron
- ādānāiš -- noun; instrumental plural neuter <ādāna-> 'portion, forging together, retaliation' -- through retribution
- paouruyō -- adjective; nominative singular masculine <paouruya-> 'first, original' -- the previous
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- aṯ-cā -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and then
- yadā -- relative adverb; <yadā> 'when' -- when
- aēšąm -- demonstrative pronoun; genitive plural <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- of these
- kaēnā -- noun; nominative singular feminine <kaēnā-> 'atonement, punishment' -- punishment
- jamaitī -- verb; 3rd person singular aorist subjunctive active <gam> 'go' -- will arrive
- aēnaŋhąm -- noun; genitive plural neuter <aēnah-> 'sin' -- of sins
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- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- then
- mazdā -- noun; vocative singular masculine <mazda-> 'wise one' -- O Wise One
- taibyō -- demonstrative pronoun; dative singular <tvə̄m-> 'you' -- for you
- xšaθrəm -- noun; accusative singular neuter <xšaθra-> 'power' -- sovereign rule
- vohū -- adjective; instrumental singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' -- good
- manaŋhā -- noun; instrumental singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- through mind
- vōi-vīdaitī -- verb; 3rd person singular aorist subjunctive active intensive <vid> 'see, know, obtain' -- will finally obtain
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- aēibyō -- demonstrative pronoun; dative plural <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- to those
- sastē -- infinitive; <saŋh> 'announce, proclaim' -- to proclaim
- ahurā -- noun; vocative singular masculine <ahura-> 'lord' -- Lord
- yōi -- relative pronoun; nominative plural masculine <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- who
- ašāi -- noun; dative singular neuter <aša-> 'truth' -- over to the Truth
- dadən -- verb; 3rd person plural present subjunctive active <dā-> 'give, put' -- will give
- zastayō -- noun; locative dual masculine <zasta-> 'hand' -- in both hands
- drujim -- noun; accusative singular masculine <druj-> 'deceit' -- Deceit
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- aṯ-cā -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and therefore
- tōi -- pronoun; nominative plural masculine <ha-> '(s)he, this' -- the ones
- vaēm -- personal pronoun; nominative singular <azəm-> 'I' -- we
- h́yāmā -- verb; 3rd person plural present optative middle <ah-> 'be, become' -- may be
- yōi -- relative pronoun; nominative plural masculine <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- who
- īm -- enclitic demonstrative pronoun; accusative singular masculine <ayə̄m-> 'this, that' -- this
- fərašə̄m -- adjective; accusative singular masculine <fəraša-> 'shining' -- vibrant
- kərənaon -- verb; 3rd person plural present subjunctive active <kar> 'do, make' -- would make
- ahūm -- noun; accusative singular neuter <ahu-> 'existence, life, breath' -- existence
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- mazdås-cā -- noun; vocative plural masculine <mazda-> 'wise one' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- Wise (Lord) and
- ahuråŋhō -- noun; vocative plural masculine <ahura-> 'lord' -- Lords
- ā-mōyastrā-baranā -- preposition; <ā> '(up) to, toward, etc.' + enclitic pronoun; dative singular <azəm-> 'I' + privative prefix; <a> 'no, none' + adjective; <stra-> 'spread-out' (?) + noun; instrumental singular masculine <barana-> 'carriage, support' -- by means of the unbroken support to me
- ašā-cā -- noun; nominative singular masculine <aša-> 'truth' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and the Truth
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- hyaṯ -- conjunction; <hyat> 'as, since, because' -- so that
- haθrā -- preposition; <haθra> 'together, at the same place/time' -- unified
- manå -- noun; nominative plural neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- minds
- bavaṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular aorist subjunctive active <bu> 'be, become' -- may be
- yaθrā -- adverb; <yaθra> 'where, in order to' -- whenever
- cistiš -- noun; nominative singular feminine <cisti-> 'knowledge, thought' -- judgement
- aŋhaṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular present subjunctive active <ah-> 'be, become' -- would be
- maēθā -- adjective; nominative singular feminine <maēδa-> 'changing, false' -- in doubt
10 - adā zī avā drūjō avō-bavaitī skəndō spayaθrahyā
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- adā -- adverb; <adā> 'then, thereupon, thus' -- then
- zī -- emphatic particle; <zi> 'for, indeed' -- for
- avā -- verbal prefix; <ava> 'away, down' -- ...
