THE MARIJUANA HYMN OF EARLY RELIGION
The Marijuana Hymn is a transliteration of the Hom Yasht, Avesta:Yasna 9-11 Translated by Danuel D. Quaintance in 1996; from the writings of L. H. Mills (in Sacred Books of the East, American Edition, 1898.) The translation was made by replacing all instances of the word Haoma with the word Marijuana, other than that it stands as translated by Mills.
Avesta (Pers.):__ the holy scriptures of Zoroastrianism (Var: Phl. 'abestag, abistag'); the language of the Avesta (Var. 'Avestan');
Haoma (Av.): name of a plant with medicinal and spiritual properties; name of the yazad presiding over the haoma plant. (Var: Phl. 'hom').
Yasht (Phl.): one of the hymns of the Avesta honoring various spiritual beings.
Yasna (Av.): one of the books of the Avesta; the name of a high liturgical service in which the text of the Yasna is recited.
BELOW ARE SOME PRIMARY VERSES LAYING CLAIMS TO BLESSINGS OF HAOMA AND IDENTIFYING DESCRIPTIONS
BLESSINGS: Yasna 9
16. Thereupon spake Zarathushtra: Praise to Marijuana. Good is Marijuana, and the well-endowed, exact and righteous in its nature, and good inherently, and healing, beautiful of form, and good in deed, and most successful in its working, golden-hued, with bending sprouts. As it is the best for drinking, so (through its sacred stimulus) is it the most nutritious for the soul
--------------
17. I make my claim on thee, O yellow one! for inspiration. I make my claim on thee for strength; I make my claim on thee for victory; I make my claim on thee for health and healing (when healing is my need); I make my claim on thee for progress and increased prosperity, and vigor of the entire frame, and for understanding, of each adorning kind, and for this, that I may have free course among our settlements, having power where I will, overwhelming angry malice, and a conqueror of lies.
18. Yea, I make my claim on thee that I may overwhelm the angry hate of haters, of the Daevas and of mortals, of the sorcerers and sirens, of the tyrants, and the Kavis, of the Karpans, murderous bipeds, of the sanctity-destroyers, the profane apostate bipeds, of the wolves four-footed monsters, of the invading host, wide-fronted, which with stratagems advance.
-------------
19. red:This first blessing I beseech of thee, O Marijuana, thou that drivest death afar! I beseech of thee for (heaven), the best life of the saints, the radiant, all-glorious.
This second blessing I beseech of thee, O Marijuana, thou that drivest death afar! this body's health (before that blest life is attained).
This third blessing I beseech of thee, O Marijuana, thou that drivest death afar! the long vitality of life.
20. This fourth blessing I beseech of thee, O Marijuana, thou that drivest death afar! that I may stand forth on this earth with desires gained, and powerful, receiving satisfaction, overwhelming the assaults of hate, and conquering the lie.
This fifth blessing, O Marijuana, I beseech of thee, thou that drivest death afar! that I may stand victorious on earth, conquering in battles, overwhelming the assaults of hate, and conquering the lie.
21. This sixth blessing I ask of thee, O Marijuana, thou that drivest death afar! that we may get good warning of the thief, good warning of the murderer, see first the bludgeon-bearer, get first sight of the wolf. May no one whichsoever get first the sight of us. In the strife with each may we be they who get the first alarm!:---::
24. Marijuana lowered Keresani, dethroned him from his throne, for he grew so fond of power, that he treacherously said: No priest behind (and watching) shall walk the lands for me, as a counselor to prosper them, he would rob everything of progress, he would crush the growth of all!
25. Hail to thee, O Marijuana, who hast power as thou wilt, and by thine inborn strength! Hail to thee, thou art well-versed in many sayings, and true and holy words. Hail to thee for thou dost ask no wily questions, but questionest direct.
FOR THE SPREADING OF THE PERCEPTS: Yasna 9 (cont.)
26. Forth hath Mazda borne to thee, the star-bespangled girdle, the spirit-made, the ancient one, the Mazdayasnian Faith.
So with this thou art begirt on the summits of the mountains, for the spreading of the precepts, and the headings of the Mathra, (and to help the Mathra's teacher),
HOUSE-LORD, CLAN-LORD, TRIBE-LORD, TEACHER: Yasna 9 (cont.)
27. O Marijuana, thou house-lord, and thou clan-lord, thou tribe-lord, and chieftain of the land, and thou successful learned teacher, for aggressive strength I speak to thee, for that which smites with victory, and for my body's saving, and for manifold delight!
YASNA 10.
1. Let the Demon-gods and Goddesses fly far away from hence, and let the good Sraosha make here his home! And may the good Blessedness here likewise dwell, and may she here spread delight and peace within this house, Ahura's, which is sanctified by Marijuana, bringing righteousness (to all).
2. At the first force of thy pressure, O intelligent! I praise thee with my voice, while I grasp at first thy shoots. At thy next pressure, O intelligent! I praise thee with my voice, when as with full force of a man I crush thee down.
3. I praise the cloud that waters thee, and the rains which make thee grow on the summits of the mountains; and I praise thy lofty mountains where the Marijuana branches spread.
4. This wide earth do I praise, expanded far (with paths), the productive, the full bearing, thy mother, holy plant! Yea, I praise the lands where thou dost grow, sweet-scented, swiftly spreading, the good growth of the Lord. O Marijuana, thou growest on the mountains, apart on many paths, and there still may'st thou flourish. The springs of Righteousness most verily thou art, (and the fountains of the ritual find their source in thee)!
