Pahlavi Texts, Part I — SBE Vol. 5 (trans. E. W. West, 1880)
English·1879–1910·trans. E. W. West·388 passages
The text · part 5 of 18
11. The control® of this sea (the Patik) is connected with the
' The Av. Phitika of Vend. V, 52, 57, and evidently the Persian Gulf.
? So called from the constellation Satavés (§ 12), see Chap. II, 7. The details given in the text are applicable to the Gulf and Sea of ’Uman, the Arabian Sea of Europeans. The description of this Gulf, given in the Pahl. Vend. V, 57, which is rather obscure, is as follows: ‘In purification she impurities flow, in the purity of water, from the sea Pfitik into the wide-formed ocean; at the southernmost side he waser stands back in mist, and the blue body of Satavés stands back around it. Pfittk stands ou/ from the side of Satavés, this is where z/ 7s. From which side it stands is not clear to me. The water comes to Satavés through the bottom; some say that it traverses a fissure.’
’ Perhaps a better reading would be stfirg sr-i géndakth, ‘the intense saltness which is stench.’ The author appears to have had some vague idea of the monsoon.
“ Or, perhaps, ‘ the other (the stench) flows back to Pattk.’
® Reading band; but it may be béd, ‘consciousness, sensitiveness,’
p. 44
moon and wind; it comes again axzd goes down, in increase and decrease, because of her revolving. 12. The control! also of the Gulf of Satavés is attached to the constellation Satavés, in whose protection are the seas of the southern quarter, just as those on the northern side are in the protection of Haptdék-ring *. 13. Concerning the flow and ebb it is said, that everywhere from the presence of the moon two winds continually blow, whose abode is in the Gulf of Satavés, one they call the down-draught, and one the up-draught; when the up-draught blows zt zs the flow, and when the down-draught blows it is the ebb*, 14. In the other seas there is nothing of the nature of a revolution of the moon therein, and there are no flow and ebb. 15. The sea of Kamrfd@‘ is that which they pass by, in the north, in Taparistan ; that of Sahi-bdn® is in Ardm.
16. Of the small seas that which was most whole-
1 See p. 43, note 5.
® See Chap. II, 7.
§ This is not a confused attempt to explain the tides as the effect of the land and sea breezes, as might be suspected at first, but is a reasonable conclusion from imaginary facts. Assuming that the wind always blows eastward and westward from the moon, it follows that as the moon rises an easterly wind must blow, which may be supposed to drive the flood tide westward into the Persian Gulf; until the moon passes the meridian, when the wind, changing to the west, ought to drive the ebb tide eastward out of the Gulf, thus accounting for one flow and ebb every day, dependent on the position of the moon.
‘ Evidently the Caspian, which lies north of Taparfstan, a province including part of Mazendar4n.
‘ Evidently the Caspian, which lies north of Taparfstan, a province including part of Mazendar4n.
5 Or perhaps Gahf-b(in, meaning probably the Mediterranean or Euxine, if not both of them; the author appears merely to have heard of the existence of such a sea in Asia Minor (Aram). In the Selections of Zid-sparam, VI, 14, it is called Géhan-bfin.
CHAPTER XIII, 12—XIV, 2. 45
some! was the sea Kydnsth ?, such as is in Sagast4n; a¢ first, noxious creatures, snakes, and lizards (vazagh) were not in 2, and the water was sweeter ¢han in any of the other seas; later (dadigar) zt became salt; at the closest, on account of the stench, it is not possible to go so near as one league, So very great are the stench and saltness through the violence of the hot wind. 17. When the renovation of the universe occurs it will again become sweet®,
CHAPTER XIV.
1. On the nature of the five classes of animals (g5spend) it says in revelation, that, when the primeval ox passed away‘, there where the marrow came out grain grew up® of fifty and five species, and twelve® species of medicinal plants grew ; as it says, that out of the marrow is every separate creature, every single thing whose lodgment is in the marrow’. 2. From the horns avose peas (migtk),
1 Comparing nfstQim with Pers. nist, ‘ healthy.’
® The Av. Kasu of Vend. XIX, 18, and Zamy4d Yt. 66, 92 (see also Chaps. XX, 34, and XXI, 7). A brackish lake and swamp now called Hamfin, ‘the desert,’ or Zarah, ‘ the sea,’ and which formerly contained fresher water than it does now.
> The MSS. here add the first sentence of Chap. XX, and there is every reason to believe that Chaps. XX-XXII originally occupied this position, between XIII and XIV, (see the list of the contents of TD in the Introduction.)
4 See Chaps. IV, 1, and X, 1.
5 All MSS. have lakhv4r, ‘again, but this is probably a blunder for 1414, ‘ up.’
* K2o has ‘fifteen’ here, but ‘twelve’ in Chaps. X, 1, and XXVII, 2.
7 Kzo has ‘of every single thing the lodgment is in the marrow.’
46 BUNDAHIS.
from the nose the leek, from the blood the grapevine! from which they make wine—on this account wine abounds with blood—from the lungs the ruelike herbs, from the middle of the heart? thyme /or keeping away stench, avd every one of the others as revealed in the Avesta.
3. The seed of the ox was carried up to the moon station®; there it was thoroughly purified, and produced the manifold species of animals‘. 4. First, two oxen, one male and one female, and, afterwards, one pair of every single species was let go into the earth, azd was discernible in Atran-vég for a HAsar (‘mile’), which is like a Parasang (‘league’); as it says, that, on account of the valuableness of the ox, it was created twice, one time as an ox, and one time as the manifold species of animals. 5. A thousand days and nights they were without eating, and first water and afterwards herbage (airvar) were devoured by them.
5. A thousand days and nights they were without eating, and first water and afterwards herbage (airvar) were devoured by them.
6. And, afterwards, the three classes (kardak) of animals were produced therefrom, as it says that first were the goat and sheep, and then the camel
1 Probably kadfik-i raz may mean ‘the pumpkin and grape.’
? Reading dtl; but the word may also be read sar, ‘ the head,’ or jigar, ‘ the liver.’
5 See Chap. X, 2.
‘ This translation suits both text and context very well, but gospend pfir-sardak is evidently intended for the Av. g4us pouru-saredh6, ‘the ox of many species,’ of M4h Yt. 0, 7, and Siré6z. 12.
5 Reading mfin aé parasang hum4n4k; if 3 be read for aé the translation must be, ‘three of which are like a Parasang,’ for a HAsar cannot be equal to three Parasangs (see Chaps. XVI, 7, and XXVI). The phrase in the text probably means merely that a HAsar is a measure for long distances, just as a Parasang is.
CHAPTER XIV, 3-13. 47
and swine, and then the horse and ass. 7. For, first, those suitable for grazing were created therefrom, those are now kept in the valley (laf); the second created were those of the hill summits (sari déz) 1, which are wide-travellers, azd habits (nihadak) are not taught to them by hand; the third created were ¢hose dwelling in the water.
8. As for the genera (khadfinak), the first genus is that which das the foot cloven in two, and ts suitable for grazing; of which a camel larger than a horse is small azd new-born. 9. The second genus ‘is ass-footed, of which the swift? horse is the largest, and the ass the least. 10. The third genus is that of the five-dividing paw, of which the dog is the largest, and the civet-cat the least. 11. The fourth genus is the flying, of which the griffon of three natures ® is the largest, and the chaffinch ‘ the least.
