From the Vohu Khshathra Gatha of the Avesta
Yasna 51 is the Vohu Khshathra Gatha — the fourth of the five Gāthā collections attributed to the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster). Unlike the other four collections, which contain multiple hymns, this collection consists of a single extended hymn of twenty-two verses — the longest individual Gāthā hymn in the Avesta. "Vohu Khshathra" means "Good Dominion" or "Desirable Sovereignty," referring to the divine kingdom of Ahura Mazdā.
The hymn opens with a vision of divine sovereignty descending like gentle rain upon the earth, urging right action. From this opening image, Yasna 51 unfolds into the most structurally varied of all the Gāthās. The early verses (1–7) address cosmic themes — the dedication of good deeds to God and Asha, the question of where love and truth reside, and a prayer for perfection and strength from the Creator. The middle verses (8–14) turn to judgment — the test of blazing fire that separates the righteous from the wicked, the fate of false priests (karapans), and the cry of souls at the Bridge of the Separator (Chinvat Bridge). The closing verses (15–22) name historical figures who received and carried Zarathustra's teaching: Kavi Vishtaspa (the king who accepted the faith), Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa of the Hvogva family, and Maidyo-Maungha of Zarathustra's own Spitama clan — before concluding with a vow to worship through righteous deeds and to honour by name all who have walked the path of truth.
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
Khashathra, the strength divine, is the most precious gift which drops like gentle rain upon our earth, urging the inner selves of those who dedicate their lives through Asha for the service of mankind. O Mazda, paradise is gained by good deeds. Therefore, I shall always try to fulfill good actions.
Verse 2
First of all, O Mazda Ahura, to Thee and Asha, symbols of truth and purity, I dedicate my good deeds and then to Thee, O Armaiti, the symbol of faith and pure love. Teach me the strength of Thy will, O my Lord, and grant salvation which Vohuman brings to Thy faithful worshipper.
Verse 3
Listen to the words of those, O Ahura, who with good work, true word and pure thought wish to join Thee. Of those persons to whom Thou hast been the First Teacher, inspiring them, O Mazda.
Verse 4
Where doth Thy all embracing Love reside? Whence doth Thy compassion flow upon Thy faithful worshipper? Where shall we find Asha, the Truth. Where shall we find Thy Holy Armaiti, Love and Faith? Where dwelleth Thy most loving Vohuman, and where doth Thy strength of Sovereignty and Lordship, O Mazda, doth emanate?
Verse 5
These questions are made by an humble and righteous leader, who wants to acquire a deep and good knowledge and to show the people that path of progress which is in tune with Asha. A leader, who like a just and powerful judge, may teach the truth through wisdom and bring blessings.
Verse 6
The Lord of Life and Wisdom shall grant a reward, which would be far better than good, to a person who fulfills His wishes and helps the creation on its upward march. However, the person who does not fulfill His Wishes and does not strive for Mother Earth's progress, shall meet his retribution at the end, on the Day of Resurrection.
Verse 7
O, Thou Creator of Our Mother Earth, the Water and the Plants, O Mazda, grant me Eternal Perfection, through Thy most Holy Spirit. Do grant me strength and stability, O my Lord, and reveal to me the Lord's teachings through Vohuman.
Verse 8
I shall reveal, O Mazda, to the wise people Thy Heavenly Message, so that they may know what evil fate awaits the liars and wicked persons; and how the followers of truth and beneficent ones would enjoy happiness. That man alone shall enjoy contentment and happiness, who would expound Thy heavenly message to them.
Verse 9
Both parties, O Mazda, i.e. the followers of Truth and false shall be put to test by Thy Blazing Divine Fire and this fiery test shall lay bare the fate of each group, indicating Thy Award. Completes frustration shall be the share of the false ones, but the followers of truth shall reap Thy blessings.
Verse 10
The man who strives to lead the world astray and away from the path of truth, O Mazda, such a person is offspring of the poor-understanding and realm of the wicked ones. I invoke Asha for myself and my people, and hope he would come towards us with is loveful blessings.
Verse 11
Who is that faithful friend, O Mazda, who would help Spitama Zarathushtra? He is the one who is enamored of love and is in search of Asha. He is with faith and an adherent of the Assembly of Brotherhood, devoted to Vohuman. He dedicates his life to the progress of the Assembly of Magians.
Verse 12
The dupes of the False Ones, the Kavis, shall never convince Spitama Zarathushtra, during their lives, despite the fact that there are persons who with attempt, perseverance and fervent zeal can reach perfection and salvation.
Verse 13
The followers of untruth distort the thoughts of seekers of truth indeed, and make their faith shaky, but over the Judgment-Bridge and on the day of resurrection their souls shall rebuke them openly for their bad deeds and words, and for their deviation from truth.
Verse 14
Karapans or False Priests never show regard to Divine Laws and instructions. They try to lead to destruction the world through their false teachings and evil deeds; and ultimately, they themselves shall also go to hell, or the abode of untruth, as a result of their own false teachings.
Verse 15
The reward which Zoroaster has promised the Magians and all the followers of this religion is Garo-Nemana or the House of Songs and Praise, the Paradise. This abode has been the House on High from Eternity, where Ahura Mazda dwells. This reward which is a divine blessing and can only be attained by pure thought and truth, I promise to you.
Verse 16
Kavi Vishtaspa attained the reward through the spiritual strength of the Brotherhood and through the Chants of Love inspired by the Vohuman. The Wisdom, he got through Asha decreed by the Wise and Holy Ahura, the Wisdom which leads us to happiness and salvation.
Verse 17
Frashaoshtra Hvogva dedicated his precious Self, the dearest thing, to serve the holy cause of Mazda's Faith. May the Almighty Ahura Mazda grant unto him the yearning of his soul, enabling him to attain Asha and realize the truth.
Verse 18
The wise Jamaspa of Hvogva family yearning for the light of truth have chosen for himself the Divine Wisdom through Asha and attained to the spiritual strength through Vohuman. Grant us, O Ahura, those blessings that we may ever cling to Thee, O Mazda.
Verse 19
Maidyo Mah of the Spitama clan is the man who dedicated his life to the advancement of Mazda's Faith with full understanding. He is the person, who strives to realize the spiritual life in its true sense and to teach the world the Laws of Mazda by his deeds and service to humanity.
Verse 20
Of one mind and one will ye all, O Amesha Spentas grant us your good gifts; teach us the Laws of Truth and good thought, so that love and divine faith may grow in our hearts. We worship Thee, O my Lord, with adoration and love, and yearn to attain the Eternal Bliss of Mazda.
Verse 21
The devotee of Armaiti is ever pure and is thoughts, words, deeds, and inner self promotes the spread of truth. Through Vohuman and control of self, Ahura Mazda shall grant us His blessings. O, my Lord, for all these glorious blessings, I do pray to Thee and yearn for the said blessings.
Verse 22
That man, who performs all his actions as an act of worship through Asha's Law, is deemed as the best by Mazda Ahura. Those who have been in the past and who are such at present, I shall, with reverence, recall them by name, and shall try to reach their high position by righteous deeds.
Colophon
Yasna 51 is the Vohu Khshathra Gatha — the fourth of the five Gāthā collections attributed to Zarathustra — and the only collection to consist of a single hymn. Its twenty-two verses make it the longest individual hymn in the Gāthās. The name "Vohu Khshathra" means "Good Dominion" and refers to the divine sovereignty of Ahura Mazdā, the opening image of the hymn. Yasna 51 is structurally unique among the Gāthās: it moves from cosmic theology (the rain of divine power upon earth) through eschatological judgment (the blazing fire, the Chinvat Bridge) to historical witness — naming Kavi Vishtaspa, Frashaoshtra, Jamaspa, and Maidyo-Maungha as those who received and carried Zarathustra's teaching. The closing verse's vow to recall the righteous by name is the Gāthās' most explicit act of sacred memory — the prophet honouring his predecessors and contemporaries not as abstractions but as named persons.
With the archiving of Yasna 51, all seventeen hymns of the five Gāthā collections are now present in the Good Work Library: the Ahunavaiti Gatha (Yasna 28–34), the Ushtavaiti Gatha (Yasna 43–46), the Spentamainyu Gatha (Yasna 47–50), the Vohu Khshathra Gatha (Yasna 51), and the Vahishtoishti Gatha (Yasna 53).
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
vohû xshathrem vairîm bâgem aibî-bairishtem vîdîshemnâish îzhâcît ashâ añtare-caraitî shyaothanâish mazdâ vahishtem tat nê nûcît vareshânê.
Verse 2
tâ-vê mazdâ paourvîm ahurâ ashâ ýecâ taibyâcâ ârmaitê dôishâ-môi ishtôish xshathrem xshmâkem vohû mananghâ vahmâi dâidî savanghô.
Verse 3
â-vê gêushâ hêmyañtû ýôi vê shyaothanâish sâreñtê ahurô ashâ-hizvå uxdhâish vanghêush mananghô ýaêshãm tû pouruyô mazdâ fradaxshtâ apî.
Verse 4
kuthrâ ârôish âfseratush kuthrâ merezhdikâ axshtat kuthrâ ýasô h'yên ashem kû speñtâ ârmaitish kuthrâ manô vahishtem kuthrâ thwâ xshathrâ mazdâ.
