GATHICA Alike for those who for TO-DAYprepare, And those that after a TO-MORROW stare, A Muezzin from the Towerof Darknesscries "Fools! your Rewardis neitherHere nor There!" By GIKYO ITO IX On the sigmatic future in Old Iranian Referring to the origin of the so-called sigmatic or simple future, all the grammarians of either Indic or Iranian hold that the tense dates as far back as to the Indo-Iranian period because of its occurrence both in Vedas and Avesta. This generally accepted assertion, however, seems not to be exempt from sceptici- sms. Of the imposed tense forms, the following are all that can be cited, mainly from Chr. Bartholomae's Altiranisches Worterbuch, Strassburg 1904 (AirWb.): 1. saosyant-, 2. vaxsya, 3. har∂syente and har∂syamna-, 4. vaxsyeite, 5. zahymna- vs. zata-, 6. var∂syamna- vs. varsta-, 7. uzdahyamna- vs. uzdata-, 8. haosyanta-, 9. a-m∂r∂xs- yanta-, 10. busyant-, 11. sraesyeiti and sraes∂mna-, 12. aes∂mna-, 13. caes∂mna-, 14. nisasya, 15, +naesyeiti, 16. pataiyaavahayaiya. **** 1. saosyant- is generally thought to be a future participle active of sav-/su- "benefit", all the more so because it connotes an eschatological function in Younger Avesta and Pahlavi literatures. In the former, by saosyant- are meant Uxsyat.∂r∂ta-, Uxsyat.n∂mah- and Astvat.∂r∂ta- whereas in the latter the last named is called Sosyans, i. e. saosyant- par excellence and the prior two Usedar and Usedar- mah respectively. They are expected to play an eschatological role respectively in each of the three milleniums succeeding that of their father, Zaraθustra. But as was rightly pointed out by G. Messina(1), the activity of the saosyants in the Gathas moves in an atmosphere realistic, present and historical, and not eschatological, mythic. Sometimes (Y. 4511, 489, 532) saosyant-(sg.) can and may be identified with Zaraθustra himself and at another times (Y. 3413, 463, 37 4812) saosyants (pl.) with his special co-operators. Gathic saosyant-, like the Buddhist bodhisattva, benefits both himself and others, or seeks to attain himself perfect freedom in order to benefit the other sentient beings. When Y. 3413 saosyants' egos (daena) pass to the heavenly Reward by the path, well-made by Justice, it is an aspect of self redeeming activity or svartha of saosyant- while in all other Gathic passages saosyants' roles are played in benefitting others or parartha. Y. 4511: yasta daev∂ng aparo masyasca tar∂.masta yoi im tar∂.+mainyanta any∂ng ahmat y∂ hoi ar∂m +mainyata saosyanto d∂ng patois sp∂nta daena urvaθo +brata +pta va Mazda Ahura Who, therefore, shall hereafter despise the daevas and the mortals who, far from submitting themselves to Him, shall despise Him, the benefitting ego of the saosyant- (who is) the house-lord (shall be to him) an ally, a brother, or a father, O Mazda Ahura. Y. 463: kada Mazda yoi uxsano asnam anh∂us dar∂θrai fro asahya [fr] ar∂nte v∂r∂zdais s∂nghais saosyantam xratavo kaeibyo uθai vohu jimat mananha maibyo θwa sastrai v∂r∂ne Ahura When, O Mazda, shall appear the bulls of days in order to hold the world of Justice; (when) with the bounteous declarations the wills of the saosyants? To whom shall (Thy Highness(2)) come as aid with Vohu Manah? (It is) to me, (for) I have chosen (it) to declare Thee. Y. 489: kada vaeda yezi cahya xsayaθa Mazda asa yehya ma aiθis dvaeθa ∂r∂s moi [∂r∂z] ucam vanh∂us vafus mananho vidyat saosyas yaθa hoi asis anhat When shall I know whether, O Mazda, through Justice you rule over him from whom scare threatens me? May (Thy Highness(3)) speak to me truly the mysteries (?) of Vohu Manah. May the saosyant- know how the reward shall be for him. 38 ORIENT GATHICA Y. 4812: at toi anh∂n saosyanto dak・yunam yoi xsnum vohu mananha hacante syaoθ[a]nais asa θwahya Mazda s∂nghahya toi zi data hamaestaro aes∂mahya Then they shall be the saosyants of the provinces who, through good mind, by deeds in accordance with Justice, shall busy themselves satisfying Thy declaration, O Mazda. For they (are) destined to suppressors of Aesma. Y. 532: at[ca]hoi scantu mananha uxδais syaoθ[a]naisca xsnum Mazda vahmai a fraor∂t yasnasca kavaca vistaspo zaraθustris spitamo f∂rasaostrasca danho ∂r∂zus paθo yam daenam Ahuro saosyanto dadat May they (in accordance) with his (i. e. Zaraθustra's) mind, words and deeds, busy themselves satisfying Mazda and gladly adoring Him for His praise, (they, namely) Kavi Vistaspa, and Spitama, (son) of Zaraθustra, and Frasaostra, making straight path for the Religion which Ahura created as (that) of the saosyant-. That the Gathic saosyants are Zaraθustra's contemporary figures is clearly shown in Y. 4812 where are depicted the then active saosyants of the provinces, In Y. 704 confess