Tistrya. The Avestan hymn to Sirius (Vol. 1) 8863230781, 9788863230789

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I ST IT UT O ITAL IA N O P ER IL MEDI OED E ST REM O ORIENTE

SE R IE

SERIE ORIENTALE ROMA

O R IE N T A LE R O MA LXV III,1

ANTONIO PANAI NO

FON DATA DA GIUSEPPE TUCCI

oTISTRYA

DIRETTA DA GHERARDO GNOLI

PART I

Vol. LXVIII,1

S AN HYMN TO SI RIU S THEAVET

ROMA Is. M. E. 0. 1990

ROMA

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ISTITUTO ITALIAN6 PER IL MEDIO ED ESTREMO ORIENTE

1990

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CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

IX

ABBREVIATIONS

.........................•.......•........... :.....................................

XI

BIBLIOGRAPIBCAL ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................

XV

INTRODUCTION

I. The Manuscript Tradition ......................................................... II. The Structure of the Tistar Yast ............................................. III. Translations of the Tistar Yast ................................................

3 17 22

TEXT AND TRANSLATION

25

COMMENTARY ···········•······································································•···

85

PmLOLOGICAL APPENDIXES

I. Epithets and attributes of Tistrya ............................................ II. x•aranayhuua,:zt ............................................................................ III. Declension divergences and exceptions .....................................

149 152 155

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A systematic study of the Tistar Yast and of the Tistrya yazata was long awaited. Various studies have been dedicated to the subject, but always on certain specific 'aspects. Here we at­ tempt to analyse the Tistar Yast in its totality, paying consider­ able attention both to the textual problems, which make this one of the most difficult hymns in the Great Yasts (Part I), and to the historical-religious aspects involving the function and role of the star Sirius in ancient Iranian culture (Part II). This work originated from my graduate thesis entitled L 'Inno Avestico a Sirio, which I discussed in Milan in 1984, although many ideas contained in it have been developed or changed here. My thanks are due to a number of people without whose pre­ cious help this book could never have been written, in particular, to Professor Gherardo Gnoli, who constantly guided my research with a wealth of advice and suggestions. I also owe sincere grati­ tude to Professor Adriano Valerio Rossi, for his constant attention as the book took shape. I should also like to mention the profes­ sors and researchers of the Department of Asiatic Studies of the Oriental Institute of Naples and in particular its director Professor Giovanni D'Erme for their kindness and helpfulness. I must also mention the contribution and help received from the Institute of Glottology and Oriental Languages of the U niver­ sity of Milan, and in particular Professor Giuliano Boccali, under whose tutorship and guidance I graduated, and Professor Carlo Della Casa, director of the Institute. My thanks also go to Professor Helmut Rumbach of Mainz University, who gave me access to various rare or not generally available research. material. , I would express my heartfelt gratitude to Professor Jean Kellens, who received me at the University of Liege and devoted much of his time to reading the Tistar Ya.st and studying the

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many philological and linguistic problems presented by the text. Without his extremely precious help I could not have found my bearings. Professor Kellens was so kind as to read the first draft of my manuscript and point out inaccuracies and possible im­ provements. My thanks are also due to Dr. Ilya Gershevitch, who received me at Jesus College, Cambridge, and spent a great deal of time with me discussing the historical-religious problems involved with Tistrya. He showed me extraordinary kindness and helpfulness in giving me access to the wealth of material he has collected on this hymn over the years and going over the English translation of the Avestan text with me. Finally, I thank my wife, Mariella, who has always ensured for me the best possible working conditions.

ABBREVIATIONS AAASH = Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae.

AB. = Aitareya-Briihma,:za.

ab!. = ablative. abs. = absolutivum. acc. = accusative. act = active. · ·ca degli Studi di ACME = ACME. Annali della Facolta di Lettere e Filosofia dell'Umvers1 Milano. adj. = adjective. adv. = adverb. AGI = Archivio Glottologico Italiano. . . AION = Annali dell'Istituto Universitario Orientale d1 Napoli. . . . . AION-L = Annali dell'Istituto Universitario Orientale di Napoli - Sezione Lmgu1stlca. Akk. = Akkadian. AO = Acta Orientalia. Aog. = Aog.1madaecii. aor. = aorist. Ar. = Arabic. Aram. = Aramaic. Arm. = Armenian. Ar.Or. = Archiv Orientalni. ASGM = Atti de! Sodalizio Glottologico Milanese. Av. = Avestan. Bal. = Baluci. Bd. = Bundahisn.

