From the Spentamainyu Gatha of the Avesta
Yasna 49 is the third hymn of the Spentamainyu Gatha (Yasna 47–50), the third of the five Gāthā collections attributed to the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster). It is the most personal hymn in the collection — and among the most personal in all the Gāthās. Where Yasna 47 declared the Holy Spirit and Yasna 48 envisioned truth's cosmic victory, Yasna 49 descends into the human world of named enemies, named friends, and the prophet's own struggle.
The hymn opens with Zarathustra naming his greatest opponent: Bandva (Bêñdvô), a figure of deception who misleads the people and keeps them from truth. The first four verses trace the damage that falsehood inflicts — duplicity, spiritual separation from God, the tongue-wagging of the evil-minded who hinder true workers and resemble "monsters wearing human shape." The middle verses (5–8) turn from darkness to light: those who link themselves to Vohu Manah through self-sacrifice will dwell in God's eternal realm; the prophet urges Mazdā and Asha to reveal the Holy Plan; and blessings are invoked for Frashaoshtra — an intimate friend and follower of Zarathustra, and brother of Jāmāspa — and for all the faithful. The closing verses (9–12) name Jāmāspa the wise counselor, deliver the souls of the righteous to Mazdā for safekeeping, consign the wicked to the House of Lies, and end with Zarathustra's direct plea: what help will come through Asha?
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
O Mazda, the greatest barrier in my way is Bandva, who by misleading the people always feels contentment. Come towards me, O Forgiving and Kind Lord, and grant me strength, enabling me to overpower him through Vohuman and save him from going astray, enjoying the good rewards.
Verse 2
Indeed, the corrections of Bandva makes me anxious, since he teaches untruth and duplicity, keeping the people away from truth and purity. Never he shows love and faith towards God, and even not for a moment does he think of Thee with pure mind, O Mazda.
Verse 3
O my Lord, Thou hast laid down that truth shall prevail and is profitable, but untruth shall frustrate and is harmful. Therefore, it is hoped that people would commune with Vohuman and renounce all contact with untruth and its followers completely.
Verse 4
The evil-minded increase anger with their tongues which wag in gossip and cause envy and hinder the true workers. The doers of evil whose longing is not for good deeds are so tied up to untruth that they more resemble monsters wearing human shape.
Verse 5
One who through his inner urge and self-sacrifice links his own self with Vohuman, such a person enjoys love of God and is wise through Asha. With the above-mentioned qualifications, he shall ultimately dwell, O Ahura, in Thy Eternal Realm.
Verse 6
Earnestly do I urge Ye, O Mazda and Asha, to declare to me your Holy Plan, so that I may know the truth and reveal to the world that religion which has been inspired to me, O Ahura, by Thee.
Verse 7
May all listen with pure thought and bright conscience to my words carefully, O my Lord. Bear Thou witness, O Ahura, when I proclaim to men Thy holy words, so that the friends and the self-reliant may live in accordance with Lord's Law, and may sets a good example for comrades and co-workers.
Verse 8
Grant to Frashaoshtra, O Mazda Ahura, the best blessings of Asha, namely the union with Him, and grant the same gifts to other people and my followers as well. May we serve the people through Khashathra, the spiritual strength, and may we be Thy sincere friends for all times.
Verse 9
Let the Helper who is born to deliver mankind from difficulties listen to these teachings carefully, that truthful persons should never think of association with the followers of untruth and wicked ones. Those who are faithful and with conscience, O Wise Jamaspa, they are combined with truth and righteousness, and shall, ultimately, enjoy the best reward or paradise.
Verse 10
With greetings to Armaiti, the symbol of faith, humility and inner wishes, I deliver to Thee, O Mazda, these precious gems, i.e. the souls of the pure-minded and righteous persons for Thy safe keeping, since Thou art the Great King and the Eternal Strength.
Verse 11
The souls of tyrant kings, wicked persons, evil speakers, evil thinkers and followers of untruth shall return to hell, or the abode of untruth, since their inner-selves have gone dim and have turned away from the light of truth.
Verse 12
What help shall come to Thy worshippers, O Lord, through Asha. Does Zarathushtra enjoy Thy help as well through Vohuman? I praise Thee, O Mazda Ahura, in my hymns and expect enjoying what Thou deemest the best.
