* That is, fully clad, as going about uncovered is a sin (see Chap. XL, 4). On occasions of ceremony, and for the purpose of showing extraordinary respect, the Parsis wear an extra long- skirted robe.
* Reading drfid6éd, but the orthography is unusual and the word, therefore, uncertain.
124 DADISTAN-I DINIK.
is manifest—even then that sign of humility aud
servitude is what great multitudes consider the
offering of homage of a man more essential for
hypocrisy (shéd6)}.
6. But owing to that which happens when they
plant a tree in the name of a sacred being? and eat
the produce, and practise other worldly labour of
worldly advantage, owing also to work of this kind
through the doing of which they preserve all the
growing crops of the whole world, and through tillage
and multitudinous cultivated plots (khfistakiha) z¢
is manifest that they should meditate inwardly (dén
mindyén)*, 7. A token azd sign of worship is of
great use, and a great assistance (bangisn6) therein
is this belt (band), which is called the Kidstik, that
is tied on the middle of the body.
8. The reasons of the assistance are numerous;
and its first assistance is this, that as zo him who—
as a worshipper of the sacred beings, owing to the
undeceitful (akadb4) religion whose indication is
sagaciously propitiating with the purzfyzng cup*—
wears upon the body that spiritual, customary, and
1 The author is here adopting his most involved style of writing, which, in the original Pahlavi, is often hardly intelligible, and particularly apt to be misunderstood; but the object of this section seems to be to deprecate the Muhammadan practice of frequent prostrations during prayer, which are in marked contrast to the slight obeisances made by the Parsis.
* Whether yédat6 means ‘an angel,’ or ‘God,’ is here uncertain.
* The argument is that the growth of plants is so obviously occasioned by some unseen power that it naturally leads to medi- tation, and then to prayer.
* The words danisnikd levatman-tastik-shnayin seem to refer to the Bareshnfim ceremony of purification, described in Vend. IX, 1-145 (see App. IV), which is a rite eminently character- istic of Mazda-worship.
Chapter Xxxix, 6-Ii. 125
doctrinal indication of the sacred beings with a wis-
dom which is truly religion, 4zs steadfastness and
religious service of the sacred beings are audibly
spoken thereby; even for the religious z¢ is com-
manded, because z/ is an assisting motive of beneficial
high-priests and such-like submitters fo the com-
mands of the religion of the sacred beings.
9. One is this, that, as the lowliest servant and
greatest lod are steadily agreed, and z¢ zs beneficial!
when they (the servants) wear a belt upon the body
as a sign of service—because 2z¢ is not the custom
to grant that little at any time without guardianship
—the lapse of which service is also not a beneficial
lapse, then those unbound are without a token of the
lord’s service.
10. One is this, that it is commanded in revela-
tion to keep thought, word, and deed confined from
sin by a belt, and just like a servant; for the sake
of confinement of sins from purity of thought, whose
dwelling is the heart, ove is to wear the same belt,
which is the token of a servant, oz the middle of the
body and before the heart; and the periodical (han-
g4mik4n6) sight of the token and sign of confined
sins, and of the constant reminder for oes own
mind, is the necessity of wearing z¢ as a belt which
is very restraining from the sin in thought, word,
and deed that is manifest even in experience ; which
wearing of the same belt is as a reason and cause of
much remembrance of much sin, that in the same
way is therefore a restraint of it.
11. One is this, that the ancients acquainted with religion 4ave communicated these tidings (sr6éb6)
* Reading spen4k, but it may be sazdak, ‘seemly.’
126 DADISTAN=1 DINIK.
1 See Chap. XXXVII, 47.
* It is not certain that parvand signifies ‘a girdle,’ or that parvastano means ‘to gird,’ but they seem to be used in that sense here. The former word translates Av. paurvantm, ‘leading the Pleiades’ (Haug’s Essays, p. 182), in Yas. IX, 81, an epithet applied to the belt of Orion.
> Mrq has ‘ which.’
* Quoted from Pahl. Yas. IX, 81 (see Chap. XXXVII, 48).
