Ushtavaiti
Gatha
THE SONGS LEADING TO RADIANT
HAPPINESS
Song 11
From Suffering To
Success
(19 stanzas -- Days
151st to 169th)
NOTE: This
song is a master-piece in telling us of the two phases of Zarathushtra's
life: (1) The early
frustrating opposition by the priests and princes of the old cult in
eleven stanzas, and (2) the later turn to success with the help of the
Turanians, the conversion of the king Kavi Vishtaspa, and the joining of
others - both relatives and friends - in seven stanza. Only nineteen
stanzas to give us a glimpse in his life, from suffering to success, to
stimulate us to ponder how a what seems to be an utter failure can well
be surmounted to become a moving, motivating success through good
thinking and precise planning -- VOHU MANAH and ASHA.
This is what every Zarathushtrian should bear in mind in
learning, practicing, teaching and preaching the Divine Message.
Zarathushtra is the best example to follow.
151st Day
Transliterated Text:
kâm
nemôi zãm kuthrâ nemôi ayenî
pairî xvaêtêush airyamanascâ dadaitî
nôit mâ xshnâush ýâ verezênâ hêcâ
naêdâ daxyêush ýôi sâstârô dregvañtô
kathâ thwâ mazdâ xshnaoshâi ahurâ.
Translated Text:
To what land
should I turn? Where should I turn to go?
They hold me back from my folks and friends.
Neither the community I follow pleases me,
nor do the wrongful rulers of the land.
How can I please You, Wise God?
(Gathas:
11-1)
Summary Substance: The
opposition to Zarathushtra's mission mounts.
He is isolated from folks and friends.
The community is hostile and so are the rulers of the land.
The person who had prayed and asked "for support through
progressive mentality [so
that] I may perform all my actions, based as they are on the wisdom of
good mind, precisely according to the laws of righteousness so that I
please You and the soul of the Living World" (Song 1.1), now does
not know what to do next. A frustrated Zarathushtra seeks guidance from
God as where to go and how to go.
Pondering Points:
Frustrated, seek divine guidance.
And see how it helps!
152nd Day
Transliterated Text:
vaêdâ
tat ýâ ahmî mazdâ anaêshô
mâ kamnafshvâ hyatcâ kamnânâ ahmî
gerezôi tôi â-ît avaênâ ahurâ
rafedhrêm cagvå hyat fryô fryâi daidît
âxsô vanghêush ashâ îshtîm mananghô.
Translated Text:
I know, Wise
One, that I am powerless.
I have a few cattle and also a few men.
I appeal to You. Please, Lord, see to it.
Lend me the help a friend gives a friend.
Grant, through righteousness, the riches of good mind.
(Gathas:
11-2)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra realizes that he does not wield any physical power, that he
is not rich, and that he does not have many companions.
He appeals to God to help him, a help only a friend gives a
friend [note the word "frya" rendered "friend" means
both "lover" and "beloved".]
But the help Zarathushtra wants is a rich good mind that works
with precision -- deeper good thoughts through righteousness - two gifts
that would give him what he wants to accomplish for his "beloved' -
spread the divine message to have a lively life of love for all the
living.
Pondering Points:
Love gives true help - a bright mind with a precise plan.
153rd Day
Transliterated Text:
kadâ
mazdâ ýôi uxshânô asnãm
anghêush darethrâi frô ashahyâ frâreñtê
verezdâish sêñghâish saoshyañtãm xratavô
kaêibyô ûthâi vohû jimat mananghâ
maibyô thwâ sãstrâi verenê ahurâ.
Translated Text:
When, Wise
One, shall those days dawn which will,
for the maintenance of the righteous world,
motivate the wisdom of the benefactors with advanced teachings.
To whom shall this wisdom come with good mind to help?
For myself, Lord, I choose Your teachings.
