ose reward was the birth of
his august and renowned son, Yima, (6) the king, in whose reign there
was neither death, nor scorching heat, nor benumbing cold, but when
fulness of life, perfection of happiness, and unfailing justice
prevailed. The second to worship me," said Homa, "was Athwya, the
blessed one, and to him as a reward was born Thraetaona, who slew the
three-mouthed, three-tailed, six-eyed, thousand-scaled dragon that
wrought such dire havoc in the world. The third to worship me was
Thrita, to whom, in recompense, were born two sons of illustrious name,
one great as ruler of men, and the other a brave warrior who slew the
man-and-horse-swallowing dragon. The fourth was thine own distinguished
father, Pourushasha, and the reward that he received was to have thee, O
great prophet of men, for his son." On hearing which Zarathustra
immediately set about walking around the sacred fire singing lustily the
praises of the god Homa, whom his father had worshipped. "It is Homa,"
sang the prophet, "that gives men knowledge of things new and old. Even
men buried under a weight of book-lore receive from him inspiration and
perception of truth that no books can impart. It is Homa that gives kind
and wealthy husbands to unwed maidens; that fills the sky with clouds
and refreshes the ground with life-giving showers, causing the plants to
grow on the lofty mountains on whose brow thine own sacred plant
(asclepias) flourishes."

CHAPTER 12. [Profession of faith on the part of the new convert, uttered
by the ancient Iranians on their giving up the worship of Daevas and the
nomad life, and on their being received into the religious community
established by Zarathustra.]

Now cease I to be a Daeva worshipper and make profession of the religion
of Ahura-Mazda, proclaimed by Zarathustra. I ascribe all good things
everywhere to Ahura-Mazda, the true, shining and holy one. I will never
more molest Mazdaists. I will forsake the Daevas, the false and wicked
originators of all the mischief in the universe. I forsake also all
Daeva like beings, witches, wizards, and the like. I belong to the
Mazdaist religion, and will support it to my dying day. There is no joy
of virtue but has come from Ahura-Mazda.

CHAPTER 19. The importance and value of the Ahuna-Vairya prayer, said
Zarathustra to Ahura-Mazda "O holiest and best of beings, what words
taughtest thou me before the world was, or human life began its
history?" "It was," responded th