12. The fifth genus is that of the water, of which the Kar fish > is the largest, and the Nemadu ® the least.
13. These five genera are apportioned out into
1 Justi reads gfrisa&, the Av. gairish446, ‘ mountain-frequenting,’ of Tistar Yt. 36; but this is doubtful.
* Pahl. zibal = Pers. zib4l,
5 The Paz. sin-i se avin is the Pahl. sén-i 3 khadfifnak of Chap. XXIV, 11, 29, the Sin bird or Stmurgh of Persian legends, the Av. saéna. The word avin4 is a P&z. misreading either of 4inak, ‘kind, sort,’ or of angan4k, ‘dividing.’ The mixture of P4zand and Pahlavi in this and some other chapters is rather perplexing, but the Pazand misreadings can usually be corrected after transliterating them back into Pahlavi characters.
* Reading va taru (Pers. tar).
® See Chaps. XVIII, 3, and XXIV, 13.
* If this Pazand word be written in Pahlavi letters it may be read va magan, which may stand for va magil, ‘and the leech;’ but this is very uncertain,
p. 48
* Reading va taru (Pers. tar).
® See Chaps. XVIII, 3, and XXIV, 13.
* If this Pazand word be written in Pahlavi letters it may be read va magan, which may stand for va magil, ‘and the leech;’ but this is very uncertain,p. 48 two hundred and eighty-two! species (sardak).
14. First are five species of goat, the ass-goat *, the milch-goat, the mountain-goat, the fawn, azd the common goat. 15. Second, five species of sheep, that with a tail, that which has no tail, the dogsheep, the wether, and the Kdrisk sheep, a sheep whose horn is great; it possesses a grandeur? like unto a horse, avd they use z¢ mostly for a steed (bara), as it is said that Mands&thar kept a Kdrisk as a steed. 16. Third, two species of camel, the mountain one and that suitable for grazing ; for one is fit to keep in the mountain, avd one in the plain; they are one-humped and two-humped. 17. Fourth, fifteen species of ox, the white, mud-coloured 4, red, yellow, black, azd@ dappled, the elk, the buffalo, the camel-leopard ox, the fish-chewing® ox, the Fars ox, the Kagau, avd other species of ox.
18. Fifth, eight species of horse, the Arab, the Persian, the mule °, the ass, the wild ass (gér), the hippopotamus (asp-i Avi), avd other species of horse. 19. Sixth, ten species of dog, the shepherd’s dog, the village-dog which is the house-protector, the blood-hound, the slender hound’, the water-
1 K2o alone has 272 (see Chap. X, 3).
® The khar-bfiz (see Chap. XXIV, 2).
* Supposing se koh to be a Pz. misreading of Pahl. suktth. Justi’s translation is: ‘it inhabits the three mountains, like the horse.’
‘ Paz. ashgun is evidently for Pahl. hasgfin.
® Transcribing the Paz. m&hi khu ush4n.into Pahlavi it may be read m4htka4n-khvashan (khash4n?).
® Instead of these first three species M6 has ‘ the white, black, yellow, bay, and chestnut.’ Kzo omits ‘the ass’ by mistake.
7 These first four species are the Av. pasus-haurvd, vishaurvé, véhunazgé, and tauruné of Vend. V, 92-98, XIII, 21, 26-74, I17, 164, 165.
CHAPTER XIV, 14-22. 49
beaver? which they call the water-dog, the fox, the ichneumon (rdsu), the hedgehog which they call ‘ thorny-back,’ the porcupine *, avd the civet-cat; of which, two species are those accustomed ® to burrows, one the fox avd one the ichneumon; and those accustomed to jungle are such as the porcupine which has spines on zés back, and the hedgehog which is similar. 20. Seventh, five species of the black * hare; two are wild species, one dwelling in a burrow’ and one dwelling in the jungle. 21. Eighth, eight species of weasel; one the marten, one the black marten, the squirrel, the Bez ermine *, the white ermine, azd other species of weasel. 22. Ninth, eight species of musk axzmals ; one is that which is recognised by 7¢s musk’, one
1 The Av. bawris up4pé of Aban Yt. 129.
21. Eighth, eight species of weasel; one the marten, one the black marten, the squirrel, the Bez ermine *, the white ermine, azd other species of weasel. 22. Ninth, eight species of musk axzmals ; one is that which is recognised by 7¢s musk’, one
1 The Av. bawris up4pé of Aban Yt. 129.
* The word indra has usually been taken as a Paz. misreading of the Pahl. aQdrak (Av. udra, ‘otter, of Vend. XIII, 48, 167, 169, XIV, 2), but this would be more probably read andra. The Pahl. sfigar, ‘porcupine,’ is just as likely to be misread indra, and its meaning suits the context better.
* The Paz. 4mokhtesn, which is an ungrammatical form, is evidently a misreading of the Pahl. 4mfitkhtag4n.
* Kzo has seya, M6 has zy4gi hest. Perhaps some old copyist has corrected sfy4k-g6sh into khar-gésh, and so both the epithets have crept into the text, the word ‘ black’ being superfluous.
5 Reading khan-mA4nist, the Paz. khu being an obvious misreading of khan.
* The P4z. bez is written bedh in the Pazand MS. (the z in M6 being shaped something like dh), and Justi supposes it represents the Arabic abyadh or bafdh4, ‘white,’ and is explained by the Pers. sapéd, ‘white,’ which follows; but there is nothing in the text to indicate that the second name is an explanation of the first. It is more probable that bez represents the Pers. big4d, ‘reddish, rufous, variegated,’ an epithet quite applicable to the ermine in its summer fur.
7 Or, ‘is known as the musk animal,
[5] Ep. 50 the musk axzmal with a bag in which is their pleasant scent, the Bis-musk! which eats the Bisherb, the black musk which is the enemy of the serpent ¢hat zs numerous in rivers, and other species of musk animals. 23. Tenth, one hundred and ten species of birds; flying creatures (vey=vai) such as the griffon bird?, the Karsipt®, the-eagle, the Kahrk&4s‘ which they call the vulture, the crow, the Arda, the crane, avd the tenth® is the bat. 24. There are two of them which have milk in the teat and suckle ¢hetr young, the griffon bird and the bat which flies in the night; as they say that the bat is created of three races (sardak), the race (Ayina) of the dog, the bird, azd the musk anzma/; for it flies like a bird, has many teeth like a dog, and is dwelling in holes like a musk-rat. 25. These hundred and ten species of birds are distributed into eight groups (khaddinak), mostly as_ scattered about as when a man scatters seed, amd drops the seed in Azs fingers to the ground, large, middling, and small. 26. Eleventh °, fish were created of ten
' A kind of musk-rat; the bis it eats is said to be the Napellus Moysis.
2 Pahl. sénd mfrfk, the stmurgh of Persian tradition, and Av. mereghé saéné of Bahram Yt. 41.
8 See Chap. XIX, 16. * See Chap. XIX, 25.
26. Eleventh °, fish were created of ten
' A kind of musk-rat; the bis it eats is said to be the Napellus Moysis.
