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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Next in age to the Pahlavi versions of the Avesta we ought perhaps to place the Book of Ard4-Viraf, because we are told (AV. I, 35), regarding Viraf, that ‘there are some who call Azm dy the name of Nikhshahpdr, and this may have been the celebrated commentator of that name, who was a councillor of king Khdsré Néshirvan!, so that we cannot safely assume that this book was written earlier than the end of the sixth century. It gives an account of heaven and hell, which Ard4-Vir4f is supposed to have visited during the period of a week, while he seemed to be ina trance. In the second grade of heaven, counting upwards, he found the souls of those who had ‘performed no ceremonies, chanted no sacred hymns, and practised no Khvétdk-das,’ but had come there ‘through other good works;’ and it may be noted that the two upper grades of heaven appear to have been reserved for good sovereigns, chieftains, high-priests, and others specially famous. In hell, also, he saw the soul of a woman suffering grievous punishment because she had ‘violated Khvéttk-das ;’ but this passage occurs in one MS. only. We are also told (AV. II, 1-3, 7-10) that ‘Vtr4f had seven sisters, and all? those seven sisters 1 See Ep. I, iv, 17. . * The word translated ‘all’ is the ordinary Huz. ko/4, equivalent a ae = ™ SS 7 = = _— 398 APPENDIX. were as wives of Viraf; revelation, also, was easy to them, and the ritual had deen performed .. . . they stood up and bowed, and spoke thus: “ Do not this thing, ye Mazda-worshippers! for we are seven sisters, and he is an only brother, and we are, all seven sisters, as wives! of that brother.”’ This passage, supposing that it really refers to marriage, seems to attribute an exaggerated form of the Khvétik-das of brother and sister to Viraf, as a proof of his extraordinary sanctity; but it can hardly be considered as a literal statement of facts, any more than the supposed case of a woman having married seven brothers successively, mentioned in Mark xii. 20-22, Luke xx. 29-32. In another Pahlavi book of about the same age, which is best known by its Pazand name, Mainy6-i Khard?, we find Khvétik-das placed second among
220-22, Luke xx. 29-32. In another Pahlavi book of about the same age, which is best known by its Pazand name, Mainy6-i Khard?, we find Khvétik-das placed second among to Pers. har, but a Parsi critic has suggested that it ought to be read kanik, ‘virgin,’ so as to get rid of the idea that the sisters were married to Viraf. This suggestion is ingenious, because the difference between ko/4 and kanfk is very slight, when written in Pahlavi characters; but it is not very ingenuous, because the substitution of kanik for ko/4, both here and in the similar phrase at the end of the passage quoted in our text, would render the sentences quite ungrammatical, as would be easily seen by any well-educated Parsi who would translate the phrases literally into modern Persian words, which would give him the following text: 4n har haft ‘Avaharan Viraf Afn zan bid and for the first phrase, and har haft ‘Avahar 4n birddar zanif ém for the second. To substitute any Persian word for ‘ virgin’ in place of the pronoun har, in these two phrases, would evidently produce nonsense. The really doubtful point in these phrases is whether zan and zanf are to be understood as ‘wife’ and ‘ wifehood,’ or merely as ‘ woman’ and ‘ womankind ;’ but it would be unusual to use such terms for the unmarried female members of a family. ? Or ‘ the womankind.’ ? From a facsimile of the only known MS. of the original Pahlavi III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 399 seven classes of good works (Mkh. IV, 4), and ninth among thirty-three classes of the same (Mkh. XXXVI, 12); and the dissolution of Khvétik-das is mentioned as the fourth in point of heinousness among thirty classes of sin (Mkh. XXXVI, 7). In the Bahman Yast, which may have existed in its original Pahlavi form before the Muhammadan conquest of Persia’, it is stated that, even in the perplexing time of foreign conquest, the righteous man ‘continues the religious practice of Khvétak-das in his family2.’ The third book of the Dinkarvd, which appears to have been compiled by the last editor? of that work, contains a long defence of the practice of Khvétdkdas, forming its eighty-second‘ chapter, which may be translated as follows :— ‘On a grave attack (hd-girdyisn6) of a Jew upon text of this work, recently published by Dr. Andreas, it appears that its Pahlavi name was Dtn4-i Minavad-f Khard (or Mainég-i Khird), ‘the opinions of the spirit of wisdom.’ * See Sacred Books of the East, vol. v, pp. liii-lvi. * See Byt. II, 57, 61. ® The name of this editor was AtQr-pd, son of Hémid, as appears from the last chapter (chap. 413) of the same book. He was a contemporary of the author of the DAdistén-i Dintk (see Bd. XXXIII, 11).
