Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1who art the righteous ome [of righteousness !’ that is, Afhaymazd is the righteous creator through invocation, avd the rest through praise]. 2. ‘How, when in the material existence they see a [clean] man together with [that which is polluted], (3) how shall they purify him clean who 1 Observing that the passages in brackets do not occur in the Avesta text, but are added by the Pahlavi translators; and that the sections are numbered to correspond with the alternating Avesta and Pahlavi sections in the MSS., which is the division adopted in Spiegel’s edition of the texts. The readings adopted are those of L4, wherever they are not defective; this MS. was written about A.D. 1324, and differs occasionally from Spiegel’s printed text; it begins the ninth fargard with the following heading :—‘ May it be fortunate! may it destroy the corruption (nasf(is) which rushes on from a dead dog and men on to the living! May the pure, good religion of the Masda-worshippers be triumphant |’ 432 APPENDIX. is with ¢ha¢ fraught with corruption [together with pollution] owing to that dead body ? [that is, how should they make 42m thoroughly clean ?]’ 4. And Atharmazd spoke thus: ‘A righteous man, O Zaratist the Spitam4n! [a purifier], (5) who is a speaker [that is, it is possible for him to speak], a true-speaker [that is, falsehood is little spoken by him], an enquirer of the liturgy [that is, the ritual is performed by him], and righteous, (6) he who specially understands the purification of the religion of the Mazda-worshippers [that is, he knows the rite], (7) such a one shall cut up the plants on the fruitful earth, (8) for a length of nine separate reeds? in every one of the four directions, (9) a¢ a@ place on this earth which is most devoid of water, most devoid of trees, land most purified [from bodily refuse]?, avd with the driest ground [that is, there is no damp in that extent of it}, 10. Even where least upon the paths do cattle and beasts of burden step forth, and the fire of Aftharymazd, the sacred twigs? spread forth with righteousness, and the righteous man‘ do least exist.’ 11. ‘Creator of the material world! thou righteous one! how far from the fire? how far from the water ? how far from the sacred twigs spread forth 1 Which would be 42 feet (see Dd. XLIII, 5 n); but the phrase gvid nai (which, in Pahl. Vend.VII, 90, has become gvid han& by misreading gvid6-a&, and then substituting Huz. han4 for Paz. aé) is merely an attempted translation of Av. vib4zu, which latter appears to mean the ‘two arms’ outstretched, or a fathom. So the ‘separate reed’ should be understood as a longer kind of reed, equal to a fathom, instead of 4 feet 8 inches. 2 See Dd. XLVIII, 19 n. L¢ omits this clause altogether. * See Dd. XLIII, gn. * Any priest not engaged in the purification. Iv. THE BARESHNOM CEREMONY. 433 with righteousness? how far from a man of the righteous ?’
22 See Dd. XLVIII, 19 n. L¢ omits this clause altogether. * See Dd. XLIII, gn. * Any priest not engaged in the purification. Iv. THE BARESHNOM CEREMONY. 433 with righteousness? how far from a man of the righteous ?’ 12. And Afhaymazd spoke thus: ‘Thirty steps! from the fire, thirty steps from the water, thirty steps from the sacred twigs spread forth with righteousness, and three steps? from the men of the righteous. 13. The cutting out for the first hole [for bull’s urine}, after the coming on of summer, is two finger-dreadths in excavation; after the coming on of hail-fraught (s6ngag 4n-hémand) winter 2¢ is as zt were a cup of four finger-dreadths*. 14. So also for the second hole, for the third hole, for the fourth hole, the fifth, avd the sixth.’ ‘How much is ove such hole from another hole® ?’ ‘As much as one step onwards.’ 