Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1P 2 212 DADISTAN-? DiNfK. CuarTeR LXIX. 1. As to the sixty-eighth question ad reply, that which you ask is thus: When something takes hold of the moon oy sun what is then its residence (khan), and whence does it always seize upon z¢? 2. The reply is this, that two dark progeny of the primeval ox) move and are made to revolve from far below the sun and moon, and whenever, during the revolution of the celestial sphere, they make one pass below the sun, or below the moon, it becomes a covering which is spun (tad) over the sun, and it is so when the sun or moon is not seen. 3. Of each of those two progeny of the primeval ox—one of which is called ‘the head,’ and one ‘the tail’—the motion is specified among astronomers?; but 27 remaining upon those luminaries, and producing that covering, they do not attain unto those luminaries 1 Supposing the reading should be 2-4n géfihar-f tar here, and 2-4n gé4thar4n in § 3. Gdsihar is a supposed planetary (and, therefore, malevolent) body, connected with the sun and moon and having a head and tail, which falls on to the earth at the resurrection (see Bd. V, 1, XXVIII, 44, XXX, 18), and is here described as the cause of eclipses. Its name implies that it sprang from, or contained, the seed of the primeval ox, the supposed source of animal life (see Bd. XIV, 3), and in its Av. form, gao- Aithra, it is a common epithet of the moon; in Pers. it has become gézihr or gavazihr. As the words stand in K35 they look more like 2 andég d4lan-f tar, ‘two dark store-lobbies,’ or 2 and6g g4l-i tar, ‘two clusters of dark spiders;’ and in § 3 the word han&tnd is substituted for the nearly synonymous andég. In Mrq the words seem to be 2 4ngfin 4iharAn6-f tar, ‘two such dark faces.’ * Mrgq has ‘in the calculations of astronomers,’ CHAPTER LXIX, 1—-LXX, 3. 213 within that covering. 4. Zhere occurs no difference whatever of the descending vays! from those luminaries into a place of purity and freedom from disturbance far below those luminaries, except this, that the light which they divert to the world, and their activity as regards the celestial spheres are not complete for so much time, zor the coming ? of the light to the earth. CyapTer LXX. 1. As to the sixty-ninth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: What are these river-beds’, and what is the cause of them; whence do they always arise, and why is ¢here not a river-bed everywhere and zn every place where ¢here is no mountain? 2. The reply is this, that any place where a mountain is not discernible and a river-bed exists 7¢ is a fissure (askfp5); and it is declared as clear that, even before the growth of the mountains, when the earth was all a plain, dy the shaking of the world the whole world became rent (zandak5)‘. 3. Even 1 Literally ‘ fallers.’ * Assuming that m4d&rth stands for mad&rth. The meaning is that an eclipse produces no harm beyond a short interruption of the descent of the sun’s or moon’s rays to the earth.
23. Even 1 Literally ‘ fallers.’ * Assuming that m4d&rth stands for mad&rth. The meaning is that an eclipse produces no harm beyond a short interruption of the descent of the sun’s or moon’s rays to the earth. ’ There is some doubt as to whether the word should be read z6gak6 (comp. Pers. z6g4, ‘a river’), or zandaké (comp. Pers. zandah, ‘ fissured’), but the meaning is tolerably certain from the context. ‘ When the evil spirit rushed into the earth it is said to have shaken, and the mountains began to grow (see Bd. VIII, 1-5); and at the resurrection it is expected that the earth will recover its original perfect state of a level plain (see Bd. XXX, 33). 214 DADISTAN-{ DINIK. Frdsty4v of Tar! was specially mighty by causing the construction of channels (vidarg) there where z¢ is mountainous, and also zz low-lands?, in which there is no mountain, and the shaking in its creation was the formation of great sunken? springs and river-beds. 4. And if it Aas been prepared zm, or if it de in a ravine (sikaft5) of, the mountains, the cause, too, of the contraction, thundering, and tearing of a river, if zs confinement ée in the earth, is the resistance which it mee¢s in seeking a passage; and as it is a spring of the waters of the earth, so also it is in the earth, whose contraction and panting are mighty avd full of strength. 