KEMNA MAZDA –A TRANSLITERATION
The Sarosh Baaj of the Avesta is a farzeyaat prayer; a daily requirement. Though in the Avesta the Sarosh Baaj is one long prayer with no parts, I have broken it into parts so as to better understand what it is that we pray daily since our childhood.
Sarosh Baaj part III of these transliterations, consists of transliteration of the ‘Kemna Mazda’. On reading these prayers in English, one understands that after a Zoroastrian sings the praise of Sarosh Yazad and boldly professes (in Fravarane Mazdeyasno) his faith in the religion handed down by Ahura Mazda and propagated by the Prophet Zoroaster, the adherent turns to Ahura Mazda for succour against persecution, both personal and religious, and abjures the destructive mind emanating from the evil of Ahriman and Angre Mainyu.
For a better understanding of this religion received from Ahura Mazda an and brought to us by Zarthushtra, please refer to notes in Sarosh Baaj, Part II— a transliteration.
‘KEMNA MAZDA’
From “Kemna Mazda” to “ya ahmai vashi aahmai chit”
O Hormazd, when a bad man looks at me for revenge or to harm me; who, but 
you, will protect me and mine, the aatash and my mind?
O Hormazd! For the sake of the Religion, reveal to me that, which by the act of both, leads me further on the Path.
When in difficulty, who is he who will vanquish the foe by dint of the verses on your Avesta; which verses are those that bring purity. O Hormazd, show me the leader who can guide me through both lives (here and hereafter). O Hormazd! For He who you love may His life proceed with a good mind and with Sraosh* (yazad).
From “Yatano tabishyant” to “***Armaitish ijaich”
O Hormazd and Aspendamard, save us from the jealous/envious! Go away /leave us! Oh Evil of the demigod; 
Leave us Devidruj (falsity of idols)! O the brave, discard the thoughts of demigods! Leave us Oh the seeds sown by demigods! Leave us Oh the follower of the way of evil demigods! (which way has succeeded so far) ; Disappear! Oh Falsehoods (druj**)! Oh Evil run away from here! Oh Evil be vanquished! Go to the North! The realms of purity (ashoi) are not to be harmed, let good thoughts and prosperity prevail.
*‘Sraosh’ or ‘Sarosh’, the literal meaning of the name is ‘listening’ or ‘sound’; from the root word, ‘Sru’– meaning to obey and hence, obedience to the will of God. This Sraosh or energy of sound is today, treated as an Angel of the Lord who brings us inspiration and who is the guardian of our souls. Sraosh coming with good mind means that men should listen to the inner inspiration of the voice within and then, by voluntary obedience to the divine will his mind be filled with love and thus, be purified.
**‘Druj’ literally means the enemy in ancient Iran the word was used for untruth, the greatest of our foes. In this passage it generally means Evil. North, in ancient Iran was the direction Evil the Abode of the Demons. Asha is also taken to signify divine law and the entire manifest universe emanating from Ahura Mazda including the Eternal Laws of Nature/Tao.
*** ‘Armaiti’ the spirit of the earth is the fourth of the 6 Ameshaspends. She represents piety and faith. Faith, as devotion personified on the Abstract side and as the genius of Earth on the concrete side. Spenta Armaiti Aspendamard ‘Holy devotion’ retains her dual nature in the younger Avesta. She is the first of the mother Trinity of the Holy Immortals she represents firm unswerving faith in and loyalty towards God and his commands she watches over religion and inspires the Faithful she works with Asha she rules over Earth and in places she represents Mother Earth and is our mother both physical and spiritual. When a Zoroastrian dies he is left in her care after the body is placed inside the Tower of silence and its destruction has begun. The people outside the Tower recite the unfinished portion of Sarosh Baaj which they will have commenced by chanting from the last line of Kemna Mazda.
]]>
Thus, here, we bring to mind the poison of this world and its maker/producer; our souls as well as those of the animals; those animals which desire to keep us alive (i.e. animals that feed us) and (those animals) because of whom we exist and which exist because of us.
(The prayer here, refers to the ‘The interdependence of man and his environment’ and injuncts one to honour this dependence on each other, to take care of and heed his need of these environs).
We bring to mind the soul of the traveler and the soldier (the rider of animals); we bring to mind the soul of pious men and women when ever born, and who 
honour the Law or will honour or have, already, honoured the Law.
Thus, here, we praise the honorable men and women, the immortal, the Ameshaspends who perpetually/unceasingly make to our lives, a difference for the better. Those Ameshaspends, both, male and female, that resides in the honorable minds.O Hormazd! We regard you, similarly we comprehend your greatness and similarly are constantly reminded of you, by all the good you have thought, spoken, created and done. O Hormazd! Hence, we bow to you and thus are we beholden /indebted to you.
O Hormazd! We grow ever nearer to you through proper welfare, proper holiness/purity (Ashoi), praiseworthy behaviour like the female angels and the bliss induced in us by the good *Aspendamard.
*NOTE: Aspendamard also called Armaiti, and often shortened to Spendamard
is the attribute of the Perfect Mind in human beings. A perfect mind being a
balanced one having piety, faith, devotion, dedication, loyalty, kindness,
munificence, humility, modesty, generosity of spirit, an unassuming nature, educated mind, trustworthy.