- drūjō -- noun; ablative singular feminine <druj-> 'deceit' -- of deceit
- avō-bavaitī -- verbal prefix; <ava> 'away, down' + verb; 3rd person singular aorist subjunctive active <bu> 'be, become' -- will descend
- skəndō -- noun; nominative singular masculine <skənda-> 'destruction' -- destruction
- spayaθrahyā -- noun; genitive singular neuter <spayaθra-> 'atonement, prosperity' -- prosperity
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- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- and
- asištā -- adjective; nominative plural masculine <asišta-> 'fastest' -- the swiftest
- yaojantē -- verb; 3rd person plural aorist subjunctive middle <yuj> 'join, unite, yoke' -- will be yoked
- ā -- preposition; <ā> '(up) to, toward, etc.' -- to
- hušitōiš -- noun; genitive singular feminine <hušiti-> 'good dwelling, comfort, safety' -- dwelling place
- vaŋhə̄uš -- adjective; genitive singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' -- good
- manaŋhō -- noun; genitive singular neuter <manah-> 'mind' -- of mind
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- mazdå -- noun; genitive singular masculine <mazda-> 'wise one' -- of the Wise One
- ašah́yā-cā -- noun; genitive singular masculine <aša-> 'truth' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and of Truth
- yōi -- relative pronoun; nominative plural masculine <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- which
- zazəntī -- verb; 3rd person plural present subjunctive active <zā> 'conquer, win, come in first' -- will race ahead
- vaŋhāu -- adjective; locative singular neuter <vohu-> 'good' -- unto good
- sravahī -- noun; locative singular neuter <sravas-> 'fame' -- fame
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- hyaṯ -- conjunction; <hyaṯ> 'if, so, when' -- when
- tā -- demonstrative pronoun; accusative plural neuter <ha-> '(s)he, this' -- those
- urvātā -- noun; accusative plural neuter <urvāta-> 'rule, order, commandment' -- rules
- sašaθā -- verb; 2nd person plural present indicative active <sac> 'learn, understand' -- you all learn
- yā -- relative pronoun; nominative plural neuter <ya-> 'who, what, which' -- which
- mazdå -- noun; nominative singular masculine <mazda-> 'wise one' -- the Wise One
- dadāṯ -- verb; 3rd person singular aorist indicative active <dā-> 'give, put' -- has given
- mašyåŋhō -- noun; vocative plural masculine <mašya-> 'human being' -- o mortals
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- xvīti-cā -- noun; accusative dual feminine <x<sup>v</sup>iti-> 'well-being, freedom of movement' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- freedom and
- ə̄nəitī -- noun; accusative dual feminine <ə̄nəiti-> 'ill-being, lack of freedom' -- constraint
- hyaṯ-cā -- conjunction; <hyaṯ> 'if, so, when' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- and when
- darəgə̄m -- adjective; accusative singular neuter <darəga-> 'long' -- long-lasting
- drəgvō-dəbyō -- adjective; dative plural masculine <drəgvant-> 'possessor of the Lie' -- for the Possessors of the Lie
- rašō -- noun; accusative singular neuter <rašah-> 'harm, damage' -- destruction
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- sava-cā -- noun; accusative plural neuter <sava-> 'benefit, salvation' + conjunction; <ca> 'and' -- but blessings
- ašavabyō -- noun; dative plural masculine <ašavant-> 'follower of the Truth' -- for the Truthful
- aṯ -- particle; <aṯ> 'then, but, and, so, thus' -- then
- aipī -- preposition; <aipi> 'toward, approaching' -- ...