2 Pahl. sénd mfrfk, the stmurgh of Persian tradition, and Av. mereghé saéné of Bahram Yt. 41.
8 See Chap. XIX, 16. * See Chap. XIX, 25.
® Counting the ‘flying creatures’ and ‘the vulture’ as distinct species, ‘the bat’ is the tenth. It has been generally supposed that we should read ‘ eleventh,’ and consider the bats as an eleventh group, especially as the MSS. call the next group (the fish) the ‘twelfth ;’ but this view is contradicted by the remarks about the bats being mingled with those about the birds, and also by Zadsparam in his Selections, Chap. IX, 14 (see App. to Bund.), not mentioning any group of bats among the other animals.
® All the MSS. have ‘twelfth,’ but they give no ‘eleventh’ nor ‘thirteenth,’ though they have ‘fourteenth’ in § 29. These irre-
CHAPTER XIV, 23-29. 51
species; first, the fish Ariz!, the Arzuva, the Arzuké, the Marzuk4, azd other Avesta names ?. 27. Afterwards, within each species, species within species are created, so the total is two hundred and eighty-two species *.
28. Of the dog they say that out of the star station, that is, away from the direction of the constellation Hapt6k-ring, was given to him further by a stage (yégist)* than to men, on account of zs protection of sheep, avd as associating with sheep and men; for this the dog is purposely adapted 5, as three more kinds of advantage are given to him than 4o man, he has his own boots, his own clothing*, and may wander about without self-exertion.
29. The twelfth’ is the sharp-toothed beast of
gularities seem to indicate that part of this chapter has been omitted by some old copyist.
» See Chaps. XVIII, 5, and XXIV, 13.
* None of these names are found in the portion of the Avesta now extant.
®’ Kzo alone has 272 (see Chap. X, 3). The actual total number of species mentioned is’ 186, leaving ninety-six for the ‘species within species.’ Zéd-sparam in his Selections, Chap. IX, 14, differs from the numbers given in the text merely in giving ten species of ox, instead of fifteen; so the total of his details is 181, leaving ror sub-species to make up his grand total of 282 (see App. to Bund.)
* A yégist (compare Sans. yogana) was probably from fifteen to sixteen English miles, as it consisted of sixteen hAsar, each of one thousand steps of the two feet (see Chap. XXVI, 1). This sentence seems to imply that on account of the useful qualities of the dog he has a part of the lowermost grade of paradise allotted to him, further from the demon-haunted north than that allotted to the men whose inferior order of merit does not entitle them to enter the higher grades of paradise.
5 Reading 4hang-hémand, ‘having a purpose.’
* Compare Vend. XIII, 106,
7 All the MSS. have ‘ fourteenth,’ but they give no ‘ thirteenth,’
E 2
p. 52
5 Reading 4hang-hémand, ‘having a purpose.’
* Compare Vend. XIII, 106,
7 All the MSS. have ‘ fourteenth,’ but they give no ‘ thirteenth,’
E 2
p. 52
which the leader of the flock is in such great fear, for that flock of sheep is very badly maintained which has no dog.
30. Adharmazd said when the bird Varesha! was created by him, whzch is a bird of prey, thus: ‘Thou art created by me, O bird V4resha! so that my vexation may be greater than my satisfaction with thee, for thou doest the will of the evil spirit more than that of me; like the wicked man who did not become satiated with wealth, thou also dost not become satiated with the slaughter of birds; but if thou be not created by me, O bird V4resha! thou wouldst be created by him, the evil spirit, as a kite * with the body of a Varpa*, by which no creature would be left alive.’
31. Many animals are created in all these species for this reason, that when one shall be perishing through the evil spirit, one shall remain.
CHAPTER XV.
1. On the nature of men it says in revelation, that Gayémard, in passing away‘, gave forth seed ; that seed was thoroughly purified by the motion of
1 No doubt ‘a hawk’ (Pers. vasah or b4sah), as mentioned by Justi; Av. vare would become v4 or b4 in Persian.
® Compare gfirtk with Pers. varik, varka, vark4k, varkak, varg4h, ‘an eagle, falcon, kite, or hawk.’
8 Transcribing the Paz. varpa @yi into Pahlavi we have varpak-aé, which is very nearly the same in form as varfkak-aé, ‘a hut or cottage’ (Pers. gurifah-€); so the formidable bird which the evil spirit might have created was ‘a kite with a body like a cottage.’
* See Chap. IV, 1.
CHAPTER XIV, 30-XV, 4. 53
the light of the sun, and Néryésang? kept charge of two portions, and Spendarmad? received one portion. 2. And zm forty years, with the shape of a one-stemmed Rivads-p/ant*, and the fifteen years of zés fifteen leaves, Matré and Matréy46‘* grew up from the earth in such a manner that their arms rested behind on ¢hety shoulders (désh), and one joined to the other they were connected together and both alike. 3. And the waists of both of them were brought close avd so connected together that it was not clear which is the male and which the female, and which is the ove whose living soul (nismé6) of Afharmazd is not away® 4. As it is said thus: ‘Which is created before, the soul (nism6) or the body? And Afharmazd said that the soul is created before, and the body after, for him who was
1 Av. Nairyé-sangha of Yas. XVII, 68, LXX, 92, Vend. XIX, 111, 112, XXII, 22, &c.; the angel who is said to be Adharmazd’s usual messenger to mankind.
* The female archangel who is supposed to have special charge of the earth (see Chap. I, 26).
5 A plant allied to the rhubarb, the shoots of which supply an acid juice used by the Persians for acidulating preserves and drinks.
* The female archangel who is supposed to have special charge of the earth (see Chap. I, 26).
5 A plant allied to the rhubarb, the shoots of which supply an acid juice used by the Persians for acidulating preserves and drinks.
‘ These names are merely variants of the Mashya and MAshyét of the latter part of this chapter (nom. dual, m. and f., of Av. mashya, ‘mortal’). This is shown by the Pandn4mak-i Zaratfist, saying: ‘and my human nature is from Matréth and Matr6yadih, from which first generation and seed from GAayémard I have sprung.’ And the names are also found in the more Persian forms Maharth and Maharfyaéyth (see the note to § 22). Windischmann considered the meaning to be that ‘they grew up on the day Mitré of the month Mitré6,’ that is, the sixteenth day of the seventh month of the Parsi year; this is not confirmed, however, by Zadsparam in his Selections, Chap. X, 4 (see App. to Bund.)
5 That is, whether they had souls or not. That nismé6 is the Huzvaris for rfb4n, ‘soul,’ appears clearly in § 4, where both words are used for the same thing.
54 BUNDAHIs.
created; it is given into the body that it may produce activity, and the body is created only for activity;’ hence the conclusion is this, that the soul (rdb4n) is created before and the body after. 5. And both of them changed from the shape of a plant into the shape of man, and the breath (nism6) went spiritually into them, which is the soul (rab4n); and now, moreover, in that similitude a tree had grown up whose fruit was the ten varieties of man}.
6. Adtharmazd spoke to Mashya and Mashyédt thus: ‘You are man, you are the ancestry of the world, and you are created perfect in devotion? by me; perform devotedly the duty of the law, think good thoughts, speak good words, do good deeds, and worship no demons!’ 7. Both of them first thought this, that one of them should please the other, as he is a man for him; and the first deed done by them was this, when they went out they washed* themselves thoroughly; and the first words spoken by them were these, that Adharmazd created the water and earth, plants and animals, the stars, moon, and sun, and all prosperity whose origin and effect are from the manifestation of righteousness‘, 8. And, afterwards, antagonism rushed into their minds, and their minds were
1 This evidently refers to another tree, which is supposed to have produced the ten varieties of human monstrosities (see § 31).
