The Zend-Avesta, Part I: The Vendîdâd — SBE Vol. 4 (trans. James Darmesteter, 1880)

Or to have an evil Ahu.

XV.—18. For the soul of them who have no guide" can never offer up a merit to expiate a sin.

19... .. XVI. 20,21. . . . .?

XVII.

222, Say not they treat me friendly, me, Ahura
Mazda, in the house, in the borough, in the district,
in the country,

23. Where they treat not friendly the Fire of me,
Ahura Mazda, and the holy man, rich in good
thoughts, rich in good words, rich in good deeds °.

XVIII.

24. He must accomplish an act of merit of the value of a tanu-mazé‘, he who hath committed a falsehood of the value of a tanu-mazé.

25. For he layeth up the merit of a tanu-maz6,

26. While he never sinneth a sin of a tanu-mazd, in false thoughts, in false words, in false deeds.

XIX.

27°, [That which a man or a woman knoweth clearly to be right, let him or her declare as he knoweth it, let him enact it, let him teach it]

> Cf. Srésh Yast 14.

* Tanu-maz6, lit. ‘of the value of a tanu-peretha,’ means a deed evil or good, which deserves or redeems a tanu-peretha (tanafQhr) penalty (200 strokes with the Sraoshé-sarana).

° §§ 27-28=Yasna XXXV, 6-7.

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28. Ahura zt ad vi Mazdau yasneméa vahmeméa vahistem (ibid. 7; Sp. 19, 20).

XX.

29. Im& 4d ukhdha vasau Ahura Mazdau ashem
manyau vahyau fravaéé4mau (Yasna XX XV, 9;
Sp. 24).

30. Thwdâm ad aésham paity4starem#4 fradahstaremé#é dademaidé (ibid. 9 ; Sp. 25).

31. [Asha] ash4 ada [read ashaadéa] hana vangheus#4 mananghé vangheusé4 khshathrad (ibid. 10 ; Sp. 26).

XXII.

32. Niwyéiti zt Spetama Zarathustra 4tars Ahurahé
Mazdau haa yashtibyéd aiwyé.

33. Manayen ahé yatha na snaithis asné nighmatem paiti-vaénéid,

34. IshQm va arshtim va fradakhshtanim va avad paiti papayamné,

35. Vidva avad hava khrathwa yézi ma hau na ava snaithis adi ava asnavaéd vi mam urvaésayéd astaka ustanaka.

XXII.

36. Yaska mé t4yauséa hazahiséa vivapauséa vivarauska draoginé-baretauséa zaéthrau frabaréd,

? §§ 29-31= Yasna XXXV, 9-10.

* The whole of the sacred words, ‘the Religion of Auhrmazd’ (Comm.)

* «From thee of all the Amshaspands we receive most’ (knowledge and truth) (Comm.)

* Ahura is the best and most demonstrative teacher ; (cf. Yasna LI, 3c).

® The first three Amesha Spertas.

Vv. TAHMURAS FRAGMENTS. 283

To others who shall perform it in their turn, even as he or she hath declared it.

28. Now, that which we consider as the best of all things, O Ahura Mazda! is prayer and sacrifice offered to Ahura Mazda.

XX.

291. And these words *, O Ahura Mazda! we utter with the perfect intention of holiness.

30. And amongst them (the Amesha Spemtas), we look chiefly unto thee, to grant unto us * and to instruct us 4;

31. For more than Asha, more than Vohu Mand, more than the righteous Khshathra ° [thy glorification is above all glorification . .],

XXII.

32. For, O Spitama Zarathustra! the fire of Ahura
Mazda trembles in front of boiling water ° ;

33. Like a man who seeth a weapon which comes nigh him,

For more than Asha, more than Vohu Mand, more than the righteous Khshathra ° [thy glorification is above all glorification . .],

XXII.

32. For, O Spitama Zarathustra! the fire of Ahura
Mazda trembles in front of boiling water ° ;

33. Like a man who seeth a weapon which comes nigh him,

34. Or an arrow or lance, or a stone from a sling, and who avoideth the blow,

35. Saying to himself: ‘If that man strike me with his weapon, my body and soul will part asunder.’

XXII.

36. And he who offers me the libations of a thief’, or a robber, or a ravisher,. . . or libations offered by a liar,

* For fear of its boiling over. If it does so and extinguishes the fire, the person in charge is guilty of a tanu-peretha sin (Saddar XLVIII).

7 The priest who offers me libations for a thief.

p. 284

37. Dizad zi mam avavata dakhsha y tha ana mashy4kaé angrahé mainyeus astisha.

XXIII.

38. Sterenditi ana avava starem aina yatha narem ashavanem dusé&4 zaretem upar4d@ naém4d nasus adi ava thravid.

39. Naésa paskaéta had n4 ahmad haga gataod isaéta frashdtéid ndid apashitéid thrayam Aina gamanam.

XXIV.

