' K2o has a portion of § 30 inserted here by mistake.
® The object of these rules is likewise to prevent the risk of the corpse defiling more of the ground than is absolutely necessary by falling upon it, as it might do by the breaking of a dead branch.
’ Nasa? (Av. nasu) means not only a corpse or carcase of a human being, dog, or other animal of the good creation, but also any portion of such corpse or carcase; that is, so/fd ‘ dead matter’ in general, as distinguished from dirt or refuse from the living body, or any /:gud exudation from a corpse or carcase, which is called hikhar (Ay. hikhra). |
* Pahl. Vend. VI, 9 states, that ‘when ome shall die on a jar of wine, the jar is useless, and the wine becomes just as though @s
254 SHUAYAST LA-SHAYAST.
a jar in which ¢here.is oil 1, and dead matter (nas4i),
from outside of it, remains behind on it, this is even
as though it remains inside it, because the oil comes
outside and goes back to the inside, avd both are
polluted, the jar and the oil; and even on making
the jar dry? it is not fit to put anything in.
33. When a serpent (garzak) is in a jar in which
there is wine, both are useless and polluted, for it
makes ¢hem contaminated (padvishak). 34. And
when corn shall be in z¢, the jar is polluted and the
corn clean; and when nothing originating with Zhe
serpent inside the jar remains behind on the jar, so
much of the corn as includes the serpent, and upon
which the touch (m4lisn) of the serpent has gone—
because the touch of the serpent’s seed might be
the death of one —is to be taken out azd to be
thrown away. 35. And when hair or dead matter,
even not originating with ¢he serpent, remains be-
hind on the jar, the jar is polluted, but is service-
able (shayad) on making 7¢ dry®.
36. Brick, earth, and mortar are separated by
course (ravisn) had been within three steps of s/he corpse. And when he shall die in the wine, when nothing of him remains behind on the jar, the jar is proper on making 7 dry’ (or, perhaps, ‘ the jar is fit for bran-flour’),
‘ Or ‘clarified butter ;’ in this case the ‘jar’ is probably a globular vessel, or carboy, made of hide, through which the oil, or liquid butter, penetrates so far as to keep the outer surface greasy, which accounts for the remark about the oil passing in and out. Such vessels, called dabar, are commonly used for oil and liquid butter in India,
* Assuming that khfskar stands for khfsk-kar, as it does in Pahl. Vend. VI, 71; otherwise we should have to read thus: ‘and the jar is not even fit to put any bran-flour inv’
* Again assuming as in § 32; otherwise we must read thus: ‘but is fit for bran-flour (khfskar),’
Chapter Ii, 33-38. 255
nem re ae ee
their own substance (pavan mindavam-i_ nafs-
man), and are connected with the ground; being
separated by théir own substance is this, that so
much space as dead matter’ comes upon is _ pol-
luted ; being connected with the ground is this, that
they would convey the pollution down unto the
water. 37. Dung-fuel, ashes, flour, and other pow-
dered things are connected with their own sub-
stance, and are separated from the ground; being
connected with their own substance is this, that
when dead matter comes upon them the whole of
them is polluted; and being separated from the
ground is this, that when dead matter comes upon
them it does not make the ground polluted *.
38. A¢a house zw which the sacred ceremony
(yazisn) is prepared, and a dog or a person passes *
away in it, the first business to be done is this, that
the fire is to be preserved from harm; moreover, if
it be only possible to carry the fire so that they
would carry 2¢ away within three steps of the
corpse *, even then it is to be carried away, avd the
1 Or ‘a corpse ;’ K2o has ‘stands upon.’ The meaning is that these substances do not communicate the contamination throughout their own substance, but only downwards to the ground, which con- veys it farther down, so far as it contains no water.
2 That is, these substances communicate the contamination throughout their own substance, but not down to the ground.
* The verb vidardand (Huz. vabriintand), ‘to cross over, to pass away’ (Av. vi+tar, Pers. gupHastan), can only be used when referring to the death of good people or animals; but the verb mfirdand (Huz. yemitfintand), ‘to die, to expire’ (Av. mar, Pers. murdan), can be used generally, though usually applied to the wicked and to evil creatures. Pahl. Vend. V, 134 contains nearly the same text as §§ 38, 39.
‘ Under ordinary circumstances fire must not be brought within thirty steps, or about 79 English feet, of a corpse (see Vend. VIII,
256 SHAYAST LA-SHAYAST.
wall is not to be cut. 39. Rdshan! said that an
earthen ove is to be cut into, dv¢ a mortar ove is
not to be cut; below and above no account zs taken
of damaging (béd6zédih)? the wall*. 40. To bring
the fire within * the three steps from the corpse is a
Tanapthar sin; and when exudation happens to the
corpse, it is worthy of death®. 41. The prepared
food in that house is all useless, and that which is
not prepared is usable in the length of nine nights
17). But the spirit of the Mazdayasnian law is reasonable, and, although strict, it allows for practical difficulties and chooses the least of two evils in a more judicious manner than might be expected (a fact which it would be well for Parsis and others to observe in doubtful cases). Here, breaking through the wall of a house is considered a greater evil than the possible pollution of the fire by passing at a distance of three steps, or eight English feet, from a corpse.
1 The name of a commentator, or commentary, often quoted in Pahlavi translations (see the note on Chap. I, 4).
* Literally, ‘destroying the consciousness, or ‘injuring the existence.” BOéd6zéd or bédydézad is a particular kind of sin which appears to consist chiefly of the ill-treatment of animals and injury of useful property. It is mentioned in Pahl. Yas. XXIX, tb, Pahl. Vend. V, 107, XIII, 38, Farh. Okh. pp. 32, 33; and in some editions of the Khurdah Avesta it is defined as selling stolen men or animals into misery, or one’s own domestic cattle to the butcher, also spoiling and tearing up good clothing, or wasting and spoiling good food.
