Each stanza of this song contains the translation in italics, a brief commentary, and a closing thought to ponder.
Try reading on stanza each day and pondering upon its meaning.
Song 9.1 (Yasna 44.1)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I reverently pay [homage to You]?
Teach this to a friend like me, Wise One.
Let us all be given help, through loving righteousness,
so that it comes to us through good mind.
Enlightenment through meditating on questions that turn into answers. In the first stanza, he asks as to how he should pay his reverence and homage to Ahura—“The Being”. He wants Wisdom to teach a friend like Zarathushtra; he wishes for help through the Universal Law which is made of “loving” rightousness, the help comes only when one uses his or her good mind. The answer he recieves is that this very stanza is the best loving homage one can pay. No rule for performing rituals, no directive for dramas.
Song 9.2 (Yasna 44.2)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall one who, from the very beginning,
seeks the best life, prosper?
Indeed, such a person is, through righteousness,
a great promoter and a treasure for all.
He is, Wise One, a guardian, a mental life-healer, and a friend.
Zarathushtra wants to be fully enlightened; so, he asks how can a person become successful just because he is seeking it? The answer is returned just because he is seeking. It is such a prosperous person who understands the value of promoting others through righteousness. He is, therefore, of great value to all; he is a guardian, a friend and one who improves life through his mental healing and psychological counseling.
Gaining prosperity comes from the desire to reach enlightenment through righteousness and paying it forward to others.
Song 9.3 (Yasna 44.3)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who is the foremost creator and parent of righteousness?
Who made the sun and the stars in their paths?
Who makes the moon wax and wane?
I am, Wise One, eager to know all this and more.
Zarathushtra wants to be fully enlightened; he asks, “Who is the originator of the universal law of precision [Righteousness]? Who has fixed the paths for the sun and the stars. How do the moon phases change within the month?” All these questions show he had a good knowledge of astronomical science and yet was seeking to know more—a science which made him realize the continuous creative and sustenance aspects of the Divine.
Pursuit of knowledge must never stop in order to grow and evolve with the passage of time.
Song 9.4 (Yasna 44.4)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who holds the earth below,
who keeps the sky from breaking away?
Who creates the waters and who the plants?
Who lends the wind and clouds speed?
Who is the creator, Wise One, of good mind?
‘Answering questions’ and ‘searching knowledge’ continue to the topic of the forces controlling the earth below and the sky above; who created water and vegetation; and who moves the wind and clouds… Ahura, the Being. And who created good mind? Mazda, the Super-intellect.
Zarathushtra’s thought-provoking teachings promote the necessity of empirical evidence.
Song 9.5 (Yasna 44.5)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Which artist fashioned the light and the darkness?
Which artist planned sleep and awakening?
Who made the dawn, day, and dusk
that remind the wise of the ultimate goal?
Turning to the more artistic, Zarathushtra wants to know the “artist” who created both light and darkness, sleep and awakening, dawn, day and dusk—the entire day and night with its contrasting beauties—only to remind the wise among us of their duty to promote life and enjoy living.
Experiencing the simple and the complex beauties of life enables you to serve humanity more effectively and with more enjoyment.
Song 9.6 (Yasna 44.6)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Are the things I speak forth indeed true?
Does serenity, by its actions, promote righteousness?
For whom has dominion been arranged through good mind?
For whom did You create the fruitful, joy-bringing world?
Zarathushtra’s questions are now focused on a new angle. He wants to be sure that his realizations are true. Does peace and stability promote a righteous environment? Who are entitled to benefit from a dominion established by the wise based on sound knowledge? For whom is the living world which, through good thoughts, words, and deeds, bears fruit and brings happiness, been created? The answer: those who bear life, and humanity who has the capacity to manage their creations.
True happiness is the outcome of a mindful, positive, joyous, wise, and orderly way of life.
Song 9.7 (Yasna 44.7)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who fashioned precious serenity with dominion?
Who made the child lovingly attentive to the parent?
It is by these questions, Wise One,
that I am able to recognize You
as the Creator of all by Your progressive [forward moving] mind.
Zarathushtra wants to know who made valuable serenity and stability and at the same time order and discipline. Who made the child love and at the same time learn from the parent? It is such continuous queries which lead Zarathushtra to recognize The Divine as the Creator of the universe through the divine mental faculty of progress and promotion.
