From the Ushtavaiti Gatha of the Avesta

Yasna 44 is the second hymn of the Ushtavaiti Gatha (Yasna 43–46), the second of the five Gāthā collections attributed to the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster). Known as "Zarathustra's Questions," it is one of the most remarkable theological poems in any scripture — twenty verses in which the prophet puts direct questions to Ahura Mazdā, each beginning with the refrain tat thwâ peresâ, "This I ask Thee." The questions move from cosmology (who made the sun, stars, moon, earth, water, wind, light, darkness, sleep, dawn?) through ethics (how should we worship? how shall faith enter the heart? on which side should I stand?) to eschatology (what punishment awaits the unjust? who will grant the crown of victory?). The hymn is at once catechism, creation hymn, and prayer.

Where Yasna 43 declared Zarathustra's identity — "I am Zoroaster, the staunch enemy of liars and falsehood" — Yasna 44 shows the prophet in the posture of radical humility: the one who knows his name now asks the most fundamental questions a human being can ask. The asking is itself an act of worship. The refrain tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ — "This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura" — transforms inquiry into liturgy, and the accumulation of unanswered questions across twenty verses creates a structure unlike anything else in the Gāthās: not a hymn of praise or a declaration of faith but a sustained act of wondering aloud before God.

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

This do I ask Thee humbly, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. How should we worship Thee? My heart is full of love for Thee, O Mazda! Let one who knows Thee well show me the right path. May we enjoy Thy help through truth and righteousness, O my Lord, and may our hearts be enlightened with pure and deep meditation.

Verse 2

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. What is the best and the highest goal of spiritual life? What is the reward of the person who strives to reach that goal? He is our leader, O Mazda, who is holy because of his truth and righteousness. He is, indeed, the flower of humanity, the guardian of our race, the soul healing and a true friend.

Verse 3

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Who has been the Creator and First Father of the Truth? Who laid down the path of sun and stars? Who made the moon to wax and wane betimes. All these and many other things besides I wish to know O, Mazda.

Verse 4

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. What power doth hold the earth and the heavens apart and prevents the later from falling down? Who is the creator of water and plants? Who imparts swiftness to the wind and wafts from far the dark clouds charged with rain? Who is the Creator inspiring Vohuman, O Mazda?

Verse 5

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Who is the Creator of light and darkness? What architect has fashioned sleep and awakening, rest and activity? Who has created the dawn, the day and the night, teaching the wise man to fulfill his daily duties properly.

Verse 6

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Are the problems which I explain true indeed. Does love and faith towards God increase by good work, truth and righteousness? Does Khashathra increase through pure mind? For whom hast thou created this fruitful and joy bringing Mother Earth?

Verse 7

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Who created in us the faith in God and the power to serve our brothers? Who made the son dutiful to his father, and placed the love and respect of father in the hearts of children. I shall try, O Mazda, to recognize Thee as Lord Supreme through the holy spirit (Wisdom).

Verse 8

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly, enabling me to think over what has been inspired by Thee, O Mazda. I wish, my Lord, to realize Thy teachings through Vohuman and to enjoy perfection in life through truth and purity. How and by performing what sorts of goodness would my soul attain peace and joy?

Verse 9

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. In what manner should I dedicate my whole self to Thee for performing the holy service with full power? I would realize this truth through religious knowledge. Thy devotee, O Mazda, shall at last dwell in Thine abode, i.e. the paradise, through truth, pure mind and serving humanity.

Verse 10

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Do thou advise me about thy inspiring faith which is the best blessing for all the living beings. The faith which is in accord with truth and helps the progress of the world. Do enlighten, O my Lord, in our hearts the light of faith or Armaiti, so that through its light our actions may turn towards truth and righteousness. Do guide us, O Mazda, so that our yearning may be to reach Thee.

Verse 11

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. How shall Armaiti (faith towards God) and kindness dwell in the hearts of those to whom Thy inspiring faith have been proclaimed. I am well aware, my Lord, that you have chosen me as the first teacher for fulfilling this hard task. I shall, therefore, regard those who obey Thy rules as Thy friends and others as Thy enemies.

Verse 12

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. On which side should I stand, the true or false? Should I confer with false ones who commit evil actions, or with those who suffer from wicked persons? Has not the minds and hearts of the False Ones been covered with black covers of untruth that they spurn Thy precious gifts?

Verse 13

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. How should we drive away the demon of untruth from ourselves? We shall keep afar from irreligious persons and those who lack faith. O my Lord, we shall keep away also from those who have ceased their relation with truth and wisdom, and show no interest for Vohuman, and make no attempt to follow the said special qualifications.

Verse 14

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. How should I deliver the liar unto the hands of a truthful person, so that by learning Thy holy words, his soul may be cleansed. By complete defeat of the followers of untruth and frustration of their hopes, we shall drive away their deceit and hatred and make them ineffective.

Verse 15

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Since Thou art able through Asha to ward me off from the harms of deceivers and hate of liars, when both hosts stand opposite each other and invoke Thy help. Then O Mazda, to which side shall Thou grant the crown of victory and where, according to Thine own laws, to the worshippers of Mazda, or to the followers of untruth.

Verse 16

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. Who is that brave and victorious person who would give us the necessary protection through Lord's teachings? Show me the wise and the soul-healing leader through inspirations, and grant him clear insight and full obedience of Thy laws through Sraosha. Do grant, my Lord, the said two gifts to any one whom you love.