_ ” This would be a translation of the Avesta phrase, ‘the best of Armaiti (the spirit of the earth).’
5 Comparing mégtd with Pers. magid; but the verb is very ambiguous, as it may mean, ‘they feasted themselves,’ or ‘they made water.’ .
* The last phrase appears to be quoted from the Pahlavi Had6kht Nask, I, 2.
CHAPTER XV, 5-13. 55
magid; but the verb is very ambiguous, as it may mean, ‘they feasted themselves,’ or ‘they made water.’ .
* The last phrase appears to be quoted from the Pahlavi Had6kht Nask, I, 2.
CHAPTER XV, 5-13. 55
thoroughly corrupted, and they exclaimed that the evil spirit created the water and earth, plants and animals, avd the other things as aforesaid. 9. That false speech was spoken through the will of the demons, and the evil spirit possessed himself of this first enjoyment from them; through that false speech they both became wicked, and their souls are in hell until the future existence.
10. And they had gone thirty days without food}, covered with clothing of herbage (giy4h); and after the thirty days they went forth into the wilderness, came to a white-haired goat, and milked the milk from the udder with their mouths. 11. When they had devoured the milk M4shya sazd to MA4shyét thus: ‘My delight was owing to it when I had not devoured the milk, and my delight is more delightful now when it is devoured by my vile body.’
12. That second false speech enhanced the power of the demons, and the taste of the food was taken away by them, so that out of a hundred parts one part remained.
13. Afterwards, in another thirty days and nights they came to a sheep, fat? azd white-jawed, and they slaughtered z¢; and fire was extracted by them out of the wood of the lote-plum? and box-tree, through the guidance of the heavenly angels, since ~ both woods were most productive of fire for them ;
1 Reading akhfrisn instead of the khfrisn of all MSS, which is hardly intelligible. Perhaps 4v-kh@risn, ‘drinking water,’ ought to be read, as it is alluded to in Chap. XXX, 1.
3 Comparing gefar with Av. garewa and Pers. garb, but this identification may not be correct.
8 The k(inar, a thorny tree, allied to the jujube, which bears a small plum-like fruit.
p. 56
and the fire was stimulated by their mouths; and the first fuel kindled by them was dry grass, kend4r, lotos, date palm leaves, and myrtle ; and they made a roast of the sheep. 14. And they dropped three handfuls of the meat into the fire, azd said: ‘ This is the share of the fire?.’ One piece of the rest they tossed to the sky, avd said: ‘This is the share of the angels.’ A bird, the vulture, advanced and carried some of it away from before them, as a dog ate the first meat. 15. And, first, a clothing of skins covered them; afterwards, it is said, woven garments were prepared from a cloth woven? in the wilderness. 16. And they dug out a pit in the earth, and iron was obtained by them and beaten out with a stone, and without a forge they beat out a cutting edge* from it; and they cut wood with it, and prepared a wooden shelter from the sun (pés-khar).
in the wilderness. 16. And they dug out a pit in the earth, and iron was obtained by them and beaten out with a stone, and without a forge they beat out a cutting edge* from it; and they cut wood with it, and prepared a wooden shelter from the sun (pés-khar).
17. Owing to the gracelessness which they practised, the demons became more oppressive, and they themselves carried on unnatural malice between themselves; they.advanced one against the other, and smote and tore ¢her hair and cheeks‘.
18. Then the demons shouted out of the darkness
1 Most of this sentence is omitted in Kzo by mistake.
3 Reading khés-1-i tad, which Pahlavi words might be easily misread ashabé tad, as given in P4zand in the text. That PAz. tadha stands for Pahl. tadak (Pers. tadah, ‘spun, woven’) is quite certain.
5 Or ‘an axe,’ according as we read tékh ortash. The order of the foregoing words, bara tap4k-1, ‘ without a forge,’ appears to have been reversed by mistake.
‘ Reading réd as equivalent to Pers. rfif, ‘ face,’ but it ought to be réd. Perhaps the word is lft, ‘bare,’ and the translation should be, ‘ tore Aer hair bare.’
CHAPTER XV, 14-24. 57
thus: ‘You are man; worship the demon! so that your demon of malice may repose.’ 19. Mashya went forth and milked a cow's milk, azd poured z¢ out towards the northern quarter; through that the demons became more powerful, and owing to them they both became so dry-backed that in fifty winters they had no desire for intercourse, and though they had had intercourse they would have had no children. 20. And on the completion of fifty years the source of desire arose, first 7 MAshya and then zm Mashyéi, for MAshya said to MA4shyét thus: ‘When I see thy shame my desires arise.’ Then MAshyét spoke thus: ‘ Brother MAshya! when I see thy great desire I am also agitated’.’ 21. Afterwards, it became their mutual wish that the satisfaction of their desires should be accomplished, as they reflected thus: ‘Our duty even for those fifty years was this.’
22. From them was born in nine months a pair, male and female; azd owing to tenderness for offspring? the mother devoured one, and the father one.
23. And, afterwards, Atharmazd took tenderness for offspring away from them, so that ome may nourish a child, and the child may remain.
24. And from them arose seven pairs, male and
1 This is merely a paraphrase of the original.
* Or, ‘the deliciousness of children’ (shirfnth-i farzand). Justi has, ‘owing to an eruption on the children the mother deserted one,’ &c.; but the legend of devouring the first children is still more clearly mentioned in the Pahlavi Rivayat, which forms the first book of the D4distan-i Dintk (preceding the ninety-two questions and answers to which that name is usually applied) as follows: Maharth va Maharty&6yth dashdaram rai nazdist6 farzand-i nafsman bar& vastamfind, ‘MAashya and Mashydt, through affection, at first ate up their own offspring.’
58 BUNDAHIS.
female, azd each was a brother and sister-wife ; and from every one of them, in fifty years, children were born, and they themselves died in a hundred years. 25. Of those seven pairs one was Siyakmak, the name of the man, and Nasaék! of the woman; and from them a pair was born, whose names were Fravak of the man and Fravakatn of the woman. 26. From them fifteen pairs were born, every single pair of whom became a race (sardak); and from them the constant continuance of the generations of the world arose.
27. Owing to the increase (z4yisn) of the whole fifteen races, nine races proceeded on the back of the ox Sarsaok ?, through the wide-formed ocean, to the other six regions (késhvar), and stayed there ; and six races of men remained in Khvantras.
28. Of those six races the name of the man of one pair was T4z and of the woman Ta4zak, and they went ¢o the plain of the TAzikan (Arabs); and of one pair Héshyang ® was the name of the man and Gtdzak of the woman, and from them arose the Afranakan (Iranians); and from one pair the M4zendarans‘* have arisen. 29. Among the number (pavan aé mar) were those who are in the coun-
» Or ‘ Vasak.’
* See Chaps. XVII, 4, XIX, 13; the name is here written Srisaok in the MSS., and is a Pazand reading in all three places.
