Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Should anything compel him to speak, he must re-commence the rite after the interruption. III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 389 III], Tue Meaninc or Kuviétéx-pas or KuvittrépAp. Tuat the term Khvétik-das is applied to marriages between kinsfolk is admitted by the Parsis, but they consider that such marriages were never contracted by their ancestors within the first degree of relationship, because they are not so permitted among themselves at the present day. Any statements of Greek, or other foreign, writers, regarding the marriage of Persians with their mothers, sisters, or daughters, they believe to be simply calumnies due to ignorance, which it-is discreditable to Europeans to quoté!. Such statements, they consider, may have referred to the practices of certain heretical sects, but never to those of the orthodox faith, The Parsis are, no doubt, fully justified in receiving the statements of foreign writers, regarding the customs of their ancestors, with proper caution; a caution which is quite as necessary when the statements are agreeable as when they are disagreeable to present notions. The Greeks, especially, had such a thorough contempt for all foreign customs that differed from their own, that they must have found it quite as difficult to obtain correct information, or to form an impartial opinion, about oriental habits as the average European finds it at the present time. On the other hand, the Parsis have to consider that the ancient Greek writers, whose statements they repudiate, were neither priests nor zealots, whose accounts of religious cus- 1 See Dastfir Peshotanji’s translation of the Dinkard, p. 96, note. 390 APPENDIX. toms might be distorted by religious prejudices, but historians accustomed to describe facts as impartially as their information and nationality would permit. It is quite possible that these writers may have assumed that such marriages were common among the Persians, merely because they had sometimes occurred among the Persian rulers; but such an assumption would be as erroneous as supposing that the marriage practices of the Israelites were similar to those of their most famous kings, David and Solomon, forgetting that an oriental sovereign is usually considered to be above the law and not subject to it. Rejecting all statements of foreigners, as liable to suspicion, unless confirmed by better evidence, it seems desirable to ascertain what information can be obtained, on this subject, from the religious books of the Parsis themselves. This matter has hitherto been too much neglected by those best acquainted with the original texts, and must be considered as only partially exhausted in the following pages. The term Khvétik-das? is a Pahlavi transcription of the Avesta word Avaétvadatha, ‘a giving of, to, or by, one’s own,’ and is sometimes partially translated into the form Khvétik-dad, or Khvétadad, in which the syllable ddd, ‘what is given, a gift,’ is merely a translation of the syllable das (Av. datha).
2is a Pahlavi transcription of the Avesta word Avaétvadatha, ‘a giving of, to, or by, one’s own,’ and is sometimes partially translated into the form Khvétik-dad, or Khvétadad, in which the syllable ddd, ‘what is given, a gift,’ is merely a translation of the syllable das (Av. datha). The Avesta word Avaétvadatha is not found in any of the Gathas, or sacred hymns, that are still extant and are usually considered the oldest portion * Occasionally written KhvétQk-dat, as in Pahl. Vend. VIII, 36 (see p. 392). Ill. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 391 of the Avesta. But its former component, £vaétu, occurs several times therein, with the meaning ‘one’s own, or kinsman,’ as distinguished from ‘friends’ and ‘slaves.’ The earliest occurrence of the complete word is probably in Yas. XIII, 281, where it is mentioned as follows :—‘I praise.... the righteous /vaétvadatha, which is the greatest and best and most excellent of things that exist and will exist, which is Ahurian avd Zarathustrian.’ This merely implies that H/vaétvadatha was a good work of much importance, which is also shown by Visp. III, 18, Gah IV, 8, and Vistasp Yt. 17, where the A/vaétvadatha (meaning the man who has accomplished that good work) is associated with youths who are specially righteous for other reasons. But there is nothing in any of these passages to indicate the nature of the good work. In Vend. VIII, 35, 36 we are told that those who carry the dead must afterwards wash their hair and bodies with the urine ‘of cattle or draught oxen, not of men or women, except the two who are Avaétvadatha and A/vaétvadathi,’ that is, male and female performers of Yvaétvadatha. This passage, therefore, proves that the good work might be accomplished by both men and women, but it does not absolutely imply that it had any connection with marriage. Turning to the Pahlavi translations of these passages we find the transcription Khvétik-das, Khvétik-dat, or Khvétok-dasth, with explanations which add very little to our knowledge of the nature of 1 See p. 387, note 3. 392 APPENDIX. the good work. Thus, Pahl. Yas. XIII, 28 merely states that it is ‘declared about it that it is requisite to do zf;’ Pahl. Vistasp Yt. 171 asserts that ‘the duty of Khvétik-das is said ¢o de the greatest good work in the religion, that, owing to it, Aharman, the demon of demons, is becoming hopeless, so that the dissolution of Khvétik-das is worthy of death ;’ and Pahl. Vend. VIII, 36 speaks of ‘the two who are a Khvéthk-dat man and woman ?, that is, it is done by them.’ Another reference to Khvétik-das in the Pahlavi translations of the Avesta occurs in Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 4, as follows:—‘Thus I proclaim in the world that [which he who is Afthaymazd made his own] best [Khvétik-das]*%. By aid of righteousness Afharmazd is aware, who created this ove* [to perform
