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.
REALIZING-SELF, NATURE, GOD
Song 8.1 (Yasna 43.1)
May the Wise, Ruling-at-will Lord
grant radiant happiness to the person
who radiates happiness to any other person at large.
I pray for steadfast strength and courage
in order to uphold righteousness.
Grant me through serenity
the blessings of a rich life of good mind.
The Wise God rules at his will, a will that grants radiant happiness to whosoever gives radiating happiness to others without discrimination. All joining to create a healthy healthy and happy happy world. Zarathushtra wants steadfast strength and courage not for physical power but to serve righteousness. And he wants stability that produces a rich life based on good mind—a blessing to live, a life to spread happiness, a happiness that is shared by all.
Song 8.2 (Yasna 43.2)
Moreover, may the best of blessings
come to the person who gives blessings to others.
Wise One, may his knowledge grow
throughout the days of his long life of joy,
through Your most progressive mentality,
the wondrous wisdom of good mind
which You created by means of righteousness.
Zarathushtra’s guiding benediction continues: The best blessings go to the very person who blesses others. The blessings are the knowledge one imparts to others. Teaching increases knowledge and one enjoys the long days of life. This increasing knowledge is a divine gift through the progressive mentality which is but the super-wisdom of good mind, a faculty created by Mazda through the Universal Law of Precision.
Teaching increases knowledge and prolongs a joyful life.
Song 8.3 (Yasna 43.3)
And may that person get much good
who teaches us the straight paths of progress.
May he, in his physical and mental life,
truly attain the existence where the Lord dwells,
for, Wise One, he is like You;
sincere, noble, and progressive.
Continuing his guiding benediction, Zarathushtra goes further: The person who teaches straight paths of progress gets more than good in reward. They mentally and physically experience the very presence of Ahura. In fact, they becomes like Mazda—sincere, noble, and above all, progressive.
Teaching others to grow and progress will place us in the presence of Lord Wisdom.
Song 8.4 (Yasna 43.4)
Wise One, I realize You to be powerful and progressive
because You help with Your own hand.
You give rewards to both the wrongful and the righteous
by means of the warmth of Your fire
which is mighty through righteousness,
and through which strength of good mind comes to me.
Zarathushtra realizes Mazda, Super-Intellect, to be powerful and progressive when he finds God directly helping both the wrongful and the righteous. He realizes that the divine help comes through loving enlightenment, firmly based on the Universal Law of Precision—the very enlightenment that gives strength to Zarathushtra through his good mind, good thinking.
The fire of Ahura Mazda, the energy embedded in all existence, is the instrument by which he enacts his will.
Song 8.5 (Yasna 43.5)
I realized You, Wise Lord, to be progressive
when I saw You at the birth of life,
and found that You have ordained
that actions and words should have consequences:
bad for the bad, and good for the good.
It shall be so through You excellence
until the final turn of the creation.
Zarathushtra now relates his enlightenment experiences in the following stanzas of the song: He realizes Mazda to be progressive because he sees full justice in the divine action. It begins with the birth of life. Thoughts when turned into words and deeds have their consequences. Bad brings bad and good brings good consequences. This law shall last through divine excellence until the final turn of creation for the ultimate goal.
In his vision, Zarathushtra saw Ahura Mazda as the first thing at the birth of existence, establishing the ultimate consequences for good and evil.
Song 8.6 (Yasna 43.6)
At that turn, in which I exist,
You, Wise One, come with Your progressive mentality,
dominion, and good mind, through the actions
of which the living worlds are promoted by righteousness.
Serenity explains to them the proper laws of Your intelligence
which none can deceive.
The final turn towards the goal begins with Zarathushtra explaining the Principles of the divine, progressive mentality: the good dominion chosen and established by the people; the good mind which help to promote the living worlds through righteousness; and the world enjoying serenity and stability, getting the opportunity to understand the Divine Intelligence which watches every move, with nothing ever escaping its attention.
Life will be promoted when righteousness, good mind, creative mentality, and stability work in unison to establish the desired dominion.
Song 8.7 (Yasna 43.7)
I realized You, Wise Lord, to be progressive
when I was encircled by it (enlightenment) through good mind,
and it asked: "Who are you? To whom do you belong?
How would you, in these days of questioning,
explain the directives to the living and to yourself?"
Zarathushtra’s experience of enlightenment now turns himself. He realizes Mazda to be progressive when enlightenment encircles him through his own good mind and asks, “Who are you? Whom do you belong to? You stand questioning and do not have all the answers yet. How would you explain what the directives are, what the entire message is—to yourself and to others?” It makes him reflect more.
Understand yourself first to fully realize God and the divine purpose.
Song 8.8 (Yasna 43.8)
Then I said to it first: "I am Zarathushtra.
I am, as far as I can be, a true opponent of the wrongful,
and a strong supporter of the righteous.
In order to establish the adorations of the Ruler-at-will,
I shall continue to praise and glorify You, Wise One."
In reply to the enlightenment, Zarathushtra dedicates himself to, as far as he can, oppose the wrongful people and strongly support the righteous persons. In addition, he dedicates himself to continue to weave songs of praise to Mazda, who rules at will, songs which are simultaneously guidance for mankind.
Self-realization means dedication to opposing wrong and helping right.
Song 8.9 (Yasna 43.9)
I realized You, Wise Lord, to be progressive
when I was encircled by it through good mind.
