Pahlavi Texts, Part III — SBE Vol. 24 (trans. E. W. West, 1885)

II, 6n, Dd. XV, 5, XVII, 17, XVIII, 2-4).

5 Lig has ast, ‘bone.’

® Including the day of death. The fate of the soul after death, as detailed in §§ 114-194, is also described in Vend. XIX, 90- 112, Hn. II, III, Aog. 8-19, AV. IV-XI, XVII

CHAPTER II, 97-115. 17

the soul sits at the crown of the head of the body’. 115. And the fourth day, in the light of dawn—with the co-operation of Srésh the righteous, V4é the good, and Vahram the strong’, the opposition of Asté-vidad 3, V4é the bad‘, Frazisté the demon, and Niztst6 the demon®, and the evil-designing action of Aeshm %, the evil-doer, the impetuous assailant—

1 Reciting a passage from the GAthas or sacred hymns (see
Hn. I, 4, 5, III, 3, 4, AV. 1V, 9-11, XVII, 6, 7).

2 These three angels are personifications of Av. sraosha, ‘listening, obedience,’ vaya or vayu, ‘the upper air (uncontaminated by the evil spirit),’ and verethraghna, ‘victorious, triumphant ;’ the last is more literally ‘demon-smiting,’ that is, ‘smiting Verethra (the demon),’ Sans. vr7trahan.

8 Av. Ast6-vidhd6tu, ‘the bone-dislocator,’ or demon of death who binds the parting soul (see Vend. V, 25, 31); in later writings, such as the Book of Dadar bin Dad-dukht, he is said to throw a noose over the neck of the soul to drag it to hell, but if its good works have exceeded its sins, it throws off the noose and goes to heaven; and this noose is also mentioned in Bd. III, 22, Dd. XXIII, 3. In Bd. XXVIII, 35 this demon is said to be the same as the bad V4é, but all other authorities consider them as distinct beings. It may be noted that a different demon of death is usually mentioned when the soul is wicked (see § 161).

* Av. vaya or vayu, ‘the lower air (vitiated by the evil spirit).’

\ Just as the wind (vad) may be either an angel or a demon, according as its strength makes it a refreshing breeze or a violent hurricane, so may the air be a good or evil being, according as it retains its original purity or has been vitiated by the evil spirit. That the angel V4é is the upper air appears from its epithet upar6-kairya, ‘working aloft,’ in the Ram Yt.; and that it is only the lower air that is vitiated by the evil spirit is in accordance with the division of the sky into three thirds, of which the uppermost is inaccessible to the evil spirit (see Dd. XXXVII, 24-31). But this distinction between a good and bad V4é is not made in Vend.V, 25, 31, where we are told that Vay6d conveys the soul when bound by Astévidhétu. .

5 These two demons have not been recognised elsewhere.

6 The demon of wrath, Av. Aéshmé daéva, appears to be the
Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit. “’

[24] c ~

18 pinA-t MAindc-t KHIRAD.

.

5 These two demons have not been recognised elsewhere.

6 The demon of wrath, Av. Aéshmé daéva, appears to be the
Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit. “’

[24] c ~

18 pinA-t MAindc-t KHIRAD.

[it goes]! up to the awful, lofty Kindvar? bridge, to which every one, righteous and wicked, is coming *. 116, And many opponents have watched there, (117) with the desire of evil of Aeshm, the impetuous assailant, and of Asté-vidid who devours, creatures of every kind and knows no satiety, (118) and the mediation of Mityé* and Srésh and Rashnd, (119) and the weighing of Rashnd, the just, (120) with the balance® of the spirits, which renders no favour (hQ-girdi) om any side®, neither for the righteous nor yet the wicked, neither for the lords nor yet the monarchs. 121. As much as a hair's breadth it will not turn, and has no partiality; (122) and he who is a lord and monarch’ it considers equally, in z¢s decision, with him who is the least of mankind. 123. ‘And when a soul of the righteous passes upon that bridge, the width of the bridge becomes as it were a league (parasang)®, (124) and the

* K43 omits this verb.

