handout

TALKING WITH GOD: THE ZOROASTRIAN INTERCALATION CEREMONIES
1
Alberto Cantera
University of Salamanca
acantera@usal.es
http://ada.usal.es/pages/acantera_alberto
1. SCHEME OF THE INTERCALATION CEREMONIES
Old Avestan Wisperad Wīdēwdād Wištāsp Yašt
1 Y27.6
Vr12
Y27.7-27.13
V1-4
Vyt1
2 Y.28-30 Vr13 V5-6 Vyt2
3 Y32-Y34.13 Vr14
Vr15
V7-8 Vyt3
4 Y35-42
Vr16-17 V9-10 Vyt4
5 Y43-46 Vr18 V11-12 Vyt5
6 Y47-50 Vr19 V13-14 Vyt6
7 Y51 Vr20
Vr21
V15-16
[repetition of Y35-42] Vr22 V17-18 Vyt7
8 Y52-53
Vr23 V19-20 Vyt8
9 Y54 Vr24 V21-22
ANTIQUITY OF THE INTERCALATION CEREMONIES
2. The intercalation ceremony reproduced in the list of the textual ratu of the
standard Wisperad (Cantera, A. 2009. Die Staota Yesniia der textuellen ratu des
Visparad. In Zarathushtra entre l'Inde et l'Iran. Études indo-iraniennes et indoeuropéennes
offertes à Jean Kellens à l'ocasion de son 65e anniversaire. Wiesbaden: L.
Reichelt).
staota yesniia intercalations
Y27.13 Ahuna Vairiia
Y27.14 Aš əm Vohū
Y27.15 Ye hē hātąm
Ahunauuaitī gāϑā
Ahumaṇt- ratumaṇt- (¿)
Yasna hapta hāiti
Uštauuaitī gāϑā
Spəṇtā.mainiiū gāϑā
Vohuxšaϑrā gāϑā
Vahištōišti Gāϑā
Y54.1 Ariiaman išiia
Fšūšō mąϑra
Ratu bərəz haδaoxta
āhūiri frašna ahūiri t kaēša
hadiš vāstrauuaṇt
γənąnąm pouru.sarəδō.vīrō.vąϑβąm
Yt5
Yt19
Yt14
Yt10
Dahmā Āfrīti

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3. THE FRAUUARĀNE OF Y0.7 IN THE VARIANT OF THE DIFFERENT CEREMONIES WITH
THE MARKERS OF THE WĪDĒWDĀD AND WIŠTĀP YAŠT:
� Wīdēwdād
dātāi. haδa.dātāi. vīdaēuuāi. zaraθuštrāi.
“For the prescriptions as accompanying prescriptions that repeal the daēuua and
belong to Zaraθuštra
� Wištāsp Yašt
haδa.mąθrāi. zai i. arštāi. u airi. ātu ii . ərə tāi. mąθrāi. s ə tāi.
“For the Bounteous Mąθra as accompanying Mąθra, asked wisely and grasped
on the thrones”
� Hādōxt (after N43.8)
haδa xδāi …
For (the prayer) as the accompanying prayer
4. THE STRUCTURE OF THE WĪDĒWDĀD AND WIŠTĀSP SĀST AND OF THE OLD
AVESTAN TEXTS
4.1 The Wīdēwdād
Ahuna Vairiia → V1: the creation of the countries and the
attack of A ra Mainiiu
Y34 (sacrifice) → V8: first mention of the baršnūm
Yasna Hapta hāiti → V9-10: the aršnūm purifications
ceremony
2 nd Y. Hapta hāiti → V18: Sraoša
Vahištōištī Gāθā → V19: Zaraθuštra’s sacrifice and union of
the soul with the Vision (daēnā)
Ariiaman Išiia → V22: Airiiaman heals Ahura Mazdā
4.2 The Wištāsp Yašt and the Wīdēwdād
Y34 (sacrifice) Vyt3.20-23: Zaraθuštra’s
sacrifice
Yasna Hapta hāiti Vyt4.3: Sacrifice to the
Fire
Vyt4.8: purification
V8: first mention of the
baršnūm
[V19.17-19]
V9-10: baršnūm
Vyt6.5: the dog V13.31-32
Y51 + 2 nd YH Vyt7.2: ištōiš. xšaϑrəm.
ahurahe. daϑušō
Y53 Vyt8: union of the soul
with the Vision (daēnā)
V19.27ff: union of the soul
with the Vision (daēnā)