To its question: "For what purpose do you want to acquire knowledge;"
I said: "With the gift of homage to Your fire,
I shall meditate, as long as I can, in quest of righteousness."
Zarathushtra realizes Mazda to be progressive when enlightenment encircles him through his own good mind and asks him, “Why do you want to acquire knowledge?” He says that with the guidance of the divine FIRE—light, warmth and strength—he will continue to concentrate how to gain knowledge to better proceed on the path of righteousness.
Knowledge of the precise workings of energy and matter enables us to understand the universe better and to therefore improve it.
Song 8.10 (Yasna 43.10)
So, show me righteousness which I continue to invoke.
I am well accompanied by serenity.
Ask us what we want to ask you.
An inquiry by you amounts to an inquiry by the strong,
because the Ruler makes one strong and powerful through you (the enlightenment).
Praising and adhering to righteousness, Zarathushtra wants to see more about it. His adherence to righteousness has given him serenity and stability. In his search and research, he wants to know what is the divine will, the will of the Ruler-at-will (see stanza 8.8). The knowledge of the divine will, gained through enlightenment to which Zarathushtra is directing his searching questions, certainly makes him feel more strong and enlightened.
Ahura Mazda made you to be powerful and strong.
Song 8.11 (Yasna 43.11)
I realized You, Wise Lord, to be progressive
when I was encircled through good mind,
and when I first learned from Your words
that it would be difficult for me to teach people
the devotion to practice what You told me is the best.
Zarathushtra realizes Mazda to be progressive when enlightenment encircles him through his own good mind. He comprehends the divine message and also realizes that it would be difficult to teach people who are so used to their old-age cultic beliefs to accept and practice what Zarathushtra has learned to be the best religion.
Blind faith bars one from seeing the light of truth. So, enlighten the world.
Song 8.12 (Yasna 43.12)
And You said: "You have come to understand righteousness,
and have not paid attention to disobedience."
I would, therefore, set myself so that revelation comes to me
in the company of a splendid reward,
and rewarding both factions (good and bad) with gain.
With enlightenment, Zarathushtra realizes that he has understood righteousness and ignored things worthy of not listening to. He prepares himself to be in constant communion so that he obtains what he wants—a wonderful reward of guiding both the righteous and the wrongful to gain the final goal.
Full attention to the divine voice guides one to guide others.
Song 8.13 (Yasna 43.13)
I realized You, Wise Lord, to be progressive
when I was encircled by [enlightenment] through good mind,
so that I attain my desired goals.
Grant me a long life which no one has dared to ask for,
the chosen existence, said to exist only in Your dominion.
Zarathushtra realizes Mazda to be progressive when enlightenment encircles him through his own good mind because he wants to reach his desired goals. Not an easy task to accomplish in a short time. So he prays for a long life, a life in which he has chosen to serve in the divine dominion of Mazda Ahura—the Super-Intellect Being. To that day polytheism and superstitions ruled minds and bodies; so, no one had dared to ask for a long life to be dedicated to serve an entirely new cause. And we know Zarathushtra lived 47 years after his enlightenment to reach his goals.
The blessing of a long life to serve humankind is the gift that brings the world closer to establishing the desired divine dominion.
Song 8.14 (Yasna 43.14)
Just as a wise and powerful man helps his friend,
Wise One, give me Your enlightening support,
ensuing from righteousness through Your dominion.
I shall, then, motivate and lead those loyal to the teachings
and all those who remember Your thought-provoking message.
Zarathushtra knows Mazda as his wise and powerful friend, and asks for enlightening support—a support that comes from righteousness, the universal law of precision and the divine dominion of order and peace. Enjoying the blessings, Zarathushtra wants to lead his companions and every person who comprehends the Divine Message to the ultimate goal.
With the enlightening support of Lord Wisdom, the thought-provoking divine message shall reach those who seek for truth.
Song 8.15 (Yasna 43.15)
I realized You, Wise Lord, to be progressive
when I was encircled by it through good mind,
and it showed that silent meditation is the best.
One should never try to please wrongful people
because they hold the righteous as [their enemies].
Zarathushtra realizes Mazda to be progressive when enlightenment encircles him through his own good mind; it showed him that the best way to meditate and concentrate thoughts was to do in silence. It also demonstrated another point. One must not appease and please wrongdoers as it does not change them. They continue to consider the righteous as totally bad people.
Do not give in to the will of the deceitful by appeasing them, as it will not change their nature.
Song 8.16 (Yasna 43.16)
Therefore, Wise Lord, I, Zarathushtra choose for myself
the very mentality of Yours, which is the most progressive.
May righteousness breath a strong life in [the] body.
May serenity prevail in the sun-bathed dominion.
May the reward for actions be given through good mind.
Enlightened by the divine progressive mentality—the creative faculty, Zarathushtra chooses it for his self. He prays, “May righteousness infuse his body with strong life. May serenity and stability prevail in the bright dominion chosen and established by the righteous, and may people be rewarded by their good mind with radianthappiness for good actions done through the very good mind.”
Progressive mentality rewards the mind and body with serenity, satisfaction, happiness, and good health
We invite your comments on these Gathas so that our insights might teach one another.
Next Installment (WHEN PUBLISHED): The Gathas – Song 9
Previous Installment: The Gathas – Song 7
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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