* The meaning is, that if it became necessary to break through the wall in order to remove the fire unpolluted, the sin committed through damaging the wall will not be punished either in this world or the next.
* That is, nearer than three steps, which is considered to be the minimum distance at which any degree of purity can be maintained.
° A marg-arg4n sin, on committing which the sinner is required to place his life at the disposal of the high-priest (see Chap. VIII, 2, 5,6, 21). It is usually considered equivalent to fifteen Tan4- pahars (see Chap. I, 1, 2),
Chapter Ii, 39-45. 257
oramonth', 42. Clothing also zx like manner, ex-
cept that which oze wears on the body; that, even
in that time, is not clean, since it remains in use.
43. And the holy-water (zéhar)*, too, which is
taken and remains zz that place, is to be carried
away immediately to the water; also the sacred
milk (giv)* and butter (gum)* 7# like manner. 44.
Of the prayer’ clothing Vand-Aftharmazd ® said that
it is usable in the length of nine nights ov a month ;
the writer’ (dapir) said that it is when they perform
the washing of hands, and wash z¢ thoroughly, it
will become clean at the time.
45. If ina house there are three rooms (gungi-
nak), and ome shall die in the entrance place
(dargas), if 2¢ de so that they may set the door
open, and the corpse comes to this side, only this
' According to the season of the year, the period of uncleanness being nine nights in the five winter months, and a month in the seven summer months (see Vend. V, 129).
® Av. zaothra; this holy-water is consecrated by the priest reciting certain prayers while holding the empty metal cups in his hands, while filling them with water, and after filling them (see Haug’s Essays, p. 397).
’ The Av. géus givya, ‘product of the living cow,’ which is kept in a metal saucer during the ceremonies, and used for sprinkling the sacred twigs (baresOm), and for mixing with the holy-water and Hém-juice in the mortar (see Haug’s Essays, PPp- 403, 405, 406).
* Compare Pers. Afim, ‘fat;’ it is the Av. gaus hudhau, ‘fro- duct of the well-yielding cow,’ a small piece of which is placed upon one of the sacred pancakes, or wafers (drén), during the ceremonies (see Haug’s Essays, pp. 396, 407).
5 Reading yast; but it may be gast, ‘ changed.’
® See the note on Chap. I, 4.
7 There appear to be, as yet, no means of ascertaining the name of the writer of the Shayast la-shayast, who gives his own opinion here.
258 SHAYAST LA-SHAYAST.
side. is polluted; and if the corpse comes to that
side, only that side is polluted; when it comes to
both sides at once (aév44), only the entrance place
is polluted alone, both the dwelling-rooms (khanak)
are clean,
46. And the vault of the sacred fires! alone does not become polluted.
47. If one shall die in a wild spot (vaskar), pre-
pared food which is within three steps is all useless,
and beyond four steps it is not polluted. 48. Pre-
pared food is this, such as bread, boiled and roast
meat, and prepared broth 2.
49. And the ashes (var) of the sacred fire* be- come in a measure polluted.
50. Should they carry in the fire into that house
in which the length of nine nights or a month is
requisite for becoming clean, there is a sin of one
Tandpdhar* through carrying z¢ in, and one Tanéa-
pthar through kindling 77; and every trifling cvea-
ture (khfir or khfl) which shall die and shall remain
causes a sin of one Tanapthar. 51. Also through
carrying water in, ¢Aere is a sin of one Farman; and
to pour water on the place where azy one’s life
departs is a sin of one Tandpdhar, and to pour 2¢
on a different place is a sin of one Yat. 52. And to
' Literally, ‘the vault of the fires of Vahrém.’ Pahl. Vend. V, 134 says ‘the vault of the fires is /vad/e just like an empty house.’ Both this section and § 49 seem out of place.
* See Pahl. Vend. V, 134.
* Literally, ‘the produce of the fire of Vahrém,’ a term for ‘ashes,’ which is used in Pahl. Vend. V, 150 along with the equivalent phrase, ‘ clothing of the fire’ (see Chap. III, 27).
* See Chap. I, 1, 2 for the degrees of sin mentioned in §§ 50, 51; 53:
Chapter Ii, 46-56. 259
Sst NR
undergo ablution? inside ¢he unclean house is all non-
ablution. 53. And whoever goes into it needlessly,
his body and clothes are to be every time thoroughly
washed, and his sin is one Tandpthar; and when he
goes in needfully 2¢ is neither good work nor sin*.
54. And this pollution is all in the sharp account
(tikhak amar) when the life departs*; the only
thing which amounts to polluting is contact with the
flesh, and even with the hair and nails. 55. Of the
contact which is stated in the Avesta‘, the account
is that z7¢ 7s from one side, and it ever cleaves to
one; the curse (gazisn)*® which is stated in the
Avesta advances from all four sides. 56. Sdshyans®
said it is, until its exhibition to a doy, just as it be-
comes at the time when its life departs’; a priest, a
1 That is, the ceremonial ablution (padiy4vth), or ‘ washing, with water, the hands and arms up to the elbows, the face as far as behind the ears, and the feet up to the ankles,’ whilst a certain form of prayer is recited (see AV. p. 148, note).
® Here again, as in § 38, the strict letter of the law is relaxed in case of necessity.
* Meaning, apparently, that any pollution is taken into account, as a sin, in the investigation the soul has to undergo upon entering the other world. Much of this paragraph will be found in Pahl. Vend. V, ro7.