5 See Chap. XXXVI, 24-27.
Chapter Xxxix, 12-17. 12.7
structibility. 15. And it (the girdle) is commanded
in revelation for men, more particularly for upholders
of the religion!, ¢o de within the middle third and
near to the uppermost third of the body?.
16. One zs this, that Yim the splendid, soz of
Vivangha*, who in 4zs worldly career was most
prosperous in worldly affairs, a keeper away of all
agitations of temper* azd all death, avd a provider
of freedom from decay azd exemption from death,
when he was deceived by the fiend was thereby
made eager for supreme sovereignty instead of the
service of Athaymazd. 17. And about his admi-
nistration (dadarih) of the creatures z¢ is said he
himself became cut® away from radiant glory by
that fiendishness®, and their cause of wandering
* Mrq continues as follows :—‘through that girdle (parvand) of the religion, and a s¢hread-girdle (kfistik6), from the region of the world and religious 7 charactr, is put on within the middle third,’ &c.
2 Some words are evidently here missing in the Pahl. text, including the first word of the next section. The reason here given for the girdle being worn round the waist, just below the uppermost third of the body, is that the impregnable barrier of heaven (of which the girdle is a counterpart) is said to be just below the uppermost third of the sky.
® See Chap. XXXVII, 80, 95.
® Assuming that khvidak6 stands for khfidaké, but the word is uncertain.
* The particular kind of fiendishness that led Yim astray in his old age (like Solomon) was lying, that is, denial of the truth of his religion. In consequence of this apostasy the royal glory departed from him, and he allied himself to the demons in the
128 DADISTAN-1 DIN?K.
(garinisn6) is the demon, and mankind perishes in
that wandering from plain and hill-side’. 18. And
his pardon originated from the fully-persistent
creator; therefore he spoke azd gave advice unto
his successors as to the retribution of those who shall
abandon the service of the creator; and therein is
explained about the fortress of the angels?, with
the many proper actions which are the strength of
the fortress, and about the proportiona: way it is
strengthened when a belt worn on the waist is or-
dered for men éy him—the fully glorious ruler who
was lord of the world, and also in gloriousness well-
betokening the good creation—and they® likewise
order zz.
617th year of his reign, and remained in their power for most of the remaining century of his life (see Zamy4d Yt. 31-38, Bd. XXIII, 1, XXXIV, 4).
* Assuming that dastd stands for Pers. dast, and varfvakdé for Pers. garivah; otherwise, we may read ‘from dignity and the hovel (varif#ak6), meaning that they perish from all ranks, instead of all places.
2 The rampart of heaven (see § 11),
8 His successors. * As detailed in § 18.
° The Nirang-i Kusti (see § 27).
Chapter Xxxix, 18-21. 129
the body, over the garment of Vohiman’. 20. Be-
cause the same intimation, relative to girding (par-
vandisnik) is wisdom for which the race of the
religion is so justly famed that innumerable people,
with the same customs azd equally proper girding,
wear the sacred thread-girdle, the ceremonial belt of
the religion azd indication of the creator, on the
middle of the body; azd it becomes more destructive
of the power of destruction’, more obstructive of the
way to sin, and more contesting (kastaktar) the
will of the demons.
21. One is this, that Ze is unwise that as not
worn z¢ when that man has arrived in whose law no
belting and no girdling*® are ordered, and more per-
plexing and more grievous destruction is so mani-
fested at the time, that z¢ is similar evidence to that
exposition of revelation, the purport (aév4z) of whose
question azd reply is spoken thus* :—‘“O creator!
in whom is the manifestation of secretly-progressing
destruction, that is, in whom is its progress’?” And
Atharymazd spoke thus: “In him who is the guide
of a vile religion; whoever it is who puts on a girdle
1 The sacred shirt (see Chap. XL, 2). The garment of a
purified man is called Vohfiman in Vend. XIX, 76-78, 81-83
(trans. D.).
2 The term seg or ség, used for ‘destruction’ here and in §§ 21-23, is the name of ‘the fiend who causes annihilation’ (see Bd. XXVIII, 26).