(Gathas:
11-3)
Summary Substance:
Prayer works. Frustration
turns into hope. Zarathushtra
is looking forward to the days when blessed with wisdom through good
mind, beneficent persons will teach people how to promote and maintain
the world. It is that
Divine Teaching which Zarathushtra chooses in order to carry out his
mission.
Pondering Points:
Good mind gives advanced teaching to maintain the world.
154th Day
Transliterated Text:
at têñg
dregvå ýêñg ashahyâ vazhdrêñg pât
gå frôretôish shôithrahyâ vâ daxyêush vâ
duzhazôbå hãs hvâish shyaothanâish ahêmustô
ýas têm xshathrât mazdâ môithat jyâtêush vâ
hvô têñg frô-gå pathmêñg hucistôish carât.
Translated Text:
Now, the
wrongful prevents those, who support righteousness,
from promoting the living world, whether of a district or land.
It is hard to challenge him because he is hostile in his actions.
However, Wise One, he who opposes him with power and life,
leads the people as a leader along the paths of good plan.
(Gathas:
11-4)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra weighs his opponents.
They prevent the righteous from promoting our living world,
whether it is on the smaller scale of a district or a larger one
covering the entire country. It
is hard to confront them through peaceful means.
They are violent in action. One has, therefore, to show powerful
resistance, even stake one's life to promote the Cause.
Such a person becomes the pioneer in implementing the good plan
of spreading the Message.
Pondering Points:
Aggression retreats when opposed with power and
determination.
155th Day
Transliterated Text:
ýê vâ
xshayãs adãs drîtâ ayañtem
urvâtôish vâ huzêñtush mithrôibyô vâ
rashnâ jvãs ýê ashavâ dregvañtem
vîcirô hãs tat frô hvaêtavê mruyât
uzûithyôi îm mazdâ xrûnyât ahurâ.
Translated Text:
A powerful
person, a noble man, as a rule of a contract, welcomes a new comer.
He, as a righteous person, is a man of principle.
The other (new comer) is a wrongful man.
He should, therefore, decide and share the matter with his family.
This will, Wise Lord, save him from any violation.
(Gathas:
11-5)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra relates an experience.
A person of principle, who enjoys enough power, is approached by
some one. He is received as
a guest, and hospitality is extended to him.
It turns out that the guest is a wrongful person.
That creates an awkward situation with a possibility of violence.
The best way to solve the awkward situation is to share the
matter with family members and to arrive at a peaceful solution.
Pondering Points:
When at crossroads, consult companions.
156th Day
Transliterated Text:
at
ýastêm nôit nâ isemnô âyât
drûjô hvô dâmãn haêthahyâ gât
hvô zî dregvå ýê dregvâitê vahishtô
hvô ashavâ ýahmâi ashavâ fryô
hyat daênå paouruyå då ahurâ.
Translated Text:
But, if an
able person does not come to help,
he shall himself fall into the binding trap of wrong.
He indeed is wrongful who is very good to the wrongful,
and he is righteous to whom the righteous is dear.
These are the foremost rules of conscience established by You.
(Gathas:
11-6)
Summary Substance:
If one is in trouble because of a wrongful person, he who is able
to help, should hasten to do so. If
not, he too will eventually fall into the trap laid by the wrongful.
One cannot turn a blind eye when another righteous is wronged by
someone. In fact, it means
helping the wrongful. He
who sides the wrongful, is wrongful himself and he who is a friend and
companion of the righteous is righteous too.
One cannot have double standards. Simple rules one can realize by
one's own conscience - so simple and so divine.
Pondering Points:
If good, be on the good side. If not, one is not good.
157th Day
Transliterated Text:
kêm-nâ
mazdâ mavaitê pâyûm dadât
hyat mâ dregvå dîdareshatâ aênanghê
anyêm thwahmât âthrascâ mananghascâ
ýayå shyaothanâish ashem thraoshtâ ahurâ
tãm môi dãstvãm daênayâi frâvaocâ.
Translated Text:
Who will, O
Wise One, give me protection
when the wrongful threatens to harm me,
other than Your Fire and Mind?
