latter seems most probable, although the crow is perhaps as ‘common ’ as it is ‘precious,’ as a scavenger in the East. Singu- larly enough Pers. arz4n is a synonym to both words, as it means both ‘cheap’ and ‘ worthy.’
' The Av. kahrkAsa of Vend. III, 66, IX, 181, Aban Yt. 61, Mihir Yt. 129; its epithet zarm4n-mAnisn, ‘ dwelling in decay,’ is evidently intended as a translation of the Av. zarenumainis, applied to it in Bahram Yt. 33, Din Yt: 13.
* The text should probably be valak-i sty4k va s4r-i gar, ‘the black crow and the mountain kite,’ which are given as different birds in Shayast-lé-shayast, II, 5.
* K20 omits the words from this ‘ opposition’ to the next one.
* The m6ér-i danak-kash is the Av. maoiris diné-karshé of Vend, XIV, 14, XVI, 28, XVIII, 146.
CHAPTER XIX, 24-24. 73
duces a hollow track!; when the hedgehog travels
over it the track goes away from it, and it becomes
level. 29. The water-beaver is created in opposition
to the demon which is in the water. 30. The con-
clusion is this, that, of all beasts and birds and
fishes, every one is created in opposition to some
noxious creature,
31. Regarding the vulture (karkas) it says, that,
even from his highest flight, he sees when flesh the
size of a fist is on the ground; and the scent of
musk is created under his wing, so that if, in de-
vouring dead matter, the stench of the dead matter
comes oz? from it, he puts 47s head back under the
wing avd is comfortable again. 32. Regarding the
Arab horse they say, that if, in a dark night, a single
hair occurs on the ground, he sees 77.
33. The cock is created in opposition to demons
and wizards, co-operating with the dog; as it says
in revelation, that, of the creatures of the world,
those which are co-operating with Srdésh*, in de-
stroying the fiends, are the cock and the dog.
34. This, too, it says, that it would not have dex
managed if I had not created the shepherd's dog,
which is the Pasus-haurva*, avd the house watch-
dog, the Vis-haurva®*; for it says in revelation, that
the dog is a destroyer of such a fiend as covetous-
* Comparing strak with Pers. suragh in preference to sdrakh or silakh, ‘a hole.’
* Av. Sraosha, the angel who is said specially to protect the world from demons at night; he is usually styled *the righteous,’ and is the special opponent of the demon Aéshm, ‘ Wrath’ (see Chap. XXX, 29).
* These are the Avesta names of those two kinds of dog (see Chap. NIV, 19).
4 BUNDAHIS.
ness, among those which are in the nature (aitih) of
man and of animals. 35. Moreover it says, that, in-
asmuch as it will destroy all the disobedient, when
it barks it will destroy pain’; and its flesh and fat
are remedies for driving away decay and pain from
men *.
36. Atharmazd created nothing useless whatever,
for all these (kola aé) are created for advantage ;
when one does not understand the reason of them,
it is necessary to ask the Dasttr (‘high-pries«’), for
his five dispositions (khaik)* are created in this
way that he may continually destroy the fiend (or
deceit).
CHAPTER XX.
1. On the nature of rivers it says in revelation,
that these two rivers flow forth from the north, part
from Albiarz and re from the Albirz of Athar-
, ‘Or it may be thus: ‘For it says shui Wherewith will it de- stroy? When it barks it will destroy the assembly (gird) of all the disobedient.’
* This is the most obvious meaning, but Spiegel (in a note to Windischmann’s Zoroastrische Studien, p. 95) translates both this sentence and the next very differently, so as to harmonize with Vend. XIII, 78, 99.
* The five dispositions (khim) of priests are thus detailed in old Pahlavi MSS.: ‘ First, innocence; second, discreetness of thoughts, words, and deeds; third, holding the priestly office as that of a very wise and very true-speaking master, who has learned religion atten- tively and teaches 7/ truly ; fourth, celebrating the worship of God (yazdan) with a ritual (nfirang) of rightly spoken words and scriptures known by heart (narm naskth4); fifth, remaining day and night propitiatingly in Azs vocation, struggling with his own resistance (haméstar), and, a// life long, not turning away from steadfastness in religion, and being energetic in Azs vocation,’
Chapter Xix, 35-—Xx, 4. 75
mazd'; one towards the west, that is the Arag’*;
and one towards the east, that is the Véh river.