* Jt is possible that an-ayivyaganih may mean ‘no gar- menting, and refer to the sacred shirt, as the previous term avibandih, ‘no belting, refers to the sacred thread-girdle.
* In Pahl. Vend. XVIII, 21-23, with some variations (see Haug’s Essays, p. 367).
’ Instead of rfibakih, ‘progress, K35 has ribanih, which might mean ‘soul-state,’ but is probably a clerical blunder.
130 pDADISTAN-1 DINIK.
wee co a oe Sloe ct eee
at most thrice (3-tfimak) in a year’, that is, he does
not wear a sacred shirt and ¢hread-girdle, and his
law also is this, that it is not necessary to wear
them”’—and when the law of no belting is so
grievous that, when that law shall be accepted, it is
observed ¢ha¢ destruction is strengthened.
22. The same belt, kept on after the command of
Yim, was the first token as regards which an annihi-
lator of destruction is mentioned azd established by
law; and on both occasions? destruction is more
grievously manifest. 23. That which is more par-
ticularly important is such as the destroyer of de-
struction, Yim the splendid, advised, which the high-
priest of the good, Zarattist the Spitaman, mentioned
thus :—‘ The sacred thread-girdle is as a sign of the
service of the sacred beings, a token of sin ended,
and a presage of beneficence; and one is to put 2¢
on and to gird zé, in the neighbourhood of the heart
and oz the middle of the body, with the religious
formula accompanying the glorious scripture.’ 24.
That is also betokened by z¢s equally-dividing (ham-
bir) position and determining fashion ; for, as a wise
man becomes a discriminator between benefit azd
injury, between good and evil, so also the place of
the sacred thread-girdle is between below and above.
25. With alow sacred girdle there is a passage for one’s
want of openness (avishédan6) and secret ruin,
and also a shutting up® of life; with a high sacred
* In the Vendidad it is he who does not put one on for three years.
* Both when ordered by Yim and when confirmed by Zarattist.
* Reading avar-vadisndih (the first nasal in bandisn= vandisn being often omitted); it can hardly be afrandisnoth, ‘magnificence,’ because the latter abstract suffix, -ih, would be
CHAPTER XXXIX, 22-28. rat
girdle there is a way for thought, word, and deed,
and no confinement (agirisndékarih) of life; and
tying the sacred girdle with a religious rite (ham-
din6) is like a glory amid the glories of the angels,
for it is itself through the aid of the patron spirit
(ahvé). 26. And from the heart, which is the place
of thought and dwelling of life, on the upper side
(lalaih) are the eye, ear, tongue, azd brain, which
are the dwellings of sight, hearing, speech, under-
standing, and intellect ; and on its lower side (frédih)}
is the abode of a father’s generativeness.
27. When this sacred thread-girdle, whose token,
sign, and presage are such?%, is tied, it is girded on
with this glorious rite® of the glorious ones, the
custom of the learned, the command of rulers, and
the decree of apostles.
28. That secretly-progressing destruction*, which
arzses from the fiend of insubordination (asarydarih)®
who was much afraid of Yim, azd which is averse to
the labour of men and the service of Afharvmaed,
is a demon and irreligious (dfis-dind), who is full
of fear of the girdles (parvandih4) of the glory of
ungrammatical after the former, -isn6, in an uncompounded verbal noun. Some of the other words are also uncertain,
* The MSS. have merely rédih. ? As stated in § 23.
* This is the Nirang-i Kusti, or girdle formula, that has to be performed every time the girdle is re-tied, which happens several times a day. It is fully detailed in Appendix II, at the end of this volume.
* See § 21; the first letter of nih4n, ‘secretly, is omitted by K35 in both places.
® Ség, the fiend of destruction, is connected with the demon Bat in Vend. XIX, 4,6; but the characteristic of ‘insubordination ’ is more applicable to the demon Tarémat, ‘the disobedient’ (see Bd. XXVIII, 14, 26, 34).
132 DADISTAN-! DINIK.
