Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1VIII, 4), and no limit can be assigned to the quantity that can be thus absorbed. 122 pApisTAn-! DINIK. CuaPrer XXXIX. 1. As Zo the thirty-eighth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: What are the reason and cause of tying oz the sacred thread-girdle (ksttk5)? which, when they shall tie z¢ on is said ¢o de so greatly valuable, and when they shall not tie z¢ the sin is so grievous ? 2. The reply is this, that the all-good, most spiritual of spirits, and most ruling of rulers is the creator, and there is no need of troubles for men of the poor as to any wealth ov anything, for all are his own. 3. And through his will as ruler, and allpowerful, he demands this of men, to remain properly ’ The Kfsttk (Pers. kustf) consists of a string, about the size of a stay-lace, which is first passed twice round the waist very loosely, over the sacred shirt (see Chap. XL, 2), and tied in front with a loose double knot (right-handed and left-handed), and the long ends are then passed a third time round the waist and tied again behind with a similar double knot. This string contains six strands, each consisting of twelve very fine, white, woollen threads twisted together, or seventy-two threads in all. Near each end the six strands are braided together, instead of being twisted, and for the last inch they are braided into three separate string-ends of two strands each; these string-ends, therefore, contain twenty-four threads each, and form a kind of fringed end to the string. This fringe is a sort of remembrancer, as its six strands are supposed to symbolize the six Gahanbars or season-festivals, the twelve threads in each strand symbolize the twelve months, the twenty-four threads in each string-end symbolize the twenty-four kardaks or sections of the Visparad, and the seventy-two threads in the whole string symbolize the seventy-two has or chapters of the Yasna. The girdle has to be re-tied every time the hands have been washed, which, in order to comply with the ceremonial laws, occurs many times in the day; and each time it has to be done with ceremony and a particular formula of prayer (see § 27). CHAPTER XXXIX, I-5. I23 skirted! as a true servant not even bound—which is due to that service, and also the indication of a servant—as is seen and clearly declared in the everfixed (ham4t-d4d6) religion and belief.
2CHAPTER XXXIX, I-5. I23 skirted! as a true servant not even bound—which is due to that service, and also the indication of a servant—as is seen and clearly declared in the everfixed (ham4t-d4d6) religion and belief. 4. Formerly men paid homage through the will and worship, as z¢ were more effectually, more essentially, and more suitably for the discreet; and every day spent in worship offered and homage paid they account as of the greatest use, particularly for observing the world, and understanding z¢s character. 5. And as ¢o him of whose offering of homage no worldly advantage whatever is apparent—as fruit is apparent from trees, flavour from foods, fragrance from aromatic herbs, tint (b4m) from colours, the good quality of spears from the forest, health from the patient (mélvarak4n), and decision from words —but, audibly speaking, 42s head is lowered in sign of humility—as though the head, which is uppermost in the body and in the most pre-eminent Aosz¢zon, and is lowered as far even as the sole of the foot, which is lowermost in the body, salutes? axd is placed on the ground in thought about worship and desire of paying homage—and the appearance which exists as regards himself through ¢ha¢ lowliest (kthast6) servitude is 2% accordance with that which is apparent from trees, food, and the many other worldly advantages defore recited—whoever as offered homage and such advantageous (vésisnak6) appearance 1 That is, fully clad, as going about uncovered is a sin (see Chap. XL, 4). On occasions of ceremony, and for the purpose of showing extraordinary respect, the Parsis wear an extra longskirted robe. ? Reading drfiddéd, but the orthography is unusual and the word, therefore, uncertain. 124 pApIsTAN-f piniK. is manifest—even then that sign of humility azd servitude is what great multitudes consider the offering of homage of a man more essential for hypocrisy (shéd6)}. 6. But owing to that which Aappens when they plant a tree in the name of a sacred being? and eat the produce, and practise other worldly labour of worldly advantage, owing also to work of this kind through the doing of which they preserve all the growing crops of the whole world, and through tillage and multitudinous cultivated plots (khdstakth4) z¢ is manifest that they should meditate inwardly (dén mindyén)*% 7. A token azd sign of worship is of great use, and a great assistance (bangisn6) therein is this belt (band), which is called the Kdsttk, that is tied on the middle of the body. 8. The reasons of the assistance are numerous ; and its first assistance is this, that as zo him who— as a worshipper of the sacred beings, owing to the undeceitful (akadb4) religion whose indication is sagaciously propitiating with the purifying cup*— wears upon the body that spiritual, customary, and