3v, pp. liii-lvi. * See Byt. II, 57, 61. ® The name of this editor was AtQr-pd, son of Hémid, as appears from the last chapter (chap. 413) of the same book. He was a contemporary of the author of the DAdistén-i Dintk (see Bd. XXXIII, 11). * Chap. 80 in the recent edition of Dastir Peshotanji Behramji, because his numbers do not commence at the beginning of the book. His translation of this chapter (see pp. go—102 of the English translation of his edition) differs considerably from that given in our text. This difference may be partly owing to its being translated from the Gugarati translation, and not direct from the original Pahlavi; but it is chiefly due to the inevitable result of attempting a free translation of difficult Pahlavi, without preparing a literal version in the first place. The translation here given is as literal as possible, but the Pahlavi text is too obscure to be yet understood with absolute certainty in some_places. 400 APPENDIX. a priest, which was owing to asking the reason of the custom (4hank6) as to Khvétdk-das; and the reply of the priest to him from the exposition of the Mazda-worshipping religion. ‘That is, as ove complaining about wounds, damage, and distress comes on, z¢ is lawful to dispute with him in defence begirt with legal opinion (d4dist&nd parvand), and the consummation of the accusation of an innocent man is averted; so of the creatures, the invisible connection of their own power to fellow-creations and their. own race, through the propitiousness of the protection and preserving 21/fuence of the sacred beings, is a girdle, and the consummation of the mutual assistance of men is Khvétik-das. The name is Khvétik-das, which is wsed when z¢ zs “a giving of one’s own” (khvés-dahisnih), and its office (g4s) is a strong connection with one’s own race and fellow-creations, through the protection anzd preserving zn/luence of the sacred beings, which is, according to the treatises, the union of males azd females of mankind of one’s own vace in preparation for, and connection with, the renovation of the universe, That union, for the sake of proceeding incalculably more correctly, is, among the innumerable similar races of mankind, that with near kinsfolk (nab4nazdist4n6d), and, among near kinsfolk, that with those next of kin (nazd-padvandan6); and the mutual connection of the three kinds of nearest of kin (nazd-padvandtar)—which are father and daughter, son and she who bore 47m1, and brother and sister—is the most complete (avirtar) that I have considered. 1 Literally ‘bearer’ (bQrd4r), which is not the usual word for ‘mother,’ but equivalent to the Av. baretar that is used in that sense. III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 401
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.
1Next in age to the Pahlavi versions of the Avesta we ought perhaps to place the Book of Ard4-Viraf, because we are told (AV. I, 35), regarding Viraf, that ‘there are some who call Azm dy the name of Nikhshahpdr, and this may have been the celebrated commentator of that name, who was a councillor of king Khdsré Néshirvan!, so that we cannot safely assume that this book was written earlier than the end of the sixth century. It gives an account of heaven and hell, which Ard4-Vir4f is supposed to have visited during the period of a week, while he seemed to be ina trance. In the second grade of heaven, counting upwards, he found the souls of those who had ‘performed no ceremonies, chanted no sacred hymns, and practised no Khvétdk-das,’ but had come there ‘through other good works;’ and it may be noted that the two upper grades of heaven appear to have been reserved for good sovereigns, chieftains, high-priests, and others specially famous. In hell, also, he saw the soul of a woman suffering grievous punishment because she had ‘violated Khvéttk-das ;’ but this passage occurs in one MS. only. We are also told (AV. II, 1-3, 7-10) that ‘Vtr4f had seven sisters, and all? those seven sisters 1 See Ep. I, iv, 17. . * The word translated ‘all’ is the ordinary Huz. ko/4, equivalent a ae = ™ SS 7 = = _— 398 APPENDIX. were as wives of Viraf; revelation, also, was easy to them, and the ritual had deen performed .. . . they stood up and bowed, and spoke thus: “ Do not this thing, ye Mazda-worshippers! for we are seven sisters, and he is an only brother, and we are, all seven sisters, as wives! of that brother.”’ This passage, supposing that it really refers to marriage, seems to attribute an exaggerated form of the Khvétik-das of brother and sister to Viraf, as a proof of his extraordinary sanctity; but it can hardly be considered as a literal statement of facts, any more than the supposed case of a woman having married seven brothers successively, mentioned in Mark xii. 20-22, Luke xx. 29-32. In another Pahlavi book of about the same age, which is best known by its Pazand name, Mainy6-i Khard?, we find Khvétik-das placed second among
