Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
14. He who is of the wicked falls from the lower end (tth) of the bridge, or from the middle of the bridge; he falls head-foremost to hell, and is precipitated (nikfnt-ait6) unto that grade? which is suztable for his wickedness. CHAPTER X XI, 1. The twentieth question is that which you ask thus: How are the Kinvad bridge, the Daitih peak (4ak4qd), and the path of the righteous and wicked ; rest upon the Daitih (‘judicial’) peak, and to pass over to Albis (see Bd. XII, 7). According to the Avesta (Vend. XIX, roo, ror, trans. D.) his conscience, in the form of a maiden, ‘makes the soul of the righteous one go up above the Hara-berezaiti (Albfirz) ; above the Kinvad bridge she places it in the presence of the heavenly gods (angels) themselves.’ See also AV. V,1, 2, Mkh. II, 115. 1 The intermediate place for those not good enough for heaven and not bad enough for hell, where such souls remain in a passive, immovable state till the resurrection (see Sls. VI, 2). It is divided into two parts, according to the author, one for those nearly righteous (see Chap. XXIV, 6), and one for those nearly wicked (see Chap. XXXIII, 2). ? Four grades of heaven and four of hell are mentioned in AV. — and Mkh. (see Sls. VI, 3, note). 48 DADISTAN-! DiNik. how are they when one is righteous, and how when one is wicked ? 2. The reply is this, that thus the high-priests have said, that the Daitih peak?! is in Airan-vég 2, in the middle of the world; reaching unto the vicinity of that peak is that beam-shaped (d4r-kerp6) spirit, the Kinvad bridge*, which is thrown across from the Albfrz enclosure (var) back to the Daitih peak. 3. As 7¢ were that bridge is like a beam of many sides, of whose edges (pést6) there are some which are broad, and there are some which are thin and sharp; its broad sides (sdkih4) are so large that its width is twenty-seven reeds (nf), and its sharp sides are so contracted (tang) that in thinness z¢ is just like the edge of a razor. 4. And when the souls of the righteous and wicked arrive it turns to that side which is suztad/e éo their necessities, through the great glory of the creator and the command of him who ¢akes the just account‘, 5. Moreover, the bridge becomes a broad bridge for the righteous, as much as the height of nine spears (ntzak5)—and the length of those which they carry is each separately three reeds'—; and 1 The Kakad-i Daitik of Bd. XII, 7. 2 The primeval home of Mazda-worship (see Vend. I, 5, 6), which the Bundahis places ‘in the direction of Adarbig4n ;’ it is also stated to contain the Déitik or D4itih river (which must not be confounded with the Daitih peak) and the Daraga river (on whose bank Zarattist’s father is said to have dwelt), and to have been the scene of Zaratfst’s first promulgation of the religion (Bd. XX, 13, 32, XXIX, 12, XXXII, 3). Its winter is likewise described as both long and cold (Vend. I, 8-12, Bd. XXV, 11, 16), which is the case in Adarbigan. ® See Chap. XX, 3. * The angel Rashna.
