GATHAS
Song
2 (Ahunavaiti)THE
CHOICE OF ZARATHUSHTRA
as
THE LORD AND LEADER
of
THE LIVING WORLD
(11 stanzas -- Days 15th to 25th)
Introduction:
The second song of the Gathas is an interesting play. It provides the
reason why Zarathushtra was chosen by the living world as the Lord and
Leader exclusively on the basis of his righteousness and competence.
The play is not only the oldest Indo-Iranian play on record
(approximately 3700 years old), but one can even go further to state
that it is the oldest dramatic poem in the world which survives in the
very words of the author, the Hero of the play -- Zarathushtra
Spit�ma.
Commentary:
Might is right in the living world. The strong are oppressing the weak
and depriving them of their legitimate rights. It is a world of the
survival of the fittest, rather the strongest. This law is perhaps
good for the jungle. But man has outgrown being a mere animal. He is a
creator now. He has discovered how to make fire. He has discovered
metals and learned how to mold them into instruments. He has invented
many articles. These
discoveries have made him very powerful. He can make wonderful things
and, equally, he can destroy these wonderful things. His destructive
aspect poses a great threat, not only to his own existence, but to all
of life on the good earth.
Therefore, the law of the survival of
the strongest cannot hold true any longer. With wonder weapons in
hand, now weaklings can wipe out the fittest, the strongest and the
finest. However, man the creator has a very clear and strong thinking
faculty. He can be guided by his good mind to be always constructive.
His good mind must, therefore, be trained and strengthened to be his
only guide. He must do things right. He must be taught that
"Might is not right" but that "Right is might."
The living world will survive only if man is guided by his good mind.
There must be a radical change, a turning point. Wisdom should take
over and the lead force and power. Only the wise and benevolent should
be the lords and leaders of the world.
This requires two things: Power to
repel aggression and control oppression, and wisdom to eliminate them
and promote permanent peace and prosperity. The living world,
therefore, is in dire need of a person who can comply with these two
requirements.
That person, in the play, is
Zarathushtra Spit�ma. He is the person who seeks to bring in the new
change, and introduce a complete departure from the past policy of
senseless force and aggression. He is naturally chosen by the free
living, rather the thinking world both as the Lord and the Leader.
It is after understanding the play that
one realizes the true significance of Ahuna Vairya or Yatha Ahu, the
opening, yet the outstanding, stanza of the first Gatha, Ahunavaiti,
meaning the song which contains Ahuna-vairya, the stanza of the
"Choice of the Lord." Let us now turn to the summary of Song
Two (11 stanzas):
1- When driven to desperation by rage
and rape, the Living World of ours thinks of why she was created.
Knowing that the Creator alone can free her of the distress, she turns
to God for rehabilitation.
2- The Universal Law of Righteousness regulates the creation. God asks it to attend to the complaint and see a leader who could rehabilitate her and find a lord who would repel the outrage oppressing her.
3- The Universal Law of Righteousness
sees might is right and no might is without malice. Persons with might
would never help the weak. The Universal Law alone cannot help.
4- The Universal Law of Righteousness
knows that God alone knows best the past, present and future. God can
decide best how to solve the problem for good.
5- Righteousness wants Soul of the
Living World, ready for a fruitful future to join to pray to God for a
good living for the rightful and for the rehabilitation of the
wrongful.
6- Knowing facts, God lovingly told
Righteousness that it should know that it was created to know and take
care of a righteous promoter and settler of the Living World.
7- Acting on the Law of Righteousness,
God prepares the formula of redeeming the distress. Since this means a
thorough thinking, God turns to Good Mind, another divine Principle of
Life, and asks if it knows a person who could help.
8- Good Mind knows. It is Zarathushtra
who alone has, through righteous intuition, comprehended the Divine
Doctrine and is prepared to spread the message through the Gathas. He
needs the divine blessing to preach sweetly.
9- The World, so used to "Might is
Right," cannot understand how a man of mind, weak in physical
force, can take care of her. She wants a powerful overlord.
10- A little pondering makes the World
realize the truth. She prays to God grant Zarathushtra and his
companions strength through precision and mind to usher in peace and
stability. Zarathushtra is truly the foremost discovery who
understands the Divine Will. She chooses Zarathushtra as her Lord and
Leader.
11- Satisfied, the World wishes for
Righteousness, Good Mind, and the Divine Dominion-all Principles of
Life-to prevail. A new era has dawned, and she wants God to bless the
new order and recognize the Great Fellowship being established by
Zarathushtra.
15th Day
Transliterated Text:
xshmaiby�
g�ush urv� gerezhd�
kahm�i m� thwar�zhd�m k� m� tashat
� m� a�shem� hazasc� rem�
�hish�y� dereshc� tevishc�
n�it m�i v�st� xshmat any�
ath� m�i s�st� voh� v�stry�.
Translated
Text:
The Soul of the
Living World lamented to You:
Why did You create me? Who fashioned me this way?
I am oppressed by fury, rapine, outrage, and aggression.
I have no one to rehabilitate me other than You.
Lead me to true civilization.
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 1)
Summary
Substance: When driven to desperation by rage and rape, the Living
World of ours thinks of why she was created. Knowing that the Creator alone can
free her of the distress, she turns to God for rehabilitation.
Pondering Points: When desperate, don't loose hope. Turn to God for guidance.
______________________________________________________________
16th Day
Transliterated Text:
ad� tash� g�ush
peresat ashem
kath� t�i gav�i ratush
hyat h�m d�t� xshaya�t�
had� v�str� gaod�y� thwaxsh�
k�m h�i usht� ahurem
�� dregv�deb�sh a�shemem v�d�y�it.
Then the Creator of
the Living World asked Righteousness:
Who is Your leader of the World,
who can offer her civilization,
nourishment, and strength?
