1 K35 has ‘beg,’ both here and in § 6, the difference between the two words in Pahlavi being only a stroke.
2 See Chap. XLIV, ro.
* That is, from the general funds of the priesthood.
CHAPTER XLVI, 2—XLVII, I. 155
possible for them to maintain their own bodies,
which are in requisite control, by that which is
cravingly digested, ¢hey are to beg a righteous gift?
authorisedly (dastébariha) as an effectual remedy ;
by living idly, or not expending strength, their own
bodies, which are in control, are without livelihood,
but not authorisedly*.
CuapTreErR XLVII.
1. As ¢o the forty-sixth question azd reply, that
which you ask is thus: At a sacred feast (myazd)*
of those of the good religion, in which /¢here are
fifty or a hundred men, more or less, just as it
happens, and seven men who are exgaged in the
performance of the religious rite (dind) which is
celebrated by them are feasting together with them,
of those seven men there are some who are easily *
able to pray five sections (vidak)®, and some six
subdivisions (vakhshisn6), of the Avesta, duw¢ no
chapter (fargard6)® of the commentary (zand) is
1 That is, charity.
* That is, they are not authorised to beg charity for maintain- ing themselves in idleness.
* The sacred feast consists of the consecration of the sacred cakes (see Chap. XXX, 1), followed by that of wine and fruit with the recitation of the Afring4n or blessings (see Haug’s Essays, p. 408), after which the consecrated food and drink are saat by those present, both priests and laymen.
* That is, they know the prayers by heart, which is necessary in reciting the Avesta.
* Compare Pers. vai, vid, vida, ‘ part, little,’ guz,‘a portion, a bundle of folios.’ M14 has nask, ‘book,’ but this is clearly an unlucky guess.
* The chapters of the Vendidad are called fargards, as are also
156 pApISTAN-I DINIK.
easy to them; and all seven of them are disputing
about the right (ras) to the foremost places. 2. And
he to whom thirty chapters in! the commentary are
easy speaks thus: ‘The foremost place is mine,
and it became my place owing to great retentiveness
of memory, for | know the commentary well and
“the proper azd improper?;” and my place must
be good, for whenever I do not indicate this as
the place of religion unto the people I am not.in
the security of religion ; du¢ you should not dispute
about my place, for z¢ is not becoming to dispute 2¢,
because this neglect and outlandishness (an-airith),
which some one brings constantly into the religion,
is not due to me.’ 3. Those seven men, moreover,
speak constantly unto him thus: ‘Our place is more
important and must ever be so, for every man of
us is able to pray several sections in his own
officiating priestly duty (zétih), azd it is ever neces-
sary to consider who is more participating in sharing
a reward. 4. Then as fo those whose Avesta is
very easy, or him who knows the commentary azd
‘the proper axd improper’ well, and ¢hezr goodness
and greatness, as asked by us in this chapter, direct
some one to make them clear unto us, for when he
demonstrates the littleness and greatness in this
those of the Vistésp Yast and many of the lost Nasks or books. The text here applies the term specially to the chapters of some scripture with commentary, and it may be noted that the thirty fargards, subsequently mentioned, are the exact number contained in the Vendidad and Vistaésp Yast taken together, the learning of which by heart (as the word ‘easy’ implies) is a very serious task, comparable with learning the whole Greek text of the four Gospels,
* Perhaps ‘ with’ is meant, but the word used is pavan,
? See Chap. XLIV, a2,
Chapter Xlvii, 2-7. 157
subject his great religion is then completely an advantage.