2XX, 13, 32, XXIX, 12, XXXII, 3). Its winter is likewise described as both long and cold (Vend. I, 8-12, Bd. XXV, 11, 16), which is the case in Adarbigan. ® See Chap. XX, 3. * The angel Rashna. ® The nine spears of three reeds each, in length, making up the CHAPTER XXI, 2-9. 49 it becomes a narrow bridge for the wicked, even unto a resemblance to the edge of a razor. 6. And he who is of the righteous passes over the bridge, and a worldly similitude of the pleasantness of his path upon it is when thou shalt eagerly and unweariedly walk in the golden-coloured spring, and with the gallant (hi-fir') body and sweet-scented blossom in the pleasant skin of that maiden ® spirit, the price of goodness. 7. He who is of the wicked, as he places a footstep oz to the bridge, on account of affliction (siparih) and z¢s sharpness, falls from the middle of the bridge, and rolls over headforemost. 8. And the unpleasantness of his path to hell is in similitude such as the worldly ome in the midst of that stinking azd dying existence (hast4n), there where numbers of the sharp-pointed darts (téz6 mak dfgd) are planted® out inverted and point upwards, and they come unwillingly running; they shall not allow chem to stay behind, or to make delay. 9. So much greater fhan the worldly similitude is that pleasantness and unpleasantness unto the souls, as such as is fit for the spirit is greater than ¢had fit for the world. twenty-seven reeds mentioned in § 3. As the reed appears to have been about 4 feet 8 inches (see Chap. XLIII, 5, note), the width of the bridge is supposed to be about 126 feet, and the length of a spear is taken as 14 feet. 1 So in the MSS., but hf-4thar, ‘handsome,’ is more probable. 2 Reading kaniké, instead of the kan4ké of the MSS., as there can be no allusion to the evil spirit here. The reference is to a good conscience, which is symbolised by the handsome maiden who is supposed to meet the righteous soul on its way to heaven (see Chap. XXIV, 5). , * Assuming that 4gzast is equivalent to Pers. 4gast. The allusion seems to be to a form of torturing punishment (running upon ground studded with sharp points) well known to the author. [18] E 50 DApISTAN-i DiNik. CHAPTER XXII. 1. The twenty-first question is that which you ask thus: When he who is righteous passes away, who has performed much worship of the sacred beings, and many duties and good works, do the spirit of creation, the spirit of the sacred ceremony (yazisn6) and religion of the Mazda-worshippers, the water, earth, plants, and animals, make complaint unto Atharmazd, owing to the passing away of him who is righteous, and is it distressing to them when he goes out from the world, or how is it ?
32. The reply is this, that as to him who is of the righteous, in Azs transit of worldly pain in passing away, and also after passing away to the passage onwards! which is his limit (st4r) still in the perplexing account, and, after the account, in his own joy, and in what occurs when his gossips (hamv44n) in the world—by whom the spiritual beings are also not unrecognised, zor his position unknown —are in worldly demeanour downcast and grieving, on all these occastons® his thoughts, procuring forgiveness, are about the sacred beings. 3. And the spirit of creation, amd the good spirit of the religion of the Mazda-worshippers, which are in the worldly existence—of which also, in the world, that righteous one is a praiser, an employer, a manager, a protection, and a forbearing friend—shall make an outcry to 1 The Xinvad bridge, near which the soul’s account is rendered. 2 The sentence is clear enough in Pahlavi, but too involved to be readily understood in English without these extra words. ’ The worldly existences which those spirits represent. CHAPTER XXII, I—XXIII, 2. 51 the creator about him who is righteous, who is away from worldly protection, aéso for the granting of a promoter of forbearance, and for a restorer (4v6rd4r) of what is extorted'!; dkewise a petition about the compensatory concomitants as to his new protection and disposer. 4. And the almighty creator responds, azd allots a teacher? for smiting the fiend, for the satisfaction of the righteous, azd for the protection of the good creatures. 5. As it is said, that in every age a highpriest of the religion and 4zs managing of the creatures are made manifest, in whom, in that age, the protection of the creatures and the will of the sacred beings are progressing. CHAPTER XXIII. 1. The twenty-second question is that which you ask thus: When they shall snatch forth the life from the body of man how does it depart ? 2. The reply is this, that z¢ is said ¢o de in resemblance such as when the redness is drawn up out of a fire; for when the inflammable materzal of a fire is burnt, azd has remained without glowing , ' These latter clauses of the outcry refer to their own wants, and the necessity of providing some one to take the place of the deceased; but the final petition seems to be for the deceased himself. 3 The word may be either farhakht4ké, ‘ preparing, educating,’ or firisték%, ‘sending, deputing,’ and must be used as a substantive. * Reading abaris (compare Pers. bars, ‘ splendour’), or it may be abarakh, ‘sparkless,’ if barkh, ‘a spark,’ be a pure Persian word, which is doubtful. E 2 52 DADISTAN-{ DiNiK. and when it does not obtain new inflammable mazevial, or extinguishing matter (niz4yisnik) comes upon 7¢, its redness avd heat then depart from it?; the life, too, on the departure of the breath (vadé vasakih), does not stay in the body, du¢ zu like manner departs.