Whom do you wish to be her lord;
one who shall repel the fury of the wrongful?
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 2)
Summary
Substance: The Universal Law of Righteousness regulates the
creation. God asks it to
attend to the complaint and see a leader who could rehabilitate her and
find a lord who would repel the outrage oppressing her.
Pondering Points: Person in distress needs one to redeem and another to rebuild. If possible, both in one.
_______________________________________________________________
17th Day
Transliterated Text:
ahm�i
ash� n�it sarej�
adva�sh� gav�i pait�-mravat
ava�sh�m n�it v�duy�
�� shavait� �dr��g ereshv�ngh�
h�t�m hv� aojisht�
�ahm�i zav��g jim� keredush�.
Righteousness
replied:
There is no authority in the world
who is free from malice.
Of those yonder, I know none
who would activate the noble to help the meek.
Had there been one person strong enough among them,
I would have hurried to his call.
(Gathas:
Song 2-stanza 3)
Summary
Substance: The Universal Law of Righteousness sees might is
right and no might is without malice. Persons with might would never
help the weak. The Universal Law alone cannot help.
_______________________________________________________________
18th Day
Transliterated
Text:
mazd�
saxv�r� mairisht�
�� z� v�verez�i pair�-cith�t
da�v�ishc� mashy�ishc�
��c� vareshait� aip�-cith�t
hv� v�cir� ahur�
ath� n� anghat �ath� hv� vasat.
Translated
Text:
The
Wise God knows best
what the divines and their people
have been doing in the past and shall do in the future.
God alone is the judge.
Let it be so as He wishes us to be.
(Gathas:
Song 2-stanza 4)
Summary
Substance: The Universal Law of Righteousness knows that God
alone knows best the past, present and future. God can decide best how
to solve the problem for good.
19th Day
Transliterated Text:
at v�
ust�n�ish ahv�
zast�ish fr�nemn� ahur�i aa
m� urv� g�ushc� azy�
hyat mazd�m dvaid� feras�by�
n�it erezhejy�i frajy�itish
n�it fshuye�t� dregvas� pair�.
to raise our hands for the divine grace
and ask the Wise One:
Will there be no livelihood for the honest?
Will there be no reformer among the wrongful?
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 5)
Summary Substance: Righteousness wants the Soul of the Living World, ready for a fruitful future, to join to pray to God for a good living for the rightful and for the rehabilitation of the wrongful.
20th Day
Transliterated Text:
v�dv� vaf�sh vy�nay�
n�it a�v� ah� vist�
na�d� ratush ash�tc�t hac�
at z� thw� fshuya�ta�c�
v�stry�ic� thw�resht� tatash�.
Translated Text:
The
Wise God, the Knowing,
spoke in a loving form:
So you do not know any lord or leader
who acts in righteousness.
But, were you not fashioned by the Creator
to look after the promoter as well as the settler?
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 6)
Pondering Points: God is knowing and loving, and takes care of the creation. The Law of Righteousness alone cannot do the job.
21st Day
Transliterated Text:
tashat ash� hazaosh�
mazd� gav�i xshv�demc�
hv� urusha�iby� spe�t� s�snay�,
kast� voh� manangh�
�� � d�y�t �e�v� mareta�iby�.
Translated
Text:
The
Wise God, of one accord with Righteousness,
prepared His thought-provoking message
in response to the sweet plea made by the World,
because with His doctrine, He is the promoter
for those who wish to be protected.
He asked: Good Mind, do you know any person
who can help the mortals?
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 7)
22rd Day
Transliterated
Text:
a�m
m�i id� vist�
�� n� a�v� s�sn� g�shat�
zarathushtr� spit�m�
hv� n� mazd� vasht� ash�ic�
carekerethr� sr�vayengh�
hyat h�i hudem�m dy�i vaxedhrahy�.
Translated Text:
who has listened to our teachings.
He is Zarathushtra Spitama.
Wise One, he is prepared to proclaim the message
through his Songs for the sake of Righteousness.
Grant him sweetness of speech.
(Gathas: Song 2-stanza 8)
23th Day
Transliterated Text:
atc�
g�ush urv� raost�
�� ana�shem xsh�nm�n� r�dem
v�cem neresh as�rahy�
��m � vasem� �sh� xshathr�m
kad� �av� hv� anghat
�� h�i dadat zastavat av�.
Translated
Text:
The
Soul of the World cried again:
Am I to accept a powerless man
with a feeble voice as my caretaker?
I want a powerful ruler.
Will such a time come
when he will give me his helping hand?
(Gathas:
Song 2 - stanza 9)
Summary Substance: The World, so used to "Might is Right," cannot understand how a man of mind, weak in physical force, can take care of her. She wants a powerful overlord.
24th Day
Transliterated Text:
aog� d�t� ash� xshathremc�
avat voh� manangh�
�� husheit�sh r�m�mc� d�t
az�mc�t ahy� mazd�
thw�m m�ngh� paourv�m va�dem.
strength
and power
through
righteousness and good mind,
so
that he leads me to peace and tranquillity.
I
also, Wise One, recognize him
as
Your foremost discovery.
(Gathas: Song 2 - stanza 10)
25th Day
Transliterated Text:
xshathremc� at m� mash�
��zh�m mazd� fr�xshnen�
maz�i mag�i � pait�-z�nat�
ahur� n� n� avar�
�hm� r�t�ish ��shm�vat�m.
Translated Text:
and the Divine Dominion hasten to me?
Wise One, do acknowledge, with Your discernment,
the order of the Great Fellowship.
God, help us now.
We look to Your kindness.
(Gathas: Song 2 - stanza 11)
LINKS to the Songs of the Gathas and the Supplements: