ahunavar page 2

Home Avesta Message Gathas Links

* These two prayers Ashem Vohu and Yathã Ahu Vairyo are pre-Zarathushtra in age. It is stated in Yasna Hã XIX that the Creator Hormazd had created the hymn Ahuna Vairya prior to the creation of the sky and the world.

(ref : Yasna Ha XIX XX XXI,) These three Hãs-Chapters are known as Baghãn Yasht.

It is enjoined to chant this prayer for this verb employed is Srãvaya (Skt. Srãvaya), i.e. to chant.) (ref : Yasna Hã XIX)with full comprehension

Ahunavar (Yathã Ahu Vairyõ)
Avesta & English by the late Dossabhoy Sorabji Framroze		Avesta & English by- Ervad-K.E.Kanga
Avesta	English	References in Avesta

word by word translation

by Ervad K E Kanga MA

Ashem Vohu

Ahunavar

Kem-nã-Mazdã

Hormazd Khoday

Jasa me avanghe Mazda

AHMÃI RAESHCHA

Bãz (Prayer)

Nirang -i-Gomez mãlidan

Doã Nãm Setãeshne

Srosh Bãz

Khorshed niyaesh

Hoshbãm

Ahunavar

Yathã¹

Just as¹

Ahu²

the lord (a King*²)

Vairyõ³

acts according to his will³

athã⁴

so⁴

ratush⁵

does the Dasturãn Dastur⁼⁵

ashãt⁶

chit⁷

hachã⁸

act⁷

by means⁸

of righteousness⁶ ( etc^>7

acts according to his own will)

This mantra consists of three lines in poetic form.

First line ends at `hachã,

(* Original meaning "The Lord who looks after worldly affairs" )

(= Original meaning "The Lord who looks after religious affairs" )

Explanation :- Both the Sovereign King ruling over the countries and the Pontiff of the Religion are of the same Status and worthy of respect.

Vangheush⁹

dazdã¹⁰

mananghõ¹¹

The gift¹⁰

of Good mind^9-11

(i.e.Vohu-manah^9-11 )

shyaothananãm¹²

is for those (who) work¹²

angheush¹³Mazdãi^14,

in this world;¹³

for Hormazd¹⁴.

(or act according to

the will of Ahura-Mazda)

This mantra consists of three lines in poetic form.

First line ends at `hachã, The second ends at Mazdã

Explanation :- Those who are performing good deeds for pleasing Hormazd attain Heaven after death.

Moreover this Ahunavar consists of 21 words corresponding to the 21 Nasks of the original Avesta texts.

Khshathremchã¹⁵Ahurãi¹⁶

The kingdom¹⁵

of Hormazd¹⁶

(sovereign rule¹⁵

of the entire world as it were)

ã¹⁷

is for him,

yim¹⁸

who¹⁸

dregubyõ¹⁹

dadat²⁰

vãstãrem²¹.

constitutes himself²⁰

to the protector²¹(or the nourisher)²¹

^# of the poor¹⁹

vãstãrem²¹# nourisher^{21
#}The Latin and English equivalent for Avesta word Vãstãr is Pastor.

This mantra consists of three lines in poetic form.

First line ends at `hachã, the second at Mazdã and the third line ends at `Vãstãrem'.

Explanation :- He who gives help unto the poor virtuous brothers, regards, as it were, Hormazd as the Lord of the entire world.

Explanation :- Both the Sovereign King ruling over the countries and the Pontiff of the Religion are of the same Status and worthy of respect. Those who are performing good deeds for pleasing Hormazd attain Heaven after death. He who gives help unto the poor virtuous brothers, regards, as it were, Hormazd as the Lord of the entire world.

Regarding the efficacious excellence of Ahunavar : By remembering the Creator Hormazd, by keeping full faith in the verse of Ahunavar, by chanting and reciting it properly, we become powerful and to some extent we get strength to avoid the difficulty or impending calamity.

translation by Ervad K E Kanga MA

This mantra consists of three lines in poetic form.

First line ends at `hachã, the second at Mazdã and the third line ends at `Vãstãrem'.

Moreover this Ahunavar consists of 21 words corresponding to the 21 Nasks of the original Avesta texts, most of which has been destroyed.

Ahunavar

(Yathã Ahu Vairyõ)

(It is enjoined to chant this prayer for this verb employed is Srãvaya (Skt. Srãvaya), i.e. to chant.) (ref : Yasna Hã XIX)

with full comprehension (ref : Yasna Hã XIX)

Yathã¹Ahu² Vairyõ³athã⁴ ratush⁵ashãt⁶chit⁷hachã⁸, Vangheush⁹dazdã¹⁰ mananghõ¹¹ shyaothana- -nãm¹²angheush¹³Mazdãi^14, Khshathremchã¹⁵Ahurãi¹⁶ ã¹⁷yim¹⁸ dregubyõ¹⁹dadat²⁰ vãstãrem²¹.

