Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1VIII, xiii, 20-xiv, 15, and translated in S. B. E., vol. xxxvii, pp. 31-34. There are, however, allusions to other legends xvi PAHLAVI TEXTS, regarding Zaratist to be found scattered about in Pahlavi literature, to which we shall return after mentioning the manuscript authorities for the texts translated in this volume. 21. The chief existing authority for the Pahlavi text of the Dinkard, Books III-IX, and the only independent one for Book VII, is the MS. B in Bombay, which has been fully described in S.B.E., vol. xxxvii, pp. xxxiii-xxxvii ; it will therefore be sufficient here to give a short statement of the information which was there detailed at full length. This MS., written in 1659, was an unbound quarto volume of 392 folios when it was brought from Iran to Surat in 1783; after which time 70 folios became detached from various parts of the MS., but nearly all these had been discovered more than twenty years ago. 22. The writer of the MS. not only recorded the date of his own work, but also copied two previous colophons of his predecessors, with dates corresponding to A.D. 1516 and 1020, and it appears that there had been an intermediate copy about 1355. The MS. of 1020 had been copied at Bakdad, possibly from the original MS. of the last editor of the Dinkard, which must have been completed about A.D. goo, 23. For the text of Dk. V we have a second authority, independent of B, in the MS. K43 at Kopenhagen (see S.B. E., vol. xxxvii, pp. xxxvii-viii), written shortly after 1594 and also descended from the MS. of 1020. 24. The Selections of Zad-sparam are found in some of the old MSS., which also contain the Dadistan-i Dinik (see S.B.E., vol. xviii, pp. xv—xvii). Of the two MSS. used for the text of Zad-sparam’s Zaratist-namak, K35 was brought from Iran to Kopenhagen in 1843. It has lost many folios, both at the beginning and end; but, before it was so mutilated, a copy (BK) of it was made, which is now in Bombay and contains a copy of its colophon, the date of which corresponds to A.D. 1592. For the text of Zs. xxii, 4-xxiv, 19, which has been lost from K35, the translator is indebted to this old copy. The other MS. authority T, belonging to Ervad Tehmuras in Bombay INTRODUCTION. XVii (a copy of which has been used), is dated two generations earlier. 25. Regarding the period of Z4d-sparam’s career we are well informed by the date of the third Epistle of Mandskihar, corresponding to A.D. 881, at which time Z4d-sparam was probably in the prime of life; but his Selections were certainly compiled as late as A.D. 900, or about the same time as the completion of the Dinkarvd. So that the Pahlavi texts, from which these three narratives of the Zoroastrian legends have been translated, were no doubt all written about A.D. goo, and the information they contain was nearly all derived from the Pahlavi versions of two of the Nasks.
2So that the Pahlavi texts, from which these three narratives of the Zoroastrian legends have been translated, were no doubt all written about A.D. goo, and the information they contain was nearly all derived from the Pahlavi versions of two of the Nasks. 26. We have reason to believe that the Pahlavi versions of Avesta texts were completed in the fourth century and revised in the sixth, after the downfall of the heretic Mazdak. This may not only be clearly inferred from the traditional account of the compilation and restorations of the Avesta and Zand, preserved in Dk. IV, 21-36, and translated in S. B.E., vol. xxxvii, pp. 412-418 ; but is also in accordance with the actual condition of the Pahlavi versions of the liturgical Avesta texts. With the exception of a few interpolated passages, the whole of these Pahlavi versions might have been written, or revised, in the time of king Shahpthar II (A.D. 309-379). And the exceptional passages mention no persons or events of a later date than the reign of king Khisré I (a. D. 531-578); being merely references to such persons as Mazdak, the heretic, and certain commentators who lived about that time. 27. If we examine the Zoroastrian legends, translated in this volume, we shall also find it difficult to discover a passage that clearly alludes to any historical personage of later date than Khisré I, who is named in Dk. V, iii, 3; VII, vii, 26, although the compiler of the Dinkard had the traditions of 250 years of Arab rule to draw upon for