BSL = Bulletin de la Societe de Linguistique de Pans. . . BSO(A)S = Bullettin of the School of Oriental (and Afncan) Studies. >I I >>I I 4 #3I $C>2@@=I I &I I >I I idem, ’=C@I 4J4 5I 5 )C07I =3IB78AI 0=::20B8=a. no auui +uziiariil �1 tistriio raeuua xvarmay"ha 2 kaa 3 xa 4 aspi5 . staoiiehfs apqm xyiarqn aipiyiiiram 5 srirasca xasa si5i8rasca gaoiiaoitfsca 6 iUad1:ztzs ii varasajis 1 uruuaranqm sura S xvaxsaiiei"(lti 9 vaxsa. ahe raiia... tascii yazamaide. 0

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42 When will the bright x"aranah-endowed star Tistrya rise up again for us? When will water-springs stronger than horses flow flowing-along? Running towards the beautiful places, homesteads and pastures they cause to grow the stems of the plants with strong growth. On account of his splendour...

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Karde 12 yazamaide 43 ti.strim... yo vispiiis naeniiaiti l sima 2 apaiia vaiadris 3 uxsiieiti 4 vispasa . ta S diimqn 6 baesaziiaitica 1 sauuisti5 yezi aem bauuaiti yasto xsnuti5 fri86 paiti. za"(lti5. tascii yazamaide. ahe raiia... 0

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43 We worship the bright x"aranah--endowed star Tistrya, who washes off all filths (so that they become) adrift in water, sprinkles all the creature and heals (them) (being) strongest when he is worshipped, satisfied, pleased and acknowledged. On account of his splendour...

J �I

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�1 ) �2 ) )�3 �4 ) �5 ) �6 ) �7 ) �8 ) �9 )

�G�e�i�d�n�e�r�: viiarii! �F�l�- �, l �E � J� l � O� � M� l � �; 2� vairiiiil �K�l�2; auua vfrii! �L�I�S� �P�13; auua vfarii! �P�t�l�. �F�l� �P�t�l� �El�; xaranayha L� I� S� � �P�13. no �M�l�2; kata1 �L�I�S�; kaBa �F�l� �P�t�l� �E l� �K�15 �P�13. �F�l� �P�t�l� �E l� �P�l���; xa �K�l�5 �L�I�S� �J�l�O�. �F�l� �P�t�l� �E l� �K�l�5 �P�l�3 no � M � l �2 ; aipi yiiirqm L� I� S� � �K�l�2. �F�l� p �( r � �. �m�.) P� l � �; 3 tiica �F�l� �(s�e�c�. �m�.) �P�t�l� L� I � S� .� �F�l� �P�t�! �E l� �K�l�5; "jai L� I � S� � �P�13. sura �F�l� �P�t�l� �El� �L�1 8� �P�1 3 ; sure �K�l�5. vaxiaiiente �P�13; �G�e�i�d�n�e�r�:vaxfiietzte �F�l� �P�t�l� l �E �: vaxiiiqnti �L�I�S�; vaxiiiatzta �J�l�O�. �K�I�5 ;

0

l � )� �F�l� �P�t�l� �E l� K� l � �5 �L�I�S� � F � l � �P�t�l� � E l � � L � I � S � � P � 1 3 ; )�3 F� l � � P� t� l � � �El�; vaidrii L� �81 )�4 �F�l� ��t� i� � �E; �l� �L�I�S� �P�13; )�5 vfspii satii �F�l� �P�t�l� l �E � �6) �F�l� �P�t�l� � E l � L� I� S� � �P�13; �7) �F�l� �P�t�l� � E l � L� I � S� � P� l � �; 3 �2 )

M� l� ;�2

�_�naeiaiti P� �;31

samii

no.

nainaiziti J� l � O� �; ninajaiti �K�l�2.

P� �;31 vaiandrii K� l � �5 (an �s�t�r�u�c�k�o�u�t�s�ec�. �m�.); vazdaras �J�l�O�. uxiaifaeite �K�l�2 t�( h � e� � fi� r � s� t� � a �s�t�r�u�c�k�o�u�t�); vaxiiieti no. �L�I�S� P� �31 no; satzta �K�l�5. diimqm K� l � .�5 taica no; baeiaziiataca �K�15; baeiaziietaeca K� l � .�2 0

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,

Karde 13 44

Karde 14

tistrfm... yazamaide yim ratum paiti. daemca vfspaesqm starqm fradaOal �1 ahuro mazdti yaOa narqm zara8usm,m yim noil maraya,:zte 2 alJYO maniius niiil yatauuo pairiktisca niiil yatauuo majiiiinqm nae