* Av. Haoshyangha of Abfn Yt. 21, Gés Yt. 3, Fravardin Yt. 137, Ram Yt. 7, Ashi Yt. 24, 26, Zamyad Yt. 26. His usual epithet is paradh&ta (Pahl. pés-d4d), which is thus explained in the Pahlavi Vend. XX, 7: ‘this early law (pés-d4dih) was this, that he first set going the law of sovereignty.’ For this reason he is considered to be the founder of the earliest, or Pésdadian, dynasty. See Chaps. XXXI, 1, XXXIV, 3, 4.
‘ The people of the southern coast of the Caspian, the M4zainya daéva, ‘ Mazainyan demons or idolators,’ of the Avesta.
CHAPTER XV, 25-31. 59
tries of Sfrak?, those who are in the country of Anér?, those who are in the countries of Tar, those who are in the country of Salm which is Ar(im, those who are in the country of Séni, that which is Xinistén, those who are in the country of Dat®, and those who are in the country of Sind‘. 30. Those, indeed, throughout the seven regions are all from the lineage of Fravak, son of Siyakmak, son of MAshya.
31. As there were ten varieties of man 5, and fifteen races from Fravak, there were twenty-five races all from the seed of Gayémard; the varteties are such as those of the earth, of the water, the breast-eared, the breast-eyed, the one-legged, those also who have wings like a bat, ¢hose of the forest, with tails, ad who have hair on the body*.
* Not Syria (which is Sfristén, see Chap. XX, 10), but the Sfrfk of the Pahlavi Vend. I, 14, which translates Av. Sughdha, the land east of the Oxus (see Chap. XX, 8). Windischmann reads it as Paz. Erak.
* Probably for Av. anairya, ‘non-Aryan,’ which seems specially applied to the lands east of the Caspian.
XX, 10), but the Sfrfk of the Pahlavi Vend. I, 14, which translates Av. Sughdha, the land east of the Oxus (see Chap. XX, 8). Windischmann reads it as Paz. Erak.
* Probably for Av. anairya, ‘non-Aryan,’ which seems specially applied to the lands east of the Caspian.
* The countries of Tir, Salm, Séni, and Dai are all mentioned successively in Fravardin Yt. 143, 144, in their Avesta forms Tfirya, Sairima, S4ini, and Dahi. The country of Tar was part of the present Turkistan, that of Salm is rightly identified with Arfim (the eastern Roman Empire, or Asia Minor) in the text; the country of Séni (miswritten Sénd), being identified with Xinfst4n, was probably the territory of Samarkand, and may perhaps be connected with Mount Aind (see Chap. XII, 2, 13); and the land of Dai must be sought somewhere in the same neighbourhood.
* Bactria or any part of north-western India may be intended ; wherever Brahmans and Buddhists existed (as they did in Bactria) was considered a part of India in Sasanian times.
5 Grown on a separate tree (see § 5).
* Only seven varieties of human monsters are here enumerated,
p. 60
CuapTer XVI.
1. On the nature of generation it says in revelation, that a woman when she comes out from menstruation, during ten days and nights, when they go near unto her, soon becomes pregnant. 2. When she is cleansed from her menstruation, avd when the time for pregnancy has come, always when the seed of the man is the more powerful a son arises from it; when that of the woman is the more powerful, a daughter; when both seeds are equal, twins and triplets. 3. If the male seed comes the sooner, it adds to the female, and she becomes robust; if the female seed comes the sooner, it becomes blood, and the leanness of the female arzses therefrom.
4. The female seed is cold and moist, and z¢s flow is from the loins, and the colour is white, red, and yellow; and the male seed is hot and dry, z¢s flow is from the brain of the head, avd the colour is white and mud-coloured (hasgfin). 5. All! the seed of the females whzch issues beforehand, takes a place within the womb, and the seed of the males will remain above it, avd will fill the space of the womb; whatever refrains therefrom becomes blood again, enters into the veins of the females, azd at the time any one is born it becomes milk and for the last three details seem to refer to one variety, the monkeys. The Parsi MS. of miscellaneous texts, M7 (fol. 120), says, ‘The names of the ten species of men are the breast-eyed, the three-eyed, the breast-eared, the elephant-eared, the one-legged, the webfooted, the leopard-headed, the lion-headed, the camel-headed, and the dog-headed.’
1 M6 has ‘always.’
CHAPTER XVI, I—XVII, I. 61
nourishes him, as all milk arises from the seed of the males, azd the blood is that of the females.
p. 61
nourishes him, as all milk arises from the seed of the males, azd the blood is that of the females.
6. These four things, they say, are male, and these female: the sky, metal, wind, azd fire are male, and are never otherwise; the water, earth, plants, and fish are female, azd are never otherwise; the remaining creation consists of male and female.
7. As regards the fish? it says that, at the time of excitement, they go forwards and come back in the water, two and two, the length of a mile (h4sar), which is one-fourth of a league (parasang), in the running water; in that coming and going they then rub ther bodies together, and a kind of sweat drops out betwixt them, axd both become pregnant.
Cuarter XVII.
1. On the nature of fire it says in revelation, that fire is produced of five kinds, namely, the fire Berezi-savang ?, the fire which shoots up before AQharmazd the lord; the fire Vohu-fryén%, the fire which is in the bodies of men and animals; the fire Urvazist*, the fire which is in plants; the fire
1 K2o has ‘the male fish,’ which is inconsistent with the preceding sentence.
* These Avesta names of the five kinds of fire are enumerated in Yas. XVII, 63-67, and the Pahlavi translation of that passage interchanges the attributes ascribed to the first and fifth in the text, thus it calls the first ‘the fire of sublime benefit in connection with Varahran (Bahram). See also Selections of Zad-sparam, XI, 1.
* *The fire of the good diffuser ( or offerer), that within the bodies of men’ (Pahl. Yas. XVII, 64).
‘ «The fire of prosperous (or abundant) life, that within plants’ (Pahl. Yas. XVII, 65).
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VA4zist!, the fire which is in a cloud whch stands opposed to Spéngargak in conflict; the fire Spénist?, the fire which they keep in use in the world, likewise the fire of VAhram*. 2. Of those five fires one consumes both water and food, as that which is in the bodies of men; one consumes water avd consumes no food, as that which is in plants, which live and grow through water; one consumes food and consumes no water, as that which they keep in use in the world, and likewise the fire of VAhram; one consumes no water and no food, as the fire VA4zist. 3. The Berezi-savang is that in the earth and mountains and other things, which‘ Aftharmazd created, zm the original creation, like three breathing souls (nismé); through the watchfulness and protection due to them the world ever develops (vakhshéa). 4. And in the reign of Takhmérup®, when men continually passed, on the back of the ox Sarsaok °, from Khvaniras to the other regions, one night
1 <The fire VAzist, that which smites the demon Spengarga’ (Pahl. Yas. XVII, 66). See Chap. VII, 12.
4 <The propitious fire wich stands in heaven before A(fharmazd in a spiritual state’ (Pahl. Yas. XVII, 67).
® The Bahram fire, or sacred fire at places of worship.
Yas. XVII, 66). See Chap. VII, 12.
4 <The propitious fire wich stands in heaven before A(fharmazd in a spiritual state’ (Pahl. Yas. XVII, 67).
® The Bahram fire, or sacred fire at places of worship.