1 As the step is three feet (see § 15), and the foot, being fourteen finger-breadths (see Bd. XXVI, 3 n), may be taken as 10} inches, these thirty steps would be nearly 79 English feet. ? That is, 7 feet 104 inches. This diminution of distance enables a purifying priest to stand near enough to an unclean person to hand him the purifying liquid in a ladle tied to a stick (see §§ 40-42), without going within the furrows traced around the holes or ablution seats at the same distance of three steps (see §§ 21-23). * That is, at which the unclean person is sprinkled with the urine (see §§ 48-116). The urine should be that of a bull, according to Vend. XIX, 70; but Vend. VIII, 35, 36 state that it may be that of cattle or draught oxen, generally, or even that of those who perform Khvétfik-das (see p. 391). At the present time the term magh, which means ‘a hole’ in the Avesta, is applied to the stones which are used as ablution seats for squatting upon. “ The greater depth of the hole for catching the ablution droppings in the winter, would provide for the larger quantity of liquid that could not sink into the soil, or evaporate, during the tedious washing, owing to the soil and air being damper than in summer. 5 The probable positions of these holes, and of the furrows enclosing them, are shown upon the plan of the Bareshnim Gah on p. 435, which differs but little from the plan still in use. [18] Ff 434 APPENDIX. 15. ‘What kind of one step ?’ ‘Just like three feet.’ 16. ‘The cutting out of the three other holes [which are for water], (17) after the coming on of summer, is as much as two finger-dreadths in excavation; after the coming on of hail-fraught winter z¢ is as much as four finger-dveadths.’ 18. ‘How much from those former ones [for bull’s urine] ?’ ‘As much as three steps.’ 19. ‘What kind of three steps ?’ ‘As much as the steps ove plants in walking with the steps he would take.’ 20. ‘ What kind of walking with steps ?’ ‘Just like nine feet.’ 21. ‘ Thou shalt also plough up a furrow with the blade due to Shatvyévair!.’ 22. ‘How much from the holes ?’ ‘As much as three steps.’
3‘ What kind of walking with steps ?’ ‘Just like nine feet.’ 21. ‘ Thou shalt also plough up a furrow with the blade due to Shatvyévair!.’ 22. ‘How much from the holes ?’ ‘As much as three steps.’ ‘What kind of three steps ?’ ‘As much as z# walking with the steps owe would take and plant.’ 23. ‘ How much is the walking with steps ?’ ‘As much as nine feet.’ 24. ‘ Then, afterwards, is the ploughing up of the twelve furrows. 25. By the ploughing up of three from among ¢hem three holes are separated within them. 26. Thou shalt plough up three from among them with six holes separated within. 27. Thou shalt plough up three from among ¢hem with nine holes separated within. 28. Amd thou shalt plough 1 That is, made of metal, which is under the special protection of the archangel Shatryévair or Shatvair6 (see Dd. XLVIII, 17 n). ah South North O, 0, 0, O, O, O, six northern holes, for bull's urine, one step apart. O, O, O, three southern holes, for water, one step apart and three steps from the others. S, S, S, three loads of stones on the three spaces of three steps. D, place for collecting fifteen handfuls of dust for drying the body. Pian oF Baresuntm GAuH. IV. THE BARESHNOM CEREMONY. 435 436 APPENDIX. up three, within which are the [three] holes that are apart, [which are for water, and] beyond [¢hose within, which are for bull’s urine]}. 29. ‘Thou shalt carry three loads of stones on to those spaces of nine feet?, as an approach /o the holes; (30) ov potsherds, or knotty amd massive blocks, or a clod of the earth of Vistasp, or [a pot or something of] any hard earth whatever. 31. ‘Afterwards, he who has deen by the dead shall come to that approach, which is the approach to the holes. 32. Thereupon thou, O Zaratdst! hast to stand up more aside, by the furrows’. 1 The arrangement, here described, is that of six holes in a row, one step apart; then an interval of three steps, followed by three more holes, one step apart, in the same line. This row of nine holes, from north to south (see § 132, ¢), is surrounded by three furrows, the first six holes and the last three are both surrounded by a second series of three furrows, and the first three holes are surrounded by a third series of three furrows. And these furrows are not less than three steps from the holes in any place, except where they separate the three series of holes from each other. The object of the furrows, which are scored during the recitation of certain formulas (see § 132, f, g), is to prevent the fiend of corruption from forcing its way from the unclean person within the furrows to any other person outside them. And, as the fiend is supposed to be strongest at first, and to become gradually weakened by the progress of the purification (see § 119), the first three holes are surrounded by the strongest barrier of nine furrows.