From the Ahunavaiti Gatha of the Avesta
Yasna 30 is the third hymn of the Ahunavaiti Gatha (Yasna 28–34), the first and longest of the five Gāthā collections attributed to the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster). It is perhaps the most theologically consequential passage in the entire Avesta: the revelation of the Two Spirits — one choosing Truth (Asha), the other choosing Falsehood (Druj) — whose primordial act of free choice establishes the moral structure of the universe. Every human being, Zarathustra declares, must make the same choice between these two paths.
The hymn opens with Zarathustra addressing those who seek wisdom, inviting them to hear the highest truths with illumined minds. He reveals that in the beginning, two twin spirits appeared — good and evil — and freely chose their natures through thought, word, and deed. The Holy Spirit chose Truth; the Destructive Spirit chose the Worst. The daeva-worshippers, deceived by doubt, chose violence and destruction. But those who choose rightly — who serve Ahura Mazdā through righteous action — will share in the renewal of the world (Frashokereti), when Falsehood is finally destroyed and the faithful dwell in the abode of Good Thought.
This translation is by Mobed Firouz Azargoshasb, published by the Council of Iranian Mobeds of North America (1988). The Avestan source text in romanised transliteration follows the English for reference and study.
Verse 1
Now, to those eager for truth and wise persons I shall speak about the two phenomenon and shall explain the way of praying Mazda Ahura and praising Vohuman, the good thoughts.
Verse 2
Listen with your ears the highest truth, consider them with illumined minds carefully, and decide each man and woman personality between the two paths, good and evil.
Verse 3
The twain spirits which appeared in the world of thought in the beginning were good and evil in thoughts, words and deeds.
Verse 4
When these two spirits reached together life and not life were created. The followers of untruth and wicked persons shall face the worst mental situation but the followers of truth and righteous persons shall enjoy the best mental state.
Verse 5
Of these twin spirits, the false ones did choose the worst deeds but the holiest spirit, the one having pure mind and being clothed with the imperishable light of knowledge chose the truth.
Verse 6
The followers of Daeva did not choose the right path, because they were in doubt and were deceived.
Verse 7
One who is gifted with spiritual strength, good thought, truthfulness and purity, the Armaiti or love and faith shall grant him firmness and stability of body.
Verse 8
When sinners receive punishments of their sins, O Mazda Ahura, they will then realize Thy power through Vohuman, good thought.
Verse 9
May we be sincere servants of Thee like those who make the world renewed O, Lord of Life and Creation.
Verse 10
When false ones face failure and destruction then the inmost desires of those famed for their good names shall be fulfilled, and they shall enjoy the blessings of Vohuman and Asha and Mazda's shining abode or paradise shall be their lot.
Verse 11
If ye, O Mortals, realize and understand the laws of happiness and pain ordained by Mazda; and if you learn that liars and wicked persons shall face age long punishment but pious and righteous ones shall enjoy ever-lasting prosperity, then you shall reach real contentment and salvation.
Colophon
Yasna 30, the third hymn of the Ahunavaiti Gatha, is the foundational statement of Zoroastrian moral dualism — the revelation that two primordial spirits, twin and free, chose their natures at the beginning of existence. The Holy Spirit chose Truth; the Destructive Spirit chose the Worst. This is not a dualism imposed from outside but one freely entered: even the spirits had to choose, and so must every human being. The hymn's climax is eschatological — when punishment comes upon the wicked, the world will be renewed (Frashokereti), and the righteous will dwell in the abode of Good Thought. Yasna 30 stands alongside the creation narratives of Genesis and the Rigvedic Nasadiya Sukta as one of the great cosmogonic hymns of the ancient world, and its influence — through its impact on Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity — echoes in every subsequent tradition that speaks of a cosmic struggle between good and evil.
Translation by Mobed Firouz Azargoshasb, published by the Council of Iranian Mobeds of North America (March 1988). Electronic version authorised by Mobed Mehraban Zarthoshty of Vancouver, Canada (August 1997). Reproduced for scholarly and archival purposes with attribution, per the translator's stated permissions.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Avestan Source Text (Romanised Transliteration)
Old Avestan source text from avesta.org, based on the edition of Karl Friedrich Geldner (Avesta: The Sacred Books of the Parsis, Stuttgart, 1896). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Verse 1
at tâ vaxshyâ isheñtô ýâ mazdâthâ hyatcît vîdushê staotâcâ ahurâi ýesnyâcâ vanghêush mananghô humãzdrâ ashâ ýecâ ýâ raocêbîsh daresatâ urvâzâ.
Verse 2
sraotâ gêushâish vahishtâ avaênatâ sûcâ mananghâ âvarenå vîcithahyâ narêm narem hvah'yâi tanuyê parâ mazê ýånghô ahmâi nê sazdyâi baodañtô paitî.
Verse 3
at tâ mainyû pouruyê ýâ ýêmâ hvafenâ asrvâtem manahicâ vacahicâ shyaothanôi hî vahyô akemcâ åscâ hudånghô eresh vîshyâtâ nôit duzhdånghô.
Verse 4
atcâ hyat tâ hêm mainyû jasaêtem paourvîm dazdê gaêmcâ ajyâitîmcâ ýathâcâ anghat apêmem anghush acishtô dregvatãm at ashâunê vahishtem manô.
Verse 5
ayå manivå varatâ ýê dregvå acishtâ verezyô ashem mainyush spênishtô ýê xraozhdishtêñg asênô vastê ýaêcâ xshnaoshen ahurem haithyâish shyaothanâish fraoret mazdãm.
Verse 6
ayå nôit eresh vîshyâtâ daêvâcinâ hyat îsh â-debaomâ peresmanêñg upâ-jasat hyat verenâtâ acishtem manô at aêshemem hêñdvâreñtâ ýâ bãnayen ahûm maretânô.
Verse 7
ahmâicâ xshathrâ jasat mananghâ vohû ashâcâ at kehrpêm utayûitîsh dadât ârmaitish ãnmâ aêshãm tôi â anghat ýathâ ayanghâ âdânâish pouruyô.
Verse 8
atcâ ýadâ aêshãm kaênâ jamaitî aênanghãm at mazdâ taibyô xshathrem vohû mananghâ vôivîdâitî aêibyô sastê ahurâ ýôi ashâi daden zastayô drujem.
Verse 9
atcâ tôi vaêm h'yâmâ ýôi îm ferashêm kerenâun ahûm mazdåscâ ahurånghô â-môyastrâ baranâ ashâcâ hyat hathrâ manå bavat ýathrâ cistish anghat maêthâ.
Verse 10
adâ-zî avâ drûjô avô bavaitî skeñdô spayathrahyâ at asishtâ ýaojañtê â-hushitôish vanghêush mananghô mazdå ashah'yâcâ ýôi zazeñtî vanghâu sravahî.
Verse 11
hyat tâ urvâtâ sashathâ ýâ mazdå dadât mashyånghô hvîticâ êneitî hyatcâ daregêm dregvôdebyô rashô savacâ ashavabyô at aipî tâish anghaitî ushtâ!
Source Colophon
Avestan text in romanised transliteration from avesta.org, the Joseph H. Peterson Encyclopaedia on Iran, based on the critical edition by Karl Friedrich Geldner (Avesta: The Sacred Books of the Parsis, 3 vols., Stuttgart, 1886–1896). The transliteration follows the avesta.org convention, consistent with the Yasna 28 and Yasna 29 source texts in this archive. The Gāthās survive in manuscripts no older than the fourteenth century CE, but linguistic analysis places their composition in the second millennium BCE, contemporary with the Rigvedic hymns.
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