5. HĀDŌXT NASK (HN2.14) AND THE WIŠTĀSP SĀST (VYT8.8 [60]):
āat . mąm. nar . as āt . azə te. ahurəm. mazdąm. darə
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3
yazəṇte] K20, W (+yazəṇte). yazente H6. yazəṇta F12b. yazəṇtəm K4, L5; F12a. yazaṇtəm 5000, Vyt-
Yazd. | ahurəm] ahurō F12. | darəγō.yaštīmca] darəγō.yaštəmca K20, H6, F12b, Piras. darəɤō.īštīmca
5. | hą m.parštīmca] hą m.parīštīmca Vyt-Yazd. hą m.parštəmca H6, F12b, Piras. hą m.parəštəmca K20
“Henceforth men celebrate a long i and a h i for Ahura Mazdā.”
cf. RV10.69.9c:
yát samp cham mánuṣīr v a ā an
“when the clans of men came to consultation (with you, Agni)”
Y47.3:
hiiat hə m vohū mazdā [hə mə.]fraštā manaŋhā
“when (a men), o Mazdā, consulted with the good Thought”
THE CONSULTATION IN THE OLD AVESTA
6. THE PREAMBLE OF THE CONSULTATION OF Y44: Y43.7-10
spə təm at ϑβā | mazdā mə hī ahurā
hiiat mā vohū | airī. asat manaŋhā
pərəsat ā mā | iš ahī ahiiā ahī
kaϑā aiiārə | daxšārā fərasaiiāi dīšā
ai ī ϑβāhū | gaēϑāhū x tanušu ā
at h i ao ī | zaraϑuštr aouruuīm
haiϑii duuaēšå | hiiat is iiā drə uuāitē
at . aš āunē | rafən x iiə m ao huuat
hiiat ā ūštīš | vasasə xšaϑrahiiā diiā
auuat ā ϑβā | mazdā stāumī ufiiā ā
spə təm at ϑβā | mazdā mə hī ahurā
hiiat mā vohū | airī. asat manaŋhā
ahiiā fərasə m | ahmāi vīuuīduiiē vašī
at ā ϑβahmāi | āϑrē rātąm nəmaŋh
aš ahiiā mā | auuat isāi maniiāi
at tū m i dais | aš əm hiiat. mā zaozaomī
ārmaitī | ha imn īt ārəm
pərəsā ā nå | ā t i ə hmā arštā
arštə m zī ϑβā | yaϑanā tat ə mauuatąm
hiiat ϑβā xšaiiąs | aēšəm diiāt ə mauua təm
1 Piras edits the two terms as a-stems (ºyaštəm, parštəm)
I realized that you are bounteous, Ahura,
when one surrounded me with Good
Thought and asked me: Who are you?
Whose are you? How do you wish to get a
date … for the consultation in the
presence of the flocks and the bodies
Thus I declared: “First, I am Zaraθuštra.
(Then) I wish to be a real enemy for the
supporter of Lie. I could be a strong
support for the supporter of Order, if I
would get the adornments of one who
commands at his will as far as I am
praising you and weaving you.
I realized that you are bounteous, Ahura,
when one surrounded me with God
Thought (asking): “For whom do you
wish to know perfectly his question (?)?
“For You, the Fire, (I wish to know) the
gift of the homage for understanding
Order, as far as I can.”
Show me the Order which I, accompanied
by Compliancy, am invoking rightly. Ask
us (the questions) that are to be asked
by us of You. For (the question) asked
by you belongs through (their) effort to
the forceful, if one who can might have
made you vigorous and forceful.