Colophon
Yasna 49 is the third hymn of the Spentamainyu Gatha (Yasna 47–50), the third of the five Gāthā collections attributed to Zarathustra. Its twelve verses descend from the cosmic theology of the earlier Spentamainyu hymns into the most personal register in the Gāthās — the prophet names his enemy by name (Bandva), names his allies by name (Frashaoshtra, Jāmāspa), and speaks of himself in the third person in the closing verse. The hymn moves through three stages: confrontation with falsehood and its human agents (verses 1–4), proclamation of truth and invocation of blessings for the faithful (verses 5–8), and judgment — the righteous delivered to God, the wicked consigned to the House of Lies, and Zarathustra's final plea for divine help (verses 9–12). Among the Gāthās, Yasna 49 is the hymn where the prophet is most visibly a person with enemies, friends, and an uncertain future, not only a voice proclaiming cosmic truth.
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 mâ ýavâ bêñdvô pafrê mazishtô ýê dusherethrîsh cixshnushâ ashâ mazdâ vanguhî âdâ gaidî môi â-môi arapâ ahyâ vohû aoshô vîdâ mananghâ.
Verse 2
at ahyâ-mâ bêñdvahyâ mânayeitî tkaêshô dregvå daibitâ ashât râreshô nôit speñtãm dôresht ahmâi stôi ârmaitîm naêdâ vohû mazdâ frashtâ mananghâ.
Verse 3
atcâ ahmâi varenâi mazdâ nidâtem ashem sûidyâi tkaêshâi râshayenghê druxsh tâ vanghêush sarê izyâi mananghô añtarê vîspêñg dregvatô haxmêñg añtarê mruyê.
Verse 4
ýôi dush-xrathwâ aêshemem vareden râmemcâ hvâish hizubîsh fshuyasû afshuyañtô ýaêshãm nôit hvarshtâish vãs duzhvarshtâ tôi daêvêñg dãn ýâ dregvatô daênâ.
Verse 5
at hvô mazdâ îzhâcâ âzûitishcâ ýê daênãm vohû sârshtâ mananghâ ârmatôish kascît ashâ huzêñtush tâishcâ vîspâish thwahmî xshathrôi ahurâ.
Verse 6
frô vå fraêshyâ mazdâ ashemcâ mrûitê ýâ vê xratêush xshmâkahyâ â-mananghâ eresh vîcidyâi ýathâ-î srâvayaêmâ tãm daênãm ýâ xshmâvatô ahurâ.
Verse 7
tatcâ vohû mazdâ sraotû mananghâ sraotû ashâ gûshahvâ-tû ahurâ kê airyamâ kê hvaêtush dâtâish anghat ýê verezênâi vanguhîm dât frasastîm.
Verse 8
ferashaoshtrâi urvâzishtãm ashahyâ då sarêm tat thwâ mazdâ ýâsâ ahurâ maibyâcâ ýãm vanghâu thwahmî â-xshathrôi ýavôi vîspâi fraêshtånghô ånghâmâ.
Verse 9
sraotû sâsnå fshêñghyô suyê tashtô nôit eresh-vacå sarêm didãs dregvâtâ hyat daênå vahishtê ýûjên mîzhdê ashâ ýuxtâ ýâhî dêjâmâspâ.
Verse 10
tatcâ mazdâ thwahmî âdãm nipånghê manô vohû urunascâ ashâunãm nemascâ ýâ ârmaitish îzhâcâ mãzâ xshathrâ vazdanghâ avêmîrâ.
Verse 11
at dushexshathrêñg dush-shyaothanêñg duzhvacanghô duzhdaênêñg dush-mananghô dregvatô akâish hvarethâish paitî urvãnô paityeiñtî drûjô demânê haithyâ anghen astayô.
Verse 12
kat tôi ashâ zbayeñtê avanghô zarathushtrâi kat tôi vohû mananghâ ýê-vê staotâish mazdâ frînâi ahurâ avat ýâsãs hyat vê îshtâ vahishtem!
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 48 source texts in this archive. Liturgical performance directions (zôt u râspî), repetition markers, and the closing liturgical formula have been omitted for clarity, following the convention established for the earlier Gāthā source texts in this archive. One stray digital artifact ("dà") has been removed from verse 6, consistent with the same artifact found and removed from Yasna 46 (verse 9), Yasna 47 (verse 2), and Yasna 48 (verses 3 and 11) by previous archivists in this lineage. 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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