Peace and order in the world and familial love are manifestations of the divine progressive mentality.
Song 9.8 (Yasna 44.8)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
In order to bear Your directives in mind, Wise One,
the words which I ask through good mind
and the facts about life to be correctly
understood through righteousness are:
What shall my soul ultimately attain?
Zarathushtra wants to precisely carry out the principles of life he has realized through his good mind and righteousness so that his soul finally attains its goal—to be like the Divine.
The principles that guide us through a righteous life will ultimately result in the final goal of fulfillment.
Song 9.9 (Yasna 44.9)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I enliven for myself the religion
the Master of Beneficent Sovereignty teaches me?
How to be prompt, like You, Wise One, with lofty rules
and live in the same abode with righteousness and good mind?
Zarathushtra contemplates to know how to promote the religion being taught to him by the good mind through The Divine; how to be as quick in adhering to subtle principles as Wisdom, the Super-Intellect is; and how to live in an environment that enjoys good thinking and precise exercise? The answer: Be promptly godlike by living with lofty rules of clear thinking and the universal law.
Acting from wisdom, gained through the benefit of Good Mind, makes one like "Lord Wisdom".
Song 9.10 (Yasna 44.10)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
That religion is the best for the living
which promotes the world through righteousness,
and polishes words and actions in serenity.
Therefore, the yearnings of my mind are for You, Wise One.
Zarathushtra wishes to know as to which religion is the best for mankind—Is it the one which promotes the world through righteousness? Is it the one which improves words and deeds in a serene and tranquil atmosphere?—YES. It being so, he then dedicates all his thoughts—ideals—to Mazda, because The King of Wisdom has the best religion—the true way of life in mind and matter.
True religion is progress in thoughts, words, and deeds.
Song 9.11 (Yasna 44.11)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How does serenity come to those
to whom, Wise One, Your religion is taught?
I recognize You to be the beginning.
All others I consider [unacceptable].
Zarathushtra asks this to be sure if serenity and tranquility come to those who have learned the best religion, the one which promotes the living world. Considering all the points mentioned in the preceding stanzas of this song, Zarathushtra recognizes Wisdom, the Super-Intellect, to be the beginning; all other conceptions of Divinity are seen by him as mental antagonism.
The best religion brings peace, serenity, and tranquility in all aspects of life.
Song 9.12 (Yasna 44.12)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Who, among those I confer, is righteous, who wrongful?
Who sides with evil, and who is evil himself?
Why should I not consider the person,
who is wrongfully set against Your gains, to be evil?
Zarathushtra is seeking divine help in discerning the nature of the people he is conferring with. Who is righteous and who is wrongful? Who does evil and who is evil personified? If this be the case, why should he not consider one who is working to impede the progress made on the divine path as evil?
Beware of the wrongful disguised as the righteous.
Song 9.13 (Yasna 44.13)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall we thoroughly remove wrong from us,
and keep away from those who are full of disobedience,
who do not seek to care for and unite with righteousness,
and who do not delight in communion with good mind?
Zarathushtra goes further after recognizing the wrong and wants to concentrate on how to remove wrongness, as well as the wrong amidst the people he is conferring with. He wants to keep away from those who violate the Principles of Life and who do utilize their good mind and are driven by their thoughtless emotions.
Do not seek kinship with those who scorn righteousness and the good mind
Song 9.14 (Yasna 44.14)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I deliver wrong into the hands of righteousness
so that it is cleansed by Your thought-provoking teaching,
and thus introduce a strong movement among the wrongful,
which would, Wise One, remove their afflictions and evils?
Comprehending what to do, Zarathushtra now turns to start spreading his message and searching for solutions; he wants to teach, through his thought-provoking message, how to replace the wrong with righteousness. He is confident this mission will be succesful amongst the wrongful and they shall be cured of their wrongdoings, and the consequences of such. Therefore, they would deliver wrong into the hands of righteousness.
The best teaching cleanses life of the evil which caused it to be deceived.
Song 9.15 (Yasna 44.15)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
If You rule this world through righteousness,
then when the two opposing teams come together,
keeping in view the rules which You, Wise One, have ordained,
where and to which of the two, will You grant victory?
