Ushtavaiti
Gatha
THE SONGS LEADING TO RADIANT
HAPPINESS
Song 9
Answering Questions
120th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ,
nemanghô â ýathâ nemê xshmâvatô
mazdâ fryâi thwâvãs sah'yât mavaitê
at nê ashâ fryâ dazdyâi hâkurenâ
ýathâ-nê â vohû jimat mananghâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I reverently pay You Your homage?
Teach this to a friend like me, Wise One.
Let us all be given, through loving righteousness, help
so that it comes to us through good mind.
(Gathas:
9-1)
Summary Substance: We
start on another master piece of a song by Zarathushtra on enlightenment
through *meditating* questions that turn into answers!
In the first stanza, he asks as to how he should pay his
reverence and homage to Ahura - "The Being". He wants Mazda to
teach a friend like Zarathushtra. He
wants to be helped through the Universal Law which is made of
"loving" precision. That
help comes only when one uses his or her good mind.
The answer: The very
stanza is the best loving homage one can pay!
No rule for running rituals,
no directive for dragging dramas.
Pondering Points:
Commune with God and search your good mind for answers.
121st Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ,
kathâ anghêush vahishtahyâ paourvîm
kâthê sûidyâi ýê-î dâyât paitishât
hvô zî ashâ speñtô irixtem vîspôibyô
hârô mainyû ahûmbish urvathô mazdâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall one who, from the very beginning,
seeks the best life, prosper?
Indeed, such a person is, through righteousness,
a great promoter and a
treasure for all.
He is, Wise One, a guardian, a mental life-healer, and a friend.
(Gathas:
9-2)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra wants to be fully enlightened. He asks that how can a
person become prosperous just
because he seeks it. The
answer: Just because he seeks. It
is such a prosperous person who understands the value of promoting
others through righteousness. He
is, therefore, of great value to all.
He is a guardian, a friend and one who improves life through his
mental healing and psychological counseling.
Pondering Points:
Seek prosperity, get it and then sincerely make others
prosperous.
122nd Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
kasnâ zãthâ patâ ashahyâ pouruyô
kasnâ xvêñg starêmcâ dât advânem
kê ýâ må uxshyeitî nerefsaitî thwat
tâcît mazdâ vasemî anyâcâ vîduyê.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who is the foremost creator and parent of righteousness?
Who made the sun and the stars in their paths?
Who makes the moon wax and wane?
I am, Wise One, eager to know all this and more.
(Gathas:
9-3)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra wants to be fully enlightened. He asks:
Who is the originator of the universal law of precision? Who has
fixed the paths for the sun and the stars. How the moon phases change
within the month? All these questions show he had a good knowledge of
astronomical science and yet was seeking to know more
- a science which made him realize the continuous creative and
sustenance aspects of God.
Pondering Points:
Knowledge must not stop at any point, continue to seek more.
123rd Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
kasnâ deretâ zãmcâ adê nabåscâ
avapastôish kê apô urvaråscâ
kê vâtâi dvãnmaibyascâ ýaoget âsû
kasnâ vanghêush mazdâ dãmish mananghô.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who holds the earth below,
who keeps the sky from breaking away?
Who creates the waters and who the plants?
Who lends the wind and clouds speed?
Who is the creator, Wise One, of good mind?
(Gathas:
9-4)
Summary Substance:
Answering questions and searching knowledge continue about who controls
the earth below and the sky above; who created water and vegetation; and
who moves the wind and clouds. Ahura, the Being.
And who created good mind? Mazda,
the Super-intellect.
Pondering Points:
Master poet, Thought-provoker Zarathushtra sees power to create and
sustain in God as Ahura, and good thinking in God as Mazda.
124th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
kê hvâpå raocåscâ dât temåscâ
kê hvâpå xvafnemcâ dât zaêmâcâ
kê ýâ ushå arêm-pithwâ xshapâcâ
ýå manaothrîsh cazdôñghvañtem arethahyâ.
Translated
Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Which artist fashioned the light and the darkness?
Which artist planned sleep and awakening?
Who made the dawn, day, and dusk
that remind the wise of the ultimate goal?
(Gathas:
9-5)
Summary Substance: Turning
more artistic, Zarathushtra wants to know the "artist" who
created both light and darkness, sleep and awakening, dawn, day and dusk
- the entire day and night with its contrasting beauties - only to
remind the wise among us of their duty to promote life and enjoy
living.
Pondering Points:
Enjoying beauties around the clock makes one serve better.
