Ushtavaiti Gatha

Yasna 43

1. Happiness be the lot of him who works for the
           happiness of others.
   May the Lord grant him health and endurance.
   For the effort to uphold Truth, I beseech these very
           gifts from Thee!
   Mayest Thou, through Armaity, the Spirit of Rightmindedness,
   Bless me with the perfection of a life guided by the Good Mind!

2. And may we have the Best the Lord bestows;
   As we strive for enlightened purpose, may we attain it!
   Through Thy Most Holy Spirit, O Mazda,
   Inspire us with Truth, revealed through the Good Mind,
   And bless us with things good, for all the days of a long life!

3. He who teaches others the righteous path of truth and happiness,
   Both in the material world and also the spiritual,
   The path leading to Thy abode, O Ahura;
   He attains an end better than good.
   A generous and enlightened helper, a faithful worthy
           of Thee, is he, O Mazda

4. Verily I regard Thee as the Holy and Powerful
           Benefactor, O Mazda.
   For Thou bestoweth upon the righteous as well as
           the wicked their recompense,
   From the flaming splendour of Thy Fire, mighty
           through Asha (Truth),
   The power of the Good Mind comes to me, O Mazda.

5. Verily I believed Thee, O Mazda Ahura, to be the
           Supreme Benevolent Providence.
   For I beheld Thee as the primeval source of creation.
   For by Thy perfect wisdom Thou shalt render just
           recompense for all actions,
   Good to the good, evil to the evil,
   At the last turning of creation.

6. Then at the last, shalt Thou come, with Thy
           Bountiful Spirit, O Mazda!
   With Thy Sovereign Power, and with Thy Good Mind,
   The Good Mind which brings prosperity to the world.
   Right dedication shall teach the Eternal Laws of Thy Wisdom,
   The Wisdom which none can deceive.

7. Verily I believed Thee, O Mazda, as the
           Supreme Benevolent Providence.
   When the Spirit of the Good Mind came and asked me:
   Who art Thou?
   Whose art Thou?
   How dost Thou propose to enlighten the people
           and answer their questionings?

8. I replied:--"Firstly, 1 am Zarathushtra"
   "A veritable opponent of the evil-doer, but a
           powerful friend of the good, am I"
   So long as I can sing my songs of praise for Thee, O Mazda!
   So long shall I strive to enlighten and awaken all to
           the realization of Thy Eternal Dominion."

9. Verily I believed Thee, O Mazda Ahura, to be the
           Supreme Benevolent Providence.
   When the Good Mind came to me and asked:
   "What wouldst thou choose?"
   Before Thy Fire in veneration, I replied:
   "So far as it is in my power, I shall cherish the gift of Righteousness."

10. And grant me Righteousness, for verily I invoke it of Thee!
    Earnestly I yearn to proceed in life with Armaity
            the Spirit of Rightmindedness.
    Teach us how to question Thee, for Thy answers console us,
    The answers which lend strength to the Leaders in
            their prayerful wishes.

11. Verily I believed Thee O Mazda Ahura, to be the
            Supreme Benevolent Providence,
    When the Good Mind came to me with enlightenment,
    When first I received and became wise with Thy words,
    And though the task be difficult, and hardship may
            come my way,
    I shall proclaim Thy message, which Thou declarest
            to be the best.

12. And when Thou didst instruct me in Righteousness,
    Thy command to go forth and proclaim Thy
            revelation was not unheeded;
    Even before the sublime enlightenment coming with
            Thy messenger Sraosha,
    Bringing us the destiny of our appropriate rewards.

13. Verily I believed Thee, O Mazda Ahura, to be the
            Supreme Benevolent Providence,
    When the Good Mind came to me ascertaining the
            aim of my aspiration,
    Grant me, what none has yet obtained from Thee,
    The way to a long life of blessed existence for the
            Good Creation subject to Thy Dominion.

14. As the wise and powerful Lord would give to
            a friend, so give me Thy bliss-producing
            wisdom, O Mazda!
    Endowed with Thy Authority, with Thy Spirit of Righteousness,
    I stand with all the followers of Thy teachings
    To proclaim the message of Thy holy creed.

15. Verily I believed Thee, O Mazda Ahura, to be the
            Supreme Benevolent Providence,
    When the Good Mind came to me and told me assuringly,
    That a reflective, contented mind is the best possession.
    Let not a leader compromise with, or propitiate evil-doers,
    For they treat the righteous as enemies.

16. Thus prays, O Ahura Mazda, Zarathushtra and
            those who choose to follow Thy Most
            Benevolent Spirit;
    May Righteousness become incarnate in the faithful
            with enduring vigor!
    In the resplendence of Thy sun-lit realms may
            Armaity, the Spirit of Rightmindedness reside!
    May it grant recompense to the righteous in
            accordance with their deeds, through the Good Mind.

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