It is through the working of these two that,
O God, righteousness thrives.
Do enlighten my inner-self with this doctrine.
(Gathas:
11-7)
NOTE: When a
person is faced with a any adversity, he or she, often in desperation,
turns to God or a favorite divinity for help.
This is quite natural. But
a desperate move makes one lose one's balance of mind and allow the
adversity to have its own way.
Zarathushtra gives a mânthra, a thought-provoking
advice: Turn to God but remember that God has already granted us two
acquisitions -- Divine Fire which gives light, warmth, and strength to
our spirit, and Good Mind which makes us think clearly.
One lights the way and the other leads us to safety.
The two
make us feel cool, calm, conscious, considerate, and confident.
The Mânthran gives a further lasting touch to his advice: One
should not turn to Fire and Faculty only at difficult times but at all
times. Let us understand
this point -- rather a doctrine -- that it is these two favors, two
enlightenments, that help us in performing good acts that serve God and
the creation.
*Kem-na Mazda* is the name of this Gathic stanza.
It is one of the very few stanzas of the Gathas placed in the
Khordeh Avesta, the popular daily prayer book which has practically
supplanted the Gathas. It teaches us to believe in God, have faith, keep
cool, stay warm, think bright, feel light, and steer clear.
Pondering Points:
"God helps those who help themselves."
158th Day
Transliterated Text:
ýê vâ
môi ýå gaêthå dazdê aênanghê
nôit ahyâ mâ âthrish shyaothanâish frôsyât
paityaoget tâ ahmâi jasôit dvaêshanghâ
tanvêm â ýâ îm hujyâtôish pâyât
nôit duzhjyâtôish kâcît mazdâ dvaêshanghâ.
Translated Text:
The person
who undertakes to harm my people
shall not have his fiery actions reach me.
In fact, they shall recoil with his hatred to him,
and shall keep him far from a good way of life.
Wise One, hatred does not save one from a bad way of life.
(Gathas:
11-8)
Summary Substance:
With the Divine Fire which gives light, warmth, and strength to our
spirit, and Good Mind which makes us think clearly, one can be sure that
those who come to harm the righteous, fail in their attempts.
Their hatred recoils and they suffer from it.
Those filled with hatred simply cannot enjoy a good life.
Pondering Points:
Hatred does not save. It
drowns.
159th Day
Transliterated Text:
kê hvô
ýê mâ aredrô côithat pouruyô
ýathâ thwâ zevîshtîm uzemôhî
shyaothanôi speñtem ahurem ashavanem
ýâ tôi ashâ ýâ ashâi gêush tashâ mraot
isheñtî mâ tâ tôi vohû mananghâ.
Translated Text:
Who is that
devotee who shall first teach me
to regard You as the most worthy of invocation,
as the progressive, righteous Lord of actions?
People want to know the things that are Yours through
righteousness,
things You, the Creator of the world has told righteousness,
things which are Yours through good mind.
(Gathas:
11-9)
Summary Substance:
With antagonists at bay, now Zarathushtra wants to
know the result of his teaching. He
wants a devotee who would come forward to retell what he/she has
learned. To come and say
how to regard God the most worthy of invocation, and how Ahura is
progressive, righteous and master of actions.
All this to spread the word, because people are now paying
attention. They want to
know how every thing is regulated by the Universal Law of Asha,
righteousness, and how God, the Creator, has created this very law and
good mind which help one to belong to God.
Pondering Points: Teach
a devotee and see the message spread.
160th Day
Transliterated Text:
ýê vâ
môi nâ genâ vâ mazdâ ahurâ
dâyât anghêush ýâ-tû vôistâ vahishtâ
ashîm ashâi vohû xshathrem mananghâ
ýãscâ haxshâi xshmâvatãm vahmâi â
frô-tâish vîspâish cinvatô frafrâ peretûm.