‘M6 has min, instead of mfin, which alters the translation, but not the meaning. This appears to be a different account of the fire Berezi-savang to that given in § 1, but it merely implies that it is fire in its spiritual state, and the name can, therefore, be applied to any natural fire which can be attributed to supernatural agency, such as burning springs of petroleum, volcanic eruptions, ignis fatuus, phosphorescence of the sea, &c.
® The second Pésdfdian monarch (see Chaps. XXXI, 2, 3, XXXIV, 4).
* Written Srisaok in the MSS. in Chap. XV, 27; where it also appears that the sea was ‘the wide-formed ocean.’ See likewise Chap. XIX, 13.
CHAPTER XVII, 2-7. 63
amid the sea the wind rushed upon! the fireplace— the fireplace in which the fire was, such as was provided in three places on the back of the ox—which the wind dropped with the fire into the sea ; and all those three fires, like three breathing souls, continually shot up in the place and position of the fire on the back of the ox, so that it becomes quite light, azd the men pass again through the sea. 5. And in the reign of Yim? every duty was performed more fully through the assistance of all those three fires; and the fire Frébak® was established by him at the appointed place (d4d-g4s) on the Gadman-hémand (‘glorious’) mountain in Khvdérizem ¢, which Yim constructed for them; and the glory of Yim saves the fire Frébak from the hand of Dahak°. 6. In the reign of King Vistasp, upon revelation from the religion®, it was established, out of Khvdrizem, at the Réshan (‘shining’) mountain in K4vulistén, the country of Kavul (K4bul), just as it remains there even now.
7. The fire Gisasp, until the reign of Kai-Khdsr6éb’, continually afforded the world protection in the manner aforesaid® ; and when Kai-Kh(isrdéb’ was
1 Compare staft with Pers. sitaftan, ‘to hasten.’
* The third Pésdfédian monarch (see Chaps. XXXI, 3, 4, XXXIV, 4).
5 Also written Frébé, Fr6éb4, Frébak, or Frébag.
‘ The Av. Hvairizem of Mihir Yt. 14, a province east of the Caspian.
5 It is doubtful whether va gadman, ‘and the glory,’ or nism6, ‘the soul, reason’ (see Chaps. XXIII, 1, XXXIV, 4), should be read. And it may even be that ‘the fire Frébak saves the soul of Yim,’ &c. For Dahfk see Chaps. XXXI, 6, XXXIV, 5.
* Or, ‘upon declaration from revelation.’ .
7 Here written Kaf-Khfisrébi.
* In § 3. The ‘three breathing souls’ of spiritual fire are sup-
64 BUNDAHIS.
extirpating the idol-temples of Lake Aééast! it . settled upon the mane of 4zs horse, and drove away the darkness and gloom, and made z¢ quite light, so that they might extirpate the idol-temples; in the same locality the fire Gfsasp was established at the appointed place on the Asnavand mountain *.
it . settled upon the mane of 4zs horse, and drove away the darkness and gloom, and made z¢ quite light, so that they might extirpate the idol-temples; in the same locality the fire Gfsasp was established at the appointed place on the Asnavand mountain *.
8. The fire Barzin-Mitré, until the reign of King VistAsp, ever assisted’, 2 like manner, in: the world, and continually afforded protection; amd when the glorified * Zaratfst was introduced to produce confidence in the progress of the religion, King Vistasp and zs offspring were steadfast in the religion of God*, and Vist&4sp established ¢h2s fire at the appointed place on Mount Révand, where they say the Ridge of Vist4sp (pdst-i Vistasp4n) is ®
9. All those three fires are the whole body of the fire of Vahr4m, together with the fire of the world, and those breathing souls are lodged in them; a counterpart of the body of man when it forms in the womb of the mother, azd a soul from the spiritworld settles within z¢, which controls the body while living ; when that body dies, the body mingles with the earth, ad the soul goes back to the spirit.
posed to be incorporated in its three earthly representatives, the fires Frébak, GQsasp, and Bfrsin-Mitré respectively.
* That is, of the province around that lake (see Chap. XXII, 2).
* See Chap. XII, 26. Compare Selections of Z4d-sparam, VI, 22.
* Taking vagid as equivalent to Pers. guzid; but it may be equivalent to Pers. vazid, ‘ grew, shot up.’
“ The epithet anédshak-rabén (Pers. néshirvan) means literally ‘immortal-souled.’
® Or, ‘ of the angels,’ which plural form is often used to express ‘God.’
* See Chap. XII, 18, 34.
CHAPTER XVII, 8—XVIII, 5: 65
Cuapter XVIII.
1. On the nature of the tree they call Gékard! it says in revelation, that z¢ was the first day when the tree they call Gékard grew in the deep mud? within the wide-formed ocean ; amd it is necessary as a producer of the renovation of ¢he universe, for they prepare its immortality therefrom. 2. The evil spirit has formed therein, among those which enter as opponents, a lizard* as an opponent in that deep water, so that it may injure the Hém‘*. 3. And for keeping away that lizard, Adharmazd has created there ten Kar fish ® which, at all times, continually circle around the Hém, so that the head of one of those fish is continually towards the lizard. 4. And together with the lizard those fish are spiritually fed *, that is, no food is necessary for them; azd till the renovation of the universe they remain in contention. 5. There are places where that fish is
1 A corruption of the Av. gaokerena of Vend. XX, 17, Adharmazd Yt. 30, Haptén Yt. 3, Siréz. 7. In the old MSS. of the Bundahis the form gékard occurs thrice, gdkarn once, and gogry once.
? Reading gil, ‘mud.’ Windischmann and Justi prefer gar, ‘mountain,’ and have ‘ depth of the mountain.’
gaokerena of Vend. XX, 17, Adharmazd Yt. 30, Haptén Yt. 3, Siréz. 7. In the old MSS. of the Bundahis the form gékard occurs thrice, gdkarn once, and gogry once.
? Reading gil, ‘mud.’ Windischmann and Justi prefer gar, ‘mountain,’ and have ‘ depth of the mountain.’
® That the writer of the Bundahis applies the term vazagh toa lizard, rather than a frog, appears from the ‘log-like lizard’s body’ of Chap. III, 9.
‘ That is, the Gékard tree, which is the white H6m (see Chap. XXVII, 4).
5 The Av. karé masyé of Vend. XIX, 140, Bahrém Yt. 29, Din Yt. 7; see also Chap. XXIV, 13.
* Windischmann and Justi prefer translating thus: ‘ Moreover, the lizard is the spiritual food of those fish ;’ but this can hardly be reconciled with the Pahlavi text.
(5) Fp. 66 written of as ‘the Ariz! of the water;’ as it says that the greatest of the creatures of Adharmazd is that fish, and the greatest of those proceeding from the evil spirit is that lizard; with the jaws of ¢hety bodies, moreover, they snap in two whatever of the creatures of both sfzrzts has entered between them, except that one fish which is the VAs of Pan#dsadvarin*®. 6.-This, too, is said, that those fish are so serpent-like® in that deep water, they know the scratch (m4lisn) of a needle’s point by which the water shall increase, or by which it is diminishing.
7. Regarding the Vas of Panfdsadvardn it is declared that it moves within the wide-formed ocean, and its length is as much as what a man, while in a swift race, will walk /vom dawn till when the sun goes down; so much that it does not itself move* the length of the whole of its great body. 8. This, too, is said, that the creatures of the waters live also specially under its guardianship.
