The Responses
CHAPTER 78
In the name of the Great Life! May my thought, my knowledge and my understanding
Enlighten me, Adam-Yuhana sun of Mahnus, By means of these responses and
homilies for baptism and the masiqta.
CHAPTER 79
In the name of the Great Life! When the myrtle , the myrtle, flourished
In the gardens of Hibil; When the wild marjoram grew in the precincts of
the manda, They gave me two twigs of myrtle From which they twisted a wreath
for the jordan. For it is wondrous and fragrant is its perfume!
[Recite this hymn and twist a wreath of myrtle for thy staff, then read
the jordan-hymn "Hear me my father, hear me".]
CHAPTER 80
In the name of the Great Life !
Hear me, my Father, hear me! Draw me upward
(O) Great One, son of the mighty (Life),
Our Father, son of the Lite !
Silmai and Nidbai, lords of the jordan, hear me!
Jordan, and both its banks, hear me!
Hear me, Hibil-Ziwa, whose strength
Resteth upon his brethren, the 'uthras!
Hear me, Yawar-Ziwa, (thou)
whose creations rest on (depend upon?) the jordan!
Hear me, Mana-Rba-Kabira
And raise that which ye have planted!
Hear me, hear me, Hablaba) and Kana-d-Zidqa ,
Hear me, hear me, Abathur-Rama, whose strength
Presideth over the Scales!
Hear me, great Bihram! and raise me up
Yuzataq-Manda-d-Hiia!
Hear me, (ye) Seven Mysteries which reside
In the Great Wellspring
Hear me, (ye) three wellsprings which give out
Radiance, light and effulgence!
Hear me (ye) three manas
Who rest upon the jordan with your treasurel
Hear me, Anus-'Uthra ,
Whose strength dwelleth upon met
CHAPTER 81
In the name of the Great Lifel
Hear me, my Father, hear me!
And draw me upward, great Son of the mighty (Life) ;
Our Father, Son of the Life!
Silmai and Nidbai, lords of the jordan, hear me!
Jordan and its two banks, hear me!
Habsaba and Kana-d-Zidqa hear me!
Hear me, Great Life, from the height,
Hear me!
CHAPTER 82
In the name of the Great Life !
At the Fountain-head came I forth,
At the Source of springs of life went I hence.
Three skintas (sanctuaries) did I found
And set over them guardians as rulers.
The guardians I appointed to rule over them
Are sublime, blessed and trusty
To the uttermost.
[Repeat this hymn when thou art baptising and takest up the mambuha
into the phial from the jordan, and recite the prayer "At the Fountain-head
of Water came I forth" and then recite "Blessed art thou, Outer Door".]
CHAPTER 83.
In the name of the Great Life!
How lovely are plants which the jordan hath planted
And raised up! Pure fruit have they borne
And on their heads they set living wreaths.
Yawar-Ziwa rejoiceth in the good plants
Which the jordan planted and raised.
The Plants rejoice and flourish
In the perfume of Manda-d-Hiia
Which breatheth upon them.
CHAPTER 84.
Truly did my baptiser baptise me,
Well did my baptiser baptise me,
Truly did my baptiser baptise me
And your baptism shall attain its end.
CHAPTER 85.
Silmai hath baptised us with his baptism, Nidbai hath signed us with his
pure sign, The great Anus-'uthra hath placed living wreaths on our heads.
CHAPTER 86.
The jordan in which we have been immersed Shall be our witness that we
have turned not away From our sign, nor have altered our pure Word.
CHAPTER 87.
I rejoice in my priests And in nasoraeans who hearken to my converse. I
rejoice in you, my priests, For ye have not changed my pure Word.
CHAPTER 88.
In the name of the great Life!
May the sublime Light be magnified!
Rightly do I say to you, my Chosen,
Who went up with me to the jordan,
Pervert and change me not, alter me not by hand,
Pervert not nor alienate me,
Men who have heard the Voice of Life!
He who heareth the voice of Life
Will be edified, Will be built up,
Built up and armed. (Such a man's) strength will be doubled.
Moreover, those who listen to the speech of the Life
Will be greatly increased,
Will be enriched and will not lack.
Into the communion that is great will he be knit,
He will enter the communion that is great
So that he will be united (therewith) and will arise
And will behold the Place of Light.
And Life is renowned and victorious,
And victorious the man who went hence.
CHAPTER 89.