5. The reply is this, that, as to that which you
ask me to write, so that they may decide whether
thirty chapters in the commentary are easier, or
really the other, be they five ov be they six sections
of the Avesta, are easier, ¢here is no deciding,
because which are the chapters and which the
sections? 6. For, as regards more cleverness and
less cleverness, it is not clear; there are some of the
sections greater than many sections, and there are
chapters as great as many chapters, but to under-
stand severally the divisions (buris) and enumeration
of him to whom five sections of the Avesta are
easy, and also of him whose thirty chapters in the
commentary are easy, it is necessary for making the
calculation to consider every single division in the
commentary as eguzvalent to seven egual divisions
apart from the commentary. 7. And it is thereby
thus manifest who as skill zw the one and who has
skill zx the other *, and whoever has less, when there
is nothing in it regarding which 4e is otherwise ¢han
when the superintending command of rulers (kha da-
yan) delivered over to him the place of duty—or
on account of a new officiating priestly duty or
directorship (radih) of the season festivals *, or the
' The reason for this difference is that it is only necessary to learn the words of the Avesta, without understanding them, whereas a knowledge of the Zand, or commentary, implies understanding both texts as well as knowing the Avesta by heart.
2 Mr4 omits the repetition of the words mfin afz4r, but it seems necessary for the completion of the idiomatic phrase.
158 pApISTAN-I DINIK.
foremost places de¢zg occupied, or like causes he
becomes otherwise—is fit for all the great share and
very good estimation of the place of oze much more
skilful, when their decng fitting and skilful, or their
excess or deficiency, is not specially manifest from
their skill?, 8. And him to whom the commentary
is very easy, Aaving prayed much, it as seemed
important to consider more thriving proportionable
to Ars eating *.
9. And great and ample respect for both their
ways of worthiness is an advantage avd fully neces-
sary, skill in the commentary azd that in the Avesta
being together , mutually assisting; for even the
solemnizers of the Avesta “ave need for information
from the commentary about the scattered (parvand)
‘proper azd improper’ wsages of the sacred ceremony.
10. The more efficient information from the com-
mentary is advantageous when the ceremonial is
proceeded with by them, and one of those two is
one of the skilful, azd a friend, provider, glorifier,
and aggrandizer for the other; and the friends of
religion are good friends and, therefore, also pro-
viders of fame for both of them.
intended originally to celebrate the periods of midspring, midsum- mer, the beginning of autumn, the beginning of winter, midwinter, and the beginning of spring (see Sls. XVIII, 3), when the Parsi year was fixed to begin at the vernal equinox. In later times they were supposed to commemorate the creations of the sky, water, earth, vegetation, animals, and man.
1 The meaning seems to be that a priest once acknowledged as pre-eminent is not to lose his right of precedence merely because others become rather better qualified, so long as he himself does not retrograde, or is not superseded in his official duties. But if through any accidental circumstance he be excluded from the chief seat, he ought not to dispute the matter.
* Or, perhaps, ‘through decng moderate in A7s eating,’
Chapter Xlvii, 8—Xlviii, 2. 159
11. When, too, they are publishing accusing state-
ments, one about the other, from necessity, or from
the violence which is owing to the adversary’, z¢ is
important to become an excuser as regards them,
and not a diminisher of their share, zor a bringer
(Akhtar) of unhealthiness to ¢Aezy united strength.
CHAPTER. ALN II.
1. The forty-seventh question is that which you~
ask thus: How is a liking for the desirableness,
joy, and pleasure avzseng from the sacred ceremony
(yazisn) friendly to Adhaymazd, the archangels’,
and the guardian spirits of the righteous*; in what
manner is the perfection of him by whom the cere-
mony is ordered and the people of the country then
exalted by them; and how azd in what manner does
it become the vexation, defeat, anguish, avd dis-
comfort of the evil spirit, the demons, avd the
fiends? 2. How is the purpose of the ceremony,
what is the ceremony, where is the place* when
they shall perform z/, what is good when they shall
1 The evil spirit.
* The archangels are usually reckoned as seven in number, be- cause Atharmazd, their creator, is considered as presiding over the six others, whose names are Vohtiman, Ardavahist, Shatvaird, Spen- darmad, Horvadad, and Amerddad. These names are merely corruptions of Avesta phrases meaning ‘good thought, perfect rectitude, desirable dominion, bountiful devotion, health, and im- mortality, respectively, and the archangels, or ‘immortal benefactors,’ are personifications of these ideas. They are said to have been the first creatures created, after the guardian spirits or prototypes of creation, the light, and the sky (see Bd. I, 8, 23-26).