Ahunavar

(Yathã Ahu Vairyõ)

(It is enjoined to chant this prayer for this verb employed is Srãvaya (Skt. Srãvaya), i.e. to chant.) (ref : Yasna Hã XIX)

with full comprehension (ref : Yasna Hã XIX)

Explanation :-

Both the Sovereign King ruling over the countries

and the Pontiff of the Religion are of the same Status and worthy of respect.

Those who are performing good deeds for pleasing Hormazd

attain Heaven after death.

He who gives help unto the poor virtuous brothers, regards, as it were, Hormazd as the Lord of the entire world.

Ervad K E Kanga

alternative translation

Just¹ as is the will³ of the lord God² so too⁴ is that of the spiritual leader⁵ owing⁸ to his⁷righteousness^{6 .}.The gifts¹⁰ of good mind^9-11 (vohu mana) are for those who work¹² in this world¹³ and wield in accord with the will of Ahura Mazda¹⁴. The kingdom¹⁵ of Ahura's heaven¹⁶ is for him¹⁷, who¹⁸ rendereth²⁰ succour²¹ (# nourisher^{21
#)} to the poor¹⁹

**Tranlation by the late Dossabhoy Sorabji Framroze

from the book Mazda Yasna -- Some daily prayers from Zend avesta

References in Avesta to Ahunavar

Yasna Hã XIX	This is an Avestan Commentary on the Yathã Ahu Vairyo ;
Yasna Hã XX	This gives the Commentary on Ashem Vohu and
Yasna Hã XXI	This gives the Commentary of the Yenghe Hãtãm.
Baghãn Yasht.	These three Hãs-Chapters are known as Baghãn Yasht.
Yasna Ha XIX	It is stated in Yasna Hã XIX that the Creator Hormazd had created the hymn Ahuna Vairya prior to the creation of the sky and the world.
(Yasna Ha XIX, paras 1-4 and 14; Yasna Hã XX.3)	These two prayers Ashem Vohu and Yathã Ahu Vairyo are pre-Zarathushtra in age and are the sacred Verses of the Creator Hormazd Himself.
(See Yasna Hã XXI, para 1)	Yenghe Hãtãm is the sacred Verse of the Prophet Zarathushtra . These three well-known prayers are adored with their specific names.
	These three prayers, specially "Yathã" and "Ashem" are frequently recited in our holy Avestan Scriptures. Those Zoroastrians who do not know any other prayer are enjoined to recite "Yathã" and "Ashem" with a view to gaining a share of meritorious deeds.
three parts of ahunavar	This ahunavar mantra consists of three lines in poetic form. First line ends at `hachã, the second at Mazdã and the third line ends at `Vãstãrem'.
21 words corresponding to the 21 Nasks	Moreover this Ahunavar consists of 21 words corresponding to the 21 Nasks of the original Avesta texts, most of which has been destroyed.

(Ref :

Srosh Yasht Hãdhokht)

For the beauty and excellence of this poetical prayer Ahunavar, see the translation of Srosh Yasht Hãdhokht

(ref :

Sarosh Baz Prayer)

See the explanation given under the translation of `Ahunem Vairim tanum pãiti in Srosh Bãz Prayer.

(ref

Yasna Hã 53, Stanza 9)

Ahunavar resembles to some extent to the last line of Yasna Hã 53, Stanza 9.

We get Contents

of each of these twenty-one Nasks from Pahlavi and Persian books.

Pahlavi Denkart Book VIII and IX.

Moreover this Ahunavar consists of 21 words corresponding to the 21 Nasks of the original Avesta texts, most of which has been destroyed.

We get the contents of each of these twenty-one Nasks from Pahlavi and Persian books. The detailed account of these is given in In addition to all the matters pertaining to Religion these Nasks contain subject-matters relating to Philosophy, Medicine, Ethics, Astronomy and Astrology and all other sciences.

Vendidãd XIX Frakart

first Kartak of Sarosh Yasht Hãdhokt.

Explanation : The significance of Ahunavar. To understand the verse of Yathã Ahu Vairyo. By remembering the Creator Hormazd, by keeping full faith in the verse of Ahunavar, by chanting and reciting it properly, we become powerful and to some extent we get strength to avoid the difficulty or impending calamity. Regarding the efficacious excellence of Ahunavar we get some explanation from the beginning portion of Vendidãd XIX Frakart and from the first Kartak of Sarosh Yasht Hãdhokt.

Vendidãd XIX Frakart

In the Vendidãd Frakart XIX it is stated that when Ahriman and the entire army of daevas and drujas came to kill the holy Zarathushtra, amongst the remedies applied by the holy prophet in order to destroy them, the foremost was that he recited and chanted aloud the most powerful verse of Ahunavar. Besides, some Zoroastrians while commenceing any work or during any calamity say, "Athã thy help", "athã" is originally "Yathã'' and "Yathã" is the first word of "Yathã Ahu vairyo".