the Mazdayasnians thus "In accordance with the saosyants of the provinces who, benefitting themselves, are raising (their) voice (yaθa va saosyanto dah・yunam suyamna vacim +bar∂nti), we as bearers of Holy Word want to serve earnestly." The saosyants, here, are Gathic and not eschatological, mythical. When the saosyants of the provinces benefit themselves (suyamna-), it is their activities comparable to Buddhist svartha. When they are raising their voice (vacim +bar∂nti), we can see their role like parartha. Y. 553 reads: "May there be with us the Staota Yesnya which created Ahura Mazda in order to watch over those who are benefitting themselves as well as benefitting (others) (har∂θrai...suyam- nanamca saosyantamca)." Here those who are watched over by Ahura Mazda are both suyamna- and saosyant-. The mere comparison of these two passages will soon reveal the fact that the Mazdayasnians see the saosyants of the provi- nces as their contemporaries and that such figures, benefitting others (saosyant-), are raising their voice (vacim +bar∂nti). Those who benefit others (saosyant-), i. e. raise their voice as saosyants, are the contemporaries with the confessing Mazdayasnians concerned. In the Fravarane Confession Y. 127, saosyants are Vol. VIII 1972 39 brought along by Zaraθustra, Kavi Vistaspa, Frasaostra and Jamaspa who did not err in their choice. The saosyants, here, belong to the past. In Aogmad- aeca 46 we have "Just like the wind from the southern quarter furthers (fraδati) all the creatures and makes grow (var∂δati) and benefits (saosyanti), ..." where saosyanti (sic!) should be taken as a present indicative like the other two, fraδati and var∂δati. That saosyanti here points to no future tense is also evident from Widewdad 42 Gloss which reads yo dainhave hu.vaxsai fraδ∂mnahe var∂δ∂mnahe ... suyamnahe. Otherwise, suyamnahe (pres. participle) would be superseded. From what has been thus far treated, saosyant- has nothing to do with a future tense but is to be regarded as a present participle. saosya-, then, may be explained as either a denominative of savah- n. "benefit" or a present stem of -s-extension of sav-/su- "benefit" of which the prior seems preferable. For savah->* saos-, cf. Ind. avara- adj. "inferior", Av. aora and O. P. aura "downward" and for *savah-ya-, cf. n∂mak・-ya- "pay homage", denom. of n∂mah- n. "homage" and aenah-ya- "offer violence to", denom. of aenah- n. "violence". 2. vaxsya simplex is attested in Y. 301, 4615,518 and that prefixed with fra- (fravaxsya) in Y. 446, 451-6. The form is generally thought to be a future indica- tive 1. sg. active of vak- "speak" which tense however is expressed by subjunctive. I can find no reason why a sigmatic future must here be postulated. What made scholars resort to such an interpretation seems to be their notion that vaxsya, when compared with Ind, vaksyami (fut. indic. 1. sg. act. of vac- "speak"), rejects diffe- rent explanation. But the context in which (fra) vaxsya occurs is the same with that in which s∂nghamahi (pres. indic. 1. pl. act.) takes place in Y. 311: ta v∂ urvata mar∂nto agusta vaca s∂nghamahi aeibyo yoi urvatais drujo asahya gaeθa vim∂r∂ncaite atcit aeibyo vahista yoi +zrazda anh∂n Mazdai Remembering these prescriptions of you do we proclaim the words unheard for those who according to the prescriptions of wickedness destroy the creatures of Justice, but the best (words) for those who are submissive to Mazda. In comparison with it, we cite Y. 455: at fravaxsya hyat moi mraot sp∂nto.t∂mo vac∂ sruidyai hyat mar∂taeibyo vahist∂m yoi moi ahmai s∂raos∂m dan cayasca upa.jim∂n haurvata am∂r∂tata vanh∂us +mainy∂us syaoθ[a]nais Mazda Ahuro 40 ORIENT GATHICA Then I will speak of what the most beneficent said to me, a word which is the best for mortals to hear: 'Those who for it shall each and every one give obedience to me, shall attain to perfection (and) immortality, on account of (their) deeds of good mind'-(thus spoke the most beneficent) Mazda Ahura. Without forced explanation, there is no point in distinguishing the two verbs (s∂nghamahi and fravaxsya) in their tense. In all of the passages cited above, Zaraθustra says "As prophet (*vaxsa-bara-> M. P. waxs-war>N. P. vaxsur), i. e. one who raises his voice (vacim baraiti), I will, or want to, tell you such and such things. You must listen to me." When Zaraθustra "raises his voice", he speaks as bearer of 3vaxsa- n. "logos dei" (cf. Widewdad 1915). The rest passages meet our legitimate expectation. Y. 301: at ta vaxsya is∂nto ...... staotaca +Ahurahya(4) yesnyaca vanh∂us mananho humazdra +asahyaca(4) ya raoc∂bis dar∂sata urvaza Then these things I will tell, O those desiring (to listen) .....