Yasht 19 of the Avesta

The Zamyad Yasht gives the Scythian shelf an Iranian theology of kingship. Glory is not ornament. It is a force that clings to rightful rule, flees the lie, and cannot be seized by naked violence.

For a Scythian-imperial reading, this is central evidence. Steppe kingship, Achaemenid kingship, Saka names, and Iranian sacred poetry meet around the same problem: what makes a ruler legitimate before heaven and men.

The translation below is from selected Young Avestan passages of Yasht 19.

Translation

We worship the fierce Kingly Glory, made by Mazda: strong with Truth, surpassing in work, possessing power and increase, conquering other creatures.

That Glory belongs to Ahura Mazda. Through it Ahura Mazda made creatures many and good, many and fair, many and wonderful, many and prosperous, many and bright.

Through it they will make the world fresh: never aging, never dying, never decaying, never rotting, ever living, ever growing, master of its will. Then the dead will rise; life and deathlessness will come; the world will be made fresh according to its desire.

But when Yima began to take pleasure in false and lying speech, the Glory was seen to go away from him in the shape of a bird. When the Glory had departed, radiant Yima, good shepherd, trembled before his enemies. He was confounded and fell upon the earth.

The first time the Glory departed from radiant Yima, the Glory went away from Yima son of Vivanghat in the form of the Varagna bird. Mithra of wide pastures seized that Glory: Mithra of the quick ear, Mithra of a thousand perceptions, Mithra lord of all lands, whom Ahura Mazda made the most glorious of the spiritual gods.

For that Glory which cannot be seized by force, the Holy Spirit and the Destructive Spirit strove against one another. Each cast his swiftest dart. The Holy Spirit cast a dart, and Good Mind, Best Truth, and Fire the son of Ahura Mazda cast theirs. The Destructive Spirit cast a dart, and Evil Mind, bloody-spear Wrath, Azi Dahaka, and Spityura who cut Yima in two cast theirs.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the source text printed below. The English is an independent rendering from the source-language transliteration or Greek text, with existing public translations used only as controls for damaged or conventional passages.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Zamyad Yasht

Young Avestan source text in romanized transliteration from Yasht 19. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Yasht 19.9-13: ukhrem kavaem hvareno mazdadhatem yazamaide ash-vandrem uparo-kairim thamnanguhantem varecanguhantem yaoxshtivantem taradhatem anyaish daman. yat asti ahurahe mazda yatha daman dathat ahuro mazda pouruca vohuca pouruca sriraca pouruca abdaca pouruca frashaca pouruca bamyaca. yat kerenavan frashem ahum azareshentem amareshentem afrithyantem apuyantem yavaeji m yavaesum vaso-xshathrem yat irista paiti usehishtan jasat jvayo amerextish dathaite frashem vasna anghush. bun gaetha amarshantish ya ashahe sanguhaitish nishtat paiti druxsh nashaite.

Yasht 19.34-35: at yat him aem draokhem vacim anghaithim cinmane paiti barata vaenemnem ahmat haca hvareno merekhahe kehrpa frashusat, avaeno hvareno fraeshto yo yimo xshaeto hvathwo. br asat yimo ashato deush-manahyaica ho stereto nidarat upairi zam. paoirim hvareno apanemata hvareno yimat haca xshaetat shusat hvareno yimat haca vivanghushat merekhahe kehrpa varekhnahe, aom hvareno hangeurvayata mithro yo vouru-gaoyaoitish yo srut-gaosho hazangra-yaoxshtish.

Yasht 19.46: yahmi paiti parehvaithe spentasca mainyush angr asca aetahmi paiti at ahvarete, adhat ashte frangharecayat asishte katarascit, spenta mainyush ashtem frangharecayat vohuca mano ashemca vahishtem atremca ahurahe mazda puthrem, angro mainyush ashtem frangharecayat akemca mano aeshememca xrv i-drum azhimca dahakem spityuremca yimo-kerentem.

Source Colophon

Young Avestan source inspected from the local Good Work Library Zamyad Yasht source appendix, which follows Karl Friedrich Geldner's critical edition as digitized at avesta.org. The English rendering above is newly prepared from selected source passages, with the existing local translation and Darmesteter tradition used only as controls.

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