The Zend-Avesta, Part I: The Vendîdâd — SBE Vol. 4 (trans. James Darmesteter, 1880)
The translator’s English as printed (James Darmesteter). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-gatu the fire from the aonya paré-bereg ya *, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered : ‘His reward shall be the same as ifhe had, here below, brought to the Daityégatu as many fire-brands as there were plants.’
87 (261). O Maker of the material ‘world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityéd-gatu the fire from under the puncheon of a goldsmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought a hundred fire-brands to the D4itydé-gatu.’
88 (262). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Ifa man bring to the Déityé-gatu the fire from under the puncheon of a silversmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ? .
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ninety fire-brands to the Déityé-gatu.’
} Doubtful. * Meaning unknown. Perhaps a fire for burning weeds.
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89 (263). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-g4tu the fire from under the puncheon of a blacksmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought eighty fire-brands to the DAityé-gatu.’
go (264). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-g4tu the fire from under the puncheon of a worker in steel, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought seventy fire-brands to the Déityé-gatu.’
gt (265). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-g4tu the fire of an oven’, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted from his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought sixty fire-brands to the Déityé-gAtu.’
92 (266). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the DAityé-g4tu the fire from under a cauldron?, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought fifty fire-brands to the Daityé-gétu.’
93 (267). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the DAityé-g4tu the
1 A baker's fire. 3 The kitchen-fire.
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fire from an aonya takhairya', what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought forty fire-brands to the Daéityé-gAtu.’
94 (268). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Ifa man bring a herdsman’s fire to the Daityé-g4tu, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
O Maker of the material world, thou
Holy One! Ifa man bring a herdsman’s fire to the
Daityé-g4tu, what shall be his reward when his soul
has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought thirty fire-brands to the Daéityé-gAtu.’
(95 (269). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Ifa man bring to the DAaityé-gatu the fire of the field ®, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought twenty fire-brands to the Daityé-gatu.’]
96 (270). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Ifa man bring to the D4ityé-g4tu the fire of his own hearth‘, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ten fire-brands to the Daityé-gAtu.’
X.
97 (271). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Can a man be made clean, O holy
? Meaning unknown. * From the Vendidéd Sada.
* The hunter’s fire, an encampment’s fire.
“ By which one warms one’s self; the fire least exposed to uncleanness.
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Ahura Mazda! who has touched a corpse in a distant place in the wilderness}?
98 (272). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ He can, O holy Zarathustra.’
How so?
‘If the Nasu has already been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs or the corpse-eating birds, he shall wash his body with géméz; he shall wash it thirty times, he shall rub it dry with the hand thirty times, beginning every time with the head *.
99 (278). ‘If the Nasu has not yet been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs or the corpse-eating birds, he shall wash his body with géméz; he shall wash it fifteen times, he shall rub it dry with the hand fifteen times *.
100 (280). ‘Then he shall run a distance of a Hathra‘. He shall run until he meets some man on his way, and he shall cry out aloud: “ Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, and who is powerless in mind, powerless in tongue, powerless in hand’, Do make me clean.” Thus shall he run until he overtakes the man. If the man
1 Where the regular process of purification cannot be performed.
—The Pahlavi Commentary to this chapter will be found in West,
Pahlavi Texts, II, p. 455.
* Perhaps better : ‘ this is as good as the chief purification’ (that is to say as a regular Barashnfm).—If the Sag-did has been performed, the Si-shQ@ (thirtyfold washing) is enough. Cf. above, §§ 35, 36.
5 If the Sag-did has not been performed, he cleanses himself in a summary way till he comes to a place where the Barashnim can be performed.
* See p. 15, n. 6.
® On account of my uncleanness, I am armést, excluded from active life and unfit for any work.
FARGARD VIII. I2I
will not cleanse him, he remits him the third of his trespass.
* See p. 15, n. 6.
® On account of my uncleanness, I am armést, excluded from active life and unfit for any work.
FARGARD VIII. I2I
will not cleanse him, he remits him the third of his trespass.
tor (287). ‘Then he shall run another HA4thra, he shall run off again until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the half of his trespass 2.
102 (291). ‘Then he shall run a third HA4thra, he shall run off a third time until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the whole of his trespass.
103 (294). ‘Thus shall he run forwards until he comes near a house, a borough, a town, an inhabited district, and he shall cry out with a loud voice: “Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, and who is powerless in mind, powerless in tongue, powerless in hand. Do make me clean.” If they will not cleanse him, he shall cleanse his body with géméz and water; thus shall he be clean *’
104 (300). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If he find water on his way and the water make him subject to a penalty‘, what is the penalty that he shall pay ?
105 (303). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ Four hundred stripes with the Aspahé-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshé-éarana.’
106 (304). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If he find trees* on his way and the
’ As he takes it upon his own head.
* The half of the remnant, that is the second third.
* ‘He may then attend to his business; he may work and till; some say he must abstain from sacrifice (till he has undergone the Barashnfim)’ (Comm.)
‘ As he defiled it by crossing it.
5 «Trees fit for the fire’ (Comm.) If he touches those trees, the fire to which they are brought becomes unclean by his fault.
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fire make him subject to a penalty, what is the penalty that he shall pay?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ Four hundred stripes with the Aspahé-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshé-4arana.
107 (308). ‘ This is the penalty, this is the atonement which saves the faithful man who submits to it, not him who does not submit to it. Such a one shall surely be an inhabitant in the mansion of the Drug.’
FarGarpD IX.
The Nine Nights’ Barashndm.
Ia (1-11). Description of the place for cleansing the unclean
(the Barashniim-g4h).
I b (12-36.. Description of the cleansing.
II (37-44). Fees of the cleanser.
TI] (47-57). The false cleanser ; his punishment.
§§ 45, 46 belong better to the following Fargard.