31 The author is here adopting his most involved style of writing, which, in the original Pahlavi, is often hardly intelligible, and particularly apt to be misunderstood; but the object of this section seems to be to deprecate the Muhammadan practice of frequent prostrations during prayer, which are in marked contrast to the slight obeisances made by the Parsis. 2 Whether yédaté means ‘an angel,’ or ‘God,’ is here uncertain. ’ The argument is that the growth of plants is so obviously occasioned by some unseen power that it naturally leads to meditation, and then to prayer. “ The words d4nisntkd levatman-tastik-shn4yin seem to refer to the Bareshnfim ceremony of purification, described in Vend. IX, 1-145 (see App. IV), which is a rite eminently characteristic of Magda-worship. CHAPTER XXXIX, 6-11. 125 doctrinal indication of the sacred beings with a wisdom which is truly religion, 47s steadfastness and religious service of the sacred beings are audibly spoken thereby; even for the religious z¢ is commanded, because 2¢ is an assisting motive of beneficial high-priests and such-like submitters ¢o the commands of the religion of the sacred beings. g. One is this, that, as the lowliest servant and greatest lord are steadily agreed, and 7¢ zs beneficial! when they (the servants) wear a belt upon the body as a sign of service—because z¢ is not the custom to grant that little at any time without guardianship —the lapse of which service is also not a beneficial lapse, then those unbound are without a token of the lord’s service. 10. One is this, that it is commanded in revelation to keep thought, word, and deed confined from sin by a belt, and just like a servant; for the sake of confinement of sins from purity of thought, whose dwelling is the heart, ove is to wear the same belt, which is the token of a servant, oz the middle of the body and before the heart; and the periodical (hangamik4n6) sight of the token and sign of confined sins, and of the constant reminder for one’s own mind, is the necessity of wearing z¢ as a belt which is very restraining from the sin in thought, word, and deed that is manifest even in experience ; which wearing of the same belt is as a reason and cause of much remembrance of much sin, that in the same way is therefore a restraint of it. 11. One is this, that the ancients acquainted with religion ave communicated these tidings (srébd) 1 Reading spenék, but it may be sazd4k, ‘seemly.’ 126 DADISTAN-! DINfK.
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.
1VIII, 4), and no limit can be assigned to the quantity that can be thus absorbed. 122 pApisTAn-! DINIK. CuaPrer XXXIX. 1. As Zo the thirty-eighth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: What are the reason and cause of tying oz the sacred thread-girdle (ksttk5)? which, when they shall tie z¢ on is said ¢o de so greatly valuable, and when they shall not tie z¢ the sin is so grievous ? 2. The reply is this, that the all-good, most spiritual of spirits, and most ruling of rulers is the creator, and there is no need of troubles for men of the poor as to any wealth ov anything, for all are his own. 3. And through his will as ruler, and allpowerful, he demands this of men, to remain properly ’ The Kfsttk (Pers. kustf) consists of a string, about the size of a stay-lace, which is first passed twice round the waist very loosely, over the sacred shirt (see Chap. XL, 2), and tied in front with a loose double knot (right-handed and left-handed), and the long ends are then passed a third time round the waist and tied again behind with a similar double knot. This string contains six strands, each consisting of twelve very fine, white, woollen threads twisted together, or seventy-two threads in all. Near each end the six strands are braided together, instead of being twisted, and for the last inch they are braided into three separate string-ends of two strands each; these string-ends, therefore, contain twenty-four threads each, and form a kind of fringed end to the string. This fringe is a sort of remembrancer, as its six strands are supposed to symbolize the six Gahanbars or season-festivals, the twelve threads in each strand symbolize the twelve months, the twenty-four threads in each string-end symbolize the twenty-four kardaks or sections of the Visparad, and the seventy-two threads in the whole string symbolize the seventy-two has or chapters of the Yasna. The girdle has to be re-tied every time the hands have been washed, which, in order to comply with the ceremonial laws, occurs many times in the day; and each time it has to be done with ceremony and a particular formula of prayer (see § 27). CHAPTER XXXIX, I-5. I23 skirted! as a true servant not even bound—which is due to that service, and also the indication of a servant—as is seen and clearly declared in the everfixed (ham4t-d4d6) religion and belief.