Translated Text:
Wise God,
whoever, man or woman,
shall give me what You know to be the best in life,
rewards for righteousness, power through good mind,
I shall accompany him and her in glorifying such as You are,
and shall, with all of them, cross over the sorting bridge.
(Gathas:
11-10)
Summary Substance: Praying
to Mazda with increasing confidence, Zarathushtra watches as men and
women come over to him and offer the very best of their life, a help
which strengthens the mission in its righteous plans and good
consultation. It is with
such companions that Zarathushtra wants to truly glorify God and cross
over the "sorting bridge" that separates the righteous from
the wrongful.
Pondering Points:
Men and women joining the righteous mission create their own identity
and entity.
161st Day
Transliterated Text:
xshathrâish
ýûjên karapanô kâvayascâ
akâish shyaothanâish ahûm mereñgeidyâi mashîm
ýêñg xvê urvâ hvaêcâ xraodat daênâ
hyat aibî-gemen ýathrâ cinvatô peretush
ýavôi vîspâi drûjô demânâi astayô.
Translated Text:
Priests and
princes yoke people under duress
to destroy life with their evil actions.
But their souls and their consciences shall upbraid them
when they approach the sorting bridge,
because they have been all the time dwelling in the house of wrong.
(Gathas:
11-11)
Summary Substance: Priests
and princes, in their greed for exploitation put pressure on people, an
evil act that destroys their life.
When these exploiters come at the "sorting bridge" of
the righteous and the wrongful, they stand rebuked by their own
conscience. It recounts
their evil deeds, deeds they have been committing all through their
life, a life lived in wrong and with wrong.
Pondering Points:
One can pose righteous to all but never to one's own
conscience.
162nd Day
Transliterated Text:
hyat us
ashâ naptyaêshû nafshucâ
tûrahyâ uzjên fryânahyâ aojyaêshû
âramatôish gaêthå frâdô thwaxshanghâ
at îsh vohû hêm aibî-môist mananghâ
aêibyô rafedhrâi mazdå sastê ahurô.
Translated Text:
Since
through righteousness,
the powerful children and grandchildren of the Turanian Fryana
have risen to promote their world through
serenity with zeal,
Wise God has united them with good mind,
in order to teach them what concerns their help.
(Gathas:
11-12)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra has his first major breakthrough.
The Turanian - non-Aryan -- tribe of Frayana join the
Zarathushtrian Fellowship. They,
a warrior people, become ardent followers of promoting the world through
peace and stability. Using
their good mind, they learn how to help the mission.
Pondering Points:
The Good Religion turns warriors into peaceful missionaries.
NOTE:
Yoisht Frayana, a member of the tribe, is noted for his profound
knowledge of the Religion and his victory in debate with an Old Cult
High Priest has grown into a legend.
163rd Day
Transliterated Text:
ýê
spitâmem zarathushtrem râdanghâ
maretaêshû xshnâush hvô nâ ferasrûidyâi eredhwô
at hôi mazdå ahûm dadât ahurô
ahmâi gaêthå vohû frâdat mananghâ
têm vê ashâ mêhmaidî hushhaxâim.
Translated Text:
Whoever
among men pleases me, Zarathushtra Spitama with care,
becomes worthy of fame as an earnest person.
Wise God shall grant him life,
and promote his world through good mind.
We shall regard him as a good associate of Your righteousness.
(Gathas:
11-13)
Summary Substance: Zarathushtra
blesses the people pleasing him by joining the Fellowship. He/she
becomes noted for his/her earnest.
Mazda Ahura grants him/her a new life that promotes his/her world
and that too through his/her good mind - good thoughts that translate
into good words and deeds. He/she becomes a good associate of
righteousness, a good ally of what is proper and right.
That is the recognition Zarathushtra and Zarathushtrians accord
to such a worthy person.
Pondering Points:
The Good Religion gives new sight, new life, new
recognition - - a new identity.