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.
14. He who is of the wicked falls from the lower end (tth) of the bridge, or from the middle of the bridge; he falls head-foremost to hell, and is precipitated (nikfnt-ait6) unto that grade? which is suztable for his wickedness. CHAPTER X XI, 1. The twentieth question is that which you ask thus: How are the Kinvad bridge, the Daitih peak (4ak4qd), and the path of the righteous and wicked ; rest upon the Daitih (‘judicial’) peak, and to pass over to Albis (see Bd. XII, 7). According to the Avesta (Vend. XIX, roo, ror, trans. D.) his conscience, in the form of a maiden, ‘makes the soul of the righteous one go up above the Hara-berezaiti (Albfirz) ; above the Kinvad bridge she places it in the presence of the heavenly gods (angels) themselves.’ See also AV. V,1, 2, Mkh. II, 115. 1 The intermediate place for those not good enough for heaven and not bad enough for hell, where such souls remain in a passive, immovable state till the resurrection (see Sls. VI, 2). It is divided into two parts, according to the author, one for those nearly righteous (see Chap. XXIV, 6), and one for those nearly wicked (see Chap. XXXIII, 2). ? Four grades of heaven and four of hell are mentioned in AV. — and Mkh. (see Sls. VI, 3, note). 48 DADISTAN-! DiNik. how are they when one is righteous, and how when one is wicked ? 2. The reply is this, that thus the high-priests have said, that the Daitih peak?! is in Airan-vég 2, in the middle of the world; reaching unto the vicinity of that peak is that beam-shaped (d4r-kerp6) spirit, the Kinvad bridge*, which is thrown across from the Albfrz enclosure (var) back to the Daitih peak. 3. As 7¢ were that bridge is like a beam of many sides, of whose edges (pést6) there are some which are broad, and there are some which are thin and sharp; its broad sides (sdkih4) are so large that its width is twenty-seven reeds (nf), and its sharp sides are so contracted (tang) that in thinness z¢ is just like the edge of a razor. 4. And when the souls of the righteous and wicked arrive it turns to that side which is suztad/e éo their necessities, through the great glory of the creator and the command of him who ¢akes the just account‘, 5. Moreover, the bridge becomes a broad bridge for the righteous, as much as the height of nine spears (ntzak5)—and the length of those which they carry is each separately three reeds'—; and 1 The Kakad-i Daitik of Bd. XII, 7. 2 The primeval home of Mazda-worship (see Vend. I, 5, 6), which the Bundahis places ‘in the direction of Adarbig4n ;’ it is also stated to contain the Déitik or D4itih river (which must not be confounded with the Daitih peak) and the Daraga river (on whose bank Zarattist’s father is said to have dwelt), and to have been the scene of Zaratfst’s first promulgation of the religion (Bd. XX, 13, 32, XXIX, 12, XXXII, 3). Its winter is likewise described as both long and cold (Vend. I, 8-12, Bd. XXV, 11, 16), which is the case in Adarbigan. ® See Chap. XX, 3. * The angel Rashna.