- tāiš -- demonstrative pronoun; instrumental plural masculine <ha-> '(s)he, this' -- through these
- aŋhaitī -- verb; 3rd person singular present subjunctive active <ah-> 'be, become' -- will arise
- uštā -- past participle passive; accusative plural masculine <vas> 'desire, wish' -- the things you desire
Lesson Text
1 - aṯ tā vaxšyā išəntō yā mazdāθā hyaṯ-cīṯ vīdušē
staotā-cā ahurāi yesnyā-cā vaŋhə̄uš manaŋhō
humązdrā ašā ye-cā yā raocə̄bīs darəsatā urvāzā
2 - sraotā gə̄uš-aiš vahištā a-vaēnatā sūcā manaŋhā
āvarənå vīciθahyā narə̄m narəm xvah́yāi tanuyē
parā mazə̄ yåŋhō ahmāi nə̄ sazdyāi baodantō paiti
3 - aṯ tā mainyū paouruyē yā yə̄mā xvafnā asrvātəm
manahi-cā vacahi-cā šyaoθanōi hī vahyō akəm-cā
ås-cā hudåŋhō ərəš vīšyātā nōiṯ duždåŋhō
4 - aṯ-cā hyaṯ tā hə̄m mainyū jasaētəm paourvīm dazdē
gaēm-cā ajyāitīm-cā yaθā-cā aŋhaṯ apə̄məm aŋhuš
acištō drəgvatąm aṯ ašāunē vahištəm manō
5 - ayå mainivå varatā yə̄ drəgvå acištā vərəzyō
ašəm mainyuš spə̄ništō yə̄ xraoždištə̄ng asə̄nō vastē
yaē-cā xšnaošən ahurəm haiθyāiš šyaoθanāiš fraorəṯ mazdąm
6 - ayå nōiṯ ərəš vīšyātā daēvā-cinā hyaṯ īš ā-dəbaomā
pərəsmanəng upā-jasaṯ hyaṯ vərənātā acištəm manō
aṯ aēšəməm hə̄ndvārəntā yā bąnayən ahūm marətānō
7 - ahmāi-cā xšaθrā jasaṯ manaŋhā vohū ašā-cā
aṯ kəhrpə̄m utayūitiš dadāṯ ārmaitiš ąnmā
aēšąm tōi ā aŋhaṯ yaθā ayaŋhā ādānāiš paouruyō
8 - aṯ-cā yadā aēšąm kaēnā jamaitī aēnaŋhąm
aṯ mazdā taibyō xšaθrəm vohū manaŋhā vōi-vīdaitī
aēibyō sastē ahurā yōi ašāi dadən zastayō drujim
9 - aṯ-cā tōi vaēm h́yāmā yōi īm fərašə̄m kərənaon ahūm
mazdås-cā ahuråŋhō ā-mōyastrā-baranā ašā-cā
hyaṯ haθrā manå bavaṯ yaθrā cistiš aŋhaṯ maēθā
10 - adā zī avā drūjō avō-bavaitī skəndō spayaθrahyā
aṯ asištā yaojantē ā hušitōiš vaŋhə̄uš manaŋhō
mazdå ašah́yā-cā yōi zazəntī vaŋhāu sravahī
11 - hyaṯ tā urvātā sašaθā yā mazdå dadāṯ mašyåŋhō
xvīti-cā ə̄nəitī hyaṯ-cā darəgə̄m drəgvō-dəbyō rašō
sava-cā ašavabyō aṯ aipī tāiš aŋhaitī uštā
Translation
| 1 | And I shall proclaim, O seekers [of Truth], those things | |
|---|---|---|
| which [are] to be borne in mind, even for one knowing [them already]: | ||
| [Those] praises and hymns of Good Mind [to be sung] for the Lord and, | ||
| attentive ones, for Truth, | ||
| Which by [their] lights [will bring] joys beautiful to see. | ||
| 2 | Listen with [your] ears to the best things [said] | |
| [And] observe with [your] mind, radiant, | ||
| The two alternatives of [your] choosing, each man for himself | ||
| Being careful to announce us to Him1 before the great retribution. | ||
| 3 | There are two primeval spirits, twins who are revealed | |
| [to us] through dream. | ||
| In mind, in speech, and even in deed they are better and bad: | ||
| The good choose between them correctly, not the evil. | ||
| 4 | And what's more, when these two spirits came together | |
| at the beginning of the world, | ||
| They bestowed [to it] both life and death. And likewise | ||
| At the end, a life most wicked will arise for followers of the Lie, | ||
| and the best thought [will arise] for the followers of Truth. | ||
| 5 | Of these two spirits, the one possessed of the Lie chose to execute | |
| the most wicked things, [but] the beneficent spirit, | ||
| Who is clothed in the hardest stones, [chose] Truth, | ||
| [Just as those men do now] who readily satisfy the Lord, the Wise One, | ||
| with true actions. | ||
| 6 | The Daevas did not choose correctly whatsoever between these two, | |
