NIRANG OF SAROSH YASHT   VADI  — USES     

TRANSLITERATION OF THE TEXT OF THE NIRANG and its USES:

May Sarosh Yazad protect us!

May the Aura and Glory of the pure Sarosh increase! May He always be strong and victorious!

The saviour of all souls;

Guardian of the souls of all men;

The righteous sentry watching over all who abide by the Eternal Law (Tao);       May Sarosh safeguard, all day and night, all through every month of the year (mahe-o-shabaan), us Iranians, all first teachers/ancient sages/early disciples of Zoroaster/ pre-Zoroastrian teachers of religion (Paoiryo-dakeshaan), all born on this earth, laymen, all *idolaters who wear the Kusti (*Taaziaan, ** baste kustiaan), Zoroastrians and all noble (Nikaan) and pure persons of the seven continents.                                                                                                    May Sarosh Yazad preserve us!

TEXT:

“Gorje khoreh awazaayaad,

Sarosh asho, tagi, pirozgar baad,

Dastagire ravaan, hamaa tan paasbaan,

Ashoaan asho negehdaar;

Roz maah o shabaan, hame Iraaniaan,

O paoiryo-dakeshaan gehaan daamaan,

Behdinaan, *taaziaane **baste kushtiaan,

Zarathushtiaan nikaan o paakaane

Haft keshvar zamin,

Sarosh yazad panaah baad.

Pray one Ashem Vohu . (The Nirang is to be recited thrice).

USES: The Nirang like the Sarosh Yasht (Vadi) itself helps to keep in balance a person’s psyche (Mithra). If the Nirang is prayed before going to sleep, while in the subconscious state of sleep, the forces of thought are regulated and                                                                                   balanced.

1.for a sound sleep;

2. to have a healthy mind and body;

3. to psychological ailments;

4. Cleanse the home of disturbing /bad /evil vibrations.

NOTE:

Sarosh Yazad variously described as protector, preserver, guard, guardian, shield, minder, mask (as in shield/covering), defender, armament, armour, bodyguard, is the only energy who may be invoked in two latria (Yashts).

It is believed that praying the Nirang just before going to bed protects one from the onslaught of Ahriman and his dark forces. Many people pray it at the entrance door of the house before locking up for the night. It is believed that it keeps all evil out and brings good vibrations to the home.

While the Sarosh Yasht Hadokht may be prayed only during Day-light hours, the Vadi Yasht must be recited only between sunset and mid-night, in the Avisutram Geh. It is the recommended duty to all Zoroastrians to pray this Yasht every night.  Sarosh Yazad comforts, guides and protects from darkness of circumstance and of the mind every soul within the living and the released soul after death.

Therefore, He is prayed to at night, to protect a Zoroastrian from the dangers of the dark vibrations of the night until dawn.

*the meaning of the words ‘Taaziaan, baste kustiaan’ in the Nirang have been debated through the years. I have personally been very uncomfortable with the interpretation of ‘Taaziaan’ as ‘Arabs’ or ‘Taazian’ being interpreted as ‘a wearer of the crown’; arising from the present day word ‘Taj’.

So, I decided to break up the phrase into separate words and discovered the word ‘taazian’ occurs in the Rustom Nameh in the chapter where Zaal rallies Rustom to avenge the death of his (Zaal’s) grandfather, Narimaan (father of Saam) by destroying the fort at Mount Sepand and its idol worshipping occupants (the pagan Devyasna). The word ‘taaziaan’ is used for these idolaters:

“Ba khune Nariman kamar-ra be-band;

Berav taaziaan taa ba Kuh-e- Sepand”

‘Ba Khune Nariman’ [regarding the murder of Narimaan],

‘Kamar-ra be-bund’ [gird/tighten your belt/girdle];

‘Berav’ [despoil/ debase, (this word ‘berav’ though otherwise obsolete is still found in the English dictionary and interpreted as “to spatter with dirt or filth; especially: to defile with excrement” in other words, to sully/degrade/despoil/dishonour)]

‘Taaziaan’ [the idolaters [as the occupants of the Mount Sepand were idol worshipping Devyasna and since Zaal is referring to them in the conversation, I would translate the word as ‘idolaters’]

‘taa ba Kuh-e-Sepand’ [hasten you (therefore) to Mount Sepand)]

Its steep incline and the narrow path leading upwards for almost three miles left any besieging army open to fatal assaults from the defending forces. This gave Fort of Mount Sepand the reputation of being invincible. Under orders from King Faredoon, Narimaan’s attempt to conquer the bastion resulted in his death under the boulder cast downhill by the idolaters.

**bastem/basta means bound/tied/ imprisoned.        

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.