In the name of the Great Life The great Light be magnified! To you do I
call and (you) do I teach, Men who have received the Sign. Hearken not
to the talk of all peoples and generations; Let not their stumblings cause
you to stumble, Stumble not because of their stumblings! Be not interrogated
at their tribunals, At their tribunals be not interrogated! Certainly have
ye held to established truth, Ye have held to the certainty about which
I instructed you. I call to my chosen ones so that Ye may not turn your
thought away from Me. Because any man who is not steadfast (in thought)
Whose mind is turned against me, Whose mind is turned from me, Great and
not small will be his hurt . If ye have attained my strength Bear (arms
for) me ! If ye bear (arms for) me firmly Stand by me frombeginning to
end! But it ye have not attained my strength (or army) Go from me, and
approach not! For he that entereth it and beareth (arms) for me, His "
garment'' will be adjusted to the House of Perfection. But he that weareth
it and doth not perfect it Will die and his spirit will extinguish, He
will die and extinct will be his spirit, He will become the portion of
the world, Thou hast conquered, Manda-d-Hiia, Good One, who confirmest
Thy friends! Renowned and victorious is Life And victorious the man who
went hence,
CHAPTER 90.
In the flame of the Great Life
The sublime Light be glorified!
A disciple am I, a new one ;
For I went to the jordan-bank
And took my name on my head
And in my heart I took a Sign,
My Sign is not that of Fire,
Nor is it that wherewith the Anointed One
My Sign is a jordan of living water,
The strength of which none can attain,
He chose one out of a thousand
And from two thousand he chose two,
Making traders of them
Who labour and ply their trade on earth.
And they trade for fee and pious gift,
And shine more than sun and moon.
I came to the congregation of souls,
For the Life sent me, sent me forth.
There were some who bought my wares,
There those who came to their end and lay down .
There were those who bought my wares.
The eyes (of such a one) were filled with light,
Filled with light were his eyes
(On) beholding the Great (One) in the House of Perfection,
There were those who did not buy my wares.
They went on, reached their end and lay down.
'they were blind and saw not,
Their ears were stopped and they heard not
And their hearts were not awakened
To behold the Great One in the House of Perfection.
As They called them and they answered not,
When they call, who will answer them?
Because it was given to them but they took not,
Who will give to them when they ask ?
They hated the Way of Life and its Abode
But loved the abode of the wicked.
And lo! in the abode of the wicked
Will they be held captive.
They tied up their tribute, their money
In a lappet of their clothes.
When they wish to lift their heads (hold their heads high)
They hurl them down to the Gates of Darkness
To my Chosen do I call, to my Plants Who stand by the jordan. I say
to them, "My children (who walk) in my road, My children (who follow) my
road, Swerve not from it or its boundary! Let him who deviateth from its
boundary Cling to the boundary-stone. He who hath turned aside from both
will fall into the uttermost ends of the world". Thou host conquered, Manda-d-Hiia,
Good One, who confirmeth his friends! Thou wilt forgive us who praise our
Lord Our sins and our trespasses. Renowned and victorious is Life And victorious
the man who hath gone hence.
[Up to here are the hymns and chants of baptism; and from here to below
are the hymns and chants of the masiqta.]
CHAPTER 91.
My vigilance and praisegiving
Are my ferrymen across (the waters of death) ;
A transformation brought me over,
A cloud of light took me over.
In purity shalt thou rise to the Place of Light.
CHAPTER 92.
In the name of the Life!
Go in peace, chosen, pure and guiltless one;
Thou art without spot.
Thou hast proven thyself by (thy sojourn on ) earth
And thy destiny leapt upward from its struggles
From its struggles thy destiny leapt upward.
Above all the world thou hast spoken.
Chosen and pure one (saying),
"I am a seer, a diviner;
A seer am I and a diviner!"
The worlds assembled for judgement, For judgement the worlds assembled
And judgement was pronounced on them, On them was judgement pronounced,
On those who did not perform the works Of right-dealing Man. But thou alone,
Chosen and Pure One, Fair mana, that art burnished bright, Thou goest not
to the judgement hall. Judgement will not be pronounced over thee, Over
thee judgement will not be pronounced; Because thou didst perform the works
Of right-dealing mankind. This , that they endure and bear, Thou (O) Chosen
One, wilt not find before thee. Escape the clutch of the planets And the
forces of this wvorld! Take, put on thy garment of radiance, Set on thy
living wreath! Bow thyself! and worship! Prostrate (thyself) and praise
the Great Life. Praise the Place of Life To which thy fathers go. Thou
(O) Chosen One, Wast not from here ; From this place thou wast not transplanted
Thy planting, thy place was the Place of Life, Thy home the Everlasting
Abode. They have set up for thee a throne of rest In which there is no
heat or wrath. There is kept for thee a girdle In which there is no trouble
or fault . Good one! Rise to the House of Life! And go to the Everlasting
Abode !
They will hang thy lamp amongst lamps of light And they will shine in
thy time, and lit thy moment. Arise! Behold the Place of Light! Renowned
is Life and victorious And victorious the man who went thither.
CHAPTER 93
The mana rejoiceth in its treasure
And in the glory of Life
Which resteth on it.
