Pahlavi Texts, Part III — SBE Vol. 24 (trans. E. W. West, 1885)
The translator’s English as printed (E. W. West). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Of the other Pahlavi manuscript, TD2, nothing further is known to the translator than a copy of the passages corresponding to those contained in the ten folios lost from K43, upon which copy the translation of those passages has been based.
Besides these manuscripts of the original Pahlavi text, there exist other copies, in which the text has been merely reproduced from the Pazand version described below; and, of these copies, K22 (No. 22 in the University Library at Kopenhagen) may be cited as a typical example. This manuscript is a large octavo volume of 56 folios of glazed Indian paper, probably about a century old, but without a date. The first 48 folios contain a corrupt Pahlavi text of the Din4-i Mainég-i Khirad, alternating with the usual Sanskrit version described below, written nineteen lines to the page, and extending as far as Chap. XXVII, 41. The corruptions in the text consist of misuse of Huzvaris equivalents, and errors in orthography which no old writer of Pahlavi would be likely to commit, such as writing ko/avist for harvist, nafsmanidartk for khvésinitd4rih, bara- | gam4n foravigdm4n, hamé for hamai,avas forafbas, b 2
XX PAHLAVI TEXTS.
14 and ma for aZ, denman instead of hana for Paz. e, the constant use of the adjective suffix -ik for the abstract suffix -th, and the frequent omission of the final k in such words as danak, avistak. It can be seen at once, by any one really acquainted with Pahlavi, that a text of this description is merely a modern transliteration of the Pazand version by some one whose knowledge of Pahlavi was rather limited and artificial.
It can be seen at once, by any one really acquainted with Pahlavi, that a text of this description is merely a modern transliteration of the Pazand version by some one whose knowledge of Pahlavi was rather limited and artificial.
Most of the Indian manuscripts of this work contain only the Pazand version written in short sentences, alternating with a word-for-word Sanskrit translation of each sentence; the Sanskrit being written upside down, for the sake of _ forming a continuous line with the reversely-written Avesta characters of the Pazand. This Pazand-Sanskrit version of the Mainyé-i Khard (as it is called in Pazand) was compiled by Néryésang, son of Dhaval, a Parsi priest who is supposed to have lived some time in the fifteenth century, and evidently possessed a very good knowledge of Pahlavi, though not sufficient to avoid some few mistakes, especially in reading foreign names. His authorship is attested by a Sanskrit introduction, prefixed to most manuscripts of this version, to the following effect :—‘ Through the name and almighty power and assistance of the lord Ahura-mazda, the greatly wise, may the achievement be auspicious, and be the progress and success of the good Mazda-worshipping religion, and energy in body and long life for all the good and right-minded. This Pahlavi heavenly wisdom, called the Mainy6-i Khard, is translated by me, Nérydésang son of Dhaval, from the Pahlavi language into the Sanskrit language, and written from the difficult Parsi letters! with the Avesta letters, for the joyful understanding of the good listeners to instruction, the true-minded. Salutation to the good, the pure-thinking, the true-speaking, the just-acting.’
Of this P4zand-Sanskrit version the oldest manuscript that has been examined is L19, No. 19 of the Avesta and Pahlavi manuscripts in the India Office Library in London, one of the manuscripts brought from India by Dr. Samuel
1 That is, from the ambiguous Pahlavi characters, used in all Persian writings before the Arab conquest.
INTRODUCTION. XX1
19 of the Avesta and
Pahlavi manuscripts in the India Office Library in London,
one of the manuscripts brought from India by Dr. Samuel
1 That is, from the ambiguous Pahlavi characters, used in all Persian writings before the Arab conquest.
INTRODUCTION. XX1
Guise who was head surgeon of the general hospital at Surat from 1788 to 1795, and obtained several manuscripts from the widow of Dastir Dârabji, the instructor of Anquetil Duperron. It is a small octavo volume, containing 148 folios of old Indian paper, of which the first 132 are occupied by the Pazand-Sanskrit Mainy6-i Khard, written fifteen lines to the page. At the beginning of the text the folio containing Nérydsang’s Sanskrit introduction (described above) has been lost, but the text itself is complete. At the end of the work is a Pazand-Sanskrit postscript which may be reasonably attributed to Néryésang himself, and can be translated as follows :—‘ Completed for the peace and pleasure, happiness and dominion of all the good who are virtuous. To him for whom 7¢ és written may it be well-resulting and well-omened, and, after a hundred and fifty years, may he be a transmitter of z¢ to his own religious children’s children, through the will of the sacred beings. Of whomsoever the best ability is not wisdom, that best ability of his is even then owing to it. Wisdom which is without learning is poor, and learning which is without wisdom is helpless.’ After this postscript a Pahlavi colophon has been copied from some older manuscript to the following effect :—‘ Completed in peace, pleasure, and joy, and ended; written by me, a servant of the religion, the priest Shatr6aiyy4r, contemporary (?) of Néryésang.’ And this is followed by a colophon in very corrupt Sanskrit, which states that this manuscript was completed, in the district of Nagamavdala'!, at a date corresponding to Friday, the 19th October 1520, by the teacher Mihrv4n, son of Mahy4r and grandson of Padama, for the priest Bahram, son of Palhan. This manuscript of the Pazand text is, therefore, nearly 49 years older than that of the original Pahlavi text (K43) upon which the present translation is based. It corresponds very closely with that Pahlavi text, and where it differs the variation is nearly always due to some mistake, or attempt at improvement, on the part of Néryésang. It must, however, be acknowledged that very few translators adhere so xxii PAHLAVI TEXTS.