2XX, 13, 32, XXIX, 12, XXXII, 3). Its winter is likewise described as both long and cold (Vend. I, 8-12, Bd. XXV, 11, 16), which is the case in Adarbigan. ® See Chap. XX, 3. * The angel Rashna. ® The nine spears of three reeds each, in length, making up the CHAPTER XXI, 2-9. 49 it becomes a narrow bridge for the wicked, even unto a resemblance to the edge of a razor. 6. And he who is of the righteous passes over the bridge, and a worldly similitude of the pleasantness of his path upon it is when thou shalt eagerly and unweariedly walk in the golden-coloured spring, and with the gallant (hi-fir') body and sweet-scented blossom in the pleasant skin of that maiden ® spirit, the price of goodness. 7. He who is of the wicked, as he places a footstep oz to the bridge, on account of affliction (siparih) and z¢s sharpness, falls from the middle of the bridge, and rolls over headforemost. 8. And the unpleasantness of his path to hell is in similitude such as the worldly ome in the midst of that stinking azd dying existence (hast4n), there where numbers of the sharp-pointed darts (téz6 mak dfgd) are planted® out inverted and point upwards, and they come unwillingly running; they shall not allow chem to stay behind, or to make delay. 9. So much greater fhan the worldly similitude is that pleasantness and unpleasantness unto the souls, as such as is fit for the spirit is greater than ¢had fit for the world. twenty-seven reeds mentioned in § 3. As the reed appears to have been about 4 feet 8 inches (see Chap. XLIII, 5, note), the width of the bridge is supposed to be about 126 feet, and the length of a spear is taken as 14 feet. 1 So in the MSS., but hf-4thar, ‘handsome,’ is more probable. 2 Reading kaniké, instead of the kan4ké of the MSS., as there can be no allusion to the evil spirit here. The reference is to a good conscience, which is symbolised by the handsome maiden who is supposed to meet the righteous soul on its way to heaven (see Chap. XXIV, 5). , * Assuming that 4gzast is equivalent to Pers. 4gast. The allusion seems to be to a form of torturing punishment (running upon ground studded with sharp points) well known to the author. [18] E 50 DApISTAN-i DiNik. CHAPTER XXII. 1. The twenty-first question is that which you ask thus: When he who is righteous passes away, who has performed much worship of the sacred beings, and many duties and good works, do the spirit of creation, the spirit of the sacred ceremony (yazisn6) and religion of the Mazda-worshippers, the water, earth, plants, and animals, make complaint unto Atharmazd, owing to the passing away of him who is righteous, and is it distressing to them when he goes out from the world, or how is it ?
32. The reply is this, that as to him who is of the righteous, in Azs transit of worldly pain in passing away, and also after passing away to the passage onwards! which is his limit (st4r) still in the perplexing account, and, after the account, in his own joy, and in what occurs when his gossips (hamv44n) in the world—by whom the spiritual beings are also not unrecognised, zor his position unknown —are in worldly demeanour downcast and grieving, on all these occastons® his thoughts, procuring forgiveness, are about the sacred beings. 3. And the spirit of creation, amd the good spirit of the religion of the Mazda-worshippers, which are in the worldly existence—of which also, in the world, that righteous one is a praiser, an employer, a manager, a protection, and a forbearing friend—shall make an outcry to 1 The Xinvad bridge, near which the soul’s account is rendered. 2 The sentence is clear enough in Pahlavi, but too involved to be readily understood in English without these extra words. ’ The worldly existences which those spirits represent. CHAPTER XXII, I—XXIII, 2. 51 the creator about him who is righteous, who is away from worldly protection, aéso for the granting of a promoter of forbearance, and for a restorer (4v6rd4r) of what is extorted'!; dkewise a petition about the compensatory concomitants as to his new protection and disposer. 4. And the almighty creator responds, azd allots a teacher? for smiting the fiend, for the satisfaction of the righteous, azd for the protection of the good creatures. 5. As it is said, that in every age a highpriest of the religion and 4zs managing of the creatures are made manifest, in whom, in that age, the protection of the creatures and the will of the sacred beings are progressing. CHAPTER XXIII. 1. The twenty-second question is that which you ask thus: When they shall snatch forth the life from the body of man how does it depart ? 2. The reply is this, that z¢ is said ¢o de in resemblance such as when the redness is drawn up out of a fire; for when the inflammable materzal of a fire is burnt, azd has remained without glowing , ' These latter clauses of the outcry refer to their own wants, and the necessity of providing some one to take the place of the deceased; but the final petition seems to be for the deceased himself. 3 The word may be either farhakht4ké, ‘ preparing, educating,’ or firisték%, ‘sending, deputing,’ and must be used as a substantive. * Reading abaris (compare Pers. bars, ‘ splendour’), or it may be abarakh, ‘sparkless,’ if barkh, ‘a spark,’ be a pure Persian word, which is doubtful. E 2 52 DADISTAN-{ DiNiK. and when it does not obtain new inflammable mazevial, or extinguishing matter (niz4yisnik) comes upon 7¢, its redness avd heat then depart from it?; the life, too, on the departure of the breath (vadé vasakih), does not stay in the body, du¢ zu like manner departs.
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.