# Vendidad — Chapter 22

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Avesta.org. The Vendidad, Chapter 22, translation: L.H. Mills / J. Darmesteter (Sacred Books of the East, 1880-1887), Avesta.org. License: Public domain (translation predates 1928).
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> 
> AVESTA: VENDIDAD (English): Fargard 22.
> 
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> This digital edition prepared by Joseph H. Peterson, 1995; updated Jul 7, 2001.
> 
> Translated by James Darmesteter (From Sacred Books of the East,
> American Edition, 1898.)
> 
> It has already been seen that of all healers, the most powerful
> is the one who treats with the Holy Word (Manthra Spenta), that
> is with sacred spells (Vd7.44):
> Of all sacred spells, the most efficacious is the
> Airyema ishyo, which forms the fifty-fourth
> Ha of the Yasna. This is expressed under a mythological form
> in the following Fargard (cf. Westergaard's Fragments, IV).
> 
> Angra Mainyu having created 99,999 diseases, Ahura applies for
> remedy to the Holy Word (Manthra Spenta; §§ 1-5). -- How
> shall I manage? asks Manthra Spenta (§ 16). Ahura sends his messenger
> to Airyaman with the same request.
> 
> This Fargard is unfinished or, more correctly, the end of it is
> understood. Airyaman comes at once to Ahura's call, and digs nine
> furrows. It is no doubt in order to perform the Barashnom,
> by the virtue of which the strength of the demon and of the demon's
> work will be broken. The Fargard ends therefore with spells against
> sickness and agailist death, added to the usual spells of the
> ordinary Barashnom.
> 
> FARGARD 22. Angra Mainyu creates 99,999 diseases; Ahura Mazda counters with the
> Holy Manthra and with Airyaman
> 
> I.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> 1. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathushtra, saying: 'I,
> Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this
> mansion1, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I go
> up, there may I arrive!)
> 
> 1. 'The Garothman' (Comm.), Paradise.
> 
> 2. 'Then the ruffian looked at me2; the ruffian Angra Mainyu,
> the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and
> nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand
> diseases. So mayst thou heal me, thou most glorious Manthra
> Spenta!
> 
> 2. And cast on me the evil eye; 'it was by casting the evil eye
> on the good creatures of Ohrmazd that Ahriman corrupted them' (Eznig,
> Refutatio Haeresiarum II). See Vd20.3.
> 
> 3. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet,
> swift-running steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka3,
> made by Mazda and holy.
> 
> 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet,
> high-humped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka,
> made by Mazda and holy.
> 
> 3. The Genius of the good eye; see Vd19.37, and note.
> 
> 4. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that
> do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by
> Mazda and holy.
> 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females big with
> young, of all species of small cattle; I offer thee up a
> sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.
> 
> 5. 'And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the
> righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that
> makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing,
> that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man
> sound again.
> 
> 6. 'Manthra Spenta, the all-glorious, replied unto me: "How
> shall I heal thee? How shall I drive away from thee those nine
> diseases, and those ninety, those nine hundred, those nine
> thousand, and those nine times ten thousand diseases?"'
> 
> II.
> 
> 7. The Maker Ahura Mazda called for
> Nairyo-sangha4: Go thou, Nairyo-sangha, the herald, and drive
> towards the mansion of Airyaman, and speak thus unto him:
> 
> 4. The messenger of Ahura Mazda. He is a form of Atar, the
> Fire (Yasna 17.11).
> 
> 8. Thus speaks Ahura Mazda, the Holy One, unto thee:
> 'I, Ahura Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made
> this mansion, the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I
> ascend, there may I arrive!)
> 
> 9. 'Then the ruffian looked at me; the ruffian Angra Mainyu,
> the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and
> nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand
> diseases. So mayst thou heal me, O Airyaman, the vow-fulfiller!
> 
> 10. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet,
> swift-running steeds; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka,
> made by Mazda and holy,
> 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet,
> high-humped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka,
> made by Mazda and holy,
> 
> 11. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that
> do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by
> Mazda and holy.
> 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females big with
> young, of all species of small cattle. I offer thee up a
> sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.
> 
> 12. 'And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the
> righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that
> make, the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing,
> that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man
> sound again.'
> 
> III.
> 
> 13. In obedience to Ahura's words he went, Nairyo-sangha, the
> herald; he drove towards the mansion of Airyaman, he spake unto
> Airyaman, saying:
> 
> 14. Thus speaks Ahura Mazda, the Holy One, unto thee: 'I, Ahura
> Mazda, the Maker of all good things, when I made this mansion,
> the beautiful, the shining, seen afar (there may I go up, there
> may I arrive!)