1 Probably an old name of Nausari.
closely to their original texts as this learned Parsi priest has done to his.
Of the other Pahlavi manuscript, TD2, nothing further is known to the translator than a copy of the passages corresponding to those contained in the ten folios lost from K43, upon which copy the translation of those passages has been based.
Besides these manuscripts of the original Pahlavi text, there exist other copies, in which the text has been merely reproduced from the Pazand version described below; and, of these copies, K22 (No. 22 in the University Library at Kopenhagen) may be cited as a typical example. This manuscript is a large octavo volume of 56 folios of glazed Indian paper, probably about a century old, but without a date. The first 48 folios contain a corrupt Pahlavi text of the Din4-i Mainég-i Khirad, alternating with the usual Sanskrit version described below, written nineteen lines to the page, and extending as far as Chap. XXVII, 41. The corruptions in the text consist of misuse of Huzvaris equivalents, and errors in orthography which no old writer of Pahlavi would be likely to commit, such as writing ko/avist for harvist, nafsmanidartk for khvésinitd4rih, bara- | gam4n foravigdm4n, hamé for hamai,avas forafbas, b 2
XX PAHLAVI TEXTS.
14 and ma for aZ, denman instead of hana for Paz. e, the constant use of the adjective suffix -ik for the abstract suffix -th, and the frequent omission of the final k in such words as danak, avistak. It can be seen at once, by any one really acquainted with Pahlavi, that a text of this description is merely a modern transliteration of the Pazand version by some one whose knowledge of Pahlavi was rather limited and artificial.
It can be seen at once, by any one really acquainted with Pahlavi, that a text of this description is merely a modern transliteration of the Pazand version by some one whose knowledge of Pahlavi was rather limited and artificial.
Most of the Indian manuscripts of this work contain only the Pazand version written in short sentences, alternating with a word-for-word Sanskrit translation of each sentence; the Sanskrit being written upside down, for the sake of _ forming a continuous line with the reversely-written Avesta characters of the Pazand. This Pazand-Sanskrit version of the Mainyé-i Khard (as it is called in Pazand) was compiled by Néryésang, son of Dhaval, a Parsi priest who is supposed to have lived some time in the fifteenth century, and evidently possessed a very good knowledge of Pahlavi, though not sufficient to avoid some few mistakes, especially in reading foreign names. His authorship is attested by a Sanskrit introduction, prefixed to most manuscripts of this version, to the following effect :—‘ Through the name and almighty power and assistance of the lord Ahura-mazda, the greatly wise, may the achievement be auspicious, and be the progress and success of the good Mazda-worshipping religion, and energy in body and long life for all the good and right-minded. This Pahlavi heavenly wisdom, called the Mainy6-i Khard, is translated by me, Nérydésang son of Dhaval, from the Pahlavi language into the Sanskrit language, and written from the difficult Parsi letters! with the Avesta letters, for the joyful understanding of the good listeners to instruction, the true-minded. Salutation to the good, the pure-thinking, the true-speaking, the just-acting.’
Of this P4zand-Sanskrit version the oldest manuscript that has been examined is L19, No. 19 of the Avesta and Pahlavi manuscripts in the India Office Library in London, one of the manuscripts brought from India by Dr. Samuel
1 That is, from the ambiguous Pahlavi characters, used in all Persian writings before the Arab conquest.
INTRODUCTION. XX1
19 of the Avesta and
Pahlavi manuscripts in the India Office Library in London,
one of the manuscripts brought from India by Dr. Samuel
1 That is, from the ambiguous Pahlavi characters, used in all Persian writings before the Arab conquest.
INTRODUCTION. XX1
Guise who was head surgeon of the general hospital at Surat from 1788 to 1795, and obtained several manuscripts from the widow of Dastir Dârabji, the instructor of Anquetil Duperron. It is a small octavo volume, containing 148 folios of old Indian paper, of which the first 132 are occupied by the Pazand-Sanskrit Mainy6-i Khard, written fifteen lines to the page. At the beginning of the text the folio containing Nérydsang’s Sanskrit introduction (described above) has been lost, but the text itself is complete. At the end of the work is a Pazand-Sanskrit postscript which may be reasonably attributed to Néryésang himself, and can be translated as follows :—‘ Completed for the peace and pleasure, happiness and dominion of all the good who are virtuous. To him for whom 7¢ és written may it be well-resulting and well-omened, and, after a hundred and fifty years, may he be a transmitter of z¢ to his own religious children’s children, through the will of the sacred beings. Of whomsoever the best ability is not wisdom, that best ability of his is even then owing to it. Wisdom which is without learning is poor, and learning which is without wisdom is helpless.’ After this postscript a Pahlavi colophon has been copied from some older manuscript to the following effect :—‘ Completed in peace, pleasure, and joy, and ended; written by me, a servant of the religion, the priest Shatr6aiyy4r, contemporary (?) of Néryésang.’ And this is followed by a colophon in very corrupt Sanskrit, which states that this manuscript was completed, in the district of Nagamavdala'!, at a date corresponding to Friday, the 19th October 1520, by the teacher Mihrv4n, son of Mahy4r and grandson of Padama, for the priest Bahram, son of Palhan. This manuscript of the Pazand text is, therefore, nearly 49 years older than that of the original Pahlavi text (K43) upon which the present translation is based. It corresponds very closely with that Pahlavi text, and where it differs the variation is nearly always due to some mistake, or attempt at improvement, on the part of Néryésang. It must, however, be acknowledged that very few translators adhere so xxii PAHLAVI TEXTS.
1 Probably an old name of Nausari.
closely to their original texts as this learned Parsi priest has done to his.
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.