9. The tree of many seeds has grown amid the wide-formed ocean, and in its seed are all plants ; some say z¢ zs the proper-curing, some the energeticcuring, some the all-curing °.
1 See Chaps. XIV, 26, and XXIV, 13.
* The Av. vasfm yim pans&sadvardim of Yas. XLI, 27.
® Transcribing the P4z. m4radu into Pahlavi we have mar yin, ‘snake’s manner.’ Compare the text with Bahram Yt. 29.
* K20 omits the words from ‘ walk’ to ‘ move.’
® This is the tree of the sa€na or Simurgh, as described in Rashnu Yt. 17, and these three epithets are translations of its three titles, hubis, eredhw6-bis, and visp6-bis. See also Chap. XXVII, 2, 3
CHAPTER XVIII, 6—XIX, I. 67
10. Between! these trees of such kinds? is formed the mountain with cavities, 9999 thousand myriads zn number, each myriad being ten thousand.
11. Unto that mountain is given the protection of the waters, so that water streams forth from there, in the rivulet channels, to the land of the seven regions, as the source of all the sea-water in the land of the seven regions is from there ®,
Cuaprer XIX.
1. Regarding the three-legged ass‘ they say, that it stands amid the wide-formed ocean, and its feet are three, eyes six, mouths® nine, ears two, and horn
1. Regarding the three-legged ass‘ they say, that it stands amid the wide-formed ocean, and its feet are three, eyes six, mouths® nine, ears two, and horn
' This must have been the original meaning of the Huz. dén (bén in the Sasanian inscriptions) before it was used as a synonym of P4z. andar, ‘ within.’ The mountain is between the white-Hém tree and the tree of many seeds.
? Transcribing the Paz. ofnoh into Pahlavi we have 4n-gfinak, ‘that kind ;’ or the word may be a miswriting of Paz. 4n6, ‘there.’
* This description of the mountain seems to identify it with the Afsind6m mountain of Chaps. XII, 6, and XIII, 5.
* The Av. khara, ‘which is righteous aad which stands in the middle of the wide-shored ocean’ (Yas. XLI, 28). Darmesteter, in his Ormazd et Ahriman (pp. 148-151), considers this mythological monster as a meteorological myth, a personification of clouds and storm; and, no doubt, a vivid imagination may trace a striking resemblance between some of the monster’s attributes and certain fanciful ideas regarding the phenomena of nature; the difficulty is to account for the remaining attributes, and to be sure that these fanciful ideas were really held by Mazdayasnians of old. Another plausible view is to consider such mythological beings as foreign gods tolerated by the priesthood, from politic motives, as objects worthy of reverence; even as the goddess An&hita was tolerated in the form of the angel of water.
® This is the traditional meaning of the word, which (if this
F 2
p. 68
one, body white, food spiritual, azd it is righteous. 2. And two of its six eyes are in the position of eyes, two on the top of the head, and two in the position of the hump!; with the sharpness of those six eyes it overcomes and destroys. 3. Of the nine mouths three are in the head, three in the hump, and three in the inner part of the flanks; and each mouth is about the size of a cottage, and 2¢ zs itself as large as Mount Alvand*, 4. Each one of the three feet, when it is placed on the ground, is as much as a flock (gird) of a thousand sheep comes under when they repose together; and each pastern® is so great in its circuit that a thousand men with a thousand horses may pass inside. 5. As for the two ears z¢ zs MAzendaran which they will encompass. 6. The one horn is as it were of gold and hollow, and a thousand évanch horns‘ have grown upon it, some befitting ® a camel, some befitting a horse, some befitting an ox, some befitting an ass, both great and small. 7. With that horn it will vanquish amd dissipate all the vile corruption due to the efforts of noxious creatures.
meaning be correct) ought probably to be read yéng, and be traced to Av. eeaungh (Yas. XXVIII, 11). In the MSS. the word is marked as if it were pronounced gfind, which means ‘a testicle.’
1 The hump is probably supposed to be over the shoulders, as in the Indian ox, and not like that of the camel.
eeaungh (Yas. XXVIII, 11). In the MSS. the word is marked as if it were pronounced gfind, which means ‘a testicle.’
1 The hump is probably supposed to be over the shoulders, as in the Indian ox, and not like that of the camel.
* Near Hamadan, rising 11,000 feet above the sea, or 6000 above Hamadan. It may be one of the Av. Aurvanté of Zamy4d Yt. 3. The Pazand MSS. read Hunavand.
® Literally, ‘ the small of the foot,’ khirdak-i ragelman.
“ Or, ‘a thousand cavities (srfibd, Pers. surub, ‘cavern’) have grown in it.’
8. When that ass shall hold z¢és neck in the ocean zts ears will terrify (asahméa), and all the water of the wide-formed ocean will shake with agitation, and the side of Ganavad' will tremble (shivanéd). g. When it utters a cry all female water-creatures, of the creatures of Afharmazd, will become pregnant; and all pregnant noxious water-creatures, when they hear that cry, will cast ¢hey young.
10. When it stales in the ocean all the sea-water will become purified, which is in the seven regions of the earth—z¢ zs even on that account when all asses which come into water stale in the water—as it says thus: ‘If, O three-legged ass! you were not created for the water, all the water in the sea would have perished from the contamination which the poison of the evil spirit has brought into its water, through the death of the creatures of Afharmazd.’
11. Tistar seizes the water? more completely from the ocean with the assistance of the three-legged ass. 12. Of ambergris also (ambar-i£) z¢ is declared, that it is the dung of the three-legged ass; for if it has much spirit food, then also the moisture of the liquid nourishment goes through the veins pertaining to the body into the urine, axd the dung is cast away.
13. Of the ox Hadhayés’, which they call Sarsaok‘, it says, that in the original creation men passed from region to region upon zt, and in the
2 A mountain (see Chap. XII, 29, 34).
2 See Chap. VII, 11.
5 Written Haday4vs in the MSS. in Chap. XXX, 25, and Hadhay&s in the D4&distén-i Dinik, Part II, reply 89; it is a Pazand reading in all three places.
* See Chaps. XV, 27, XVII, 4.
p. 70
renovation of the universe they prepare Hash (the beverage producing immortality) from it. 14. It is said, that life is in the hand of that foremost man, at the end of 4zs years', who has constructed the most defences around this earth, until the renovation of the universe is requisite.
renovation of the universe they prepare Hash (the beverage producing immortality) from it. 14. It is said, that life is in the hand of that foremost man, at the end of 4zs years', who has constructed the most defences around this earth, until the renovation of the universe is requisite.
15. Regarding the bird A4amrés? it says, that z¢ zs on the summit of Mount Albarz; and every three years many come from the non-Iranian districts for booty (gird) §, by going to bring damage (ziy4n) on the Iranian districts, and to effect the devastation of the world; then the angel Barg*, Aaveng come up from the low country of Lake Arag®, arouses that very bird K4mrés, and it flies upon the loftiest of all the lofty mountains, azd picks up all those non- Iranian districts as a bird does corn.
16. Regarding Karsipt® they say, that it knew how to speak words, and brought the religion to the enclosure which Yim made, and circulated 2¢ ; there they utter the Avesta in the language of birds.
1 Transcribing the Paz. svadyi into Pahlavi we have snatth, ‘term of years.’ The whole sentence is very obscure.
* Written Xamrés in Chap. XXIV, 29. It is the Av. Kamraos (gen. of Kamru) of Fravardin Yt. rog. See also Chap. XXVII, 3.