> 
> 15. 'Then the ruffian looked at me; the ruffian Angra Mainyu,
> the deadly, wrought against me nine diseases, and ninety, and
> nine hundred, and nine thousand, and nine times ten thousand
> diseases. So mayst thou heal me, O Airyaman, the vow-fulfiller!
> 
> 16. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet,
> swift-running steeds ; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka,
> made by Mazda and holy.
> 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand fleet,
> high-humped camels; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka,
> made by Mazda and holy.
> 
> 17. 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand brown oxen that
> do not push; I offer thee up a sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by
> Mazda and holy.
> 'Unto thee will I give in return a thousand females, big
> with young, of all species of small cattle; I offer thee up a
> sacrifice, O good Saoka, made by Mazda and holy.
> 
> 18. 'And I will bless thee with the fair blessing-spell of the
> righteous, the friendly blessing-spell of the righteous, that
> makes the empty swell to fulness and the full to overflowing,
> that comes to help him who was sickening, and makes the sick man
> sound again.'
> 
> IV.
> 
> 19. Quickly was it done, nor was it long, eagerly set off the
> vow-fulfilling Airyaman, towards the mountain of the holy
> Questions5, towards the forest of the holy Questions.
> 
> 5. The mountain where 'the holy conversations' between Ohrmazd
> and Zarathushtra took place (cf. Vd19.11).
> 
> 20. Nine kinds of stallions brought he with him, the
> vow-fulfilling Airyaman6.
> 
> Nine kinds of camels brought he with him, the vow-fulfilling
> Airyaman.
> 
> Nine kinds of bulls brought he with him, the vow-fulfilling
> Airyaman.
> 
> Nine kinds of small cattle brought he with him, the
> vow-fulfilling Airyaman.
> 
> He brought with him the nine twigs7; he drew along nine
> furrows8.
> 
> 6. According to Framji, 'He brought with him the strength
> of nine stallions,' to infuse it into the sick man
> (cf. Yasht 8.24).
> 
> 7. That is to say, 'the nine-knotted stick' (Framji; cf.
> Vd9.14).
> 
> 8. To perform the Barashnom, 'the great service of the Nirang Din,
> through which all evil, moral and natural, including evil passions,
> disease, and death will be removed' (Wilson, The Parsi Religion,
> p. 341).
> 
> [219. 'I drive away Ishire and I drive away Aghuire; I drive away
> Aghra and I drive away Ughra; I drive away sickness and I drive
> away death; I drive away pain and I drive away fever; I drive
> away Sarana and I drive away Sarastya; I drive away Azhana and I
> drive away Azhahva; I drive away Kurugha and I drive away
> Azhivaka; I drive away Duruka and I drive away Astairya. I drive
> away the evil eye, rottenness, and infection which Angra Mainyu
> has created against the bodies of mortals.
> 
> 9. From the Vendidad Sada; as Vd20.9-13.
> 
> 22. 'I drive away all manner of sickness and death, all the
> Yatus and Pairikas, and all the wicked Jainis.
> 
> 23. 'A Airyema Ishyo:-
> May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman come here, for the men and
> women of Zarathushtra to rejoice, for Vohu-mano to rejoice; with
> the desirable reward that Religion deserves. I solicit for
> holiness that boon that is vouchsafed by Ahura.
> 
> 24. 'May the vow-fulfilling Airyaman smite all manner of
> sickness and death, all the Yatus and Pairikas, and all the
> wicked Jainis.
> 
> 25. 'Yatha ahu vairyo:-
> The will of the Lord is the law of
> righteousness. The gifts of Vohu-mano to the deeds done in this
> world for Mazda. He who relieves the poor makes Ahura king.
> 
> 'Kem-na mazda:-
> What protector hast thou given unto me O
> Mazda! while the hate of the wicked encompasses me? Whom but
> thy Atar and Vohu-mano, through whose work I keep on the world of
> righteousness? Reveal therefore to me thy Religion as thy rule!
> 'Ke verethrem-ja:- Who is the victorious who will protect
> thy teaching? Make it clear that I am the guide for both worlds.
> May Sraosha come with Vohu-mano and help whomsoever thou
> pleasest, O Mazda!
> 'Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Armaiti Spenta! Perish,
> O fiendish Druj! Perish, O brood of the fiend! Perish, O world
> of the fiend! Perish away, O Druj! Perish away to the regions of
> the north, never more to give unto death the living world of
> Righteousness!']
> 
> [end of the Vendidad]
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> — *Vendidad — Chapter 22 — L.H. Mills / James Darmesteter (1880-1887) (Public domain (Sacred Books of the East, 1880-1887))*