| since Deception approached them [as they were] deliberating [between | ||
| them]. | ||
| [And] since they chose the worst thought, | ||
| They thereby rushed headlong unto [that very] wrath by which they [now] poison | ||
| the life of mortal men. | ||
| 7 | Yet He1 goes unto him2 with power, Good Mind, and Truth, | |
| And youthful Armaiti gives [him] body [and] breath. | ||
| [And each] of these things will arise for you, [too], just as through retribution | ||
| by molten iron the former [followers of the Lie (?) | ||
| will be punished]. | ||
| 8 | And so, when the punishment of these sins will arrive | |
| Then dominion will finally obtain for You, O Wise One, | ||
| through Good Thinking. | ||
| [In order] to proclaim, O Lord, to those who will | ||
| give Deceit over to the Truth in both hands. | ||
| 9 | Therefore, may we be the ones who would make existence vibrant, | |
| O Wise [Lord] and Lords, by means of the unbroken support [you have given?] | ||
| to me2 and by means of Truth, | ||
| So that our minds will remain unified whenever our judgment may be in doubt. | ||
| 10 | For then the destruction of the prosperity of Deceit will descend | |
| And the swiftest [steeds] will be yoked to the dwelling place of Good Mind, | ||
| Which will race ahead unto the good fame of the Wise One and of Truth. | ||
| 11 | When you, O mortals, learn those rules which the Wise One has given, | |
| [When you learn that there is] freedom and constraint, and [likewise] | ||
| long-lasting destruction for the Possessors of the Lie, | ||
| But blessings for the Truthful, then through these things [you have learned] | ||
| the things that you desire will arise. |
Grammar
16 Noun Stems in Sibilants and Stops
16.1 n-stem Nouns
Avestan has n-stem nouns in an, man, and van, whose declensions vary only by the strength of the stem. Stems in an generally show ablaut, extending to ān in cases that take a strong stem. This is not, however, consistent: some words follow this pattern while others do not, perhaps on analogy with man- and van-stems for which ablaut is unattested.
The paradigms given here include the ablaut.
| Singular: | Masculine manθran- 'poet-priest' | Neuter nāman- 'name' | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | manθrā | nąma | ||
| Acc. | *manθrā, *manθrānəm | nąma | ||
| Dat. | manθrānai | *nāmanai | ||
| Abl. | *manθraṯ | unattested | ||
| Gen. | manθrānō | *nāmnō | ||
| Loc.sg | *manθrāni | *nāmə̄ni, *namən | ||
| Plural: | ||||
| Nom.pl | *manθranō, *manθrānō | nāmąn, nāmə̄ni | ||
| Acc.pl | *manθrō | nāmąn, nāmə̄ni | ||
| Instr.pl. | *manθrə̄biš | nāmə̄biš, nāmə̄niš | ||
| Dat.pl. | manθrabyō | nāmabyō | ||
| Abl.pl | *manθrabyō | *nāmabyō | ||
| Gen.pl | *manθranąm | nāmanąm |
16.2 r/n-stem Nouns
Avestan includes a few stems that end in r or n, depending on the case in which they appear.
| Singular: | Masculine nar- 'man' | Neuter rāzar- 'declaration' | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | nā | rāzar | ||
| Acc. | narəm | *rāzar | ||
| Dat. | narai | unattested | ||
| Gen. | nrš | rāzanh | ||
| Plural: | ||||
| Nom. | narō | *rāzār | ||
| Acc. | nrnš | unattested | ||
| Gen. | *narąm | *rāznąm |
17 Relative and Interrogative Pronouns
The relative and interrogative pronouns, ya- and ka-, respectively, decline similarly in Avestan. The interrogative also has a stem ci- that appears only in the nominative singular form ciš. The relative paradigm is given here.
