’ This is the first third of the gooo years appointed in $$ 18, 20, and the second 3000 years mentioned in Chap. NNAIV, tr.
2 It is usual to consider dadan (Huz. yehabdntan), when traceable to Av. di= Sans. dha, as meaning ‘to create,’ but it can hardly be proved that it means to create out of nothing, any more than any other of the Avesta verbs which it is sometimes con- venient to translate by ‘create.’ Before basing any argument upon the use of this word it will, therefore, be safer to substitute the word ‘ produce’ in all cases.
* Or it may be translated, ‘and from it Vohiman, by good pro- cedure,’ &c. The position here ascribed to Vohtiman, or the good thought of Atharmazd, bears some resemblance to that of the Word in John i. 1-5, but with this essential difference, that Vohdman is merely a creature of Atharmazd, not identified with him; for the latter idea would be considered, by a Parsi, as rather inconsistent with strict monotheism. The ‘light of the world’ now created must be distinguished from the ‘ endless light’ already existing with Atharmazd in § 2.
* The word frashakard, ‘what is made durable, perpetuation,’ is applied to the renovation of the universe which is to take place about the time of the resurrection, as a preparation for eternity.
IO BUNDAHIS.
hist, and then Shatvair4, and then Spendarmad, and then Horvadad, and then Amerdédad’*.
27. From the dark world of Aharman were Ak6-
man and Andar, and then Sévar, and then Nakahéd,
and then Tairév and Zairté ?.
28. Of Atharmazd’s creatures of the world, the
first was the sky; the second, water; the third;
earth; the fourth, plants; the fifth, animals; the
sixth, mankind.
Cuapter II.
o. On the formation of the luminaries.
1. Atharmazd produced illumination between the
sky and the earth, the constellation stars and those
also not of the constellations °, then the moon, and
afterwards the sun, as I shaZ/ relate.
* These five, with Vohfiman and Afiharmazd in his angelic capa- city, constitute the seven Ameshaspends, ‘ undying causers of pros- perity, immortal benefactors,’ or archangels, who have charge of the whole material creation. They are personifications of old Avesta phrases, such as Vohi-man6, ‘good thought ;’ Asha-vahista, ‘perfect rectitude;’ Khshathra-vairya, ‘desirable dominion ;’ Spenta-Armaiti, ‘bountiful devotion;’ Haurvat4d, ‘ complete- ness or health;’ and Ameret&d, ‘ immortality.’
* ‘These six demons are the opponents of the six archangels respectively (see Chap. XXX, 29); their names in the Avesta are, Akem-man6, ‘evil thought;’ Imdra, Sauru, Naunghaithya, Tauru, Zairika (see Vendidid X, 17,18 Sp., and XIX, 43 W.), which have been compared with the Vedic god Indra, Sarva (a name of Siva), the Nasatyas, and Sans. tura, ‘diseased,’ and garas, ‘decay,’ respectively. For further details regarding them, see Chap. XXVIII, 4-13.
* The word akhtar is the usual term in Pahlavi for a constella- tion of the zodiac; but the term apAkhtar, ‘away from the akhtar,’ means not only ‘the north,’ or away from the zodiac, but also ‘a
Chapter I, 27—Ii, 4. 11
2. First he produced the ce/estia/ sphere, and the
constellation stars are assigned to it by him; espe-
cially these twelve whose names ave Varak (the
Lamb), Tora (the Bull), Dé-patkar (the Two-figures
or Gemini), Kalasang (the Crab), Sér (the Lion),
Khisak (Virgo), Tarazik (the Balance), Gazdim
“(the Scorpion), Nimasp (the Centaur or Sagittarius),
Vahik! (Capricornus), Dal (the Waterpot), and
Mahik (the Fish); 3. which, from their original
creation, were divided into the twenty-eight sub-
divisions of the astronomers“, of which the names
are Padévar, Pésh-Parviz, Parviz, Paha, Avésar,
Besn, Rakhvad, Taraha, Avra, Nahn, Miyan, Av-
dem, Mashaha, Spar, Husru, Srob, Nur, Gél, Garafsa,
Varazt, Gau, Goi, Muru, Bunda, Kahtsar, Vaht,
Miyan, Kaht*. 4. And all his original creations,
planet,’ which is in the zodiac, but apart from the constellations. The meaning of akhtar, most suitable to the context here, appears to be the general term ‘ constellation.’