2. After them eighteen rivers flowed forth from
the same source, just as the remaining waters have
flowed forth from them in great multitude; as they
say that they flowed out so very fast, one from the
other, as when a man recites one Ashem-voh(i® of a
series (padisdr). 3. All of those, with the same
water, are again mingled with these rivers, that is,
the Arag river avd Véh river. 4. Both of them
continually circulate through the two extremities of
the earth, and pass into the sea; and all the regions
feast owing to the discharge (za hak) of both, which,
after both arrive together at the wide-formed ocean,
returns to the sources whence they flowed out; as
it says in revelation, that just as the light comes in
through Albirz azd goes out through Albdrz*, the
1 So in K2o, and if correct (being only partially confirmed by the fragment of this chapter found in all MSS. between Chaps. XIII and XIV) this reading implies that the rivers are derived partly from the mountains of Albfrz, and partly from the celestial Albars, or the clouds in the sky. M6 has ‘ flow forth from the north part of the eastern Albis.’
* For further details regarding these two semi-mythical rivers see §§ 8, 9.
’ The sacred formula most frequently recited by the Parsis, and often several times in succession, like the Pater-noster of some Christians ; it is not, however, a prayer, but a declaratory formula in ‘praise of righteousness’ (which phrase is often used as its name in Pahlavi). It consists of twelve Avesta words, as follows:
Ashem vohfi vahistem astt,
usta ast?; usta ahmai
hyad ashai vahistai ashem. And it may be translated in the following manner: ‘ Righteousness is the best good, a blessing it is; a blessing be to that which is righteousness to perfect rectitude’ (Asha-vahista the archangel),
* See Chap. V, 5.
76 BUNDAHIS.
water also comes out through Albiirz and goes away
through Albiirz. 5. This, too, it says, that the
spirit of the Arag begged of Atharmazd thus: ‘O
first omniscient creative power'! from whom the
Véh river begged for the welfare that thou mightest
grant, do thou then grant z¢ in my quantity!’ 6.
The spirit of the Véh river similarly begged of
Atharmazd for the Arag river; avd on account of
loving assistance, one towards the other, they flowed
forth with equal strength, as before the coming of
the destroyer they proceeded without rapids, and
when the fiend shall be destroyed? they w// again
be without rapids.
7. Of those eighteen principal rivers, distinct
from the Arag river avd Véh river, and the other
rivers which flow out from them, I w2// mention the
more famous*: the Arag river, the Véh river, the
Diglat* river they call also again the Véh river®,
the Frat river, the Daitik river, the Dargam river,
the Zéndak river, the Hardi river, the Marv river,
the Hétimand river, the Akhdéshir river, the Navada®
river, the Zismand river, the Khvegand river, the
Balkh river, the Mehrva river they call the Hendva
river, the Spéd’ river, the Rad * river which they call
also the Koir, the Khvaraé river which they call
' So in M6, but K2o has, ‘ First is the propitiation of all kinds,’
* Literally, ‘when they shall destroy the fiend.’
* For details regarding these rivers see the ‘sequel.
* The Paz. Deyrid is evidently a misreading of Pahl. Diglat or Digrat, which occurs in § ra.
* So in K2o, but M6 (omitting two words) has, ‘they call also the Didgar.’
* No further details are given, in this chapter, about this river, but it seems to be the river Nahvték of Chap. XXI, 6, the Natvtak of Chap. XXIX, 4, 5.
7 Ko has ‘ Spend,’ * Called Tort in § 24.
Chapter Xx, 5-9. 77
—— ene
also the Mesrgan, the Harhaz' river, the Teremet
river, the Khvanaidis? river, the Daraga river, the
Kasik river, the Séd* (‘shining’) river Péda-meyan
or Katru-meyan river ef Mokarstan.
