The Waters, a Sign of God.

1 I will praise the water, the wide-flowing as it is and healing in its influence, efficacious against the devils, devoted to the lore of the Lord, and to be remembered in thanksgiving within the corporeal world, furthering all living things and holy, helping on the increase and improvement of our herds and settlements, holy, and increasing our wealth, holy, and helping on the progress of the province, holy as it is. 2. Which purifies the seed of all male beings, which sanctifies the wombs of all women to the birth, which makes all women fortunate in labour, which brings all women a regular and timely flow of milk, (3) with a volume sounding from afar, which is alone equal in its bulk to all the waters which flow forth upon earth, which flows down with mighty volume from high Hukairya to the sea Vouru-kasha. 4. And all the gulfs in Vouru-kasha are stirred when it falls down, all the middle doth well up when it rushes in, when it plunges foaming into them, it whose are a thousand tributaries, and a thousand outlets, and each as it flows in, or rushes out, is a forty days' ride in length to a rider mounted well.

5 And the chief outlet to this one water goes apart, dividing to all the seven regions. And this outlet to my river bears off its waters always in summer and in winter. This my river purifies the seed of men, and wombs of women, and women's milk.

6 Let the souls of the righteous now draw near, those of the saints who live, or have lived, of those born, or yet to be born; yea, let them come near which have borne these waters up stream from the nearest ones that lie below as the outlet pours away.

7 Let not our waters be for the man of ill intent, of evil speech, or deeds, or conscience; let them not be for the offender of a friend, not for an insulter of a Magian, nor for one who harms the workmen, nor for one who hates his kindred. And let not our good waters, which are not only good, but best, and made by the Wise Lord, help on the man who strives to mar our settlements which are not to be corrupted, nor him who would mar our bodies, our uncorrupted selves, (8) nor the thief, or bludgeon-bearing ruffian who would slaughter the disciples, nor a sorcerer, nor a burier of dead bodies, nor the jealous, nor the niggard, nor the godless heretic who slays disciples, nor the evil tyrant among men. Against these may our waters come as torments. As destructive may these come, may they come to him who has done those first foul evils, as to him who does the last.

9 O waters! rest still within your places while the invoking priest shall offer.

Shall not the priest give thanks to God for these good waters, and with the inculcated words? And how shall this be done? Shall he not be tongue-fettered, if he offers else than with the ordinance? Shall not the words be so delivered as the master teaches? Where shall the blessings be inserted? Where the supplications with confessions? Where the gifts of those that offer? 10. It shall be only thus as the Wise Lord showed before to Zarathustra, and as Zarathustra taught the corporeal worlds, the men on earth! Thou shalt pray the first petition to God for the waters, O Zarathustra, and after that thou shalt offer the offerings for the waters, sanctified, and sought out with pious care; and thou shalt pronounce these words as follows, thus: (11) O God, I beseech of Thee this favour; and grant Thou me this great one in whose bestowal the waters flow down to me for the bettering of my state, with a never-failing truth. O God, I beseech of Thee for wealth of many kinds which gives power to its holder, and for an offspring self-dependent whom multitudes will bless, and for whose wasting, or defeat, or death, or vengeful punishment, or overtaking, no one prays.

12 And this do I beseech of Thee, O God, Who madest the waters, the lands, and the plants! This wealth and offspring I beseech of Thee, O Lord, and through Thy Bountiful Immortals, who rule aright, who dispose all aright, Thy good servants, male and female, givers of good things by Thy leave; and this I beseech of Thee by the mercy Thou hast shown to the souls of the righteous, beneficent, mighty, and overwhelming; and this by Thy Friendship of the wide pastures, and by Thy Obedience, blessed and stately; and by Thy Justice, the most just, and by Thy sign of fire; and by Thy lofty royal power over the waters of the fleet horses; aye, by all Thy angels, bestowers of the better gifts and holy. 13. And this do Thou therefore grant me, by the holy waters and the lands!

14 And grant me likewise what is still greater than this all, and still better than this all, and more beautiful, and more exceeding precious, and that is, Immortality and Welfare, O Lord, holy and ruling mightily, and powerful at once, and grant it speedily according to this Gathic word: Yea, by veritable grace let that be done for us which is most promotive of our weal. 15. And according to this further word again: Grant me, Thou who art maker of the cattle, the plants, and the waters, Immortality and likewise Weal, O Wise Lord, Thou most bounteous Spirit. And grant me these two eternal gifts through Thy Good Mind in the doctrine.

16-18. (See Y. XV, 2; Y. LVI, 3-4.)