5. And when z¢ zs a time that they would make a constructed channel at the outside of its ravine, as regards the contraction which is within it, the resistance by which it is contracted at the outside of the ravine is the ground *. CuarpterR LXXI. 1. As to the seventieth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: Is anything which happens ’ Frangrasyan, the Tfryan, in the Avesta; called Afrasiy4b in the Shahn4mah (see Bd. XXXI, 14). He is often mentioned as constructing canals (see Bd. XX, 17, 34, XXI, 6), but being a foreign conqueror he was considered as specially wicked by the Iranians. * Assuming that sftan is a miswriting of stp6d4n, occasioned by joining two of the letters, just as harvispé, ‘all,’ is often written harvist. * Or, perhaps, ‘ hidden.’ “ That is, a watercourse which is confined by its natural rocky channel in the mountains, when carried across the plain in a canal, is confined only by softer soil. CHAPTER LXX, 4—LXXI, 4. 215 unto men through fate or through action, is exertion destiny or without destiny, avd does anything devoid of destiny happen unto men, or what way is it? 2. As ¢o that which they say, that, when a man turns unto sinfulness, they ordain anew a new death!; as to that which they say, ¢#a¢ anything which happens unto men is a work of the moon ?, and every benefit is connected with the moon, and the moon bestows z¢ upon worldly beings; and as to what way the moon does this, and bestows all benefits, order some one to decide the literal explanation of how and what way it is, by the will of the sacred beings.
33. The reply is this, that the high-priests* have said thus, that there are some things through destiny, and there are some through action; and 2? is thus fully decided by them, that life, wife, and child, authority and wealth are through destiny, and the righteousness and wickedness of priesthood, warfare, and husbandry are through action. 4. And this, too, is thus said by them, that that which is not 1 This reference is to a phrase in the Pahl. commentary on Vend. V, 33, which commentary contains a good many of the statements made in this chapter, excepting those relating to the moon. The reading aésh, ‘death,’ given by K35, is probably more correct than afibas, ‘ for him,’ given by our modern MSS. of the Vendidad; but M14 has amended it, and states ‘then many new /hings are ordained by it for him.’ 2 Assuming that vidan4g, ‘time,’ stands for bidan4g, the Huz. of m4h, which means both ‘ month’ and ‘ moon.’ In the following phrases the word m4h is used. * It may be noted that most Pahlavi writers, when quoting the Pahlavi commentaries on the Vendid4d (as the author is doing here) or any other Nask, speak of them merely as the utterances of the high-priests, and reserve the term din6, ‘revelation,’ for the Avesta itself; thus showing that belief in the inspiration of the Pahlavi translations of the Avesta is a very modern idea. 216 DADISTAN-! DINIK. destined for a man in the world does not happen; and that which is destined, be it owing to exertion, will come forward, be it through sinfulness ov slothfulness he is injured by it. 5. That which will come forward owing to exertion is such as 4zs who goes to a meeting of happiness, or the sickness of a mortal who, owing to sickness, dies early’; and he who through sinfulness and slothfulness is thereby injured is such as e who would wed no wife, and is certain that no child of his is born, ov such as he who gives zs body unto slaughter, and life is injured by his living. CuapterR LXXII. 1. As to the seventy-first question azd reply, that which you ask is thus: What are the heinous sins of committing unnatural intercourse, is it proper to order or perform the sacred ceremony for him who shall commit unnatural intercourse, amd is it then proper to practise sitting together and eating together with him who shall commit z¢, and shall commit z¢ with a longing for it, or not ? 2. The reply is this, that of the evil Mazdaworshippers*—who were the seven evil-doers of sin of a heinous kind, whose practice of Aharman’s will was as much as an approximation to ¢hat of 1 Mrgq has ‘ which comes forward owing to sickness.’ 2 M14 has ‘of a like evil practice, in inclination for sins, were the very heinous in the religion of the Masda-worshippers.’ ® Reading giraf van vin4s, and assuming that van is a miswriting of gfn. CHAPTER LXXI, 5—LXXII, 6. 217
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.