facts, if he had been disposed to continue the statements of the Pahlavi Spend Nask down to his own time. No doubt, these traditions may have intensified his denunciations of (47] b XVili PAHLAVI TEXTS. the devastators in Dk. VII, vii, 29-38; viii, 4-9, but, like most Pahlavi writers, he is careful not to mention Muhammadanism. Dk. VII, vii, 33, 34 seem to refer to some particular individual of this later time ; but the references to Kaisar and Khak4n, the Turkish demons with dishevelled hair, the Arab, and Shedaspé (Theodosius?) of Arim, may all have been taken from a Pahlavi version revised in the time of Khasré I. 28. That the original Pahlavi version was translated from an Avesta text, though many Pahlavi commentaries were intermingled, appears certain. Apart from the numerous quotations from revelation (dén6), which may be safely assumed to have had an Avesta original, there are many passages interspersed with glosses, such as the Pahlavi translators habitually used, as well as numerous sentences beginning with a verb, an Avesta peculiarity which generally disappears in an English translation. Regarding the age of this Avesta text it would be hazardous to speculate without further information than we yet possess. 29. The principal details connected with the Zoroastrian legends which have been noticed in other Pahlavi and Pazand texts, with references to the passages where they occur, are as follows :—
329. The principal details connected with the Zoroastrian legends which have been noticed in other Pahlavi and Pazand texts, with references to the passages where they occur, are as follows :— GésQrvan informed of the future coming of Zaratfst in Bd. IV, 4. Z.’s genealogy and family in Bd. XXXII, 1-10. Summary account of Z. and Zoroastrianism, from the creation to the resurrection, in Dk. VIII, xiv, 1-15. The abode of Z.’s father, when Z. was born, was on the bank of the Darega river (Bd. XX, 32; XXIV, 15). 150 demons were prevented from destroying Z., before his birth, by the presence of a fire in his father’s house (Sls. X, 4; XII, 11; Sd. XVI, 3). Detailed account of the birth of Z. in Dk. IX, xxiv, 1-18. When Z. first saw the archangels, he thought they were archdemons (Ep. I, x, 9). Omniscient wisdom temporarily conferred upon Z., and what he then saw (Dk. IX, viii, 1-6 ; Byt. I, 1-5; TH, 5-22). He saw the soul of Davans tormented in hell, excepting one foot (AV. XXXII, 1-6; Sls. XII, 29; Sd. IV, 3-11). INTRODUCTION. xix He also saw a mortal with children and an immortal without any, and preferred the former (Dd. XXXVII, 43). And he beheld the terrible condition of Keresdsp’s soul (Dk. 1X, xv, 1-4). Advice of AQharmazd to Zaratist (Sd. XXV, 6-9; LXXXI, 2-16). The demon Envy (Aresh) converses with Z. in Dk. IX, xxxi, 6-11. Aharman tempts Z. with the promise of 1000 years dominion, in Mkh. LVII, 24-29. About Maidék-méah, in Dk. IX, xliv, 19. Z. coming to preach to king Vistésp, in Sg. X, 64-68. Archangels assist Z. in converting Vist4sp, also the war with Argasp, in Dk. VIII, xi, 2-4. The war of the religion with Argasp mentioned in Bd. XII, 33. The families of Zaratist, Hvév, and Vistésp mentioned in Dk. VIII, xxix, 25. About Frashéstar and GAmA4sp in Dk. VIII, xxxviii, 68; IX, xlii, 8, 9; xliv, 17, 18. About Kai-Vistasp, Frashéstar, Porfitést, Gamasp, and Hatés in Dk. IX, xlv, 3-5. Brad-rikhsh, or Bradré-résh the Tir, mentioned as destroying the righteous man, in Dd. LXXII, 8; Sd. IX, 5; Dk. VIII, Xxxv, 13; IX, x, 3. The last millenniums mentioned in Dk. IX, xxxix, 18; xli, 6-8. Events in the last two millenniums, in Byt. II, 22-III, 62. The resurrection described in Bd. XXX. 30. Beyond the frequent occurrence of the names of the chief actors in the traditions, there are not many references to the Zoroastrian legends in the extant Avesta. This is owing to the fact that three-fourths of the Avesta texts, including the Nasks specially devoted to these legends, have been lost. The chief references to them that still survive in the Avesta are as follows :— The passing on of the kingly glory from ruler to ruler, from Haoshyang,ha to Kava-Haosrava, from Zarathustra to Kava- Vistaspa and the Saoshyaat, in Yt. XIX, 25-90. The terror of the demons on hearing of the birth of Z., in Vd. XIX, 43-47. _ Z. mentioned as son of Pourushaspa in Yt. V, 18. Verethraghna gives Z. strength, health, vigour, and keenness of
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.
