Prayers | From the Book of Common Prayer

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Hoshbam: Prayer at Dawn

Hoshbam

Avestan

1. atha imã vacô dreñjayôish ýôi anghen vârethrakhnyôtememca baêshazyôtememca, pañca ahuna vairya frasrâvayôish,
ýathâ ahû vairyô…(5).
ahunem vairîm tanûm pâiti,
ýathâ ahû vairyô….
kêm-nâ mazdâ … nemascâ ýâ ârmaitish îzhâcâ.
ashem vohû….
ýathâ ahû vairyô…(21).
ashem vohû…(12).

2. nemase-tê (hôsh-bâmî)(3).
aêtat dim vîspanãm mazishtem dazdyâi ahûmca ratûmca ýim ahurem mazdãm snathâi angrahe mainyêush drvatô snathâi aêshmahe xrvîm-draosh snathâi mâzainyanãm daêvanãm snathâi vîspanãm daêvanãm varenyanãmca drvatãm.

(vâzh bê guft,)
(shkasta ganâmainyô âharman br lêânat sat hazâr bâr.)

3. fradathâi ahurahe mazdå raêvatô hvarenanguhatô fradathâi ameshanãm speñtanãm fradathâi tishtryehe stârô raêvatô hvarenanguhatô fradathâi narsh ashaonô fradathâi vîspanãm speñtahe mainyêush dâmanãm ashaonãm.
ýathâ ahû vairyô…(2).

4. vanghuca vanghåsca âfrînâmi vîspayå ashaonô stôish haithyâica bavãithyâica bûshyãithyâica ashîm râsaiñtîm darekhô-vârethmanem

mishâcim hvô-aiwishâcim
mishâcim âfrasånghaitîm
bareñtîm vîspå baêshazå
apãmca gavãmca urvaranãmca
taurvayeiñtîm vîspå tbaêshå
daêvanãm mashyânãmca
areshyañtãm ahmâica nmânâi
ahmâica nmânahe nmânô-patêe.
vanguhîshca adhå vanguhîshca ashayô hupaurvå vahehîsh aparå râsaiñtîsh darekhô- vârethmanô ýatha-nô mazishtåsca vahishtåsca sraêshtåsca ashayô erenavañte.
ameshanãm speñtanãm ýasnâica vahmâica xshnaothrâica frasastayaêca fradathâi ahe nmânahe fradathâi vîspayå ashaonô stôish hamistêe vîspayå drvatô stôish, stavas ashâ ýê hudå ýôi heñtî.
vasasca tû ahura-mazda ushtâca xshaêsha havanãm dâmanãm, vasô âpô vasô urvarå vasô vîspa vohû ashacithra xshayamnem ashavanem dâyata axshayamnem drvañtem.
vasô-xshathrô hyât ashava, avasô-xshathrô hyât drvå gatô hamistô nizhberetô haca speñtahe mainyêush dâmabyô varatô avasô-xshathrô.
haxshaya azemcit ýô zarathushtrô fratemã nmânanãmca vîsãmca zañtunãmca dah’yunãmca ainghå daênayå anumatayaêca anuxtayaêca anvarshtayaêca ýâ âhûirish zarathushtrish.

5. ýatha-nô ånghãm shyâtô
manå vahishtô urvãnô
hvâthravaitîsh tanvô heñti
vahishtô anghush âkåscôit
âhûire mazda jaseñtãm.

>> asha vahishta asha sraêshta daresâma thwâ pairi thwâ jamyama hamem thwâ haxma.
ashem vohû…. <<(3)
ahmâi raêshca …. hazangrem … jasa-mê … (kerba mazhd…)
atha jamyât ýatha âfrînâmi.
ashem vohû…!!

English

1. Then thou shalt say those victorious, most healing words; thou shalt chant the Ahunwar five times:
Yatha ahu vairyo… (5).
The Ahunwar protects the body….
Kem na Mazda: “What protector hast thou given…”
Ashem vohu….
Yatha Ahu Vairyo…(21).
Ashem vohu…(12)

2. Homage to you, O Dawn (3).

(Y27.1-2:)

This is to render Him who is of all the greatest, our lord and master (even) Ahura Mazda. And this to smite the wicked Angra Mainyu, and to smite Aeshma of the bloody spear, and the Mazainya Daevas, and to smite all the wicked Varenya Daevas.

3. And this is to further Ahura Mazda, the resplendent, the glorious, to further the Bountiful Immortals, and the influences of the star Tishtrya, the resplendent, the glorious, (and) to the furtherance of the holy man, and of all the (bountiful and) holy creatures of the Bounteous Spirit.

(Y52.1-4:)

4. I pray with benedictions for a benefit, and for the good, even for the entire creation of the holy (and the clean); I beseech for them for the (generation which is) now alive, for that which is just coming into life, and for that which shall be hereafter. And (I pray for that) sanctity which leads to prosperity, and which has long afforded shelter, which goes on hand in hand with it, which joins it in its walk, and of itself becoming its close companion as it delivers forth its precepts, bearing every form of healing virtue which comes to us in waters, appertains to cattle, or is found in plants, and overwhelming, all the harmful malice of the Daevas, (and their servants) who might harm this dwelling and its lord, bringing good gifts, and better blessings, given very early, and later (gifts), leading to successes, and for a long time giving shelter. And so the greatest, and the best, and most beautiful benefits of sanctity fall likewise to our lot.
For the sacrifice, homage, propitiation, and the praise of the Bountiful Immortals, for the bringing prosperity to this abode, and for the prosperity of the entire creation of the holy, and the clean, (and as for this, so) for the opposition of the entire evil creation. (And I pray for this) as I praise through Righteousness, I who am beneficent, those who are (likewise of a better mind).