7. Y33.6
8. Y45.6
yə . zaotā. aš ā. ərəzūš. | huu . maniiə uš. ā. vahištāt . aiiā.
ahmāt . auuā. manaŋhā. | ā. vərəziieidiiāi. ma tā. vāstriiā.
tā.t i. iziiāi. ahurā. | mazdā. daršt iš ā. hə m. aršt iš ā.
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I, the zaotar, who (has reached) the straight (paths leading to Ahura Mazdā), I’m
pleased in accordance with this best spirit with the thought through which he (?)
conceives (the idea of) performing the pastoral works 2 . I’ll strive for
contemplating you and for consulting with you.
at . frauuaxšiiā. | vīs anąm. mazištəm.
stauuas. aš ā. | yə . hudå. i. hə tī.
spə tā. mainiiū. | sraotū. mazdå. ahur .
e iiā v ē. | vohū. frašī. manaŋhā.
ahiiā. xratū. | fr .mā. sāstū. vahištā.
“I will proclaim the greatest (word) of all, praising the generous among those
who are in accordance with Order. et Ahura Mazdā hear thanks to the benefic
spirit. Let him teach me the best (words), he at whose laudation I make a
consultation with Good Thought.”
9. THE DAĒNĀ SECTION IN Y53 (Y53.1-3):
vahištā. īštiš. srāuuī. | zaraϑuštrahē.
s itāmahiiā. ezī. | h i. dāt . āiia tā.
aš āt . ha ā. ahur . | mazdå. auu i. vīs āi.ā. | huuaŋhəuuīm.
aē ā. h i. da ən. saš ə ā. | daēnaiiå. vaŋhuiiå. uxδā. | š iiaoϑanā ā.
at ā. h i. s a tū. manaŋhā. | uxδāiš. š iiaoϑanāiš ā.
xšnūm. mazdå. vahmāi.ā. | fraorət . asnąs ā.
auua ā. vīštās . | zaraϑuštriš. s itām . | fərašaoštras ā.
dåŋh . ərəzūš. aϑ . | ąm. daēnąm. ahur . | saošiia t . dadāt .
tə m ā.tū. ouru istā. | haē at .as ānā.
s itāmī. eziuuī. du ədrąm. | zaraϑuštrahē.
vaŋhə uš. aitiiāstīm. manaŋh . aš ahiiā. mazdås ā. | tai ii . dāt . sarəm.
aϑā. hə m. fərašuuā. ϑβā. xraϑβā. s ə ništā. ārmat iš. | hudānu varəšuuā.
Famous is the sacrifice of the Spitāma Zaraθuštra, since Ahura Mazdā will
grant him the grant of a good existence for all time in accordance with Order
and also to these who practise and master the utterances and the actions of
the Vision.
Let Kauui Vīštāspa Spitāma, the son of Zaraθuštra, and Fərašaoštra, devote
through thought, utterances and actions to the satisfaction and to the sacrifices
2 Tabuistic expression for the sacrifice

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of Mazdā for his laudation. Ahura has established the right paths of the
offering as the Vision of the (sacrificer) who will get the opulence.
Might ourucistā Haēcat .aspānā, the youngest daughter of Zaraθuštra, keep still.
She gives you the launch of the Good Thought as union with the Order and
Mazdā. Thus take you the consultation thanks to your capacity and perform
the most beneficial and generous (actions) of Ārmaiti.
10. THE RITUAL PLAY OF MIRRORS
Ahura Mazdā → Vision (daēnā)
Zaraθuštra → ouru.cistā
zaotar → his own Vision (daēnā)
THE CONSULTATION IN THE LONG LITURGY
11. Y22.3 (= Y22.22, Y24.3, Y24.8, Y25.3, VR11.5)
imąm ā. uruuarąm. arəsmanīm. aγmūšīm a. ratufritīm. marəϑrəmca.
varəz d ēn iiå v ŋ uiiå āzd ii sn i gāϑ n s oϑrəm.
jaγmūš īm a. aš aon . aš ahe. raϑβ . ratufritīm. imą. aēsmąs a. aoiδīm a. āiiese.
ešti. tauua. āϑr . ahurahe. mazdå. puϑra. vīs a a. vohu. mazdaδāta. aš aciϑra.
āiiese. ešti
I introduce through the sacrifice the plant for the barəsman; the satisfaction of
the articulations that has arrived; the recitation in low voice and performance
of the good Vision obtained through the sacrifice to Mazdā; the aloud
recitation of the Songs; the arrived satisfaction of the articulations of the
articulation of the Order that supports the Order; the (sandal)wood and the
incense – they are yours, fire, son of Ahura Mazdā. I introduce through the
sacrifice all goods created by Mazdā and having the bright of Order.
12. THE VISION AS DOCTRINE
V19.16
niz aiiemi. vaŋuhīm. daēnąm. mazdaiiasnīm. dātəm. vīd iiūm. zaraϑuštrim
I invoke the good Vision obtained in the sacrifice to Mazdā, the prescriptions of
Zaraθuštra against the daēuua.
V3.42:
vaŋ v hi daēna māzdaiiasniš x pərənāuuaiiå iϑąm ϑβərəsaiti
The good Vision obtained in the sacrifice to Mazdā that might completely
forgive (a fault) determines the penalty.