Verse 5
vîspâ-tâ peresãs ýathâ ashât hacâ gãm vîdat vâstryô shyaothanâish ereshvô hãs huxratush nemanghâ ýê dâthaêibyô eresh-ratûm xshayãs ashivå cistâ.
Verse 6
ýê vahyô vanghêush dazdê ýascâ hôi vârâi râdat ahurô xshathrâ mazdå at ahmâi akât ashyô ýê hôi nôit vîdâitî apêmê anghêush urvaêsê.
Verse 7
dâidî-môi ýê gãm tashô apascâ urvaråscâ ameretâtâ haurvâtâ spênishtâ mainyû mazdâ tevîshî utayûitî mananghâ vohû sêñnghê.
Verse 8
at zî tôi vaxshyâ mazdâ vîdushê zî-nâ mruyât hyat akôyâ dregvâitê ushtâ ýê ashem dâdrê hvô zî mãthrâ shyâtô ýê vîdushê mravaitî.
Verse 9
ýãm xshnûtem rânôibyâ då thwâ âthrâ suxrâ mazdâ ayanghâ xshustâ aibî ahvâhû daxshtem dâvôi râshayenghê dregvañtem savayô ashavanem.
Verse 10
at ýê mâ-nâ marexshaitê anyâthâ ahmât mazdâ hvô dâmôish drûjô hunush tâ duzhdå ýôi heñtî maibyô zbayâ ashem vanghuyâ ashî gat tê.
Verse 11
kê urvathô spitamâi zarathushtrâi nâ mazdâ kê vâ ashâ âfrashtâ kâ speñtâ ârmaitish kê vâ vanghêush mananghô acistâ magâi ereshvô.
Verse 12
nôit tâ-îm xshnâush vaêpyô kevînô peretô zemô zarathushtrem spitâmem hyat ahmî urûraost ashtô hyat hôi îm caratascâ aodereshcâ zôishenû vâzâ.
Verse 13
tâ dregvatô maredaitî daênâ erezâush haithîm ýehyâ urvâ xraodaitî cinvatô peretå âkå h'âish shyaothanâish hizvascâ ashahyâ nãsvå pathô.
Verse 14
nôit urvâtâ dâtôibyascâ karapanô vâstrât arêm gavôi ârôish âsêñdâ hvâish shyaothanâishcâ sêñghâishcâ ýê-îsh sêñghô apêmem drûjô demânê âdât.
Verse 15
hyat mîzhdem zarathushtrô magavabyô côisht parâ garô demânê ahurô mazdå jasat pouruyô tâ vê vohû mananghâ ashâicâ savâish civîshî.
Verse 16
tãm kavâ vîshtâspô magahyâ xshathrâ nãsat vanghêush padebîsh mananghô ýãm cistîm ashâ mañtâ speñtô mazdå ahurô athâ-nê sazdyâi ushtâ.
Verse 17
berexdhãm môi ferashaoshtrô hvô-gvô daêdôisht kehrpêm daênayâi vanghuyâi ýãm hôi ishyãm dâtû xshayãs mazdå ahurô ashahyâ âzhdyâi gerezdîm.
Verse 18
tãm cistîm dêjâmâspô hvô-gvô ishtôish hvarenå ashâ vereñtê tat xshathrem mananghô vanguhîsh vîdô tat môi dâidî ahurâ hyat mazdâ rapên tavâ.
Verse 19
hvô tat nâ maidyôi-månghâ spitamâ ahmâi dazdê daênayâ vaêdemnô ýê ahûm ishasãs aibî mazdå dâtâ mraot gayehyâ shyaothanâish vahyô.
Verse 20
tat vê-nê hazaoshånghô vîspånghô daidyâi savô ashem vohû mananghâ uxdhâ ýâish ârmaitish ýazemnånghô nemanghâ mazdå rafedhrem cagedô.
Verse 21
ârmatôish nâ speñtô hvô cistî uxdhâish shyaothanâ daênâ ashem spênvat vohû xshathrem mananghâ mazdå dadât ahurô têm vanguhîm ýâsâ ashîm.
Verse 22
ýehyâ môi ashât hacâ vahishtem ýesnê paitî vaêdâ mazdå ahurô ýôi ångharecâ heñticâ tã ýazâi hvâish nâmênîsh pairicâ jasâi vañtâ!
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 50 source texts in this archive. Liturgical performance directions (zôt u râspî), the opening invocation (nemô vê gâthå ashaonîsh), 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), Yasna 48 (verses 3 and 11), Yasna 49 (verse 6), and Yasna 50 (verses 1 and 10) 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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