(Y8.5-7:)

May’st Thou, O Ahura Mazda! reign at Thy will, and with a saving rule over Thine own creatures, and render Ye the holy (man) also a sovereign at his will over waters, and over plants, and over all the clean and sacred (creatures) which contain the seed of Righteousness. Strip ye the wicked of all power!
Absolute in power may the holy be, bereft of all free choice the wicked ! Gone (may he be), met as foe, carried out from the creatures of Spenta Mainyu, hemmed in without power over any wish!
———-
I will incite, even I who am Zarathushtra, the heads of the houses, villages, Zantus, and provinces, to the careful following of this Religion which is that of Ahura, and according to Zarathushtra, in their thoughts, their words, and their deeds.

(Y60.11 seq.:)

5. In order that our minds may be delighted, and our souls the best, let our bodies be glorified as well, and let them; O Mazda! go likewise openly (unto Heaven) as the best world of the saints as devoted to Ahura, and accompanied by Asha Vahishta (who is Righteousness the Best), and the most beautiful! And may we see Thee, and may we, approaching, come around about Thee, and attain to entire companionship with Thee!
Ashem Vohu…(3).
Bestow on him riches…
Ashem Vohu…!!

4. Recited by Soli Dastur. Copyright 2006. Used with permission.

5. This is the most holy prayer in the Zoroastrian religion. Translations vary widely. This translation is by James Darmesteter (From Sacred Books of the East, American Edition, 1898., Vol 3, p 100.)

Compare with the Pahlavi explanation (PRDd60, tr. AV. Williams):

The explanation of yathâ ahû vairyô: ‘as is the will of the Lord’ (as is the will of Ohrmazd) ‘so (is) that of the ratus’ (and so is that of the priest) ‘through whatever righteousness’ (good deeds are to be done, so in priestly fashion to be done; just as Ohrmazd (wills), one must increase (them)). ‘That which the gift of Vohuman too (is) within the action of Ohrmazd’ (i.e. that reward and recompense which they give to Vohuman [1] they thus give to him [i.e. Ohrmazd] also; there is one who says thus: ‘Vohuman gives himself’). ‘Lordship is *given to Ohrmazd by him’ [2] (and he makes Ohrmazd Lord and ruler over his body), ‘who gives good things to the poor’ (and nurture, in that they provide assistance and intercession for them. There is one who says thus: ‘Lordship is from Ohrmazd’, i.e. the rulership is given him by Ohrmazd. There is one who says thus: ‘The Lordship of Ohrmazd is put into practice’.)

[NOTES:

[1] The gloss kû ân mizd ud pâdâshn … etc., in PRDd., Pahl. Vd., and KZA appears to represent a substantial misunderstanding of the Avestan; D. compares this with the Pahl. gloss of Y31.21 and notes that neither has ô or pad before wahman (ZKA, transl., p. 3, nn.6, 7).

[2] Cf. Dk. IX.21, DkM. 934.14 f.: frâz-ish ân guft ahlaw zardusht kû-sh yazishn kard kê ân î amâ yashtan humenishnî az ish ud ên-iz kû dên pad tan mehmân â-sh wahman ud mânsar pad tan mehmân: “Righteous Zartosht proclaimed that worship was done by him from whom there is the good thinking of our worship. And this also that he in whose body Religion is lodged, then Vohuman and the sacred word [[manthra]] are lodged in his body”.

Ashem Vohu: Invocation of Asha

Invocation of Asha

Avestan1 [MP3 Audio]2

ashem vohû vahishtem astî
ushtâ astî ushtâ ahmâi
hyat ashâi vahishtâi ashem.

English3

Holiness (Asha) is the best of all good:
it is also happiness.
Happy the man who is holy with perfect holiness!

Translation from Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 59-60.

Baj: Prayer Before Meals

Invocation of Asha

Avestan1 [MP3 Audio]2

ashem vohû vahishtem astî
ushtâ astî ushtâ ahmâi
hyat ashâi vahishtâi ashem.

English3

Holiness (Asha) is the best of all good:
it is also happiness.
Happy the man who is holy with perfect holiness!

Translation from Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 59-60.

Ahunwar: Most Sacred Manthra of Zoroastrianism

Invocation of Asha

Avestan [MP3 Audio]4

ýathâ ahû vairyô
athâ ratush ashâtcît hacâ
vanghêush dazdâ mananghô
shyaothananãm anghêush mazdâi
xshathremcâ ahurâi â
ýim drigubyô dadat vâstârem!!

English5

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.

Translation from Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 59-60.

Blessing: Doa Tan-Dorostri

Invocation of Asha

Avestan [MP3 Audio]4

ýathâ ahû vairyô
athâ ratush ashâtcît hacâ
vanghêush dazdâ mananghô
shyaothananãm anghêush mazdâi
xshathremcâ ahurâi â
ýim drigubyô dadat vâstârem!!

English5

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.

Translation from Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 59-60.

Prayer of Repentance: Patet Pashemani

Invocation of Asha

Avestan [MP3 Audio]4

ýathâ ahû vairyô
athâ ratush ashâtcît hacâ
vanghêush dazdâ mananghô
shyaothananãm anghêush mazdâi
xshathremcâ ahurâi â
ýim drigubyô dadat vâstârem!!

English5

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.

Translation from Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 59-60.

The Gah Dedications

Invocation of Asha

Avestan [MP3 Audio]4

ýathâ ahû vairyô
athâ ratush ashâtcît hacâ
vanghêush dazdâ mananghô
shyaothananãm anghêush mazdâi
xshathremcâ ahurâi â
ýim drigubyô dadat vâstârem!!

English5

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.

Translation from Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 59-60.