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1who art the righteous ome [of righteousness !’ that is, Afhaymazd is the righteous creator through invocation, avd the rest through praise]. 2. ‘How, when in the material existence they see a [clean] man together with [that which is polluted], (3) how shall they purify him clean who 1 Observing that the passages in brackets do not occur in the Avesta text, but are added by the Pahlavi translators; and that the sections are numbered to correspond with the alternating Avesta and Pahlavi sections in the MSS., which is the division adopted in Spiegel’s edition of the texts. The readings adopted are those of L4, wherever they are not defective; this MS. was written about A.D. 1324, and differs occasionally from Spiegel’s printed text; it begins the ninth fargard with the following heading :—‘ May it be fortunate! may it destroy the corruption (nasf(is) which rushes on from a dead dog and men on to the living! May the pure, good religion of the Masda-worshippers be triumphant |’ 432 APPENDIX. is with ¢ha¢ fraught with corruption [together with pollution] owing to that dead body ? [that is, how should they make 42m thoroughly clean ?]’ 4. And Atharmazd spoke thus: ‘A righteous man, O Zaratist the Spitam4n! [a purifier], (5) who is a speaker [that is, it is possible for him to speak], a true-speaker [that is, falsehood is little spoken by him], an enquirer of the liturgy [that is, the ritual is performed by him], and righteous, (6) he who specially understands the purification of the religion of the Mazda-worshippers [that is, he knows the rite], (7) such a one shall cut up the plants on the fruitful earth, (8) for a length of nine separate reeds? in every one of the four directions, (9) a¢ a@ place on this earth which is most devoid of water, most devoid of trees, land most purified [from bodily refuse]?, avd with the driest ground [that is, there is no damp in that extent of it}, 10. Even where least upon the paths do cattle and beasts of burden step forth, and the fire of Aftharymazd, the sacred twigs? spread forth with righteousness, and the righteous man‘ do least exist.’ 11. ‘Creator of the material world! thou righteous one! how far from the fire? how far from the water ? how far from the sacred twigs spread forth 1 Which would be 42 feet (see Dd. XLIII, 5 n); but the phrase gvid nai (which, in Pahl. Vend.VII, 90, has become gvid han& by misreading gvid6-a&, and then substituting Huz. han4 for Paz. aé) is merely an attempted translation of Av. vib4zu, which latter appears to mean the ‘two arms’ outstretched, or a fathom. So the ‘separate reed’ should be understood as a longer kind of reed, equal to a fathom, instead of 4 feet 8 inches. 2 See Dd. XLVIII, 19 n. L¢ omits this clause altogether. * See Dd. XLIII, gn. * Any priest not engaged in the purification. Iv. THE BARESHNOM CEREMONY. 433 with righteousness? how far from a man of the righteous ?’
22 See Dd. XLVIII, 19 n. L¢ omits this clause altogether. * See Dd. XLIII, gn. * Any priest not engaged in the purification. Iv. THE BARESHNOM CEREMONY. 433 with righteousness? how far from a man of the righteous ?’ 12. And Afhaymazd spoke thus: ‘Thirty steps! from the fire, thirty steps from the water, thirty steps from the sacred twigs spread forth with righteousness, and three steps? from the men of the righteous. 13. The cutting out for the first hole [for bull’s urine}, after the coming on of summer, is two finger-dreadths in excavation; after the coming on of hail-fraught (s6ngag 4n-hémand) winter 2¢ is as zt were a cup of four finger-dreadths*. 14. So also for the second hole, for the third hole, for the fourth hole, the fifth, avd the sixth.’ ‘How much is ove such hole from another hole® ?’ ‘As much as one step onwards.’ 1 As the step is three feet (see § 15), and the foot, being fourteen finger-breadths (see Bd. XXVI, 3 n), may be taken as 10} inches, these thirty steps would be nearly 79 English feet. ? That is, 7 feet 104 inches. This diminution of distance enables a purifying priest to stand near enough to an unclean person to hand him the purifying liquid in a ladle tied to a stick (see §§ 40-42), without going within the furrows traced around the holes or ablution seats at the same distance of three steps (see §§ 21-23). * That is, at which the unclean person is sprinkled with the urine (see §§ 48-116). The urine should be that of a bull, according to Vend. XIX, 70; but Vend. VIII, 35, 36 state that it may be that of cattle or draught oxen, generally, or even that of those who perform Khvétfik-das (see p. 391). At the present time the term magh, which means ‘a hole’ in the Avesta, is applied to the stones which are used as ablution seats for squatting upon. “ The greater depth of the hole for catching the ablution droppings in the winter, would provide for the larger quantity of liquid that could not sink into the soil, or evaporate, during the tedious washing, owing to the soil and air being damper than in summer. 