164th Day
Transliterated Text:
zarathushtrâ
kastê ashavâ urvathô
mazôi magâi kê vâ ferasrûidyâi vashtî
at hvô kavâ vîshtâspô ýâhî
ýêñgstû mazdâ hademôi minash ahurâ
têñg zbayâ vanghêush uxdhâish mananghô.
Translated Text:
Who is my,
Zarathushtra's righteous companion?
Who wishes fame for the Great Fellowship?
He, on this great event of initiation, is Kavi Vishtaspa.
I shall invoke, with words of good mind, those whom You, Wise God,
have established in Your abode.
(Gathas:
11-14)
Summary Substance:
It is a great event, the turning point since the Good Religion was
founded 12 years ago. After
two years of deliberation, King Vishtaspa decides to convert to the Good
Religion. Zarathushtra is officiating at the Initiation.
In his opening words, he calls Vishtaspa as his righteous
companion, a person who wishes the Religion to be known and spread far
and wide. Zarathushtra blesses all those who join the Fellowship, the
Divine Abode, where good mind guides.
The following is the eulogy in honor of King
Vishtaspa, the only one in honor of a celebrity other than Zarathushtra
who has two:
"We venerate the Choice of
Religion by Kavi Vishtaspa, the righteous,
The hero, thought-provocation
personified,
The sharp-sighted, divine,
Who sought, for the first time, glory
for Righteousness,
Who gave, for the first time, glory
to Righteousness,
Who was the arm and protection
Of the Divine and Zarathushtrian Religion,
Which had stood stagnant until then.
He freed it and helped it progress,
Made it central and ruling high;
The resolute, righteous Religion,
Which rejoices with life and prosperity,
Which delights in life and prosperity.
(Farvardin Yasht.99)
Pondering Points:
Good mind, good merits, good means win over frantic fanaticism, and pave
the path to progress and prosperity.
165th Day
Transliterated Text:
haêcat-aspâ
vaxshyâ vê spitamånghô
hyat dâthêñg vîcayathâ adâthãscâ
tâish ýûsh shyaothanâish ashem xshmaibyâ daduyê
ýâish dâtâish paouruyâish ahurahyâ.
Translated
Text:
I shall tell
you, descendants of Haechataspa Spitama,
how to distinguish between the just and the unjust.
By such actions, you shall earn righteousness for yourselves,
actions which correspond with the Primal Laws of Lord.
(Gathas: 11-15)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra is now addressing his own family members, the Haechataspa
Spitamas. He teaches them
how to distinguish between those who are just and those who are not.
He says, once one knows how to draw a line between the two, one
knows how to act according to the Divine Primal Principles to lead a
righteous life.
Pondering Points:
Distinguish between good and evil and turn good.
166th Day
Transliterated Text:
ferashaoshtrâ
athrâ-tû aredrâish idî
hvô-gvâ tâish ýêñg usvahî ushtâ-stôi
ýathrâ ashâ hacaitê ârmaitish
ýathrâ vanghêush mananghô îshtâ xshathrem
ýathrâ mazdå varedemãm shaêitî ahurô.
Translated Text:
Ferashaoshtra
Hvagva, go with your companions there
where, as we both wish, radiant happiness pervades,
where serenity accompanies righteousness,
where the rule of good mind prevails,
where the Wise God dwells in progress.
(Gathas:
11-16)
Summary Substance:
In a master piece of poetry, Zarathushtra speaks to Ferashaoshtra, a
prominent companion and a great teacher, to usher the companions in the
world that the Good Religion presents. A place where Ushta, radiant
happiness makes all happy and healthy, where serenity and tranquility
provide a righteous life, where it is only and only good mind that
guides, and where one feels the presence of Mazda Ahura, who is the most
progressive. It is the
ideal world created by the thought-provoking Message of Zarathushtra
through well-thought, well-said, and well-done thoughts, words and
actions.
Ferashaoshtra is reported by Pahlavi writers to have
become, along with his brother Jamaspa, ministers of King Vishtaspa. The
two truly deserved that counseling assignments.
