Vendidad 11

Fargard XI

Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O Ahura Mazda! most beneficent spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How shall I cleanse the house? how the fire? how the water? how the earth? how the cow? how the tree? how the faithful man and the faithful woman? how the stars? how the moon? how the sun? how the boundless light? how all good things, made by Mazda, the offspring of the holy principle?'

Ahura Mazda answered: 'Thou shalt chant the cleansing words, and the house shall be clean; clean shall be the fire, clean the water, clean the earth, clean the cow, clean the tree, clean the faithful man and the faithful woman, clean the stars, clean the moon, clean the sun, clean the boundless light, clean all good things, made by Mazda, the offspring of the holy principle.

[So thou shalt say these victorious, most healing words]; thou shalt chant the Ahuna-Vairya five times "The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness," &c. 'The Ahuna-Vairya preserves the person of man:

If thou wantest to cleanse the house, say these words aloud: "As long as the sickness lasts my great protector [is he who teaches virtue to the perverse] 2." 'If thou wantest to cleanse the fire, say these words aloud: "Thy fire, first of all, do we approach with worship, O Ahura Mazda!"

'If thou wantest to cleanse the water, say these words aloud: "Waters we worship, the Maêkaiñti waters, the Hebvaiñti waters, the Fravazah waters." 'If thou wantest to cleanse the earth, say these words aloud: "This earth we worship, this earth with the women, this earth which bears us and those women who are thine, O Ahura!"

If thou wantest to cleanse the cow, say these words aloud: "The best of all works we will fulfil while we order both the learned and the unlearned, both masters and servants to secure for the cattle a good resting-place and fodder." 'If thou wantest to cleanse the trees, say these words aloud: "For him, as a reward, Mazda made the plants grow up."

'If thou wantest to cleanse the faithful man or the faithful woman, say these words aloud: "May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman come hither, for the men and women of Zarathustra to rejoice, for Vohu-manô to rejoice; with the desirable reward that Religion deserves. I solicit for holiness that boon that is vouchsafed by Ahura"!

Then thou shalt say these victorious, most healing words. Thou shalt chant the Ahuna-Vairya eight times:-

'I drive away Aêshma, I drive away the Nasu, I drive away direct defilement, I drive away indirect defilement. ['I drive away Khrû, I drive away Khrûighni. 'I drive away Buidhi, I drive away the offspring 'I drive away Kundi, I drive away the offspring of Kundi.] 'I drive away the gaunt Bushyasta, I drive away the long-handed Bushyãsta; [I drive away Mûidhi, I drive away Kapasti.] 'I drive away the Pairika that comes upon the fire, upon the water, upon the earth, upon the cow, upon the tree. I drive away the uncleanness that the fire, upon the water, upon the earth, comes upon upon the cow, upon the tree.

'I drive thee away, O mischievous Angra Mainyu! from the fire, from the water, from the earth, from the cow, from the tree, from the faithful man and from the faithful woman, from the stars, from the moon, from the sun, from the boundless light, from all good things, made by Mazda, the offspring of the holy principle.

'Then thou shalt say these victorious,

'Aêshma is driven away; away the Nasu; away direct defilement, away indirect defilement. [Khru is driven away, away Khrûighni; away Buidhi, away the offspring of Buidhi; away Kundi, away the offspring of Kundi.] 'The gaunt Bushyasta is driven away; away Bushyasta, the long-handed; [away Mûidhi, away Kapasti.] 'The Pairika is driven away that comes upon the fire, upon the water, upon the earth, upon the Cow, upon the tree. The uncleanness is driven away that comes upon the fire, upon the water, upon the earth, upon the cow, upon the tree. 'As in Farg. VIII, 19, 20.

'Thou art driven away, O mischievous Angra Mainyu! from the fire, from the water, from the earth, from the cow, from the tree, from the faithful man and from the faithful woman, from the stars, from the moon, from the sun, from the boundless light, from all good things, made by Mazda, the offspring of the holy principle.

Then thou shalt say these victorious, most healing words; thou shalt chant "Mazdâ ad môi" four times: "O Mazda! say unto me the excellent words and the excellent works, that through the good thought and the holiness of him who offers thee the due meed of praise, thou mayest, O Lord! make the world of Resurrection appear, at thy will, under thy sovereign rule." "Ke verethrem-gâ:-Who is he who will smite the