3Yas. XLIV, 4, as follows:—‘Thus I proclaim in the world that [which he who is Afthaymazd made his own] best [Khvétik-das]*%. By aid of righteousness Afharmazd is aware, who created this ove* [to perform ! The age of this Pahlavi version of the Vistasp Yast is doubtful, and it is even possible that it may have been composed in India. The only MS. of it that I have seen belongs to Dastir Jam4spji Minochiharji, who kindly gave me a copy of it, but seemed doubtful about the age of the translation. He was aware that his MS. was written some forty years ago, but he did not know from what MS. it was copied. This version is, however, mentioned in the list of Pahlavi works given in the introduction to Dastfr Peshotanji’s Pahlavi Grammar, pp. 18, 31, so that another MS. of the Pahlavi text probably exists in the library of the high-priest of the Parsis in Bombay. * Or, perhaps, ‘man and wife ;’ as gabrA, ‘man,’ is occasionally used for ‘husband,’ though shfii is the usual word, and nésman means both ‘woman’ and ‘ wife.’ * Written Khvétvadas or KhvétQdas in the very old MS. of Dastfir Jamaspji Minochiharji, the text of which is followed in this translation. The phrases in brackets have no equivalents in the original Avesta text, and, therefore, merely represent the opinions of the Pahlavi translators. * Spendarmad apparently, as indicated by the sequel. Ill, MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 393 Khvétfik-das}, And through fatherhood Vohiman? was cultivated by him, [that is, for the sake of the proper nurture of the creatures Khvétik-das was performed by him.] So she who is 4zs daughter is acting well, [who is the fully-mindful] Spendaymad?, [that is, she did not shrink from the act of Khvétikdas.] She® was not deceived, [that is, ske did not shrink from the act of Khvétik-das, because she is] an observer of everything [as regards that which is] Atharmaza’s, [that is, through the religion of AQharmazd she attains to all duty and law.]’ The allusions to Khvétik-das in this passage are mere interpolations introduced by the Pahlavi translators, for the sake of recommending the practice ; they have no existence in the Avesta text, but they show that the Pahlavi translators understood Khvétik-das to ‘ The Pahlavi translator seems here to understand VohQman not as the archangel (see Dd. III, 13), but as a title (‘ good-minded’) of the primeval man, Gayémard, who is supposed to have been produced by Aftharmagd out of the earth (compare Gen. ii. 7), represented by the female archangel Spendarmad. The term vohumané is used in Vend. XIX, 69, 76-84 for both a well-intentioned man and his clothing.
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.
1Should anything compel him to speak, he must re-commence the rite after the interruption. III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 389 III], Tue Meaninc or Kuviétéx-pas or KuvittrépAp. Tuat the term Khvétik-das is applied to marriages between kinsfolk is admitted by the Parsis, but they consider that such marriages were never contracted by their ancestors within the first degree of relationship, because they are not so permitted among themselves at the present day. Any statements of Greek, or other foreign, writers, regarding the marriage of Persians with their mothers, sisters, or daughters, they believe to be simply calumnies due to ignorance, which it-is discreditable to Europeans to quoté!. Such statements, they consider, may have referred to the practices of certain heretical sects, but never to those of the orthodox faith, The Parsis are, no doubt, fully justified in receiving the statements of foreign writers, regarding the customs of their ancestors, with proper caution; a caution which is quite as necessary when the statements are agreeable as when they are disagreeable to present notions. The Greeks, especially, had such a thorough contempt for all foreign customs that differed from their own, that they must have found it quite as difficult to obtain correct information, or to form an impartial opinion, about oriental habits as the average European finds it at the present time. On the other hand, the Parsis have to consider that the ancient Greek writers, whose statements they repudiate, were neither priests nor zealots, whose accounts of religious cus- 1 See Dastfir Peshotanji’s translation of the Dinkard, p. 96, note. 390 APPENDIX. toms might be distorted by religious prejudices, but historians accustomed to describe facts as impartially as their information and nationality would permit. It is quite possible that these writers may have assumed that such marriages were common among the Persians, merely because they had sometimes occurred among the Persian rulers; but such an assumption would be as erroneous as supposing that the marriage practices of the Israelites were similar to those of their most famous kings, David and Solomon, forgetting that an oriental sovereign is usually considered to be above the law and not subject to it. Rejecting all statements of foreigners, as liable to suspicion, unless confirmed by better evidence, it seems desirable to ascertain what information can be obtained, on this subject, from the religious books of the Parsis themselves. This matter has hitherto been too much neglected by those best acquainted with the original texts, and must be considered as only partially exhausted in the following pages. The term Khvétik-das? is a Pahlavi transcription of the Avesta word Avaétvadatha, ‘a giving of, to, or by, one’s own,’ and is sometimes partially translated into the form Khvétik-dad, or Khvétadad, in which the syllable ddd, ‘what is given, a gift,’ is merely a translation of the syllable das (Av. datha).