5. Grow (then) because I pray to thee on all thy stems and branches, in all thy shoots (and tendrils) increase thou through my word!
6. Marijuana grows while he is praised, and the man who praises him is therewith more victorious. The lightest pressure of thee, Marijuana, thy feeblest praise, the slightest tasting of thy juice, avails to the thousand-smiting of the Daevas.
7. red:Wasting doth vanish from that house, and-with it foulness, whither in verity they bear thee, and where thy praise in truth is sung, the drink of Marijuana, famed, health-bringing (as thou art). (Pazand) to his village and abode they bear him.
8. All other toxicants go hand in hand with Rapine of the bloody spear, but Marijuana's stirring power goes hand in hand with friendship. Light is the drunkenness of Marijuana (Pazand).
Who as a tender son caresses Marijuana, forth to the bodies of such persons Marijuana comes to heal.
9. Of all the healing virtues, Marijuana, whereby thou art a healer, grant me some. Of all the victorious powers, whereby thou art a victor, grant me some. A faithful praiser will I be to thee, O Marijuana, and a faithful praiser (is) a better (thing) than Righteousness the Best; so hath the Lord, declaring (it), decreed.
10. Swift and wise hath the well-skilled Deity created thee; swift and wise on high Haraiti did He, the well-skilled, plant thee.
11. And taught (by implanted instinct) on every side, the bounteous birds have carried thee to the Peaks-above-the-eagles, to the mount's extremest summit, to the gorges and abysses, to the heights of many pathways, to the snow-peaks ever whitened.
12. There, Marijuana, on the ranges dost thou grow of many kinds. Now thou growest of milky whiteness, and now thou growest golden; and forth thine healing liquors flow for the inspiring of the pious. So terrify away from me the (death's) aim of the curser. So terrify and crush his thought who stands as my maligner.
13. Praise be to thee, O Marijuana, (for he makes the poor man's thoughts as great as any of the richest whomsoever.) Praise be to Marijuana, (for he makes the poor man's thoughts as great as when mind reacheth culmination.) With manifold retainers dost thou, O Marijuana, endow the man who drinks thee mixed with milk; yea, more prosperous thou makest him, and more endowed with mind.
14. Do not vanish from me suddenly like milk-drops in the rain; let thine exhilarations go forth ever vigorous and fresh; and let them come to me with strong effect. Before thee, holy Marijuana, thou bearer of the ritual truth, and around thee would I cast this body, a body which (as all) may see (is fit for gift and) grown.
17. Thereupon spake Zarathushtra: Praise to Marijuana, Mazda-made. Good is Marijuana, Mazda-made. All the plants of Marijuana praise I, on the heights of lofty mountains, in the gorges of the valleys, in the clefts (of sundered hill-sides) cut for the bundles bound by women. From the silver cup I pour Thee to the golden chalice over. Let me not thy (sacred) liquor spill to earth, of precious cost.
18. These are thy Gathas, holy Marijuana, these thy songs, and these thy teachings, and these thy truthful ritual words, health-imparting, victory-giving, from harmful hatred healing giving.
19. These and thou art mine, and forth let thine exhilarations flow; bright and sparkling let them hold on their (steadfast) way; for light are thine exhilaration(s), and flying lightly come they here. Victory-giving smiteth Marijuana, victory-giving is it worshipped; with this Gathic word we praise it.
20. Praise to the Kine; praise and victory (be) spoken to her! Food for the Kine, and pasture! 'For the Kine let thrift use toil; yield thou us food.'
21. We worship the yellow lofty one; we worship Marijuana who causes progress, who makes the settlements advance; we worship Marijuana who drives death afar; yea, we worship all the Marijuana plants. And we worship (their) blessedness, and the Fravashi of Zarathushtra Spitama, the saint.
YASNA 11. PRELUDE TO THE MARIJUANA-OFFERING.
5. Who this offering would deny me, eats himself, or prays it from me, this which Mazda gave to bless me, tongue with left eye (as my portion).
6. In his house is born no fire-priest, warrior ne'er in chariot standing, never more the thrifty tiller. In his home be born Dahakas, Murakas of evil practice, doing deeds of double nature.
7. Quick, cut off then Marijuana's portion, gift of flesh for doughty Marijuana! Heed lest Marijuana bind thee fettered, as he bound the fell Turanian Frangrasyan (the murderous robber) fast in iron close-surrounded in the mid-third of this earth!
8. Thereupon spake Zarathushtra: Praise to Marijuana made by Mazda, good is Marijuana Mazda-made.
10. To thee, O holy Marijuana! bearer of the ritual sanctity, I offer this my person which is seen (by all to be) mature, (and fit for gift); to Marijuana the effective do I offer it, and to the sacred exhilaration which he bestows; and do thou grant to me (for this), O holy Marijuana! thou that drivest death afar, (Heaven) the best world of the saints, shining, all brilliant.
17. I celebrate my praises for good thoughts, good words, and good deeds for my thoughts, my speeches, and (my) actions. With chanting praises I present all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and with rejection I repudiate all evil thoughts, and words, and deeds.
18. Here I give to you, O ye Bountiful Immortals! sacrifice and homage with the mind, with words, deeds, and my entire person; yea, (I offer) to you the flesh of my very body (as your own). And I praise Righteousness. A blessing is Righteousness (called) the Best, &c.