5 Or, ‘to an assembly.’
‘ The Av. Beregya of Yas. I, 21, II, 27, III, 35, ‘a spirit cooperating with the Ushahina Gah, who causes the increase of herds and corn.’
® Or, ‘of the district of Arag’ (see the note on Chap. XII, 23). Although no Lake Arag is described in Chap. XXII, some of the epithets referring to its Avesta equivalent Rangha are more applicable to a lake than to a river, as in Bahram Yt. 29. Possibly the low lands between the Caspian and Aral, or on the shores of the Caspian, are meant.
* The Av. vis karsipta of Vend. II, 139, where, however, vis
CHAPTER XIX, 14-23. 71
17. Regarding the ox-fish they say, that it exists in all seas; when it utters a cry all fish become pregnant, and all noxious water-creatures cast their young.
18. The griffon bird', which is a bat, is noticed (kard) twice in another chapter (bab4).
19. Regarding the bird Ashézust ?, which is the bird Zobara-vahman azd also the bird Sdk 4, they say that it has given an Avesta with z¢s tongue; when it speaks the demons tremble at it avd take nothing away there; a nail-savzng, when it is not prayed over (afsid), the demons amd wizards seize, and like an arrow it shoots at and kills that bird.
20. On this account the bird seizes avd devours a nail-pavimg when it is prayed over, so that the demons may not control z¢s use; when it is not prayed over it does not devour z¢, and the demons are able to commit an offence with it.
21. Also other beasts and birds are created all in opposition to noxious creatures, as it says, that when the birds and beasts are all in opposition to noxious creatures and wizards, Gc. 22. This, too, it says, that of all precious® birds the crow (valagh) is the most precious. 23. Regarding the white falcon it
22. This, too, it says, that of all precious® birds the crow (valagh) is the most precious. 23. Regarding the white falcon it does not mean ‘bird,’ and the Pahlavi translator calls it ‘a quadruped.’ In the Pahl. Visp. I, 1, ‘the Karsipt is the chief of flying creatures,’ and the Bundahis also takes it as a bird (see Chaps. XIV, 23, XXIV, 11).
1 See Chaps. XIV, 11, 23, 24, XXIV, rr, 29.
2 The Av. Ash6-zusta of Vend. XVII, 26, 28.
* Compare Pers. z(lah, ‘a sparrow or lark.’
* Compare Pers. sak, ‘a magpie.’
5 This quotation is evidently left incomplete.
¢ The Pahlavi word is ambiguous; it may be read zil, ‘cheap, common,’ or it may be zagar = yakar, ‘dear, precious,’ but thep. 72 says, that it kills the serpent with wings. 24. The magpie (k4skinak) bird kills the locust, and is created in opposition to it. 25. The Kahrkds’, dwelling in decay, which is the vulture, is created for devouring dead matter (nasA!); so also are the crow (valak)? and the mountain kite.
26. The mountain ox, the mountain goat, the deer, the wild ass, and other beasts devour all snakes. 27. So also, of other axzmals, dogs are created in opposition to the wolf species, azd for securing the protection of sheep; the fox is created in opposition to the demon Khava ; the ichneumon is created in opposition to the venomous snake (garzak) and other noxious creatures in burrows; so also the great musk-anzmal is created in opposition® to ravenous intestinal worms (kadik-danak garzak). 28. The hedgehog is created in opposition to the ant which carries off grain‘, as it says, that the hedgehog, every time that it voids urine into an ant’s nest, will destroy a thousand ants; when the grain-carrier travels over the earth it prolatter seems most probable, although the crow is perhaps as ‘common’ as it is ‘ precious,’ as a scavenger in the East. Singularly enough Pers. arz4n is a synonym to both words, as it means both ‘cheap’ and ‘ worthy.’
1 The Av. kahrk4sa of Vend. III, 66, IX, 181, Aban Yt. 61, Mihir Yt. 129; its epithet zarm4n-m4nisn, ‘ dwelling in decay,’ is evidently intended as a translation of the Av. zarenumainis, applied to it in Bahram Yt. 33, Din Yt. 13. :
2 The text should probably be val4k-i sty&k va sar-i gar, ‘the black crow and the mountain kite,’ which are given as different birds in Shayast-l4-sh4yast, II, 5.
8 K2o0 omits the words from this ‘ opposition’ to the next one.
‘ The mér-i d4nak-kash is the Av. maoiris dané-karshé of Vend. XIV, 14, XVI, 28, XVIII, 146.
CHAPTER XIX, 24-34. 73
duces a hollow track!; when the hedgehog travels over it the track goes away from it, and it becomes level. 29. The water-beaver is created in opposition to the demon which is in the water. 30. The conclusion is this, that, of all beasts‘and birds and fishes, every one is created in opposition to some noxious creature.
29. The water-beaver is created in opposition to the demon which is in the water. 30. The conclusion is this, that, of all beasts‘and birds and fishes, every one is created in opposition to some noxious creature.
31. Regarding the vulture (kark4s) it says, that, even from his highest flight, he sees when flesh the size of a fist is on the ground; and the scent of musk is created under his wing, so that if, in devouring dead matter, the stench of the dead matter comes out from it, he puts 4zs head back under the wing and is comfortable again. 32. Regarding the Arab horse they say, that if, in a dark night, a single hair occurs on the ground, he sees zz.
33. The cock is created in opposition to demons and wizards, co-operating with the dog; as it says in revelation, that, of the creatures of the world, those which are co-operating with Srdésh?, in destroying the fiends, are the cock and the dog.
34. This, too, it says, that it would not have deen managed if I had not created the shepherd's dog, which is the Pasus-haurva*, amd the house watchdog, the Vis-haurva?; for it says in revelation, that the dog is a destroyer of such a fiend as covetous-
’ Comparing srak with Pers. suragh in preference to sfrakh or sQlakh, ‘a hole.’
? Av. Sraosha, the angel who is said specially to protect the world from demons at night; he is usually styled ‘the righteous,’ and is the special opponent of the demon Aéshm, ‘ Wrath’ (see Chap. XXX, 29).
* These are the Avesta names of those two kinds of dog (see Chap. XIV, 19).
74 BUNDAHIS.
ness, among those which are in the nature (aftth) of man and of animals. 35. Moreover it says, that, inasmuch as it will destroy all the disobedient, when it barks it will destroy pain’; and its flesh and fat are remedies for driving away decay and pain from men ?,
36. Adharmazd created nothing useless whatever, for all these (kol4 aé) are created for advantage ; when one does not understand the reason of them, it is necessary to ask the Dastdr (‘high-priest ’), for his five dispositions (khik)* are created in this way that he may continually destroy the fiend (or deceit).
CHAPTER XX.
1, On the nature of rivers it says in revelation, that these two rivers flow forth from the north, part from Albdrz and part from the Albfrz of Adhar-
1 Or it may be thus: ‘For it says thus: Wherewith will it destroy? When it barks it will destroy the assembly (gird) of all the disobedient.’
2 This is the most obvious meaning, but Spiegel (in a note to Windischmann’s Zoroastrische Studien, p. 95) translates both this sentence and the next very differently, so as to harmonize with Vend. XIII, 78, 99.