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Spenta Mainyu GATHA

Song 14

Removing Obstructions

(12 stanzas -- Days 188th to 199th)

188th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

at mâ ýavâ bêñdvô pafrê mazishtô

ýê dusherethrîsh cixshnushâ ashâ mazdâ

vanguhî âdâ gaidî môi â-môi arapâ

ahyâ vohû aoshô vîdâ mananghâ.

Translated Text: 

Now, Wise One, Bendva always obstructs me the most,
I, who wish to satisfy the badly protected through righteousness.
Come to me with good reward and support.
I am seeking illumination for him through good mind.

(Gathas: Song 14.1) 

Summary Substance:  After declaring his plan, Zarathushtra turns to an arch enemy, Bendva (Vedic Bandhu, a composer of the Rig Veda).  He is the main obstruction in Zarathushtra's way.  Zarathushtra wants to attend, in a rightful way, to the people who face the dangers of opposition.  They have to be saved.  He is praying for divine guidance and seeking solution through good mind. 

Pondering Points:  Want to defeat opposition, pray to Mazda, and see light through good mind. 


189th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

at ahyâ mâ bêñdvahyâ mânayeitî
tkaêshô dregvå daibitâ ashât râreshô
nôit speñtãm dôresht ahmâi stôi âramaitîm
naêdâ vohû mazdâ frashtâ mananghâ.

Translated Text: 

Indeed this action of Bendva has made me anxious
because the wrongful doctrine certainly prevents one from righteousness.
Neither has he ever held the progressive serenity to be his,
nor has he ever consulted good mind, Wise One.

(Gathas: Song 14.2) 

Summary Substance:  Zarathushtra wants to lead Bendva to illumination, but that man does not want it.  He continues with his wrongful teachings.  He continues with his opposition of Zarathushtra.  The agitated agitator is never stable and peaceful.  He never thinks good.  Out of mind! What should one do with an obstinate opposition?  The thought makes Zarathushtra thinking. 

Pondering Points:  Wrong does not think good, does not enjoy peace in mind.


190th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

atcâ ahmâi varenâi mazdâ nidâtem
ashem sûidyâi tkaêshâi râshayenghê druxsh
tâ vanghêush sarê izyâi mananghô
añtarê vîspêñg dregvatô haxmêñg añtarê mruyê.

Translated Text: 

However, Wise One, this has been put as a choice
that righteousness is for the promotion of the doctrine, and wrong is for harming it.
Therefore, I long for union with good mind,
and disavow all associations with the wrongful.

(Gathas: Song 14.3) 

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra's meditation gives him the answer.  Righteousness, the Law of precision, promotes the Divine Doctrine, and wrong actions harms it.  He, therefore, decides to continue with good mind and leave those alone who persist in their wrong beliefs and refuse to change.  Instead of wasting his precious time with willfully deaf, Zarathushtra turns to those who have open ears to listen and free will to choose. 

Pondering Points: Do not waste time talking to intentionally closed ears. Turn to those who listen. 


191st Day 

Transliterated Text: 

ýôi dush-xrathwâ aêshemem vareden râmemcâ
hvâish hizubîsh fshuyasû afshuyañtô
ýaêshãm nôit hvarshtâish vãs duzhvarshtâ
tôi daêvêñg dãn ýâ dregvatô daênâ.

Translated Text: 

Those who, through their evil intellect, 
promote anger and cruelty with their tongues
are but drones among productive people.
Their evil deeds have not been defeated by good deeds.
It is they who created false gods,
which forms the religion of the wrongful.

(Gathas: Song 14.4) 

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra is describing the persons he disavows.  They are those who use their intellect for evil ends.  Their teaching promotes violence and war.  These false teachers, the priests, are the creators of false deities.  They have been successful in promoting their cult and duping and exploiting the laity.  They are not productive themselves.  They feed on what productive people produce. 

Pondering Points: Intentionally wrongful persons produce nothing but violence. 


192nd Day           

Transliterated Text: 

at hvô mazdâ îzhâcâ âzûitishcâ
ýê daênãm vohû sârshtâ mananghâ
âramatôish kascît ashâ huzêñtush
tâishcâ vîspâish thwahmî xshathrôi ahurâ.

Translated Text: 

Now, Wise One, every person, who has linked his religion
with good mind through devotion and invocation,
is a noble person of serenity through righteousness.
He lives, with them all, in Your dominion, Lord.

(Gathas: Song 14.5) 

Summary Substance:  A person who meditates and contemplates through his good mind and firmly believes in what he thinks, is a noble person.  He enjoys peace and stability because of his righteous acts.  In fact, such a person lives a divine life in the divine dominion with all others who share the same belief.  They all are co-religionists. 

Pondering Points: When nobility enjoys serenity, one dwells in the divine domain.


193rd Day 

Transliterated Text: 

frô vå fraêshyâ mazdâ ashemcâ mrûitê
ýâ vê xratêush xshmâkahyâ â-mananghâ
eresh vîcidyâi ýathâ-î srâvayaêmâ
tãm daênãm ýâ xshmâvatô ahurâ.

Translated Text: 

I urge You, Wise One, and Righteousness to tell us

what You have in Your wisdom of mind,

so that we rightly choose how to proclaim, Lord,

the religion which belongs to a Godlike person.

