This MS. belongs to a young Mobad named Tehmuras Dinshawji Anklesaria in Bombay, and was brought from Persia a few years ago by a Mobad named Khodabakhsh Farod Abadan. It occupies the first 103 folios of the volume containing it, and is followed by 112 more folios containing the Nirangistan. The first original folio, which contained the text as far as Chap. I, 5 (to ‘ endless light’), has been lost and replaced by another (which, however, is now old) containing some introductory sentences, besides the missing text. The last original folio of the Bundahis, containing the last five lines of the last chapter, has also been lost and replaced by another modern folio, which contains the missing text followed by two colophons, both expressing approval of the text, and asserting that the MS. was written by Gépatshah Ristém Bondar. The first of these colophons
* Lam indebted *o Mr, Khurshedji Rustamji Cama, of Bombay (who is well known for the interest he takes in all matters relating to the ancient customs and history of his fellow-countrymen), for obtaining this information, and to the owner of the MS. for his liberality in supplying me with all the details and extracts mentioned in the text,
Introduction. Xxxii
is undated, but gives the testimony of Dastdr Rastim'!
Gistasp Ardashir, who is known to have written another
MS dated A.y, 1068 (A.v. 1699). The second colophon is
by Dastir Jamshéd Jamasp Hakim, and is dated A.Y. 1113
(A. D. 1743), Which was probably the date when this last
folio was supplied to complete the old defective MS.
With regard to the age of the older part of this MS. we can arrive at an approximation in the following manner :— A valuable MS. of the Dadistan-i Dinik, which also belongs to Tehmuras Dinshawji, was written (according toa colophon which it contains) by Gépatshah Rast6m* Bandar Malka- marian in the land of Kirman, who was evidently the same person as the writer of TD. Another MS. of the Dadistan-i Dinik was written by Marsapan Fréd/in Vahrom Rastam Bondar Malka-mardan Din-ayar, also in the land of Kirman, in A.Y. 941 (A.D. 1572). Comparing these two genealogies together it seems evident that Gopatshah was a brother of Vahrém, the grandfather of Marsapan, and, therefore, a grand-uncle of Marsapan himself. Allowing for these two generations, it is probable that Gopatshah wrote TD about A.Y. goo (say A. D. 1530); although instances have occurred in which a son has written a MS. at an earlier date than that of one written by his father.
The introductory sentences on the first restored folio are evidently a modern addition to the text, after it had acquired the name of Bundahis; but they seem to have been copied from some other MS., as the copyist appears to have hardly understood them, having written them continuously with the beginning of the text, without break or stop. The spelling is modern, but that may be due to the copyist ; and the language is difficult, but may be translated as follows ?:—
‘The propitiation of the creator Adharmazd, the radiant,
1 This Dasttir is said to have sprung from the laity, and not from a priestly family.
2 The vowels 4 and 6 (or (i) often interchange in Pahlavi MSS. from Persia, probably owing to peculiarities of dialect, and the very broad sound of Persian A, like English a in call.
3 English words in italics are additions to complete the sense.
[5] Cc
XXXIV PAIILAVI TEXTS.
clorious, omniscient, wise, powerful, and supreme, dy what 7s well-thought, well-said, azd well-done in thought, word, and deed, and the good augury of all the celestial angels and terrestrial angels upon the virtuous creation, I beseech.
‘Written at the second fortunate conjunction (akhtar) in the high-priestship (dastdrih) of the God-devoted, all- sagacious cultivator of righteousness, the lover of good works who is God-discerning, spirit-surveying, azd approved by the good, the high-priest of the good religion of the Maz- dayasnians, the glorified! Spendyad sox of Mah-vindad, sox of Ruistém, sor of Shatréyar.
‘The writing* of the Bundahis was set going by the
coming of the Arabs to the country of Iran, whose hetero-
doxy (dais-dinih) and ignorance have arisen from not
understanding the mysteries of Kayan® orthodoxy (hi-
dindih) and of those revered by the upholders of the
religion. From their deep seats it draws the purport of
benedictions, avd from dubious thinking of actions 7¢
draws words of true meaning, the disclosure of which is
entertaining knowledge.
‘On account of evil times, even he of the undecayed family of the Kayadns and the Kayan upholders of the religion are mingled with the obedient and just of those heterodox; and by the upper c/ass the words of the orthodox, uttered in assembled worship, are considered as filthy vice. He also whose wish was to learn propriety (varag) through this treatise (farh4ng), might provide z¢ for himself, from various places, by trouble and day and night painstaking, dv¢ was not able.’ ;
The text of Chap. I then commences (without any inter-
mediate stop) with the words zak zand-Akdsih, ‘that
knowledge of tradition.’ As the whole text of the Bundahis
occupies ahout 203 pages in TD, and each page contains
' Literally, ‘immortal-soulled,’ a term implying generally that the person is dead ; but it seems to have been applied to King Khiisré I (Néshirvan) during his lifetime. The time when this priest lived has yet to be discovered.
* Keading zektibdn-i, equivalent to Paz. nivis-i; the MS. has zak tibna,
* The hero tribe or princely race of the KayAnian dynasty, from which later Versian rulers have fancied themselves descended.