8. I wz// mention them also a second time: the
Arag* river is that of which it is said that it comes
out from Albarz in the land of Sfr4k®, 7% which
they call it also the Ami; it passes on through the
land of Spétos, which they also call Mesr, and they
call it there the river Niv® 9. The Véh? river
* Miswritten Araz in Pazand, both here and in § 27.
* M6 has Khvanainidis, but in K2o it is doubtful whether the extra syllable (which is interlined) is intended to be inserted or substituted; the shorter form is, however, more reconcilable with the Pahlavi form of Vendeses in § 29.
* As there is no description of any Séd river it is probably only an epithet of the Pédéi-meyan or A’atru-meyan (pédik being the usual Pahlavi equivalent of Av. 4ithr6). Justi suggests that Mo- karstan (Mokarsta rid in M6) stands for Pers. Moghulstan, ‘ the country of the Moghuls,” but this is doubtful.
* Sometimes written Arang or Aréng, but the nasal is usually omitted; it is the Av. Rangha of Aban Yt. 63, Rashnu Yt. 18, Ram Yt. 27, which is described more like a lake or sea in Vend. I, 77, Bahram Yt. 29. This semi-mythical river is supposed to encompass a great part of the known world (see Chap. VII, 16), and the Bundahis probably means to trace its course down the Ami (Oxus) from Sogdiana, across the Caspian, up the Aras (Araxes) or the Kur (Cyrus), through the Euxine and Mediterranean, and up the Nile to the Indian Ocean. ‘The Ami (Oxus) is also some- times considered a part of the Véh river or Indus (see §§ 22, 28).
5 Sogdiana (see Chap. XV, 29), the country of the Amd river.
® The combination of the three names in this clause, as Justi observes, renders it probable that we should read, ‘the land of Egypt, which is called Misr, and where the river is the Nile. The letter S in Paz. Spétos is very like an obsolete form of Av. g, or it may be read as Pahl. fk or fg, so the name may originally have been Gpétos or Ikpétos ; and the Paz. Niv, if transcribed into Pahlavi, can also be read Nil.
* The ‘good’ river, which, with the Arag and the ocean, completes
78 BUNDAHIS.
passes on in the east, goes through the land of
Sind', axd flows to the sea in Hinddstan, and they
call it there the Mehra? river. 10. The sources of
the Frat* river are from the frontier of Ardm, they
feed pox zt in Stristan, and it flows to the Diglat
river; and of this Frat z¢ zs* that they produce irri-
gation over the land. 11. It is declared that Mana-
skthar excavated the sources, azd cast back the
water all to one place, as it says thus: ‘1 reverence
the Frat, full of fish, which Manfsf#ihar excavated
for the benefit of his own soul, azd he seized the
water avd gave to drink®.’ 12. The Diglat® river
comes out from Salman’, avd flows to the sea in
Khigistan. 13. The Daitik*® river is the river
the circuit of the known world, and is evidently identified with the Indus ; sometimes it seems also to include the Ama (Oxus), as Bactria was considered a part of India; thus we find the Balkh and Teremet rivers flowing into the Véh (see §§ 22, 28).
See § 30.
* No doubt the Mehrva or Hendva river of § 7, and the Mihran of Ouseley’s Oriental Geography of the pseudo Ibn ‘Hafdgal, pp. 148-155, which appears to combine the Satlig and lower Indus. The final n is usually omitted by the Bundahis after 4 in Pazand words. ‘This river is also called Kasak (see § 30).
* The Euphrates, which rises in Armenia (part of the eastern empire of the Romans), traverses Syria, and joins the Tigris.
* Or, ‘and its convenience is this ;’ a play upon the words farhat and Fr&t, which are identical in Pahlavi.
° Referring probably to canals for irrigation along the course of the Euphrates.
* The Tigris (Arabic Diglat), Hiddekel of Gen. ii. 14, Dan. x. 4, and perhaps the Av. tighris of Tistar Yt. 6, 37; misread Déirid in Pazand.