(Gathas: Song 14.6) 

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra is again seeking guidance from Mazda and the Law of Precision.  He wants to use his divine good mind to precisely plan how proclaim his Divine Message, the Good Religion, which transforms one into godlike. 

Pondering Points: The Good Religion guides one to be godlike - creator, sustainer, and promoter of the living world. 


194th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

tatcâ vohû mazdâ sraotû mananghâ
sraotû ashâ gûshahvâ tû ahurâ
kê airyamâ kê xvaêtush dâtâish anghat
ýê verezênâi vanguhîm dât frasastîm.

Translated Text: 

And Wise One, let one listen to it through good mind.
Let one listen to it through righteousness. You too hear it, Lord.
Which friend, which relative abides by laws,
and provides a good guidance to the community?

(Gathas: Song 14.7) 

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra wants every one to know the guides he has trained to practice the Primal Principles of Life and to lead members of family and friends, the entire community.  He wants to introduce them.  He wants all to listen to the Divine Message through good mind and righteousness.  And he wants Ahura to be a witness to this. 

Pondering Points: Listening to one who practices what he teaches is the right way to learn. 


195th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

ferashaoshtrâi urvâzishtãm ashahyâ då
sarêm tat thwâ mazdâ ýâsâ ahurâ
maibyâcâ ýãm vanghâu thwahmî â-xshathrôi
ýavôi vîspâi fraêshtånghô ånghâmâ.

Translated Text: 

This I beg You, Wise Lord, to grant Ferashaushtra
the best happy union with righteousness.
And give it to my people in Your good dominion.
We shall be Your messengers forever.

(Gathas: Song 14.8) 

Summary Substance:  Zarathushtra is prays divine blessings for his trainee Ferashaoshtra and others.  He prays for their union with righteousness and in the good divine dominion.  And he declares that he and his companions will continue to be the messengers of the Divine Message forever. 

Pondering Points: Want the Good Religion to progress, devote your life in spreading the Message. 


196th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

sraotû sâsnå fshêñghyô suyê tashtô
nôit eresh-vacå sarêm didãs dregvâtâ
hyat daênå vahishtê ýûjên mîzhdê
ashâ ýuxtâ ýâhî dêjâmâspâ.

Translated Text: 

Sage Jamaspa, let the promoter, tailored for promotion, listen to these teachings.
The truth-speaking person shall not consider any association with the wrongful,
because those who have united their consciences in the reward,
are united in righteousness on this Great Event of Choice.

(Gathas: Song 14.9) 

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra now addresses another trainee, Jamaspa, known for his knowledge.  He is Ferashaothra's younger brother.  The occasion is the "Great Event of Choice," the Gathic term for "Initiation," the day one chooses the Good Religion.  He wants Jamaspa, who has been trained to teach, to listen to the teachings with greater attention.  Once the choice is made, then one should not associate with the wrongful.  The choice makes one a member of "Maz Maga," "the Great Magnanimity," the Universal Fellowship founded by Zarathushtra. 

Pondering Points: Decision to choose the Good Religion joins one to the Universal Fellowship. 


197th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

tatcâ mazdâ thwahmî âdãm nipånghê
manô vohû urunascâ ashâunãm
nemascâ ýâ âramaitish îzhâcâ
mãzâ xshathrâ vazdanghâ avêmîrâ.

Translated Text: 

And Wise One, You guard in Your abode
this good mind, the souls of the righteous,
and the reverence that comes with serenity and invocation,
a fact that makes the great sovereignty everlasting.

(Gathas: Song 14.10) 

Summary Substance: Righteous souls with good mind, tranquility, and invocation last for ever in the Divine Domain. 

Pondering Points: Eternity needs good thinking, righteousness, peace, and prayer. 


198th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

at dushexshathrêñg dush-shyaothanêñg duzhvacanghô
duzhdaênêñg dush-mananghô dregvatô
akâish hvarethâish paitî urvãnô paityeiñtî
drûjô demânê haithyâ anghen astayô.

Translated Text: 

Now, the souls of the evil-ruling, evil-doing, evil speaking,
evil-conceiving, and evil-thinking return back
because of their evil luster
because they really dwell in the house of wrong.

(Gathas: Song 14.11) 

Summary Substance:  The souls of those who think, speak, conceive, act and rule by evil means, have evil luster and fame.  They do not progress to perfection, but return to their abode of wrong where they truly belong. 

Pondering Points: Evil in mind and body prevents progress. 


199th Day 

Transliterated Text: 

 kat tôi ashâ zbayeñtê avanghô
zarathushtrâi kat tôi vohû mananghâ
ýê vê staotâish mazdâ frînâi ahurâ
avat ýâsãs hyat vê îshtâ vahishtem.

Translated Text:

What help do You have through righteousness,
Wise Lord, what help through good mind for me, Zarathushtra,
the invoker, who loves You with praises,
and asks for what is best in Your power?

(Gathas: Song 14.12)

Summary Substance: Questions that tell us that Zarathushtra, who invokes Mazda Ahura with love and praises, knows that God will help him through his righteous actions planned with his good mind, and that he will be granted him the best of the divine power.  He will succeed in removing all the obstacles in his way and in completing his mission.

Pondering Points: Get the best by loving the Wise Being in the right way and with good mind.

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