1P 2 212 DADISTAN-? DiNfK. CuarTeR LXIX. 1. As to the sixty-eighth question ad reply, that which you ask is thus: When something takes hold of the moon oy sun what is then its residence (khan), and whence does it always seize upon z¢? 2. The reply is this, that two dark progeny of the primeval ox) move and are made to revolve from far below the sun and moon, and whenever, during the revolution of the celestial sphere, they make one pass below the sun, or below the moon, it becomes a covering which is spun (tad) over the sun, and it is so when the sun or moon is not seen. 3. Of each of those two progeny of the primeval ox—one of which is called ‘the head,’ and one ‘the tail’—the motion is specified among astronomers?; but 27 remaining upon those luminaries, and producing that covering, they do not attain unto those luminaries 1 Supposing the reading should be 2-4n géfihar-f tar here, and 2-4n gé4thar4n in § 3. Gdsihar is a supposed planetary (and, therefore, malevolent) body, connected with the sun and moon and having a head and tail, which falls on to the earth at the resurrection (see Bd. V, 1, XXVIII, 44, XXX, 18), and is here described as the cause of eclipses. Its name implies that it sprang from, or contained, the seed of the primeval ox, the supposed source of animal life (see Bd. XIV, 3), and in its Av. form, gao- Aithra, it is a common epithet of the moon; in Pers. it has become gézihr or gavazihr. As the words stand in K35 they look more like 2 andég d4lan-f tar, ‘two dark store-lobbies,’ or 2 and6g g4l-i tar, ‘two clusters of dark spiders;’ and in § 3 the word han&tnd is substituted for the nearly synonymous andég. In Mrq the words seem to be 2 4ngfin 4iharAn6-f tar, ‘two such dark faces.’ * Mrgq has ‘in the calculations of astronomers,’ CHAPTER LXIX, 1—-LXX, 3. 213 within that covering. 4. Zhere occurs no difference whatever of the descending vays! from those luminaries into a place of purity and freedom from disturbance far below those luminaries, except this, that the light which they divert to the world, and their activity as regards the celestial spheres are not complete for so much time, zor the coming ? of the light to the earth. CyapTer LXX. 1. As to the sixty-ninth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: What are these river-beds’, and what is the cause of them; whence do they always arise, and why is ¢here not a river-bed everywhere and zn every place where ¢here is no mountain? 2. The reply is this, that any place where a mountain is not discernible and a river-bed exists 7¢ is a fissure (askfp5); and it is declared as clear that, even before the growth of the mountains, when the earth was all a plain, dy the shaking of the world the whole world became rent (zandak5)‘. 3. Even 1 Literally ‘ fallers.’ * Assuming that m4d&rth stands for mad&rth. The meaning is that an eclipse produces no harm beyond a short interruption of the descent of the sun’s or moon’s rays to the earth.
23. Even 1 Literally ‘ fallers.’ * Assuming that m4d&rth stands for mad&rth. The meaning is that an eclipse produces no harm beyond a short interruption of the descent of the sun’s or moon’s rays to the earth. ’ There is some doubt as to whether the word should be read z6gak6 (comp. Pers. z6g4, ‘a river’), or zandaké (comp. Pers. zandah, ‘ fissured’), but the meaning is tolerably certain from the context. ‘ When the evil spirit rushed into the earth it is said to have shaken, and the mountains began to grow (see Bd. VIII, 1-5); and at the resurrection it is expected that the earth will recover its original perfect state of a level plain (see Bd. XXX, 33). 214 DADISTAN-{ DINIK. Frdsty4v of Tar! was specially mighty by causing the construction of channels (vidarg) there where z¢ is mountainous, and also zz low-lands?, in which there is no mountain, and the shaking in its creation was the formation of great sunken? springs and river-beds. 4. And if it Aas been prepared zm, or if it de in a ravine (sikaft5) of, the mountains, the cause, too, of the contraction, thundering, and tearing of a river, if zs confinement ée in the earth, is the resistance which it mee¢s in seeking a passage; and as it is a spring of the waters of the earth, so also it is in the earth, whose contraction and panting are mighty avd full of strength. 