This Ameshaspand is assisted by Avan (water), a Yazad of the physical world, DaepDin (giver of religion), Ashishvang (blessings) and Marespand (holy words), Yazads of the spiritual world.
]]>‘Kemna Mazda’ is the first prayer when doing the Kusti. Kemna Mazda asks for true knowledge, for belief and conviction that, we as manifested creatures can do naught without the aid of the ‘Supreme Wisdom’, Ahura Mazda. Wisdom answers the question raise in the Kemna Mazda; what man, what kind of person can help in times of trouble? A wise man , of course.
Kemna Mazda (what sort of person, O Wisdom), can protect me? A wise man, of course; the man described in the Kemna Mazda prayer. So, if I am such a person, Mazda (Wisdom) gives me the ability to conquer my ills.
Wisdom reigns supreme in the Zoroastrian doctrine and assists in the adherence to Mannashni, Gavashnni, Kunashni and in the observance of all the tenets of Zarathustra’s religion. Kemna Mazda brings us to the realization that all our ills and pains in this manifest world can only be resolved by true wisdom in thought, word and deed. It is only when the good thought co-ordinates to produce good words and good words in turn, produce good deeds does, such a man conquers the troubles he faces in this manifested world. Equate ‘Good’ with ‘Balanced’.
So, ‘Kem Na Mazda’?(literally, ‘How, O Wisdom’)? Answer, as described in the Kemna Mazda prayer.
- Read the TRANSLITERATION below to understand further.
From “Kemna Mazda” to “ya ahmai vashi aahmai chit”
O Hormazd, when a bad man looks at me for revenge or to harm me, who, but you, will protect me and mine, the aatash and my mind?
O Hormazd! For the sake of THE religion, reveal to me that, which by the act of 
both, leads me further on the Path.
When in difficulty, who is he who will vanquish the foe by dint of the verses on your Avesta; which verses are those that bring purity. O Hormazd, show me the leader who can guide me through both lives (here and hereafter). O Hormazd! For He who you love may His life proceed with a good mind and with Sraosh* (yazad).
From “Yatano tabishyant” to “#Armaitish ijaich”
O Hormazd and Aspendamard, save us from the jealous/envious!
Go away /leave us! Oh Evil of the demigod;
Leave us Devidruj^ (falsity of idols);
O the brave! Discard the thoughts of demigods;
Leave us Oh the seeds sown by demigods;
Leave us Oh the follower of the way of Evil demigods (which way has succeeded so far)
Disappear! Oh Evil (druj^);
Oh Evil run away from here;
Oh Evil be vanquished, go to the North, the realms of purity (ashoi) are not to be harmed, let good thoughts and prosperity prevail.
Further explanation :
When the evil minded come to harm me and mine, who is there to protect us? O Hormazd! There is none other than You who can give us our earthly happiness and mental peace. When the mind and body are healthy purity (ashoi) there is progress. There is no other but you who can preserve us (pasbani). Such thoughts, O Hormazd, introduce into my mind so that I have the courage to act as needed.
*‘SRAOSH , the literal meaning of the name is ‘listening’; from the root word, ‘Sru’– meaning to obey and hence, obedience to the will of God. Sraosh is treated as an Angel of the Lord who brings us inspiration and who is the guardian of our souls. Sraosh coming with good mind means that men should listen to the inner inspiration of the voice within and then by willing obedience to the divine will his mind be filled with love and must be purified.
^‘DRUJ’ literally means the enemy in ancient Iran the word was used for untruth, the greatest of our foes. In this passage it generally means Evil. North, in ancient Iran was the direction Evil the Abode of the Demons.
Asha is also taken to signify divine law
# ‘ARMAITI’ the spirit of the earth is the fourth of the 6 Ameshaspends. She represents piety and faith. Faith, as devotion personified on the Abstract side and as the genius of Earth on the concrete side. Spenta Armaiti Aspendamard ‘Holy devotion’ retains her dual nature in the younger Avesta. She is the first of the mother Trinity of the Holy Immortals she represents firm unswerving faith in and loyalty towards God and his commands she watches over religion and inspires the Faithful she works with Asha she rules over Earth and in places she represents Mother Earth and is our mother both physical and spiritual. When a Zoroastrian dies he is left in her care after the body is placed inside the Tower of silence and its destruction has begun. The people outside the Tower recite the unfinished portion of Sarosh Baj which they will have commenced by chanting from the last line of Kemna Mazda.
Translation by Framroze:
“What being, O Mazda shall grant protection unto a mortal like myself, when the evil minded threaten to overpower me?
Who can it be other than Thy fire and Thy good mind, through whose activities is furthered thy righteous law O Ahura!
This knowledge vouchsafe unto me that I may spread Thy faith.
With the help of thy words which are a shield Who shall smite our foes? do thou reveal unto me a soul healing leader for course of life, both physical and spiritual; then unto him let Sraosha approach with good mind,– unto him O Mazda whom thou dost love protect us from all our tormentors.
Ye both, o Mazda and Spenta Armaiti!
Perish thou devilish Druj!
Perish thou o devil’s spawn,
Perish thou devil’s fashioned,
Perish thou follower of Devil’s l a w s.
Utterly perish oh Druj!
Utterly vanish Oh Druj!
Do thou utterly and entirely disappear, Oh Druj!
Vanish thou utterly in the north so that thou mayst not ever destroy the corporeal creation of divine law. Homage unto Holy devotion and humility.
]]>