I have acknowledged thee
(O) elect righteous one,
For thou settest my soul free
From transitory things.
CHAPTER 94
Hail to thee, hail to thee, soul
That hast departed from the world!
Thou leavest corruption and the stinking body
In which thou hast been: (thou leanest)
Its abode, the abode of the wicked,
The place which is all sinning,
The world of darkness,
Of hatred, jealousy and dissensions,
The abode in which the planets go about,
Bringing pains and blemishes,
Pains they bring, and blemishes,
Every day causing them tribulation.
Rise up, rise up, soul!
Ascend to thy first homeland.
Rise, rise to thy first homeland,
The place from which thou wast transplanted,
To the place from which thou wast transplanted,
To thy good dwelling, (the dwelling) of 'uthras,
Bestir thyself! don thy garment of glory
And set on thy living wreath.
Rise! inhabit the S'kintas Amongst the 'uthras, thy brethren. As thou
hast learnt, praise thy first Home; And curse this place, the house of
thy fostering; For (during) the years that thou didst spend therein Every
day the Seven were thine enemies, The Seven were thine enemies and the
Twelve Beset thee with persecution. Renowned is Life and victorious, And
victorious the man who hath gone thither.
CHAPTER 95
Her Sunday, her kus'ta and her alms
Bear witness for the soul.
Ye will be her witnesses
And will pass her through at the toll-house.
CHAPTER 96
I am provided and provisioned:
'Uthras of light equipped me.
I am provisioned; for Life provided for me.
And I am equipped by 'uthras of light.
They provided me with provision of Truth (ki
I lifted mine eyes to heaven
and my soul waited on the house of life.
and the life who heard my cry
sent toward me a deliverer.
the deliverer who came to me
brought me that which was lovely;
he opened out a robe and showed me its radiance
and i cast off the stinking body.
he grasped me with the palm of his right hand
and led me over the waters of death .
over the waters of death he brought me
and led me onward; in the likeness of life he supported me.
life supported life, life found its own.
its own self did life find
and my soul found that for which it had looked.
renowned is life and victorious
and victorious the man who went hence.
CHAPTER 97
He rose and took me with him and did not leave me in the perishable dwelling.
CHAPTER 98
The day on which the soul goeth forth,
on the day that the perfected one ascendeth,
on the day that the soul issueth from below
the spheres of death, of contention ,
strife was thrown into the earth.
ruha's slaves sit bewailing
and the seven sit in consternation.
the robe of the stars is lent
and dust is cast on ruha's head.
the hell-beasts weep
and the demons of purgatories are panic-stricken.
the being who brought me hither,
who brought me that which was beautiful,
put on me a robe, clothed me in a robe of radiance,
in a wrapping of light he covered me.
he set on (my head) a wreath of ether
and (gave me) of that which life bestoweth on the 'uthras.
he set me up amongst 'uthras
and stood me up amidst the perfected (souls).
a wreath of ether he set on my head,
and gloriously he brought me forth from the world.
life supported life,
life found its own,
its own did life find,
and my soul found that for which it had looked.
renowned is life and victorious,
and victorious the man who went thither.
CHAPTER 99.
Ye are set up and raised up, my chosen ones,
by the word and certitude that came to you
the word and the certitude that came to the good,
the true word which came to believers.
my chosen, ye sought and ye found,
moreover ye shall seek and ye shall find.
ye sought and found, my chosen ones,
as the first (souls?) sought and found.
thou art victorious, manda-d-hiia.
and thou bringest to victory all who love thee.
and life is victorious.
[here recite "Blessed and praised is Life, that souls".]
CHAPTER 100
In a building which life buildeth,
good trees flourish.
fragrant is the perfume of the trees
with the perfume of manda-d-hiia
which pervadeth them.
[here recite "Blessed and praised be Life"
of Shem son of Noah,and "Good is good for the good".]
CHAPTER 101
The life hath founded a dwelling,
and radiance dawned
in the sublime ether!
i and my brethren, the 'uthras,
have set out every good thing ,
have set out the allotted portion of the great (life):
we have offered it up in purity to the place of light.
CHAPTER 102
The building that life buildeth will never come to nought. [repeat this
hymn after thou hast partaken of the communion and then say "Darkness is
crushed back into the Dark and Light set up in its place".]
CHAPTER 103
Darkness is crushed back into the dark
and light is set up in its place.
the life hath accepted your prayer,
the 'uthras have accepted your praise
the oblation is assigned to its lord,
and bounty to him who giveth it.
this soul ot n, and the souls of this masiqta rest at the
great place of light and the everlasting abode.
and life is victorious.
[here recite "In great radiance am I immersed" and lift thy hand for
the masiqta and pray a prayer for thyself. and life is victorious.]
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Christian Section ....Mandaean
Scriptures and Fragments: The Ginza Rba
.