Yasna 44

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; In praise of one like Thee, O Mazda, how shall I venerate Thee? May not one like Thee, teach it to a friend like me? And may the friendly help of Asha, the Truth, come to us through the Good Mind!

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; What is the source of the Best Existence? How shall one who seeks it, receive the blessed recompense? Surely such a holy one through Righteousness, Is a healer of existence, beneficent unto all, a genuine friend, O Mazda?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly O Ahura; In the beginning, who was the father and creator of Asha, the Truth? Who determined the paths of the sun and the stars? Who, but Thee, so arranged the moon to wax and wane? This, O Mazda, and much more, I fain would know.

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; Who so balanced the earth and heavens to keep them apart? Who created the waters and the plants? Who yoked swiftness to the winds and motion to the clouds? Who is the Creator of the Good-Mind, O Mazda?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; What great artificer created light and darkness? What artificer produced the phenomena of sleep and wakeful activity? Who made the dawn, noon, and night Which call the enlightened to their duties?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; Whether what I now announce is verily the truth, Doth Armaity, through the benevolence of our actions, further the cause of Truth? Doth the Kingdom of Heaven rest on the foundation of the Good Mind? For whom hast Thou created this richly endowed world?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; Who established blessed Armaity, the spirit of Benevolence, in the exalted dominion? Who, with foresight, made the son reverential to the father? Thus I seek to comprehend Thee, O Mazda, Through the Benevolent Spirit, the Giver of all!

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; What is Thy message for my enlightenment, O Mazda, In the principles which I seek from the Good Mind, That I may understand the purpose of existence through Truth? How shall my soul rise to the ever greater attainment of the Good?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; How shall I bring to perfection the insight into the Faith, Which Thou, Lord of Supreme Wisdom hast instructed me with Thy Authority? May it be, that we, Thy followers, dwell with Truth and the Good Mind in Thy abode!

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; The Faith that is the best for all that are, That which, based on Truth, should prosper all existence, That which establishes Righteous and Just actions inspired by Piety, And which has for its intelligent aspiration Realization of Thee, O Mazda!

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; To those to whom Thy Faith shall be announced, How shall Armaity, the Spirit of Rightmindedness come to them? I, Thy prophet, from the first was ordained by Thee, for this task. All others, I see, are of alienated spirit.

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; Who among those with whom I discourse, is righteous and who a liar? With which of the two is the malevolent Spirit of Untruth? Or is he himself the Unrighteous who opposes Thy blessings? How is it that he is not thought to be the harmful Evil-One?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; How shall we dispel the Spirit of Untruth from among us? Let it be with the unfaithful and the disobedient, Who strive not to be the companions of Truth, Who care not to listen to the counsels of the Good Mind.

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; How shall I deliver Evil into the hands of Righteousness? How shall I render it ineffective through the holy words of Thy Teaching? How shall I frustrate the followers of Evil, O Mazda, That they come to their blind extinction ?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; If Thou rulest through Truth and mean to protect me, When the two hosts, in hostility, shall clashing meet, Then, for the Principles which Thou desirest to maintain Which of the two will be granted victory?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; Who shall be victorious, and Shall, through Thy Principles, protect the living? Assure me by a vision, whom doest Thou wish to be the judge that heals the world, Then let Sraosha, the Spirit of Obedience, come to him with the Good Mind, O Mazda, And to all those whom Thou wishest, whosoever they be!

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; How shall I attain my aspiration to reach Thee? How can I attain Thy Perfection, O Mazda, and make my voice effectual? Through these divine songs, receiving their guiding light from Truth, May all be led up to the two gifts of Well-being and Immortality!

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; How, indeed, shall I earn the final reward through Truth and Right? Shall I obtain ten mares with a stallion and a camel? How shall I bring to all mankind the gifts of Perfection and Immortality as announced by Thee?

This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura; He who will not give due recompense to the one who will earn it, Even unto the Truthful man who fulfils his word and work, What penalty should he pay first here? For I know well what he is to receive at the last, hereafter.

Have the Daevas ever been good rulers, O Mazda? Verily, I ask of those who befriend them. By their aid, the Karpan and Usig, give the world up to violence, Through them the Kavis grow strong with raid and rapine, Caring not that the pastures of the world would thrive through Truth's law of order and progress.