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The star genius directs the rain. Next in importance to the sun and moon, among the heavenly luminaries, are the countless stars. Among the stars that are personified as objects of praise and reverence, the most prominent is the radiant and glorious star Tishtrya. He is the star Sirius in the constellation of Canis Major. The Yazata who impersonates this brilliant star bears naturally also the same name. The Tishtrya Yasht (8) sings the glory of the twofold work of Tishtrya, both as star and as the Yazata that presides over it. Tishtrya is, therefore, the rain-star, and the Yasht gives a lively picture of his movements in producing clouds and ram and sleet, and distributing them over all the world. Tishtrya's constant companions are the star-Yazatas, named Vanant, Satavaesa, and Haptoiringa, as guardian spirits of different regions of the heavens. The thirteenth day of the month, and the fourth month of the year are sacred to him.

Tishtrya's attributes. His standing epithets are 'the radiant' and 'the glorious.' He is the giver of fertility to the fields, the giver of happy and good abode unto men, the white, shining, seen from afar, the healing, and the exalted one. He is possessed of the seed of the waters, the valiant, the courageous, far reaching, the efficient, and of sound eyes. Ahura Mazda has appointed Tishtrya as the lord of all other stars, even as he has ordained Zarathushtra as the spiritual lord of all mankind. The creator has made him as worthy of sacrifice, as worthy of invocation, as worthy of propitiation, and as worthy of glorification as himself. According to Plutarch he is established as a scout over all other stars.

The sacrificial offerings enable Tishtrya to work with added vigour and strength. Tishtrya smites the wicked fairies. Like Verethraghna, he takes upon himself successive forms when he goes out for active work. He moves forward in