INTRODUCTION, XXXAV seventeen lines rather longer than those in K 20, it is evident that the text in TD must be more than twice the length of that in K20, which occupied originally about eighty-three pages of twenty lines each. This additional text consists not only of additional matter in many of the chapters, but also of extra chapters, which give the work a more complete appearance than it presents in the manuscripts hitherto known. The whole number of chapters in TD appear to be forty-two, the general character of the contents of which may be gathered from the following list of the headings of each chapter, with the space it occupies in TD, and a reference to the corresponding chapter of the translation in this volume (such chapters as seem to be entirely wanting in K20 being marked with an asterisk) :—
1. The knowledge of tradition, first about Atharmazd’s original creation and the antagonism of the evil spirit, after- wards about the nature of the creatures of the world, from the original creation till the end; 19 pages; see Chap. I.
2. On the formation of light; 11 pages; see Chap. II.
3. The rush of the destroyer at the creatures ; 6 pages; see Chaps. III, IV.
4. On the opposition of the two spirits, that is, in what manner the arch-ficnds have come spiritually in opposition to the celestial angels; 10 pages; sec Chap. V for two of the middle pages.
5. On the waging of the conflict (ardik) of the crea-
tions of the world, encountering the evil spirit; 1 page:
see Chap. VI.
6. The second conflict the water waged; 3 pages; sce Chap. VII.
7. The third conflict the earth waged; 1 page; sce Chap. VIII.
8. The fourth conflict the plants waged; $ page: sce Chap. IX.
g. The fifth conflict the primeval ox waged; } page: see Chap. X.
* 10. The sixth conflict Gdyomard waged ; 14 page.
*11. The seventh conflict the fire waged; 4 page.
*12. The cighth conflict the constellations waged ; § page. ci2
XXXVI PAHLAVI TEXTS.
*13. The ninth conflict the celestial angels waged with the evil spirit ; three lines.
*14. Tenth, the stars practised non-intermeddling (agt- mégisn); 4 page.
*15. On the species of those creations; 24 pages.
16. On the nature of lands; 14 page; see Chap. XI.
17. On the nature of mountains ; 44 pages ; see Chap. XII.
18, On the nature of seas; 2} pages; see Chap. XIII.
19. On the nature of rivers; 54 pages; see Chaps. XX, XXI.
20. On the nature of lakes; 1} page; see Chap. XXII.
21. On the nature of the five classes of animals ; 54 pages ; see Chap. XIV.
22. On the nature of men; 74 pages; see Chap. XV!.
23. On the nature of generation of every kind; 5 pages; see Chap. XVI.
24. On the nature of plants; 34 pages; see Chap. XXVII.
25. On the chieftainship of men and animals and every single thing ; 24 pages; see Chap. XXIV.
26, On the nature of fire; 44 pages; see Chap. XVII, *27. On the nature of sleep; 24 pages.
*28. On the nature of wind and cloud and rain; 9% pages. *29. On the nature of noxious creatures; 4} pages. * 30, On the nature of the wolf species; 2 pages.
31. On things of every kind that are created by the
spirits’, and the opposition which came upon them; 7%
pages; see Chaps. XVIII, XIX.
32. On the religious year; 4 pages; see Chaps, XXV, XXVI.
*33. On the great exploits of the celestial angels; 17} pages.
34. On the evil-doing of Aharman and the demons; 7 pages, ac in Chap. XXVIII.
' TD contains half a page more near the beginning, and a page and a half more at the end.
* Probably Chap. XXIII of the translation forms a part either of this chapter or the next,
* Tais word is doubtful.
INTRODUCTION. XXXVIi
et
*35. On the body of man and the opinion of the world’; 7 pages.
36. On the spiritua’ chieftainship of the regions of the earth; 3% pages, as in Chap, XXIX.
*37. On the invad bridge and the souls of the departed; 54 peges.
* 38. On the celebrated provinces of the country of Iran, the residence of the Kayans; 5 pages?
*39. On the calamities of various millenniums happening to the country of Iran; 84 pages ®.
40. On the resurrection and future existence ; 63 pages ; see Chap. XXX.
41. On the race and offspring of the Kaydns; 83 pages, as in Chaps. XXXI-XXXIII.
42. On the computation of years of the Arabs; 2} pages; see Chap. XXXIV.
Comparing this list of contents with the text in K20, as published in Westergaard’s lithographed facsimile edi- tion, it appears that TD contains, not only fifteen extra chapters, but also very much additional matter in the chapters corresponding to Chaps. I, II, V, XVI, XXVIII, and XXXI of the translation in this volume, and smaller additions to those corresponding to Chaps. III, IV,. XV, XVII, and XXXIV. The arrangement of the chapters in TD is also much more methodical than in the Indian MSS., especially with regard to Chaps. XX, XXI, XXII, and XXVII, which evidently occupy their proper position in TD; and so far as Chap. XX is concerned, this arrange- ment is confirmed by the insertion of its first sentence between Chaps. XIII and XIV in the Indian MSS., which indicates that the whole chapter must have been in that position in some older copy. In fact, the Indian MSS. must probably be now regarded merely as collections of
? The meaning is doubtful and must depend upon the context.
? This chapter begins with a translation of the first fargar1 of the Vendidad, and concludes with an account of buildings erected by various kings.
$ Containing an account of the kings reigning in the various millenniums, and concluding with prophecies similar to those in the Bahman Yast,
XXXVIIil PAHLAVI TEXTS.
extracts from the original work; this has been long
suspected from the fragmentary character of the text
they contain, but it could hardly be proved until a more
complete text had been discovered.