2is a Pahlavi transcription of the Avesta word Avaétvadatha, ‘a giving of, to, or by, one’s own,’ and is sometimes partially translated into the form Khvétik-dad, or Khvétadad, in which the syllable ddd, ‘what is given, a gift,’ is merely a translation of the syllable das (Av. datha). The Avesta word Avaétvadatha is not found in any of the Gathas, or sacred hymns, that are still extant and are usually considered the oldest portion * Occasionally written KhvétQk-dat, as in Pahl. Vend. VIII, 36 (see p. 392). Ill. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 391 of the Avesta. But its former component, £vaétu, occurs several times therein, with the meaning ‘one’s own, or kinsman,’ as distinguished from ‘friends’ and ‘slaves.’ The earliest occurrence of the complete word is probably in Yas. XIII, 281, where it is mentioned as follows :—‘I praise.... the righteous /vaétvadatha, which is the greatest and best and most excellent of things that exist and will exist, which is Ahurian avd Zarathustrian.’ This merely implies that H/vaétvadatha was a good work of much importance, which is also shown by Visp. III, 18, Gah IV, 8, and Vistasp Yt. 17, where the A/vaétvadatha (meaning the man who has accomplished that good work) is associated with youths who are specially righteous for other reasons. But there is nothing in any of these passages to indicate the nature of the good work. In Vend. VIII, 35, 36 we are told that those who carry the dead must afterwards wash their hair and bodies with the urine ‘of cattle or draught oxen, not of men or women, except the two who are Avaétvadatha and A/vaétvadathi,’ that is, male and female performers of Yvaétvadatha. This passage, therefore, proves that the good work might be accomplished by both men and women, but it does not absolutely imply that it had any connection with marriage. Turning to the Pahlavi translations of these passages we find the transcription Khvétik-das, Khvétik-dat, or Khvétok-dasth, with explanations which add very little to our knowledge of the nature of 1 See p. 387, note 3. 392 APPENDIX. the good work. Thus, Pahl. Yas. XIII, 28 merely states that it is ‘declared about it that it is requisite to do zf;’ Pahl. Vistasp Yt. 171 asserts that ‘the duty of Khvétik-das is said ¢o de the greatest good work in the religion, that, owing to it, Aharman, the demon of demons, is becoming hopeless, so that the dissolution of Khvétik-das is worthy of death ;’ and Pahl. Vend. VIII, 36 speaks of ‘the two who are a Khvéthk-dat man and woman ?, that is, it is done by them.’ Another reference to Khvétik-das in the Pahlavi translations of the Avesta occurs in Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 4, as follows:—‘Thus I proclaim in the world that [which he who is Afthaymazd made his own] best [Khvétik-das]*%. By aid of righteousness Afharmazd is aware, who created this ove* [to perform
3Yas. XLIV, 4, as follows:—‘Thus I proclaim in the world that [which he who is Afthaymazd made his own] best [Khvétik-das]*%. By aid of righteousness Afharmazd is aware, who created this ove* [to perform ! The age of this Pahlavi version of the Vistasp Yast is doubtful, and it is even possible that it may have been composed in India. The only MS. of it that I have seen belongs to Dastir Jam4spji Minochiharji, who kindly gave me a copy of it, but seemed doubtful about the age of the translation. He was aware that his MS. was written some forty years ago, but he did not know from what MS. it was copied. This version is, however, mentioned in the list of Pahlavi works given in the introduction to Dastfr Peshotanji’s Pahlavi Grammar, pp. 18, 31, so that another MS. of the Pahlavi text probably exists in the library of the high-priest of the Parsis in Bombay. * Or, perhaps, ‘man and wife ;’ as gabrA, ‘man,’ is occasionally used for ‘husband,’ though shfii is the usual word, and nésman means both ‘woman’ and ‘ wife.’ * Written Khvétvadas or KhvétQdas in the very old MS. of Dastfir Jamaspji Minochiharji, the text of which is followed in this translation. The phrases in brackets have no equivalents in the original Avesta text, and, therefore, merely represent the opinions of the Pahlavi translators. * Spendarmad apparently, as indicated by the sequel. Ill, MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 393 Khvétfik-das}, And through fatherhood Vohiman? was cultivated by him, [that is, for the sake of the proper nurture of the creatures Khvétik-das was performed by him.] So she who is 4zs daughter is acting well, [who is the fully-mindful] Spendaymad?, [that is, she did not shrink from the act of Khvétikdas.] She® was not deceived, [that is, ske did not shrink from the act of Khvétik-das, because she is] an observer of everything [as regards that which is] Atharmaza’s, [that is, through the religion of AQharmazd she attains to all duty and law.]’ The allusions to Khvétik-das in this passage are mere interpolations introduced by the Pahlavi translators, for the sake of recommending the practice ; they have no existence in the Avesta text, but they show that the Pahlavi translators understood Khvétik-das to ‘ The Pahlavi translator seems here to understand VohQman not as the archangel (see Dd. III, 13), but as a title (‘ good-minded’) of the primeval man, Gayémard, who is supposed to have been produced by Aftharmagd out of the earth (compare Gen. ii. 7), represented by the female archangel Spendarmad. The term vohumané is used in Vend. XIX, 69, 76-84 for both a well-intentioned man and his clothing.
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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