O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-gatu the fire from the aonya paré-bereg ya *, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered : ‘His reward shall be the same as ifhe had, here below, brought to the Daityégatu as many fire-brands as there were plants.’
87 (261). O Maker of the material ‘world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the D&ityéd-gatu the fire from under the puncheon of a goldsmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought a hundred fire-brands to the D4itydé-gatu.’
88 (262). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! Ifa man bring to the Déityé-gatu the fire from under the puncheon of a silversmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ? .
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ninety fire-brands to the Déityé-gatu.’
} Doubtful. * Meaning unknown. Perhaps a fire for burning weeds.
p. 118
89 (263). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-g4tu the fire from under the puncheon of a blacksmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought eighty fire-brands to the DAityé-gatu.’
go (264). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-g4tu the fire from under the puncheon of a worker in steel, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought seventy fire-brands to the Déityé-gatu.’
gt (265). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the Daityé-g4tu the fire of an oven’, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted from his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought sixty fire-brands to the Déityé-gAtu.’
92 (266). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the DAityé-g4tu the fire from under a cauldron?, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought fifty fire-brands to the Daityé-gétu.’
93 (267). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If a man bring to the DAityé-g4tu the
1 A baker's fire. 3 The kitchen-fire.
p. 119
fire from an aonya takhairya', what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought forty fire-brands to the Daéityé-gAtu.’
94 (268). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! Ifa man bring a herdsman’s fire to the Daityé-g4tu, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
O Maker of the material world, you
Holy One! Ifa man bring a herdsman’s fire to the
Daityé-g4tu, what shall be his reward when his soul
has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought thirty fire-brands to the Daéityé-gAtu.’
(95 (269). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! Ifa man bring to the DAaityé-gatu the fire of the field ®, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought twenty fire-brands to the Daityé-gatu.’]
96 (270). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! Ifa man bring to the D4ityé-g4tu the fire of his own hearth‘, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body ?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ten fire-brands to the Daityé-gAtu.’
X.
97 (271). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! Can a man be made clean, O holy
? Meaning unknown. * From the Vendidéd Sada.
* The hunter’s fire, an encampment’s fire.
“ By which one warms one’s self; the fire least exposed to uncleanness.
p. 120
Ahura Mazda! who has touched a corpse in a distant place in the wilderness}?
98 (272). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ He can, O holy Zarathustra.’
How so?
‘If the Nasu has already been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs or the corpse-eating birds, he shall wash his body with géméz; he shall wash it thirty times, he shall rub it dry with the hand thirty times, beginning every time with the head *.
99 (278). ‘If the Nasu has not yet been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs or the corpse-eating birds, he shall wash his body with géméz; he shall wash it fifteen times, he shall rub it dry with the hand fifteen times *.
100 (280). ‘Then he shall run a distance of a Hathra‘. He shall run until he meets some man on his way, and he shall cry out aloud: “ Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, and who is powerless in mind, powerless in tongue, powerless in hand’, Do make me clean.” Thus shall he run until he overtakes the man. If the man
1 Where the regular process of purification cannot be performed.
—The Pahlavi Commentary to this chapter will be found in West,
Pahlavi Texts, II, p. 455.
* Perhaps better : ‘ this is as good as the chief purification’ (that is to say as a regular Barashnfm).—If the Sag-did has been performed, the Si-shQ@ (thirtyfold washing) is enough. Cf. above, §§ 35, 36.
5 If the Sag-did has not been performed, he cleanses himself in a summary way till he comes to a place where the Barashnim can be performed.
* See p. 15, n. 6.
® On account of my uncleanness, I am armést, excluded from active life and unfit for any work.
FARGARD VIII. I2I
will not cleanse him, he remits him the third of his trespass.
* See p. 15, n. 6.
® On account of my uncleanness, I am armést, excluded from active life and unfit for any work.
FARGARD VIII. I2I
will not cleanse him, he remits him the third of his trespass.
tor (287). ‘Then he shall run another HA4thra, he shall run off again until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the half of his trespass 2.
102 (291). ‘Then he shall run a third HA4thra, he shall run off a third time until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the whole of his trespass.
103 (294). ‘Thus shall he run forwards until he comes near a house, a borough, a town, an inhabited district, and he shall cry out with a loud voice: “Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, and who is powerless in mind, powerless in tongue, powerless in hand. Do make me clean.” If they will not cleanse him, he shall cleanse his body with géméz and water; thus shall he be clean *’
104 (300). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If he find water on his way and the water make him subject to a penalty‘, what is the penalty that he shall pay ?
105 (303). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ Four hundred stripes with the Aspahé-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshé-éarana.’
106 (304). O Maker of the material world, you Holy One! If he find trees* on his way and the
’ As he takes it upon his own head.
* The half of the remnant, that is the second third.
* ‘He may then attend to his business; he may work and till; some say he must abstain from sacrifice (till he has undergone the Barashnfim)’ (Comm.)
‘ As he defiled it by crossing it.
5 «Trees fit for the fire’ (Comm.) If he touches those trees, the fire to which they are brought becomes unclean by his fault.
p. 122
fire make him subject to a penalty, what is the penalty that he shall pay?
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ Four hundred stripes with the Aspahé-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshé-4arana.
107 (308). ‘ This is the penalty, this is the atonement which saves the faithful man who submits to it, not him who does not submit to it. Such a one shall surely be an inhabitant in the mansion of the Drug.’
FarGarpD IX.
The Nine Nights’ Barashndm.
Ia (1-11). Description of the place for cleansing the unclean
(the Barashniim-g4h).
I b (12-36.. Description of the cleansing.
II (37-44). Fees of the cleanser.
TI] (47-57). The false cleanser ; his punishment.
§§ 45, 46 belong better to the following Fargard.
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