40. Aévayakid aésmé-bereité aévayakid baresméstereiti,

41. Barezyé ashava zarahé his drugem.

42. Fradhaiti ashem

43. Vispem ashavanem vahistem 4 ahim 4 baraiti

44. (cf. § 74) Shatem dadaiti urvinem ashaond iriritanahé.

XXV, XXVI.

XXV.—45. Hauéa ithra Spitama Zarathustra takhmandm tazéisté paiti-gasad yd aéta hiskyata hiskyAnaédtemem paiti-gasad,

46. Arem maiti mata mamné arem mdikhti (read dkhti) khdkhti (read hOkhti) arem varsti hvaresta.

1 «A man burning with fever’ (which is a fire sent by Ahriman).

* This fragment, which refers to the same subject as fragment XXI, is quoted in an abridged form in the Pahlavi Vendfdéd III, 14 (see Fragments to the Vendfd4d), to show that throwing héhr (water soiled) into water or fire is as bad as casting nas& (dead matter) on one of the faithful.

® The old man defiled with the Nasu. . * As he cannot venture into contact with the faithful till he has been purified (cf. Vd. VIII, 35 sq.)

5 It looks as if the five quotations of which this fragment is

p. 285

37- He burneth me with the same burning that burneth a man possessed by Angra Mainyu".

XXIII *%

38. And he sins towards the Fire the same sin as if he cast the Nasu upon a righteous man bowed down with age;

39. And thenceforth from that place, such a one® shall not go three steps forwards nor three steps backwards ¢.

XXIV °.

40. For a single gift of wood, for a single offering of Baresman,

41. The Righteous is exalted and the Drug is weakened.

42. For by such things waxeth the Asha °,

43. And every Righteous man is borne up to
Paradise,

44. And joy is given to the soul of the Righteous man who has departed 7.

40. For a single gift of wood, for a single offering of Baresman,

41. The Righteous is exalted and the Drug is weakened.

42. For by such things waxeth the Asha °,

43. And every Righteous man is borne up to
Paradise,

44. And joy is given to the soul of the Righteous man who has departed 7.

XXV, XXVI+4 XXV.—45. Such a one, O Spitama Zarathustra ! shall arrive there as the strongest of the strong, who here below most powerfully impelleth the righteous unto good works, 46. To think perfect thoughts, speak perfect words, and do perfect deeds.

composed did not form a continuous sentence. Only the last three seem to form a coherent whole.

* The Pahlavi translation adds here: ‘ waxeth the flock, waxeth the fire,’ as if the Zend text were incomplete. Cf. Vd. III, 3.

” Cf. § 74.

® The general meaning of these two fragments is that the man who impels his brethren to do good will enter Paradise.

p. 286

XXVI.—47. Hu aithra (read ithra) Spetama Zarathustra ukhdhdé-vaéam ukhdhé-vagastemé paitigasad drughiméa driviméa arathwyé-bereté baremné

48. Hvam id ahmi hvam 4id khshathré avad
Aéista.

49. Yénhé vaganghé nemanghé spnathrem (read khshnaothrem).

50. Ahishti (read Akhshti) sahethrem (read sakhethrem).

51. Armaité darethrem.

52. Fraraiti viidim.

53. Ainitis aés6é vahs (read vakhs).

XXVII.

54. Kad té asti Ahunahé vairyéhé haithim ?

55. Paiti-sé ukhté Ahuré Mazdau mané bA vohu
Zarathustra ad adyemnem ad adyamnad khrataod;

56. Zazusu vispaésu vanghusé zazusu vispaésu ashé-4ithraésu.

1 There above, in the heavens.

* * That is to say, he has made much gatakgébth (g4dang6i) for the sake of the poor, men and women’ (Comm.) Making gâdang6éi is collecting money for the poor, or for any pious work. If a man come to me and say, ‘I have no work to do, give me work,’ and I apply to somebody else who gives him work, I have done gAdang6i, and the merit is the same as if I had given it myself (Saddar XXII).

® In his sphere of influence.

“ The celebrated Dastfr under Sh4hpfhr II, the last editor of the
Avesta : cf. General Introduction.

5 A treatise lost, in Pahlavi.

* The five following disconnected lines are abridged Zend quotations, answering to the five terms of Atarpat’s phrase, and refer each to one of the five virtues that are recommended.

Vv. TAHMURAS FRAGMENTS. 287

XXVI.—47. Such a one, O Spitama Zarathustra ! shall arrive there! as the best of intercessors, who here below intercedeth for the poor man and the poor woman in their distress ? ;

48. Who doeth it himself and teaches it to others in his kingdom °.

The blessed Atirp4t, son of Mahraspand‘, in his Instruction toa disciple’, says: ‘Be a man of prayer; a man of peace, a man of perfect piety, a man of liberality, and without rancour. These are the virtues one must acquire, as it is said in the Scriptures:

49°. .. . whose words of prayer rejoice [the gods] *.

50. Teaching in peace *.

51. In perfect piety keeping (Religion)*.

52. Science in giving ?°