This question, too, has a clear answer: Ahura rules the world through the principle of preciseness. When the two parties, the righteous and the wrongful, come face to face in life, the victory of winning the other side over goes to the righteous.
In the end, the Righteous laws of existence will vanquish the Lie.
Song 9.16 (Yasna 44.16)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
Of those who exist, who is the victor
who protects the world with Your doctrine?
Show me clearly the life-healing leader
so that the inspiration comes through good mind
to that person as well as to any other person
to whom You, Wise One, wish.
With victory going for wining over the wrongful to the righteous, who else will the victor except the person who protects the world by spreading the Divine Message. With his thought-provoking words, he heals life suffering from exploitation and injustice. To such a person, or anyone else, the divine inspiration comes through good thinking. That is what the Divine One wishes.
Acquiring the good mind will inspire you to heal the world.
Song 9.17 (Yasna 44.17)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I, Wise One, carry the invocation from You,
in Your company,
so that my voice becomes forceful
and ultimately guides to wholeness and immortality
in accordance with the thought-provoking message
which is a gain from righteousness.
The Gathas are simultaneously prayers to God and guidance to mankind. Here Zarathushtra wants to make sure how his Songs—the Thought-provoking Message—resound in increasing force to lead humanity to wholeness and immortality, blissful perfection and eternity.
The thought provoking messages of the Gathas can guide humanity to wholeness and bliss.
Song 9.18 (Yasna 44.18)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
How shall I earn through righteousness
the reward of ten *mares with their stallions and a camel,
which would make me know, Wise One,
how to give them both—wholeness and immortality.
Well-determined and well-prepared to spread his message to mankind, Zarathushtra takes a bold step. He entrusts ten couples—wives and their spouses and another person (10 mares with their stallions; and a camel)—to lead this mission. They are the ones who have aspa (horse) and ushtra (camel) as a part of their names, and here the Master Poet, himself with ushtra a part of his name, masterly presents them, in one stroke, all in half a line! King Vishtaspa, Jamaspa, Ferashaoshtra, and their wives are included here. With them as pioneer missionaries, we know the Message spread far and wide. Converts were well on the path to wholeness and immortality.
Note: They were most probably certain prominent men and women. Vishtaspa, Jamaspa, and Ferashaoshtra were among the topmost patrons of the Zarathushtrian mission. The record of veteran men and women missionaries of the early period, has many names with aspa and ushtra as their second part.
Accepting Zarathushtra’s teachings means actively promoting righteousness and life.
Song 9.19 (Yasna 44.19)
This I ask You, tell me truly, Lord.
What is the primary punishment for the person
who does not give reward to the deserving
when approached with true words?
However, I know what will befall him later.
This ‘answering question’ makes Zarathushtra know for sure what consequences will befall the person who is approached and given the Divine Message, and who does not reward the messenger by joining in the Fellowship. Bad consequences will occur until one corrects himself to become righteous and promote life.
Ignoring truth has grave consequences.
Song 9.20 (Yasna 44.20)
How could false gods be good rulers?
I ask this because those who indulge in lust,
with which the mumbling priests,
particularly the sacrificing Usigs [a famous family],
have delivered the world to fury,
and the princes, in their stubbornness, have forced it to lament,
and do not reward it through righteousness
so as to promote a settled life.
When priests and princes, worshippers of daevas, false gods, join forces to exploit people, they make life miserable; they are driven by their greed and lust for wealth. Among those who were opposed to the Message, were these ritualistic priests, especially the Usig family of the Rig Vedic fame for their sacrificial rites, and the ruthless princes. Yet they propagated that their exploiting actions were in the name of good gods. Zarathushtra, an advocate for peaceful settled life, questions their legitimacy. He has his own plan to spread his Divine Doctrine and promote a stable life of righteousness.
Deceitful religious and political leaders exploit life for their personal gain.
We invite your comments on these Gathas so that our insights might teach one another.
Next Installment (WHEN PUBLISHED): The Gathas – Song 10
Previous Installment: The Gathas – Song 8
Source: The Gathas - Zarathushtrian Assembly See the index on the left of the page for the Song labeled in the title of this article.
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