| ya-declension | Masculine | Feminine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | yō | yā | ||
| Acc. sg. | yim, yəm | yąm, yām | ||
| Instr. sg. | yā | unattested | ||
| Dat. sg. | yahmai | unattested | ||
| Abl. sg. | yahmāṯ | yen̨hāṯ, yen̨hāda | ||
| Gen. sg. | yahya, yen̨he | yen̨haē | ||
| Loc. sg. | yahmi | yen̨he | ||
| Nom. du. | yā | |||
| Gen. du. | yayaē | |||
| Nom. pl. | yoi | yaē | ||
| Acc. pl. | yąn | yaē | ||
| Instr. pl. | yāiš | unattested | ||
| Dat.Abl. pl. | yaēbyō | yābyō | ||
| Gen. pl | yaēšąm | yaēn̨hąm | ||
| Loc. pl. | yaēšu | yāhu, yāhva |
The neuter differs from the masculine in only the nominative and accusative cases:
| Nom.Acc. sg. | yaṯ | |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. du. | yā | |
| Nom.Acc. pl. | yā |
18 The Perfect Tense
In addition to the present and aorist stems encountered in previous lessons, Avestan also has a perfect stem which is formed by the reduplication of the root. Generally, this reduplication is created by adding the vowel of the underlying root and any consonant immediately preceding that vowel to the front of the root. Exceptions to this rule are as follows:
- Diphthongs ending in i or u reduplicate in i or u, respectively.
- The initial consonant c changes to k in the root syllable, e.g. cit 'think', cikait-.
- Initial k reduplicates as c, e.g. kan 'desire, cakan.
- Consonant clusters omit all but the initial consonant, e.g. vraz 'be joyful', vavraz-.
- The root vid 'see, know' is not reduplicated.
The root takes full grade in the singular present indicative active and all forms of the subjunctive; zero grade, elsewhere.
In these lessons, the perfect has been translated with past sense, e.g. ṯaṯašā 'has fashioned'.
Perfect Paradigm
Since no root forms more than one perfect conjugation, the convention of using a single root per paradigm is not followed here.
| Indicative | Active | Middle | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 sg. | dadarəša | susruye | ||
| 2 sg. | dadāθa | unattested | ||
| 3 sg. | cakana | dāta | ||
| 3 du. | unattested | mamanāite, dazde | ||
| 1 pl. | didvišma | unattested | ||
| 3 pl. | caxnar | unattested | ||
| Subjunctive | ||||
| 2 pl. | vavrazaθa | unattested | ||
| Optative | ||||
| 3 sg. | vidyāṯ | unattested |
19 The Perfect Active Participle
The perfect tense also has active and middle participles. The active form is built by adding the suffix vas, weak grade uš, to the reduplicated stem. Feminines add ī and decline accordingly. Masculines decline thus:
| vid/vidvas 'having known' | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | vidvå | |
| Dat. sg. | vidušai | |
| Gen. sg. | vidušō |
The present middle participle is formed by adding the ending ana to the perfect stem, which declines according to the a/ā-paradigms in Section 3.
Perfect participles are translated with the verb 'having', as in vidvå 'having known', nominative singular masculine.
20 Relative-Correlative Syntax
Native English speakers sometimes find the Indo-Iranian relative clause difficult because it is not usually embedded within the main clause, as it is in English, but rather precedes the main clause, which 'picks up' the relative pronoun with a corresponding demonstrative, or correlative, pronoun. The relative pronoun may be placed anywhere within its own clause, though it is often found at the beginning. The correlative must begin the main clause. The antecedent, or the word that the relative pronoun represents in the relative clause, also (somewhat counter-intuitively) appears in the relative clause, usually immediately after the relative pronoun.
The relative clause aēibyō sastē ... yōi ašai dadən ... drujəm, taken from stanza 8 above, provides an illustration:
| aēibyō | sastē | yōi | ašai | dadən | drujəm | |||||||
| to those | to proclaim | to whom | over to Truth | will give | Deceit |
This is translated into English as "to proclaim to those who will give Deceit over to the Truth."
Footnotes
| 1 | Ahura Mazda | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Zarathustra |