125th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
ýâ fravaxshyâ ýezî tâ athâ haithyâ
ashem shyaothanâish debãzaitî âramaitish
taibyô xshathrem vohû cinas mananghâ
kaêibyô azîm rânyô-skeretîm gãm tashô.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Are the things I speak forth indeed true?
Does serenity, by its actions, promote righteousness?
For whom has dominion been arranged through good mind?
For whom did You create the fruitful, joy-bringing world?
(Gathas:
9-6)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra's questions are now focused on a new angle.
He wants to be sure that his realizations are true.
Does peace and stability promote a righteous environment? Who are
entitled to benefit from a dominion established by the wise based on
sound knowledge? For whom
is the living world which, through good thoughts, words and deeds, bears
fruit and brings happiness, been created?
The answer: We human
beings.
Pondering Points: True
joy lies in good, wise, stable, orderly, and righteous life.
126th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
kê berexdhãm tâsht xshathrâ mat âramaitîm
kê uzemêm côretvyânayâ puthrem pithrê
azêm tâish thwâ fraxshnî avâmî mazdâ
speñtâ mainyû vîspanãm dâtârem.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who fashioned precious serenity with dominion?
Who made the child lovingly attentive to the parent?
It is by these questions, Wise One,
that I am able to recognize You
as the Creator of all by Your progressive mind.
(Gathas:
9-7)
Summary Substance: Zarathushtra
wants to know who made valuable serenity and stability and at the same
time order and discipline. Who made the child love and at the same time
learn from the parent? It
is such continuous queries which lead Zarathushtra to recognize God as
the Creator of the universe through the divine mental faculty of
progress and promotion.
Pondering Points:
Peace and order in the world, love and attention in the family are but
two manifestations of the divine progressive creativity.
127th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
meñdaidyâi ýâ tôi mazdâ âdishtish
ýâcâ vohû uxdhâ frashî mananghâ
ýâcâ ashâ anghêush arêm vaêdyâi
kâ mê urvâ vohû urvâshat âgemat tâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
In order to bear Your directives in mind, Wise One,
the words which I ask through good mind
and the facts about life to be correctly
understood through righteousness are:
What shall my soul ultimately attain?
(Gathas:
9-8)
Summary Substance: Zarathushtra
wants to precisely carry out the principles of life he has realized
through his good mind and righteousness so that his soul finally attains
its goal - to be godlike (see the following answering question).
Pondering Points:
Principles of life lead to the final goal.
128th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
kathâ môi ýãm ýaosh daênãm ýaosh dânê
ýãm hudânâush paitishe saxyât xshathrahyâ
ereshvâ xshathrâ thwâvãs asîshtîsh mazdâ
hademôi ashâ vohucâ shyãs mananghâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I enliven for myself the religion
the Master of Beneficent Sovereignty teaches me?
How to be prompt, like You, Wise One, with lofty rules
and live in the same abode with righteousness and good mind?
(Gathas:
9-9)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra contemplates to know how to promote the religion being
taught to him by the good and sovereign God; how to be as quick in
adhering to subtle principles as Mazda, the Super-Intellect is; and how
to live in an environment that enjoys good thinking and precise
exercise? Answer:
Be promptly godlike by living with lofty rules of clear thinking
and the universal
law.
Pondering Points:
Lofty rules prompt to be godlike.
129th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
tãm daênãm ýâ hâtãm vahishtâ
ýâ-môi gaêthå ashâ frâdôit hacêmnâ
âramatôish uxdhâish shyaothanâ eresh daidyat
max'yå cistôish thwâ îshtîsh usên mazdâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
That religion is the best for the living
which promotes the world through righteousness,
and polishes words and actions in serenity.
Therefore, the yearnings of my mind are for You, Wise One.
(Gathas:
9-10)
Summary Substance: Zarathushtra
wishes to know as to which religion is the best for mankind.
Is it the one which promotes the world through righteousness?
Is it the one which improves words and deeds in a serene and
tranquil atmosphere? The answer: YES.
If so then he dedicates all his thoughts - ideals - to Mazda,
because he has the best religion - the true way of life in mind and
matter.
Pondering Points:
Religion is progress in thoughts, words and deeds.
130th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
kathâ têñg â vîjêmyât âramaitish
ýaêibyô mazdâ thwôi vashyetê daênâ
azêm tôi âish pouruyô fravôivîdê
vîspêñg anyêñg manyêush spasyâ dvaêshanghâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How does serenity come to those
to whom, Wise One, Your religion is taught?
I recognize You to be the beginning.
All others I consider mental repugnants.
(Gathas:
9-11)
Summary Substance: Zarathushtra
asks to be sure that serenity and tranquility come to those who have
learned the best religion, the one which promotes the living world.