_ ® Literally, ‘fragments of the calculators, khurdak-i hamarikan. These subdivisions are the spaces traversed daily by the moon among the stars, generally called ‘lunar mansions.’
I2 BUNDAHIS.
residing in the world, are committed to them’; so
that when the destroyer arrives they overcome the
adversary avd their own persecution, and the crea-
tures are saved from those adversities.
5. As a specimen of a warlike army, which is
destined for battle, they have ordained every single
constellation of those 6480 thousand small stars as
assistance; and among those constellations four
chieftains, appointed on the four sides, are leaders.
6. On the recommendation of those chieftains the
many unnumbered stars are specially assigned to the
various quarters and various places, as the united
strength azd appointed power of those constella-
tions. 7. As it is said that Tistar is the chieftain of
the east, Satavés the chieftain of the west, Vanand
the chieftain of the south, avd Haptdk-ring the
chieftain of the north?, 8. The great ove which they
Pahlavi names would be to transliterate the Pazand back into Pah- lavi characters. The ninth subdivision is mentioned in Chap. VII, 1 by the name Avrak.
* That is, to the zodiacal constellations, which are supposed to have special charge of the welfare of creation.
* Of these four constellations or stars, which are said to act as leaders, there is no doubt that Hapt6k-ring, the chieftain of the north, is Ursa Major ; and it is usually considered that Tistar, the chieftain of the east, is Sirius ; but the other two chieftains are not so well identified, and there may be some doubt as to the proper stations of the eastern and western chieftains. It is evident, how- ever, that the most westerly stars, visible at any one time of the year, are those which set in the dusk of the evening; and east of these, all the stars are visible during the night as far as those which rise at daybreak, which are the most easterly stars visible at that time of the year. Tistar or Sirius can, therefore, be considered the chieftain of the eastern stars only when it rises before day- break, which it does at the latter end of summer ; and Hapték- ring or Ursa Major is due north at midnight (on the meridian below the pole) at about the same time of the year. These stars, there-
CHAPTER Il, 5—8. 13
nee
call a Gah (period of the day), which they say is the
great one of the middle of the sky, till 7us¢ before
the destroyer came was the midday (or south) ove of
the five, that is, the Rapitvin'.
fore, fulfil the conditions necessary for being chieftains of the east and north at the end of summer, and we must look for stars capable of being chieftains of the south and west at the same season. Now, when Ursa Major is near the meridian below the pole, Fomalhaut is the most conspicuous star near the meridian in the far south, and is probably to be identified with Vanand the chieftain of the south. And when Sirius rises some time before daybreak, Antares (in Scorpio) sets some time after dusk in the evening, and may well be identified with Satavés the chieftain of the west. Assuming that there has been a precession of the equinoxes equivalent to two hours of time, since the idea of these chieftains (which may perhaps be traced to Avesta times) was first formed, it may be calculated that the time of year when these leading stars then best fulfilled that idea was about a month before the autumnal equinox, when Ursa Major would be due north three-quarters of an hour after midnight, and Fomalhaut due south three-quarters of an hour before midnight, Sirius would rise three hours before the sun, and Antares would set three hours after the sun. In the Avesta these leading stars are named Tistrya, Satavaésa, Vanamt, and Haptéi- ringa (see Tistar Yt. 0, 8, 9, 12, 32, &c., Rashnu Yt. 26-28, Siréz. 13).
