Myth Of Yima

Books: Sacred Books Of The East

Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda:--



"O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world,

thou Holy One! Who was the first mortal, before myself, Zarathustra,

with whom thou, Ahura Mazda, didst converse, whom thou didst teach the

Religion of Ahura, the Religion of Zarathustra?"



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"The fair Yima, the good shepherd, O holy Zarathustra! he was the first

mortal, before thee, Zarathustra, with whom I, Ahura Mazda, did

converse, whom I taught the Religion of Ahura, the Religion of

Zarathustra. Unto him, O Zarathustra, I, Ahura Mazda, spake, saying:

'Well, fair Yima, son of Vivanghat, be thou the preacher and the bearer

of my Religion!' And the fair Yima, O Zarathustra, replied unto me,

saying: 'I was not born, I was not taught to be the preacher and the

bearer of thy Religion.' Then I, Ahura Mazda, said thus unto him, O

Zarathustra, 'Since thou dost not consent to be the preacher and the

bearer of my Religion, then make thou my world increase, make my world

grow: consent thou to nourish, to rule, and to watch over my world.' And

the fair Yima replied unto me, O Zarathustra, saying: 'Yes! I will make

thy world increase, I will make thy world grow. Yes! I will nourish, and

rule, and watch over thy world. There shall be, while I am king, neither

cold wind nor hot wind, neither disease nor death.' Then I, Ahura Mazda,

brought two implements unto him: a golden seal and a poniard inlaid with

gold. Behold, here Yima bears the royal sway! Thus, under the sway of

Yima, three hundred winters passed away, and the earth was replenished

with flocks and herds, with men and dogs and birds and with red blazing

fires, and there was room no more for flocks, herds, and men. Then I

warned the fair Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son of Vivanghat, the earth

has become full of flocks and herds, of men and dogs and birds and of

red blazing fires, and there is room no more for flocks, herds, and



men.' Then Yima stepped forward, in light, southwards, on the way of the

sun, and afterwards he pressed the earth with the golden seal, and bored

it with the poniard, speaking thus: 'O Spenta Armaiti, kindly open

asunder and stretch thyself afar, to bear flocks and herds and men.' And

Yima made the earth grow larger by one-third than it was before, and

there came flocks and herds and men, at their will and wish, as many as

he wished. Thus, under the sway of Yima, six hundred winters passed

away, and the earth was replenished with flocks and herds, with men and

dogs and birds and with red blazing fires, and there was room no more

for flocks, herds, and men. And I warned the fair Yima, saying: 'O fair

Yima, son of Vivanghat, the earth has become full of flocks and herds,

of men and dogs and birds and of red blazing fires, and there is room no

more for flocks, herds, and men.'



"Then Yima stepped forward, in light, southwards, on the way of the sun,

and afterwards he pressed the earth with the golden seal, and bored it

with the poniard, speaking thus: 'O Spenta Armaiti, kindly open asunder

and stretch thyself afar, to bear flocks and herds and men.' And Yima

made the earth grow larger by two-thirds than it was before, and there

came flocks and herds and men, at their will and wish, as many as he

wished. Thus, under the sway of Yima, nine hundred winters passed away,

and the earth was replenished with flocks and herds, with men and dogs

and birds and with red blazing fires, and there was room no more for

flocks, herds, and men. And I warned the fair Yima, saying: 'O fair

Yima, son of Vivanghat, the earth has become full of flocks and herds,

of men and dogs and birds and of red blazing fires, and there is room no

more for flocks, herds, and men.' Then Yima stepped forward, in light,

southwards, on the way of the sun, and afterwards he pressed the earth

with the golden seal, and bored it with the poniard, speaking thus: 'O

Spenta Armaiti, kindly open asunder and stretch thyself afar, to bear

flocks and herds and men.' And Yima made the earth grow larger by

three-thirds than it was before, and there came flocks and herds and

men, at their will and wish, as many as he wished."