Considering all the points mentioned in the preceding stanzas of
the song, Zarathushtra recognizes Mazda, the Super-Intellect to be the
beginning. All other
conceptions of god/gods are seen by him as strong mental
antagonism.
Pondering Points:
Best religion brings peace of mind and matter.
Intellectual mind sees Super-Intellect as foremost. Inconsiderate
thinking breeds harmful fancies.
131st Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
kê ashavâ ýâish peresâi dregvå vâ
katârêm â añgrô vâ hvô vâ añgrô
ýê mâ dregvå thwâ savâ paitî-eretâ
cyanghat hvô nôit ayêm añgrô manyetê.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who, among those I confer, is righteous, who wrongful?
Who sides with evil, and who is evil himself?
Why should I not consider the person,
who is wrongfully set against Your gains, to be evil?
(Gathas:
9-12)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra is seeking divine help in knowing the persons he is
conferring with. Who is
righteous and who is wrongful? Who
does evil and who is evil personified? And if this be the case, why
should he not consider one who is working to frustrate the progress made
on the divine path as evil?
Pondering Points:
Beware of the wrongful in righteous garb!
132nd Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
kathâ drujem nîsh ahmat â nîsh nâshâmâ
têñg-â avâ ýôi asrushtôish perenånghô
nôit ashahyâ âdîvyeiñtî hacêmnâ
nôit frasayâ vanghêush câxnarê mananghô.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall we thoroughly remove wrong from us,
and keep away from those who are full of disobedience,
who do not seek to care for and unite with righteousness,
and who do not delight in communion with good mind?
(Gathas:
9-13)
Summary Substance:
Zarathushtra goes further after recognizing the wrong and wants to
concentrate on how to remove wrong and the wrong among the people he is
conferring with. He wants to keep away from those who violate the
Principles of Life and who do utilize their good mind and are driven by
their "un-thought" emotions.
Pondering Points:
Use your good mind to keep at safe distance from wrong and
wrongful.
133rd Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
kathâ ashâi drujêm dyãm zastayô
nî hîm merãzhdyâi thwahyâ mãthrâish sêñghahyâ
êmavaitîm sinãm dâvôi dregvasû
â îsh dvafshêñg mazdâ anâshê ãstãscâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I deliver wrong into the hands of righteousness
so that it is cleansed by Your thought-provoking teaching,
and thus introduce a strong movement among the wrongful,
which would, Wise One, remove their afflictions and evils?
(Gathas:
9-14)
Summary Substance: Comprehending
what to do, Zarathushtra now turns to start spreading his message and
searches for solutions. He wants to teach, through his thought-provoking
message, how to replace wrong by righteousness.
The mission will gain momentum, he is confident, among the
wrongful and they shall be cured of their wrong doings and the
consequences. They shall deliver wrong into the hands of
righteousness.
Pondering Points:
Thought-provoking teaching, thought reflecting mission, is the
best to change the wrongful into righteous.
134th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
ýezî ahyâ ashâ pôi mat xshayehî
hyat hêm spâdâ anaocanghâ jamaêtê
avâish urvâtâish ýâ-tû mazdâ dîderezhô
kuthrâ ayå kahmâi vananãm dadå.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
If You rule this world through righteousness,
then when the two opposing teams come together,
keeping in view the rules which You, Wise One, have ordained,
where and to which of the two, will You grant victory?
(Gathas:
9-15)
Summary Substance:
The question to is the clear answer:
Ahura rules the world through the principle of preciseness.
When the two parties, the righteous and the wrongful, come face
to face in life, the victory of winning the other side over goes to the
righteous.
Pondering Points:
Right shall win wrong over.
135th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
kê verethrem-jâ thwâ pôi sêñghâ ýôi heñtî
cithrâ môi dãm ahûmbish ratûm cîzhdî
at hôi vohû seraoshô jañtû mananghâ
mazdâ ahmâi ýahmâi vashî kahmâicît.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
Of those who exist, who is the victor
who protects the world with Your doctrine?
Show me clearly the life-healing leader
so that the inspiration comes through good mind
to that person as well as to any other person
to whom You, Wise One, wish.
(Gathas:
9-16)
Summary Substance: With
victory going to the righteous for wining over the wrongful, who else
will the victor except the person who protects the world by spreading
the Divine Message. With his thought-provoking words, he heals life
suffering from exploitation and injustice. To such a person, or anyone
else, the divine inspiration comes through good thinking. That is what
God wishes.
