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* These two prayers Ashem Vohu and Yathă Ahu Vairyo are pre-Zarathushtra in age.  It is stated in Yasna Hă 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 Hăs-Chapters are known as Baghăn Yasht.

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

   
Ahunavar (Yathă Ahu Vairyő)
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

 

Ahunavar

 Yathă

Just as1  

Ahu2   the lord (a King*2)
Vairyő3 acts according to his will3
athă4 so4  
ratush5 does the Dasturăn Dastur=5

ashăt

chit7

  hachă8

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 `hachă, 

 

(* 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

dazdă10

 mananghő11

The gift10  

of Good mind9-11  

(i.e.Vohu-manah9-11

shyaothananăm12 is for those (who) work12
angheush13 Mazdăi14, 

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 `hachă,    The second ends at Mazdă 

  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.
Khshathremchă15 Ahurăi16

The kingdom15  

of Hormazd16

 

(sovereign rule15  

of the entire world as it  were)

ă17 is for him, 
yim18 who18 

dregubyő19 

dadat20

 văstărem21. 

constitutes himself20  

to the protector21 (or the nourisher)21 

# of the poor19

  văstărem21 # nourisher21 #  The Latin and English equivalent for Avesta word Văstăr is Pastor. 

This mantra consists of three lines in poetic form.

First line ends at `hachă,      the second at Mazdă       and     the third line ends at `Văstărem'.

  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 `hachă,      the second at Mazdă       and     the third line ends at `Văstărem'.

 

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

 

Ahunavar

(Yathă Ahu Vairyő) 

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

with full comprehension   (ref : Yasna Hă XIX)

Yathă1 Ahu2 Vairyő3 athă4 
ratush5 ashăt6 chit7 hachă8
Vangheush9 dazdă10 mananghő11 shyaothana- 
-năm12 angheush13 Mazdăi14, 
Khshathremchă15 Ahurăi16 ă17 yim18 
dregubyő19 dadat20 văstărem21. 


Ahunavar

(Yathă Ahu Vairyő) 

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

with full comprehension   (ref : Yasna Hă 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

Just as is the will3   of the lord God2 so too is that  of the spiritual leader5 owing   to hisrighteousness6 ..The gifts10 of good mind9-11  (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 him 17, who18 rendereth20   succour21 (# nourisher21 #) 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 Hă XIX 

 

This is an Avestan Commentary on the Yathă Ahu Vairyo

Yasna Hă XX This gives the Commentary on Ashem Vohu and 
Yasna Hă XXI 

This gives the Commentary of the Yenghe Hătăm. 

Baghăn Yasht. These three Hăs-Chapters are known as Baghăn Yasht.
Yasna Ha XIX It is stated in Yasna Hă 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 Hă XX.3)

These two prayers Ashem Vohu and Yathă Ahu Vairyo are pre-Zarathushtra in age and are the sacred Verses of the Creator Hormazd Himself. 
(See Yasna Hă XXI, para 1) Yenghe Hătăm is the sacred Verse of the Prophet Zarathushtra . These three well-known prayers are adored with their specific names.   
These three prayers, specially "Yathă" and "Ashem" are frequently recited in our holy Avestan Scriptures. Those Zoroastrians who do not know any other prayer are enjoined to recite "Yathă" 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 `hachă, the second at Mazdă and the third line ends at `Văstărem'.

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 Hădhokht)

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

(ref : 

Sarosh Baz Prayer) 

See the explanation given under the translation of `Ahunem Vairim tanum păiti in Srosh Băz Prayer.

(ref 

Yasna Hă 53, Stanza 9)

Ahunavar resembles to some extent to the last line of Yasna Hă 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. 

Vendidăd XIX Frakart

first Kartak of Sarosh Yasht Hădhokt.

 

Explanation : The significance of Ahunavar. To understand the verse of Yathă 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 Vendidăd XIX Frakart and from the first Kartak of Sarosh Yasht Hădhokt

Vendidăd XIX Frakart  

In the Vendidăd 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, "Athă thy help", "athă" is originally "Yathă'' and "Yathă" is the first word of "Yathă Ahu vairyo". 
 

 

 

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