Pondering Points: God
is progressive and so should we. That
will create our ideal world.
167th Day
Transliterated Text:
ýathrâ
vê afshmânî sêñghânî
nôit anafshmãm dêjâmâspâ hvôgvâ
hadâ vêstâ vahmêñg seraoshâ râdanghô
ýê vîcinaot dâthemcâ adâthemcâ
dañgrâ mañtû ashâ mazdâ ahurâ.
Translated Text:
Here, Sage
Jamaspa Hvogva, I teach you my message
in a poetic and not in a non-poetic language,
so that it shall always stay with you
as prayers of glorification with the divine inspiration.
Whoever distinguishes between the just and the unjust,
Wise Lord, is, through righteousness, a wonderful counselor.
(Gathas:
11-17)
Summary Substance: Zarathushtra
now instructs his prime pupil - - Jamaspa Hvogva, a sage of youth,
younger brother of Ferashaoshtra. He
is being taught the Gathas - - the Divine Message in poetry so that it
stays unadulterated. Song
lasts unaltered. It is prose pieces that are paraphrased every time they
are repeated. The Gathas
have, because of the insight and foresight of the Master Poet, the
Divine Thought-provoker, has remained untouched - - fresh to sing,
glorify God, and be inspired to think, understand, practice, and preach.
The Gathas guide people to distinguish between the just and the
unjust. And whoever
succeeds, he/she becomes a wonderful counselor, a genius adviser, a
leading guide.
Pondering Points:
Sing the Songs, save the Message, praise Mazda, and gain wisdom
to promote the world.
168th Day
Transliterated Text:
ýê
maibyâ ýaosh ahmâi ascît vahishtâ
mah'yå ishtôish vohû côishem mananghâ
ãstêñg ahmâi ýê nå ãstâi daidîtâ
mazdâ ashâ xshmâkem vârem xshnaoshemnô
tat môi xratêush mananghascâ vîcithem.
Translated Text:
Whoever is
united with me,
I promise him the best through good mind, my only riches.
But I oppose him who places himself in opposition to us.
Wise One, I want to please You,
because this is the discernment of my intellect and mind.
(Gathas:
11-18)
Summary Substance:
Joining Zarathushtra in the Fellowship brings one the best in life by
being guided by one's enlightened good mind.
This is the only reward he can promise mankind.
But those who oppose the Fellowship, are opposed by Zarathushtra.
No compromise. It
only encourages the wrongful.
Zarathushtra wants to please Mazda, that is what his
wisdom leads him to. And
pleasing God, as stated in the first stanza of the Gathas - Song 1.1 -
is to please and promote the living world.
Pondering Points:
Join the Fellowship, reap the riches of good mind.
Oppose it, expect opposition.
169th Day
Transliterated Text:
ýê môi
ashât haithîm hacâ vareshaitî
zarathushtrâi hyat vasnâ ferashôtemem
ahmâi mîzhdem haneñtê parâhûm
manê vistâish mat vîspâish gâvâ azî
tâcît môi sãs tvêm mazdâ vaêdishtô.
Translated Text:
Whoever
truly accomplishes through righteousness
the complete renovation of life for me, Zarathushtra,
as is the will of God, deserves the desired future-life
in a fruitful living world as a reward.
This is what You, the most-knowing Wise One, have taught me.
(Gathas:
11-19)
Summary Substance: The
mission, earlier endangered by priests and princes, is satisfactorily
successful. The number of Zarathushtra's companions is swelling.
He wants them to undergo a complete change. Leave superstitions.
Leave prescriptive bonds that check progress. Renovate life.
Keep righteously modern. That
is what Mazda, the most-knowing Being, wishes them to accomplish.
It means the ideal life one desires.
It is a reward in a world which is laden with fruit of good
deeds. It is this
God-willing renovation that Zarathushtra has learned through his divine
inspiration.
Pondering
Points: Renovate
life, and ensure a fine future.