Pondering Points:
Use your mind, feel inspired, spread the Message, heal life, and save
the world.
136th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
kathâ mazdâ zarem carânî hacâ xshmat
âsketîm xshmâkãm hyatcâ môi xyât vâxsh aêshô
sarôi bûzhdyâi haurvâtâ ameretâtâ
avâ mãthrâ ýê râthemô ashât hacâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I, Wise One, carry the invocation from You,
in Your company,
so that my voice becomes forceful
and ultimately guides to wholeness and immortality
in accordance with the thought-provoking message
which is a gain from righteousness.
(Gathas:
9-17)
Summary Substance: The
Gathas are simultaneously prayers to God and guidance to mankind.
Here Zarathushtra wants to make sure how his Songs - the
Thought-provoking Message -- resound in increasing force to lead
humanity to wholeness and immortality, blissful perfection and
eternity.
Pondering Points: The
Subtle Songs soar to guide to Good Goal.
137th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ
kathâ ashâ tat mîzhdem hanânî
dasâ aspå arshnavaitîsh ushtremcâ
hyat môi mazdâ apivaitî haurvâtâ ameretâtâ
ýathâ hî taêibyô dånghâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I earn through righteousness
the reward of ten *mares with their stallions and a camel,*
which would make me know, Wise One,
how to give them both -- wholeness and immortality.
(Gathas:
9-18)
Summary Substance and Note:
Well-determined and well-prepared to spread his message to mankind,
Zarathushtra takes a bold step. He
has ten couples -- wives and their spouses and another person -- to be
won over to lead the mission. They
are the ones with *aspa* (horse) and *ushtra* (camel ) as a part of
their names and here the Master Poet (himself with *ushtra* a part of
his name) masterly presents them, in one stroke, all in half a line!
King Vishtaspa, Jamaspa, Fereshaushtra and wives are among the team.
With them as the pioneer missionaries, we know the Message spread
far and wide. Converts were
well on the path to wholeness and immortality.
Pondering Points:
Wanted strong pioneers to spread the Message!
** Most
probably certain prominent men and women with their names ending in aspa
(horse) and ushtra (camel) whom Zarathushtra was trying to win over to
the new religion. Vishtaspa, Jamaspa, and Ferashaoshtra were among the
topmost patrons of the Zarathushtrian mission. Farvardin Yasht, the
record of veteran men and women missionaries of the early period, have
many names with aspa and ushtra as their second part.
138th Day
Transliterated Text:
tat thwâ
peresâ eresh môi vaocâ ahurâ
ýastat mîzhdem haneñtê nôit dâitî
ýê ît ahmâi erezhuxdhâ nâ dâitê
kâ têm ahyâ mainish anghat pouruyê
vîdvå avãm ýâ îm anghat apêmâ.
Translated Text:
This I ask
You, tell me truly, Lord.
What is the primary punishment for the person
who does not give reward to the deserving
when approached with true words?
However, I know what will befall him later.
(Gathas:
9-19)
Summary Substance:
The answering question makes Zarathushtra know for sure what
consequences will befall the person who is approached and given the
Divine Message and he does not reward the person by joining him in the
Fellowship. Ill consequences until one corrects himself to become
righteous and promote life.
Pondering Points:
True words warrant positive rewards - acceptance.
139th Day
Transliterated Text:
cithenâ
mazdâ huxshathrâ daêvâ ångharê
at ît peresâ ýôi pishyeiñtî aêibyô kãm
ýâish gãm karapâ usixshcâ aêshemâi dâtâ
ýâcâ kavâ ãnmênî urûdôyatâ
nôit hîm mîzên ashâ vâstrem frâdainghê.
Translated Text:
How could
false gods be good rulers?
I ask this because those who indulge in lust,
with which the mumbling priests,
particularly the sacrificing Usigs ( a famous family),
have delivered the world to fury,
and the princes, in their stubbornness, have forced it to lament,
and do not reward it through righteousness
so as to promote a settled life.
(Gathas:
9-20)
Summary Substance:
When priests and princes, worshippers of "daevas", false gods,
join hands to exploit people, they make life miserable.
They are driven by greed and lust for wealth. Among those who
were opposed to the Message, were these ritualistic priests, especially
the Using family of the Rig Vedic fame for their sacrificial rites, and
the ruthless princes. Yet
they propagated that their exploiting actions were in the name of good
gods. Zarathushtra,
advocate of peaceful settled life, questions their legitimacy.
He has his own plan to spread his Divine Doctrine and promote a
stable life of righteousness.
Pondering
Points: Ritualism and tyranny do not make a peaceful
prosperous community.