Verse 17

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. How shall I attain my ecstatic goal, guided by Thee, which is reaching Mazda and becoming one with Him? When shall I be able, my Lord, to lead the people to perfection and eternity through Asha and Thy heavenly message which is the best guide.

Verse 18

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. How can I earn through Asha, truth and purity, that desired reward which is the control of ten mares of senses led by the horse of thought and reach the real and eternal illumination? When shall I enjoy, O Mazda, perfection and eternity, so that I may grant the said two great gifts to the people of the world for their salvation.

Verse 19

This do I ask Thee, O Ahura and wish you to tell me truly. When the speaker of truth and needy gets cold repulse from rich people instead of help and reward, what punishment has been assigned by Thee for such negligence? I am well aware of the punishment which awaits them, according to Thy Law, after death and the day of resurrection.

Verse 20

I ask Thee, O Mazda, How it is possible for the Daevas to become kind severance, the persons who fight for their selfish ends and for satisfying their wishes. They have flung all earth to hatred and anger with the help of Kavis, Karapans and Usikhsh. Would they ever strive to cause the advance and security of the world through Asha and bring about peace and love for all.

Colophon

Yasna 44 is the second hymn of the Ushtavaiti Gatha (Yasna 43–46), the second of the five Gāthā collections attributed to Zarathustra. Known traditionally as the "Questions of Zarathustra," its twenty verses form one of the earliest sustained theological interrogations in world literature — a creation catechism, an ethical inquiry, and an eschatological challenge all braided into a single liturgical poem. Each verse opens with the Avestan refrain tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, "This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura," establishing a pattern of humble inquiry that transforms questioning itself into an act of devotion. The cosmological questions (verses 3–5) parallel creation hymns found across Indo-Iranian traditions, while the ethical questions (verses 6–16) address the central Zoroastrian tension between asha (truth) and druj (falsehood). With this hymn, the second Gāthā collection continues its journey in the library.

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). Minor digitisation errors in the electronic text (transposed characters: "farther" for "father," "us" for "as," "The" for "They," "cleanse" for "cleansed"; and a duplicated period) have been silently corrected where the intended reading was unambiguous. Translator's footnote markers have been removed from the body text per archive convention; the footnotes are available in the original electronic edition. 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

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.

Verse 2

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kathâ anghêush vahishtahyâ paourvîm kâthê sûidyâi ýê-î paitishât hvô zî ashâ speñtô irixtem vîspôibyô hârô mainyû ahûmbish urvathô mazdâ.

Verse 3

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kasnâ zãthâ patâ ashahyâ pouruyô kasnâ hvêñg starêmcâ dât advânem kê ýâ må uxshyeitî nerefsaitî thwat tâcît mazdâ vasemî anyâcâ vîduyê.

Verse 4

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.

Verse 5

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kê hvâpå raocåscâ dât temåscâ kê hvâpå hvafnemcâ dât zaêmâcâ kê ýâ ushå arêm-pithwâ xshapâcâ ýå manaothrîsh cazdôñghvañtem arethahyâ.

Verse 6

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ ýâ fravaxshyâ ýezî tâ athâ haithyâ, ashem shyaothanâish debãzaitî ârmaitish taibyô xshathrem vohû cinas mananghâ kaêibyô azîm rânyô-skeretîm gãm tashô.

Verse 7

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kê berexdhãm tâsht xshathrâ mat ârmaitîm kê uzemêm côret vyânayâ puthrem pithrê azêm tâish thwâ fraxshnî avâmî mazdâ speñtâ mainyû vîspanãm dâtârem.

Verse 8

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.

Verse 9

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kathâ-môi ýãm ýaosh daênãm ýaosh dânê ýãm hudânâush paitishe sah'yât xshathrahyâ ereshvâ xshathrâ thwâvãs asîshtîsh mazdâ hademôi ashâ vohucâ shyãs mananghâ.

Verse 10

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ tãm daênãm ýâ hâtãm vahishtâ ýâ-môi gaêthå ashâ frâdôit hacêmnâ ârmatôish uxdhâish shyaothanâ eresh daidyat mah'yå cistôish thwâ îshtîsh usên mazdâ.

Verse 11

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kathâ têñg-â vîjêmyât ârmaitish ýaêibyô mazdâ thwôi vashyetê daênâ azêm tôi âish pouruyô fravôivîdê vîspêñg anyêñg manyêush spasyâ dvaêshanghâ.

Verse 12

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-eretê cyanghat hvô nôit ayêm añgrô manyetê.

Verse 13

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.

Verse 14

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.

Verse 15

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.

Verse 16

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.

Verse 17

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, kathâ mazdâ zarem carânî hacâ xshmat âsketîm xshmâkãm hyatcâ môi h'yât vâxsh aêshô sarôi bûzhdyâi haurvâtâ ameretâtâ avâ mãthrâ ýê râthemô ashât hacâ.

Verse 18

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.

Verse 19

tat thwâ peresâ eresh-môi vaocâ ahurâ, ýastat mîzhdem haneñtê nôit dâitî ýê-ît ahmâi erezhuxdhâ nâ dâitî kâ-têm ahyâ mainish anghat pouruyê vîdvå avãm ýâ-îm anghat apêmâ.

Verse 20

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!

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 through Yasna 43 source texts in this archive. Liturgical performance directions (zôt u râspî) and repetition markers have been omitted for clarity, following the convention established for the Ahunavaiti and Ushtavaiti Gatha 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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