220-22, Luke xx. 29-32. In another Pahlavi book of about the same age, which is best known by its Pazand name, Mainy6-i Khard?, we find Khvétik-das placed second among to Pers. har, but a Parsi critic has suggested that it ought to be read kanik, ‘virgin,’ so as to get rid of the idea that the sisters were married to Viraf. This suggestion is ingenious, because the difference between ko/4 and kanfk is very slight, when written in Pahlavi characters; but it is not very ingenuous, because the substitution of kanik for ko/4, both here and in the similar phrase at the end of the passage quoted in our text, would render the sentences quite ungrammatical, as would be easily seen by any well-educated Parsi who would translate the phrases literally into modern Persian words, which would give him the following text: 4n har haft ‘Avaharan Viraf Afn zan bid and for the first phrase, and har haft ‘Avahar 4n birddar zanif ém for the second. To substitute any Persian word for ‘ virgin’ in place of the pronoun har, in these two phrases, would evidently produce nonsense. The really doubtful point in these phrases is whether zan and zanf are to be understood as ‘wife’ and ‘ wifehood,’ or merely as ‘ woman’ and ‘ womankind ;’ but it would be unusual to use such terms for the unmarried female members of a family. ? Or ‘ the womankind.’ ? From a facsimile of the only known MS. of the original Pahlavi III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 399 seven classes of good works (Mkh. IV, 4), and ninth among thirty-three classes of the same (Mkh. XXXVI, 12); and the dissolution of Khvétik-das is mentioned as the fourth in point of heinousness among thirty classes of sin (Mkh. XXXVI, 7). In the Bahman Yast, which may have existed in its original Pahlavi form before the Muhammadan conquest of Persia’, it is stated that, even in the perplexing time of foreign conquest, the righteous man ‘continues the religious practice of Khvétak-das in his family2.’ The third book of the Dinkarvd, which appears to have been compiled by the last editor? of that work, contains a long defence of the practice of Khvétdkdas, forming its eighty-second‘ chapter, which may be translated as follows :— ‘On a grave attack (hd-girdyisn6) of a Jew upon text of this work, recently published by Dr. Andreas, it appears that its Pahlavi name was Dtn4-i Minavad-f Khard (or Mainég-i Khird), ‘the opinions of the spirit of wisdom.’ * See Sacred Books of the East, vol. v, pp. liii-lvi. * See Byt. II, 57, 61. ® The name of this editor was AtQr-pd, son of Hémid, as appears from the last chapter (chap. 413) of the same book. He was a contemporary of the author of the DAdistén-i Dintk (see Bd. XXXIII, 11).
3v, pp. liii-lvi. * See Byt. II, 57, 61. ® The name of this editor was AtQr-pd, son of Hémid, as appears from the last chapter (chap. 413) of the same book. He was a contemporary of the author of the DAdistén-i Dintk (see Bd. XXXIII, 11). * Chap. 80 in the recent edition of Dastir Peshotanji Behramji, because his numbers do not commence at the beginning of the book. His translation of this chapter (see pp. go—102 of the English translation of his edition) differs considerably from that given in our text. This difference may be partly owing to its being translated from the Gugarati translation, and not direct from the original Pahlavi; but it is chiefly due to the inevitable result of attempting a free translation of difficult Pahlavi, without preparing a literal version in the first place. The translation here given is as literal as possible, but the Pahlavi text is too obscure to be yet understood with absolute certainty in some_places. 400 APPENDIX. a priest, which was owing to asking the reason of the custom (4hank6) as to Khvétdk-das; and the reply of the priest to him from the exposition of the Mazda-worshipping religion. ‘That is, as ove complaining about wounds, damage, and distress comes on, z¢ is lawful to dispute with him in defence begirt with legal opinion (d4dist&nd parvand), and the consummation of the accusation of an innocent man is averted; so of the creatures, the invisible connection of their own power to fellow-creations and their. own race, through the propitiousness of the protection and preserving 21/fuence of the sacred beings, is a girdle, and the consummation of the mutual assistance of men is Khvétik-das. The name is Khvétik-das, which is wsed when z¢ zs “a giving of one’s own” (khvés-dahisnih), and its office (g4s) is a strong connection with one’s own race and fellow-creations, through the protection anzd preserving zn/luence of the sacred beings, which is, according to the treatises, the union of males azd females of mankind of one’s own vace in preparation for, and connection with, the renovation of the universe, That union, for the sake of proceeding incalculably more correctly, is, among the innumerable similar races of mankind, that with near kinsfolk (nab4nazdist4n6d), and, among near kinsfolk, that with those next of kin (nazd-padvandan6); and the mutual connection of the three kinds of nearest of kin (nazd-padvandtar)—which are father and daughter, son and she who bore 47m1, and brother and sister—is the most complete (avirtar) that I have considered. 1 Literally ‘bearer’ (bQrd4r), which is not the usual word for ‘mother,’ but equivalent to the Av. baretar that is used in that sense. III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 401
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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