5 The probable positions of these holes, and of the furrows enclosing them, are shown upon the plan of the Bareshnim Gah on p. 435, which differs but little from the plan still in use. [18] Ff 434 APPENDIX. 15. ‘What kind of one step ?’ ‘Just like three feet.’ 16. ‘The cutting out of the three other holes [which are for water], (17) after the coming on of summer, is as much as two finger-dreadths in excavation; after the coming on of hail-fraught winter z¢ is as much as four finger-dveadths.’ 18. ‘How much from those former ones [for bull’s urine] ?’ ‘As much as three steps.’ 19. ‘What kind of three steps ?’ ‘As much as the steps ove plants in walking with the steps he would take.’ 20. ‘ What kind of walking with steps ?’ ‘Just like nine feet.’ 21. ‘ Thou shalt also plough up a furrow with the blade due to Shatvyévair!.’ 22. ‘How much from the holes ?’ ‘As much as three steps.’
3‘ What kind of walking with steps ?’ ‘Just like nine feet.’ 21. ‘ Thou shalt also plough up a furrow with the blade due to Shatvyévair!.’ 22. ‘How much from the holes ?’ ‘As much as three steps.’ ‘What kind of three steps ?’ ‘As much as z# walking with the steps owe would take and plant.’ 23. ‘ How much is the walking with steps ?’ ‘As much as nine feet.’ 24. ‘ Then, afterwards, is the ploughing up of the twelve furrows. 25. By the ploughing up of three from among ¢hem three holes are separated within them. 26. Thou shalt plough up three from among them with six holes separated within. 27. Thou shalt plough up three from among ¢hem with nine holes separated within. 28. Amd thou shalt plough 1 That is, made of metal, which is under the special protection of the archangel Shatryévair or Shatvair6 (see Dd. XLVIII, 17 n). ah South North O, 0, 0, O, O, O, six northern holes, for bull's urine, one step apart. O, O, O, three southern holes, for water, one step apart and three steps from the others. S, S, S, three loads of stones on the three spaces of three steps. D, place for collecting fifteen handfuls of dust for drying the body. Pian oF Baresuntm GAuH. IV. THE BARESHNOM CEREMONY. 435 436 APPENDIX. up three, within which are the [three] holes that are apart, [which are for water, and] beyond [¢hose within, which are for bull’s urine]}. 29. ‘Thou shalt carry three loads of stones on to those spaces of nine feet?, as an approach /o the holes; (30) ov potsherds, or knotty amd massive blocks, or a clod of the earth of Vistasp, or [a pot or something of] any hard earth whatever. 31. ‘Afterwards, he who has deen by the dead shall come to that approach, which is the approach to the holes. 32. Thereupon thou, O Zaratdst! hast to stand up more aside, by the furrows’. 1 The arrangement, here described, is that of six holes in a row, one step apart; then an interval of three steps, followed by three more holes, one step apart, in the same line. This row of nine holes, from north to south (see § 132, ¢), is surrounded by three furrows, the first six holes and the last three are both surrounded by a second series of three furrows, and the first three holes are surrounded by a third series of three furrows. And these furrows are not less than three steps from the holes in any place, except where they separate the three series of holes from each other. The object of the furrows, which are scored during the recitation of certain formulas (see § 132, f, g), is to prevent the fiend of corruption from forcing its way from the unclean person within the furrows to any other person outside them. And, as the fiend is supposed to be strongest at first, and to become gradually weakened by the progress of the purification (see § 119), the first three holes are surrounded by the strongest barrier of nine furrows.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
No commentary for this page.