* Or, perhaps, Xingvar, a partial translation of Av. Kinvad (gv being a mispronunciation of v or w, as in gvad for vad, ‘ wind;’ and Pers. var translating Av. vad). The Pazand writers have Kandér. It is the bridge of ever-varying breadth which leads to heaven (see Vend. XIX, roo, ror, AV. III, 1, IV, 7, V, 1, 2, XVII, 1, Bd. XII, 7, Dd. XX, XXI), but it is not mentioned in Hn.

® Literally, ‘is a comer.’

* The angel of the sun’s light; being a personification of friendship and good faith he is specially concerned in calling the soul to account (see Dd. XIV, 3).

5 In which the actions of men are weighed by Rashnf, the angel of justice, to ascertain whether the good or the evil preponderate.

* Lig has ‘who makes no unjust balance of the spirits on either side.’

7 K43 adds rad, ‘master,’ but this is evidently an abortive beginning of the next word, levatman, which has been left unerased.

8 Nine spears (about 126 English feet) in AV. V, 1, Dd. XXI, 5.

CHAPTER II, 116-135. 19

righteous soul passes over with the co-operation of Srésh the righteous. 125. And his own deeds of a virtuous kind! come to meet him in the form of a maiden, (126) who is handsomer and better than every maiden in the world.

127. ‘And the righteous soul speaks (128) thus: “Who mayst you be?, that a maiden who is handsomer and better than you was never seen by me in the worldly exestence ?”

come to meet him in the form of a maiden, (126) who is handsomer and better than every maiden in the world.

127. ‘And the righteous soul speaks (128) thus: “Who mayst you be?, that a maiden who is handsomer and better than you was never seen by me in the worldly exestence ?”

• 129. ‘In reply that maiden form responds (130) thus: “Iam no maiden, but I am your virtuous deeds, you youth who art well-thinking, well-speaking, welldoing, and of good religion! 131. For when you sawest in the world 42m who performed demonworship, then you have sat down, and your performance was the worship of the sacred beings. 132. And when z¢ was seen by you that there was any one who caused oppression and plunder, and distressed oy scorned a good person, and acquired wealth by crime, then you keptest back from the creatures their own vzsk of oppression and plunder ;
• (133) the good person was also thought of by you, and lodging and entertainment provided; and alms were given by you ¢o him (134) who came forth from near and zm, too, who was from afar; and wealth which was due to honesty was acquired by you. 135. And when you sawest 42m who practised

The parasang is probably used here as an equivalent for Av. hathra, ‘a mile.’

1 Lig has ‘his own virtuous deeds.’ The conscience of the soul meets it in the form of a damsel, beautiful in proportion to the goodness of its deeds. In AV. IV, 18-36, Dd. XXIV, 5, XXV, 5 the conscience meets the soul before it attempts the bridge.

? More literally, ‘ what may be you?’ as the verb is in the third person here, though not so in the similar phrase in § 169.

C 2

20 pinA-t MAfNOG-f KHIRAD.

false justice and taking of bribes, and false evidence was given by him, then you have sat down, and the recitation of truth and virtue! was uttered by you. 136. I am this of your, the good thoughts, the good words, and the good deeds which were thought and spoken and done by you. 137. For when I have become commendable, I am then made altogether more commendable by you; (138) when I have become precious, I am then made altogether still more precious by you; (139) and when I have become glorious, 1 am then made altogether? still more glorious by you.”

140. ‘And when he walks onwards from there, a sweet-scented breeze comes then to meet him, which is more fragrant than all perfume. 141. The soul of the righteous enquires of Srésh (142) thus : “ What breeze is this, that never in the world so fragrant a breeze came into contact with me?”

143. ‘Then Srésh, the righteous, replies to that righteous soul (144) thus: “This breeze is from heaven, which is so fragrant.”

• 145. ‘Afterwards, on 4zs march, the first step is set? on the place of good thoughts, the second on that of good words, the third on that of good deeds‘,
• (146) and the fourth step reaches up unto the endless light ® which is all-radiant. 147. And angels

1 Meaning probably the recitation of the Avesta texts.