2CHAPTER XXXIX, I-5. I23 skirted! as a true servant not even bound—which is due to that service, and also the indication of a servant—as is seen and clearly declared in the everfixed (ham4t-d4d6) religion and belief. 4. Formerly men paid homage through the will and worship, as z¢ were more effectually, more essentially, and more suitably for the discreet; and every day spent in worship offered and homage paid they account as of the greatest use, particularly for observing the world, and understanding z¢s character. 5. And as ¢o him of whose offering of homage no worldly advantage whatever is apparent—as fruit is apparent from trees, flavour from foods, fragrance from aromatic herbs, tint (b4m) from colours, the good quality of spears from the forest, health from the patient (mélvarak4n), and decision from words —but, audibly speaking, 42s head is lowered in sign of humility—as though the head, which is uppermost in the body and in the most pre-eminent Aosz¢zon, and is lowered as far even as the sole of the foot, which is lowermost in the body, salutes? axd is placed on the ground in thought about worship and desire of paying homage—and the appearance which exists as regards himself through ¢ha¢ lowliest (kthast6) servitude is 2% accordance with that which is apparent from trees, food, and the many other worldly advantages defore recited—whoever as offered homage and such advantageous (vésisnak6) appearance 1 That is, fully clad, as going about uncovered is a sin (see Chap. XL, 4). On occasions of ceremony, and for the purpose of showing extraordinary respect, the Parsis wear an extra longskirted robe. ? Reading drfiddéd, but the orthography is unusual and the word, therefore, uncertain. 124 pApIsTAN-f piniK. is manifest—even then that sign of humility azd servitude is what great multitudes consider the offering of homage of a man more essential for hypocrisy (shéd6)}. 6. But owing to that which Aappens when they plant a tree in the name of a sacred being? and eat the produce, and practise other worldly labour of worldly advantage, owing also to work of this kind through the doing of which they preserve all the growing crops of the whole world, and through tillage and multitudinous cultivated plots (khdstakth4) z¢ is manifest that they should meditate inwardly (dén mindyén)*% 7. A token azd sign of worship is of great use, and a great assistance (bangisn6) therein is this belt (band), which is called the Kdsttk, that is tied on the middle of the body. 8. The reasons of the assistance are numerous ; and its first assistance is this, that as zo him who— as a worshipper of the sacred beings, owing to the undeceitful (akadb4) religion whose indication is sagaciously propitiating with the purifying cup*— wears upon the body that spiritual, customary, and
31 The author is here adopting his most involved style of writing, which, in the original Pahlavi, is often hardly intelligible, and particularly apt to be misunderstood; but the object of this section seems to be to deprecate the Muhammadan practice of frequent prostrations during prayer, which are in marked contrast to the slight obeisances made by the Parsis. 2 Whether yédaté means ‘an angel,’ or ‘God,’ is here uncertain. ’ The argument is that the growth of plants is so obviously occasioned by some unseen power that it naturally leads to meditation, and then to prayer. “ The words d4nisntkd levatman-tastik-shn4yin seem to refer to the Bareshnfim ceremony of purification, described in Vend. IX, 1-145 (see App. IV), which is a rite eminently characteristic of Magda-worship. CHAPTER XXXIX, 6-11. 125 doctrinal indication of the sacred beings with a wisdom which is truly religion, 47s steadfastness and religious service of the sacred beings are audibly spoken thereby; even for the religious z¢ is commanded, because 2¢ is an assisting motive of beneficial high-priests and such-like submitters ¢o the commands of the religion of the sacred beings. g. One is this, that, as the lowliest servant and greatest lord are steadily agreed, and 7¢ zs beneficial! when they (the servants) wear a belt upon the body as a sign of service—because z¢ is not the custom to grant that little at any time without guardianship —the lapse of which service is also not a beneficial lapse, then those unbound are without a token of the lord’s service. 10. One is this, that it is commanded in revelation to keep thought, word, and deed confined from sin by a belt, and just like a servant; for the sake of confinement of sins from purity of thought, whose dwelling is the heart, ove is to wear the same belt, which is the token of a servant, oz the middle of the body and before the heart; and the periodical (hangamik4n6) sight of the token and sign of confined sins, and of the constant reminder for one’s own mind, is the necessity of wearing z¢ as a belt which is very restraining from the sin in thought, word, and deed that is manifest even in experience ; which wearing of the same belt is as a reason and cause of much remembrance of much sin, that in the same way is therefore a restraint of it. 11. One is this, that the ancients acquainted with religion ave communicated these tidings (srébd) 1 Reading spenék, but it may be sazd4k, ‘seemly.’ 126 DADISTAN-! DINfK.
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.
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