* See Chap. II, 5. * Or gas may mean ‘time.’
160 DADISTAN-f DINIK.
perform 2¢, and how zs z¢ good when they shall per-
form 2¢?
6. And its purpose enquired about is this, that
religion is transmitted clearly to the intelligent, that
is, 2¢ zs not the wisdom whose comprehension evzs¢s
in worldly beings; and as, moreover, even that which
is not understood by worldly wisdom is really the
1 Referring probably to the cup of Hém juice, the preparation, consecration, and use of which are essentially characteristic of the Yazisn or sacred ceremony, and are, therefore, supposed to be very repulsive to the demons,
Chapter Xlviii, 3-9. 161
9. That also which might be written, as to the
much retribution appointed as regards washing
the limbs outside with clean moisture from clean
' That is, the purpose of the ceremonial is to afford an outward symbol of the spiritual mysteries of the religion.
* This reading is uncertain, but the reference appears to be to the exposure of the dead. Mrq has the sentence altered as fol- lows :—‘ just as the ceremony of a season-festival is exhibited more royally (or more joyously) before the season-festival, and a man who is a judge is for the purpose of making the body clean from the corrupting pollution, and also from contamination which is even outside the body, as much as is proper.’
* That is, the pollution due to the Nasfis, or fiend of corruption, who is supposed to seize upon all corpses (see Chap. XVII, 7).
162 DADISTAN-!? DINIK.
animals! azd plants, and then completely washing
the body with the purifying water streaming forth ;
as to the clean scents among those which they
rightly perceive, and making the body azd cloth-
ing? sweet-scented; azd as to the putting on of
the white and proper garment of Vohiman®, and
supposing the power‘ of avarice éo de the sight of
distress, is a// superfluous. 10, But zt is needful
still as regards these matters, that is, while engaged
in the ceremonial z¢ zs not to be hurried owing
to any hunger or thirst, owing to liability of
punishment for religious practices®, ov even owing
to deficiency® of vacant space. 11. And before
the ceremonial ove is to eat at the appropriate
time, and such food, too, as is preparable and only
moderately troublesome (navds); and any of that
which oze has to perform aloud in leaving the
heavenly-minded, yet moderate, duty in the abode
of fires’—which is perpetual light—is proper, per-
taining to good works, and good for him, and
thereby lodging in Azm. 12. And they, that is,
* Referring to ceremonial purification by washing with bull’s urine.
? Or ‘the clothing of the body.’
° The sacred shirt (see Chaps. XXXIX, 19, XL, 2).
* Reading va z6érih, but it may be niz6érih, ‘ weakening.’
» ‘This seems to be the meaning of min padafrahth-f dinéikth., At the time this was written the religion was often persecuted, and its ceremonies were liable to interruption; but even when such a misfortune was apprehended, they were not to be hurried over.
° The word is kamith in the MSS., but it may possibly have been kamth originally, in which case the meaning would be: ‘o even Owing to wishing for evacuation.’
‘ The fire temple, where the sacred fire is kept perpetually burning.
Chapter Xlviii, Io—-15. 163
the gloomy ones!, thereby see the service (yasak)
for them themselves is short; azd good are they?
who come into the world glorified by praise.
13. The position of the ceremony-holders*® them-
selves, that is, the position of the officiating priest
(z6t6) and his co-operators, is the Adrvés* place ;
and, if z¢ de the precinct (dargasih) of prayers®, ove
should wash z¢ over (madam pasdyadd@) wth the
water of purification, to make z# clean. 14, The
apparatus of the ceremonial, fogether with its own
man, who is a solemnizer, and the two creatures
which are solid® out of these four: fire, metal,
water, and plants, just as one has to bring them
together in readiness, the stone Atirvés, the stone
and mortar Khan’, azd the Hém-mortar® (hava-
nih), cups, avd crescent-shaped (mah-rfip6) stands?
set upon 2¢, are a// ceremoniously washed (padya-
vinid) with the water of purification. 15. The