1VIII, xiii, 20-xiv, 15, and translated in S. B. E., vol. xxxvii, pp. 31-34. There are, however, allusions to other legends xvi PAHLAVI TEXTS, regarding Zaratist to be found scattered about in Pahlavi literature, to which we shall return after mentioning the manuscript authorities for the texts translated in this volume. 21. The chief existing authority for the Pahlavi text of the Dinkard, Books III-IX, and the only independent one for Book VII, is the MS. B in Bombay, which has been fully described in S.B.E., vol. xxxvii, pp. xxxiii-xxxvii ; it will therefore be sufficient here to give a short statement of the information which was there detailed at full length. This MS., written in 1659, was an unbound quarto volume of 392 folios when it was brought from Iran to Surat in 1783; after which time 70 folios became detached from various parts of the MS., but nearly all these had been discovered more than twenty years ago. 22. The writer of the MS. not only recorded the date of his own work, but also copied two previous colophons of his predecessors, with dates corresponding to A.D. 1516 and 1020, and it appears that there had been an intermediate copy about 1355. The MS. of 1020 had been copied at Bakdad, possibly from the original MS. of the last editor of the Dinkard, which must have been completed about A.D. goo, 23. For the text of Dk. V we have a second authority, independent of B, in the MS. K43 at Kopenhagen (see S.B. E., vol. xxxvii, pp. xxxvii-viii), written shortly after 1594 and also descended from the MS. of 1020. 24. The Selections of Zad-sparam are found in some of the old MSS., which also contain the Dadistan-i Dinik (see S.B.E., vol. xviii, pp. xv—xvii). Of the two MSS. used for the text of Zad-sparam’s Zaratist-namak, K35 was brought from Iran to Kopenhagen in 1843. It has lost many folios, both at the beginning and end; but, before it was so mutilated, a copy (BK) of it was made, which is now in Bombay and contains a copy of its colophon, the date of which corresponds to A.D. 1592. For the text of Zs. xxii, 4-xxiv, 19, which has been lost from K35, the translator is indebted to this old copy. The other MS. authority T, belonging to Ervad Tehmuras in Bombay INTRODUCTION. XVii (a copy of which has been used), is dated two generations earlier. 25. Regarding the period of Z4d-sparam’s career we are well informed by the date of the third Epistle of Mandskihar, corresponding to A.D. 881, at which time Z4d-sparam was probably in the prime of life; but his Selections were certainly compiled as late as A.D. 900, or about the same time as the completion of the Dinkarvd. So that the Pahlavi texts, from which these three narratives of the Zoroastrian legends have been translated, were no doubt all written about A.D. goo, and the information they contain was nearly all derived from the Pahlavi versions of two of the Nasks.
2So that the Pahlavi texts, from which these three narratives of the Zoroastrian legends have been translated, were no doubt all written about A.D. goo, and the information they contain was nearly all derived from the Pahlavi versions of two of the Nasks. 26. We have reason to believe that the Pahlavi versions of Avesta texts were completed in the fourth century and revised in the sixth, after the downfall of the heretic Mazdak. This may not only be clearly inferred from the traditional account of the compilation and restorations of the Avesta and Zand, preserved in Dk. IV, 21-36, and translated in S. B.E., vol. xxxvii, pp. 412-418 ; but is also in accordance with the actual condition of the Pahlavi versions of the liturgical Avesta texts. With the exception of a few interpolated passages, the whole of these Pahlavi versions might have been written, or revised, in the time of king Shahpthar II (A.D. 309-379). And the exceptional passages mention no persons or events of a later date than the reign of king Khisré I (a. D. 531-578); being merely references to such persons as Mazdak, the heretic, and certain commentators who lived about that time. 27. If we examine the Zoroastrian legends, translated in this volume, we shall also find it difficult to discover a passage that clearly alludes to any historical personage of later date than Khisré I, who is named in Dk. V, iii, 3; VII, vii, 26, although the compiler of the Dinkard had the traditions of 250 years of Arab rule to draw upon for facts, if he had been disposed to continue