‘ This translation, though very nearly literal, must be accepted with caution. If the word mas be not a name it can hardly mean anything but ‘great ;’ and that it refers to a constellation appears from Chap. V, 1. The word khémsik is an irregular form of the Huz. khémsy4, ‘ five,’ and may refer either to the five chieftains (including ‘ the great one’) or to the five Gahs or periods of the day, of which Rapitvin is the midday one (see Chap. XXYV, 9). The object of the text seems to be to connect the Rapitvin Gah with some great mid-sky and midday constellation or star, possibly Regulus, which, about B.c. 960, must have been more in the day- light than any other important star during the seven months of summer, the only time that the Rapitvin Gah can be celebrated (see Chap. XXV, 7-14). Justi has, ‘They call that the great one of the place, which is great in the middle of the sky; they say that before the enemy came it was always midday, that is, Rapitvin.’
14 BUNDAHIS.
11. Thereupon, the guardian spirits of men be-
came of the same opinion with the omniscient wis-
dom about going to the world, on account of the
evil ¢hat comes upon them, in the world, from the
fiend (drag) Aharman, and ¢he:y becoming, at last,
again unpersecuted by the adversary, perfect, and
immortal, in the future existence, for ever and ever-
lasting.
Windischmann has nearly the same, as both follow the Pazand MSS. in reading hOmfsak (as a variant of hamfsak), ‘always,’ instead of khéms4k,
* Or ‘adversity.’
* These were among the fravashis already created (see Chap. I, 8).
* Reading amat, ‘when,’ instead of min, ‘ which’ (see note to Chap. I, 7).
Chapter Ii, Q—Iii, 5. 15
CuaptTer III,
1. On the rush of the destroyer at the creatures
it is said, in revelation, that the evil spirit, when he
saw the impotence of himself and the confederate?
(ham-dast) demons, owing to the righteous man,
became confounded, azd seemed in confusion three
thousand years. 2. During that confusion the arch-
fiends * of the demons severally shouted thus: ‘ Rise
up, ¢ouw father of us! for we w7// cause a conflict in
the world, the distress and injury from which w//
become those of Atharmazd and the archangels.’
3. Severally they twice recounted their own evil
deeds, and it pleased him not; and that wicked evil
spirit, through fear of the righteous man, was not
able to lift up Azs head until the wicked Géh* came,
at the completion of the three thousand years.
4. And she shouted to the evil spirit thus: ‘ Rise
up, ¢how father of us! for I wz// cause that conflict
in the world wherefrom the distress and injury of
Adtharmazd and the archangels we// arise.’ 5. And
she twice recounted severally her own evil deeds,
and it pleased him not; and that wicked evil spirit
’ The Pazand MSS. have gardist, for the Huz. hémnunast, ‘trusted.’ Windischmann and Justi have ‘all.’
* Probably Gayémard.
* The word kamfrak4n is literally ‘those with an evil pate,’ and is derived from Av. kameredha, ‘the head of an evil being,’ also applied to ‘the evil summit’ of Mount Arezfira (Vend. XIX, 140, 142), which is supposed to be at the gate of hell (see Chap. XII, 8). That the chief demons or arch-fiends are meant, appears more clearly in Chap. XXVIII, 12, 44, where the word is kamartkan.
* The personification of the impurity of menstruation.
16 BUNDAHIs.
rose not from that confusion, through fear of the righteous man.
6. And, again, the wicked Géh shouted thus:
‘Rise up, ¢ow father of us! for in that conflict I
will shed thus much vexation! on the righteous
man and the labouring ox that, through my deeds,
life wz? not be wanted, and I will destroy their living
souls (nism6)?; I wz// vex the water, I c7// vex the
plants, I wd? vex the fire of Atharmazd, I we//
make the whole creation of Atharmazd vexed.’
7. And she so recounted those evil deeds a second
time, that the evil spirit was delighted and started
up from that confusion; and he kissed Géh upon _
the head, and the pollution which they call men-
struation became apparent in Gch.
8. He shouted to Géh thus: ‘ What is thy wish ?
so that I may give z¢ thee.’ And Géh shouted to
the evil spirit thus: ‘A man is the wish, so give 7¢
to me.’
9. The form of the evil spirit was a log-like
lizard’s (vazak) body, and he appeared a young
man of fifteen years to Géh, and that brought the
vexation,’ as here assumed, or for vish, ‘ poison,’ as translated by Windischmann and Justi in accordance with the Paz. MSS.
