Gathas & Translation
Gathas - a Glance
Song 1
Song 2
Song 3
Song 4
Song 5
Song 6
Song 7
Song 8
Song 9
Song 10
Song 11
Song 12
Song 13
Song 14
Song 15
Song 16
Song 17
Supplements I
Supplements II

Ushtavaiti Gatha

Translated Text:

Summary Substance: We start on another master piece of a song by Zarathushtra on enlightenment through *meditating* 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 Mazda to teach a friend like Zarathushtra. He wants to be helped through the Universal Law which is made of "loving" precision. That help comes only when one uses his or her good mind. The answer: The very stanza is the best loving homage one can pay! No rule for running rituals, no directive for dragging dramas.

Pondering Points: Commune with God and search your good mind for answers.

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra wants to be fully enlightened. He asks that how can a person become prosperous just because he seeks it. The answer: Just because he seeks. 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.

Pondering Points: Seek prosperity, get it and then sincerely make others prosperous.

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra wants to be fully enlightened. He asks: Who is the originator of the universal law of precision? Who has fixed the paths for the sun and the stars. How 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 God.

Pondering Points: Knowledge must not stop at any point, continue to seek more.

Summary Substance: Answering questions and searching knowledge continue about who controls 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.

Pondering Points: Master poet, Thought-provoker Zarathushtra sees power to create and sustain in God as Ahura, and good thinking in God as Mazda.

Summary Substance: Turning 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.

Pondering Points: Enjoying beauties around the clock makes one serve better.

Summary Substance: 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: We human beings.

Pondering Points: True joy lies in good, wise, stable, orderly, and righteous life.

Summary Substance: 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 God as the Creator of the universe through the divine mental faculty of progress and promotion.

Pondering Points: Peace and order in the world, love and attention in the family are but two manifestations of the divine progressive creativity.

Summary Substance: 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 godlike (see the following answering question).

Pondering Points: Principles of life lead to the final goal.

128th Day

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra contemplates to know how to promote the religion being taught to him by the good and sovereign God; how to be as quick in adhering to subtle principles as Mazda, the Super-Intellect is; and how to live in an environment that enjoys good thinking and precise exercise? Answer: Be promptly godlike by living with lofty rules of clear thinking and the universal law.

Pondering Points: Lofty rules prompt to be godlike.

Summary Substance: 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? The answer: YES. If so then he dedicates all his thoughts - ideals - to Mazda, because he has the best religion - the true way of life in mind and matter.

Pondering Points: Religion is progress in thoughts, words and deeds.

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra asks to be sure that 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 the song, Zarathushtra recognizes Mazda, the Super-Intellect to be the beginning. All other conceptions of god/gods are seen by him as strong mental antagonism.

Pondering Points: Best religion brings peace of mind and matter. Intellectual mind sees Super-Intellect as foremost. Inconsiderate thinking breeds harmful fancies.

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra is seeking divine help in knowing the persons he is conferring with. Who is righteous and who is wrongful? Who does evil and who is evil personified? And if this be the case, why should he not consider one who is working to frustrate the progress made on the divine path as evil?

Pondering Points: Beware of the wrongful in righteous garb!

Summary Substance: Zarathushtra goes further after recognizing the wrong and wants to concentrate on how to remove wrong and the wrong among 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 "un-thought" emotions.

Pondering Points: Use your good mind to keep at safe distance from wrong and wrongful.

Summary Substance: Comprehending what to do, Zarathushtra now turns to start spreading his message and searches for solutions. He wants to teach, through his thought-provoking message, how to replace wrong by righteousness. The mission will gain momentum, he is confident, among the wrongful and they shall be cured of their wrong doings and the consequences. They shall deliver wrong into the hands of righteousness.

Pondering Points: Thought-provoking teaching, thought reflecting mission, is the best to change the wrongful into righteous.

Summary Substance: The question to is the 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.

Pondering Points: Right shall win wrong over.

Summary Substance: With victory going to the righteous for wining over the wrongful, 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 God wishes.

Pondering Points: Use your mind, feel inspired, spread the Message, heal life, and save the world.

Summary Substance: 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.

Pondering Points: The Subtle Songs soar to guide to Good Goal.

Summary Substance and Note: Well-determined and well-prepared to spread his message to mankind, Zarathushtra takes a bold step. He has ten couples -- wives and their spouses and another person -- to be won over to lead the mission. They are the ones with *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, Fereshaushtra and wives are among the team. With them as the pioneer missionaries, we know the Message spread far and wide. Converts were well on the path to wholeness and immortality.

Pondering Points: Wanted strong pioneers to spread the Message!

** Most probably certain prominent men and women with their names ending in aspa (horse) and ushtra (camel) whom Zarathushtra was trying to win over to the new religion. Vishtaspa, Jamaspa, and Ferashaoshtra were among the topmost patrons of the Zarathushtrian mission. Farvardin Yasht, the record of veteran men and women missionaries of the early period, have many names with aspa and ushtra as their second part.

Summary Substance: The answering question makes Zarathushtra know for sure what consequences will befall the person who is approached and given the Divine Message and he does not reward the person by joining him in the Fellowship. Ill consequences until one corrects himself to become righteous and promote life.

Pondering Points: True words warrant positive rewards - acceptance.

Summary Substance: When priests and princes, worshippers of "daevas", false gods, join hands to exploit people, they make life miserable. They are driven by 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, advocate of peaceful settled life, questions their legitimacy. He has his own plan to spread his Divine Doctrine and promote a stable life of righteousness.

Pondering Points: Ritualism and tyranny do not make a peaceful prosperous community.