the statements of the Pahlavi Spend Nask down to his own time. No doubt, these traditions may have intensified his denunciations of (47] b XVili PAHLAVI TEXTS. the devastators in Dk. VII, vii, 29-38; viii, 4-9, but, like most Pahlavi writers, he is careful not to mention Muhammadanism. Dk. VII, vii, 33, 34 seem to refer to some particular individual of this later time ; but the references to Kaisar and Khak4n, the Turkish demons with dishevelled hair, the Arab, and Shedaspé (Theodosius?) of Arim, may all have been taken from a Pahlavi version revised in the time of Khasré I. 28. That the original Pahlavi version was translated from an Avesta text, though many Pahlavi commentaries were intermingled, appears certain. Apart from the numerous quotations from revelation (dén6), which may be safely assumed to have had an Avesta original, there are many passages interspersed with glosses, such as the Pahlavi translators habitually used, as well as numerous sentences beginning with a verb, an Avesta peculiarity which generally disappears in an English translation. Regarding the age of this Avesta text it would be hazardous to speculate without further information than we yet possess. 29. The principal details connected with the Zoroastrian legends which have been noticed in other Pahlavi and Pazand texts, with references to the passages where they occur, are as follows :—
329. The principal details connected with the Zoroastrian legends which have been noticed in other Pahlavi and Pazand texts, with references to the passages where they occur, are as follows :— GésQrvan informed of the future coming of Zaratfst in Bd. IV, 4. Z.’s genealogy and family in Bd. XXXII, 1-10. Summary account of Z. and Zoroastrianism, from the creation to the resurrection, in Dk. VIII, xiv, 1-15. The abode of Z.’s father, when Z. was born, was on the bank of the Darega river (Bd. XX, 32; XXIV, 15). 150 demons were prevented from destroying Z., before his birth, by the presence of a fire in his father’s house (Sls. X, 4; XII, 11; Sd. XVI, 3). Detailed account of the birth of Z. in Dk. IX, xxiv, 1-18. When Z. first saw the archangels, he thought they were archdemons (Ep. I, x, 9). Omniscient wisdom temporarily conferred upon Z., and what he then saw (Dk. IX, viii, 1-6 ; Byt. I, 1-5; TH, 5-22). He saw the soul of Davans tormented in hell, excepting one foot (AV. XXXII, 1-6; Sls. XII, 29; Sd. IV, 3-11). INTRODUCTION. xix He also saw a mortal with children and an immortal without any, and preferred the former (Dd. XXXVII, 43). And he beheld the terrible condition of Keresdsp’s soul (Dk. 1X, xv, 1-4). Advice of AQharmazd to Zaratist (Sd. XXV, 6-9; LXXXI, 2-16). The demon Envy (Aresh) converses with Z. in Dk. IX, xxxi, 6-11. Aharman tempts Z. with the promise of 1000 years dominion, in Mkh. LVII, 24-29. About Maidék-méah, in Dk. IX, xliv, 19. Z. coming to preach to king Vistésp, in Sg. X, 64-68. Archangels assist Z. in converting Vist4sp, also the war with Argasp, in Dk. VIII, xi, 2-4. The war of the religion with Argasp mentioned in Bd. XII, 33. The families of Zaratist, Hvév, and Vistésp mentioned in Dk. VIII, xxix, 25. About Frashéstar and GAmA4sp in Dk. VIII, xxxviii, 68; IX, xlii, 8, 9; xliv, 17, 18. About Kai-Vistasp, Frashéstar, Porfitést, Gamasp, and Hatés in Dk. IX, xlv, 3-5. Brad-rikhsh, or Bradré-résh the Tir, mentioned as destroying the righteous man, in Dd. LXXII, 8; Sd. IX, 5; Dk. VIII, Xxxv, 13; IX, x, 3. The last millenniums mentioned in Dk. IX, xxxix, 18; xli, 6-8. Events in the last two millenniums, in Byt. II, 22-III, 62. The resurrection described in Bd. XXX. 30. Beyond the frequent occurrence of the names of the chief actors in the traditions, there are not many references to the Zoroastrian legends in the extant Avesta. This is owing to the fact that three-fourths of the Avesta texts, including the Nasks specially devoted to these legends, have been lost. The chief references to them that still survive in the Avesta are as follows :— The passing on of the kingly glory from ruler to ruler, from Haoshyang,ha to Kava-Haosrava, from Zarathustra to Kava- Vistaspa and the Saoshyaat, in Yt. XIX, 25-90. The terror of the demons on hearing of the birth of Z., in Vd. XIX, 43-47. _ Z. mentioned as son of Pourushaspa in Yt. V, 18. Verethraghna gives Z. strength, health, vigour, and keenness of
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.
No commentary for this page.