Song 17.1 (Yasna 53.1)
The best wish of mine, Zarathushtra Spitama, has been fulfilled, because the Wise Lord has, on account of my righteousness, granted me blessings, both mental and material, and a good life for ever. Those who hurt me, have also learned the words and deeds of the Good Conscience.
After concluding his 16th Song with his loving veneration of all his companions, Zarathushtra now expresses his joy at the success of his mission. It is on account of his earnest and righteous way of promoting his Divine Mission that he finds his best wish has come true, the successful esablishing of the Good Religion. He earnestly ascribes his success to divine guidance; he feels happy and content in mind and body knowing he will enjoy a good life forever. He is alive, his very words are heard, and he sees that those who rose against him, hurt him, made him leave his relatives and hometown, and placed obstacles in his way to Vishtaspa’s court—where they then intrigued against him—have now learned the truth. They too have converted to the Good Religion.
Once the Truth is explained fully from a wholistic perspective, opposition fades and success is accomplished.
Song 17.2 (Yasna 53.2)
And now, let Kavi Vishtaspa, the Zarathushtrian Spitama, and Ferashaoshtra pursue, with mind, words, and deeds, the knowledge for the praise and for the choice of venerations of the Wise One, in order to establish in straight paths the religion which the Lord has granted to the benefactor.
Satisfied with the progress made by the Good Religion, Zarathushtra now delegates his work to his close companions—Vishtaspa, Ferashaustra and likely his cousin Maidhyoi-maha as well. He advises them to continue to pursue with their thoughts, words, and deeds the religious knowledge and proper ways of venerating Wisdom, all with the sole aim of paving real roads for promoting the Good Religion.
The Wise One will provide you the path to becoming a renovator of existence if you attend and listen to him.
Song 17.3 (Yasna 53.3)
Pouruchista Haechataspa Spitama, youngest daughter of Zarathushtra: May He grant you him who is steadfast in good mind, and united with righteousness and with the Wise One. Therefore, consult him with your wisdom, and work with the most progressive and munificent serenity.
A happy occasion is approaching. Zarathushtra’s youngest daughter, Pouruchista, is getting married to a young man, Jamaspa Hvogova. She is blessed by her father. He wishes her a spouse who is unerring in thoughts, is right and righteous, and very godly. He advises her to be very wise, serenely, generous, and progressive in talking to him. To Zarathushtra, marriage is a sublime act of loving wisdom, and not one entered into through sheer emotions.
Consult with your intellect and intuition to choose a spouse who will help you be a more truthful and righteous person.
Song 17.4 (Yasna 53.4)
(She replies:) Him I shall emulate and choose, an act which will be an honor for the father, the husband, the settlers, and the family. As a righteous woman among the righteous people, mine be the glorious union of good mind. May the Wise Lord grant it for the Good Conscience for all the time.
Pouruchista assures her father that she will choose and emulate the right person with whom her marriage will prove to be an honor for her father, her husband, other family members, and all the neighbors in the settlement. She vows to serve as a righteous woman among a righteous people. She will always be using her good mind, and for that, she prays to adhere and enjoy the Good Religion for all the time she lives.
A good marriage, founded on faith, wisdom, and righteousness, serves the community, earns honor, and brings posperity to the family.
Song 17.5 (Yasna 53.5)
(Zarathushtra says) These words I speak to the charming brides, and to you, bridegrooms. Do bear them in mind. Comprehend them with your consciences. Master the life which belongs to good mind. May you each win the other through righteousness. It will, indeed, be a good acquisition for each of you.
Zarathushtra now addresses all “charming” brides and bridegrooms. He wants them to fully understand what he advises them, and wants to them to lead a life of wisdom. Then, giving the best of equality, he prays that each of them win the other through righteous and true love in life. A happy life of love based on wisdom and truth is truly a rich reward.
Seek to surpass your loved ones in righteous, as this will be a good gain for each of you.
Song 17.6 (Yasna 53.6)
Men and women, it is true that wrong is attractive and appears to have advantages. But it alienates one away from one's self. It ends in woefulness and bad reputation. It destroys happiness for the wrongful. It defiles truths. With these, you shall be destroying your mental life.
Zarathushtra gives timely advice to the young men and women joined in wedlock. It is true, he says, that wrong things have their own attraction. Some see quick profit in them, but the person engaged in a wrong act, knows what they are doing. Their conscience troubles them and feels that they have betrayed themselves. Once a person is exposed of the wrongs done, the consequences are bad, reputation is lost, and happiness gone. The wrongful mentally suffers hard; it is no life.
Men and women both should resist the allure of the Lie, as it treating it as an advantage only destroys one’s mental existence.
Song 17.7 (Yasna 53.7)
But the reward of this Fellowship shall be yours as long as you remain united in weal and woe with all your heart in wedlock. Thus the mentality of the wrongful disappears. However, if you abandon the Fellowship, then the last word you shall utter is "woe."
If a couple emulate each other in righteous acts through the good mind, their life would be ideal. If either one of them is attracted by wrongness, the unity could fall apart. Zarathushtra wants all units of society—from the house to the world fellowship—well united. A rupture in one, would have ill effect on all others. He, therefore, advises the couples to remain united in weal or woe with all their heart. Unity dispels evil and strengthens fellowship; disunity is harmful. One who destroys unity, is no more a member, and one who abandons the Fellowship will never feel happy. They would continually feel that loss.
The unity and happiness of a couple are guaranteed if they make the basis of their marriage mutual love and care.
Song 17.8 (Yasna 53.8)
It is with such actions that evil doers become prone to deception and ridicule. Let them all scream for themselves. Let, by means of good rulers, killing and wounding be prevented and peace be brought to homes and settlements. Let afflictions be gone. He is the greatest who restrains violent death. And let this happen soon!
The evil doers, the wrongful, indulge in deceiving and ridiculing those they are against; they create uproar. Zarathushtra says that they should be left to themselves to shout and roar, just ignore them. However, the righteous should have good rulers for themselves who would prevent war and bring peace to the settled people. The person who would stop bloodshed is the greatest hero.
Good rulers, whether at the home or in society, bring peace and happiness by ending violence and bloodshed.
Song 17.9 (Yasna 53.9)
Activity with evil doers yields to decrease in worth. In their anger, they defile truth and are criminals. Where is the righteous lord, who would oppose them for life and liberty? It is, Wise One, Your dominion that provides an honest-living oppressed a better living.
Evil doers do not add any value to life as they are driven by anger, the cause of all destructive actions. They destroy truth and commit crime, and they bring death and destruction. They must be opposed in order to safeguard life and maintain freedom. This state of freedom and life is only achieved by choosing a good dominion in which every honest person is guaranteed a better living, and no one is deprived of their rights. Zarathushtra advocates an ideal society based on mental and material righteousness, freedom, happiness, and progress.
In the face of oppressors and dictators, seek to create a free and beneficial world that provides honest, oppressed people a wonderful life.
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We invite your comments on these Gathas so that our insights might teach one another.
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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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