5. And when z¢ zs a time that they would make a constructed channel at the outside of its ravine, as regards the contraction which is within it, the resistance by which it is contracted at the outside of the ravine is the ground *. CuarpterR LXXI. 1. As to the seventieth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: Is anything which happens ’ Frangrasyan, the Tfryan, in the Avesta; called Afrasiy4b in the Shahn4mah (see Bd. XXXI, 14). He is often mentioned as constructing canals (see Bd. XX, 17, 34, XXI, 6), but being a foreign conqueror he was considered as specially wicked by the Iranians. * Assuming that sftan is a miswriting of stp6d4n, occasioned by joining two of the letters, just as harvispé, ‘all,’ is often written harvist. * Or, perhaps, ‘ hidden.’ “ That is, a watercourse which is confined by its natural rocky channel in the mountains, when carried across the plain in a canal, is confined only by softer soil. CHAPTER LXX, 4—LXXI, 4. 215 unto men through fate or through action, is exertion destiny or without destiny, avd does anything devoid of destiny happen unto men, or what way is it? 2. As ¢o that which they say, that, when a man turns unto sinfulness, they ordain anew a new death!; as to that which they say, ¢#a¢ anything which happens unto men is a work of the moon ?, and every benefit is connected with the moon, and the moon bestows z¢ upon worldly beings; and as to what way the moon does this, and bestows all benefits, order some one to decide the literal explanation of how and what way it is, by the will of the sacred beings.
33. The reply is this, that the high-priests* have said thus, that there are some things through destiny, and there are some through action; and 2? is thus fully decided by them, that life, wife, and child, authority and wealth are through destiny, and the righteousness and wickedness of priesthood, warfare, and husbandry are through action. 4. And this, too, is thus said by them, that that which is not 1 This reference is to a phrase in the Pahl. commentary on Vend. V, 33, which commentary contains a good many of the statements made in this chapter, excepting those relating to the moon. The reading aésh, ‘death,’ given by K35, is probably more correct than afibas, ‘ for him,’ given by our modern MSS. of the Vendidad; but M14 has amended it, and states ‘then many new /hings are ordained by it for him.’ 2 Assuming that vidan4g, ‘time,’ stands for bidan4g, the Huz. of m4h, which means both ‘ month’ and ‘ moon.’ In the following phrases the word m4h is used. * It may be noted that most Pahlavi writers, when quoting the Pahlavi commentaries on the Vendid4d (as the author is doing here) or any other Nask, speak of them merely as the utterances of the high-priests, and reserve the term din6, ‘revelation,’ for the Avesta itself; thus showing that belief in the inspiration of the Pahlavi translations of the Avesta is a very modern idea. 216 DADISTAN-! DINIK. destined for a man in the world does not happen; and that which is destined, be it owing to exertion, will come forward, be it through sinfulness ov slothfulness he is injured by it. 5. That which will come forward owing to exertion is such as 4zs who goes to a meeting of happiness, or the sickness of a mortal who, owing to sickness, dies early’; and he who through sinfulness and slothfulness is thereby injured is such as e who would wed no wife, and is certain that no child of his is born, ov such as he who gives zs body unto slaughter, and life is injured by his living. CuapterR LXXII. 1. As to the seventy-first question azd reply, that which you ask is thus: What are the heinous sins of committing unnatural intercourse, is it proper to order or perform the sacred ceremony for him who shall commit unnatural intercourse, amd is it then proper to practise sitting together and eating together with him who shall commit z¢, and shall commit z¢ with a longing for it, or not ? 2. The reply is this, that of the evil Mazdaworshippers*—who were the seven evil-doers of sin of a heinous kind, whose practice of Aharman’s will was as much as an approximation to ¢hat of 1 Mrgq has ‘ which comes forward owing to sickness.’ 2 M14 has ‘of a like evil practice, in inclination for sins, were the very heinous in the religion of the Masda-worshippers.’ ® Reading giraf van vin4s, and assuming that van is a miswriting of gfn. CHAPTER LXXI, 5—LXXII, 6. 217
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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