CuHaptTer II.
1. Then comes that itself! which is dictated zx
the middle of your épistle, azd, thereupon, it lays
hold of me, and, owing to its hellish gloom, pallid
appearance, azd hellish effect, benediction is per-
plexedly dispensed by me in terror for my heart and
mind; I ave, also, grievously repented, as regards
my own former arrangements in my warfare of
violence—which were undeceptive in the balance
pertaining to Rashnii*—of any real falsity of the
co-existent oze* I may have produced.
2. Responsible for the malice azd annoyance of
unjust kinds which are encountering ws is the fiend
of great strength, who is unobserving, seductive,
astute in evil, eager for causing annihilation (gast6-
kin-varen), avd full of deceit, so that z¢ is possible
for him to render doubtful, when so deceived, even
him who is most a listener to essential righteous-
ness, most desirous of steadfast truth, most perform-
ing proper religious customs, most acquainted with
good ideas, most amazingly careful of 4zs soul, most
approved in the most wounding hell-brought conflict,
and most at home (khanagiktfim) in truth of all
kinds, axd to show him a semblance of reality in
unreality, azd of unreality in reality. 3. Just as
even that similitude which is mentioned in revela-
tion thus: ‘He intends righteousness azd considers
1 J has ‘the writing.’
2 See Dd. XIV, 4.
° The evil spirit who is supposed to be, for a time, co-existent with the beneficent spirit of Adharmazd.
Epistle I, Chapter Ii, I—5. 283
about it thus: “ A good work is done by me,” and
he acquires fiendishness—that is, it becomes a
source of sin for him—who shall bring forth water
without holy-water to oze contaminated by dead
matter (nas-hémand), or who shall bring z¢ forth
without holy-water on a concealed ov dark place in
the night*’
4. And about this I ave no doubt, that the wish
of that spirit is not coincident with righteousness,
for it is realised, understood, azd known that, as
regards his own creatures, he is not careful for the ©
proper movement of body and for the long living
of life; so that the furtherance azd continuance of
these, which are his original resources of body and
activities (khap4ar4n6) of life, become, for him who
is among them (the fiend’s creatures), an increase
of the propitiation of the sacred beings, of the
practice of religion, and of the advancement and
benediction of the teachings of just high-priests ”.
5. ft is also manifest from the constantly-operating
arrangement of manuscripts and synodical state-
ments, about which Afarg* wrote without falsifying
the religion avd apart from controversies; because
among them (the fiend’s creatures) is e who has
said they are like unto that which is now written
? Quoted from Pahl. Vend. VII, 194-196, with some slight varia- tions from the existing text. The meaning is that it is quite possible to commit sin by doing a good action in an improper manner.
2 That is, even the wicked, when they seek welfare, have to take to religious practices.
* A commentator whose opinions are frequently quoted in the Pahlavi translations of the Avesta (see Sls. I, 3). J has ‘about which the splendour (afrand) of the religion is without falsehood.’
284 EPISTLES OF MANUSKIHAR.
by him himself about it, and it has arranged much deliverance from sin}.
6. Of this, too, I am aware, that, except there
where a purifier is in no way reached, his great
duty—which is just the purification zz which there
is a washer who is cleansed (masid6) in the reli-
gious mode for the profession of the priesthood—
is then a means which the high-priests should
allow*.. 7. A washing which is not religiously
ritualistic is ranked as an operation among the
useless ones; z¢ ts vicious aud grievously criminal,
because the special means which, by preserving the
soul *, is the perfect happiness of men, is the puri-
* That is, any one who explains the scriptures in a new fashion to suit his own purposes, which he thereby represents as beneficial, is merely carrying out the wishes of the fiend. ‘The author is here, referring to the heretical teachings of his brother, regarding purifi- cation, which are further described in the sequel.
* That is, whenever a properly-qualified purifier is procurable, the priests should require him to purify any one who happens to be defiled by contact with dead matter by means of the Bareshnim ceremony (see App. IV). It appears from the sequel, and from Eps. II and III, that the heresy of Z4d-sparam consisted chiefly of a misinterpretation of Vend. VIII, 278-299 (see App. V), which passage directs that a man in the fields, who has touched a corpse not yet eaten by dogs or birds, shall wash himself fifteen times with bull’s urine, that he shall then run to some village, asking three different men on the way to cleanse him with the proper ceremony, and if they decline they each take upon themselves a share of the sin; when arrived at the village he shall ask a fourth time to be cleansed, and if no one will perform the ceremony he must wash himself with bull’s urine and water in the ordinary manner, and shall be clean. The erroneous teaching of Zad-sparam was that the fifteen times’ washing was sufficient, without the subsequent ceremonial cleansing ; and the object of these epistles was to com- bat that view of the law.
* The ceremonial purification is supposed to cleanse the soul,
Epistle I, Chapter Ii, 6—12. 285
fication of men. 8. /¢ is said’: ‘The purification
of men cleansingly is a something (aitd) for the
soul that should be after perfect birth; when they
have been fully born the purification of others is the
one thing which is good for the soul.’
g. And it is shown zz another place that it is
possible to obtain possession of purification also for
the soul through purification of the body, even as
it is said that a purifier is requested by him.
10. And it is necessary for him to speak thus: ‘I
have thus stood close by the body of him who is
dead; I am no wisher for z¢ by thought, I am no
wisher for z¢ by word, I am no wisher for z¢ by
deed; which is the reason—that is, on account of
pollution—it is not possible to seek good works by
thought, word, ov deed, avd it demands purification
for me, that is, wash me thoroughly?!’ 11. As it
is thereby declared that when he whose body is not
purified, until they thoroughly wash him, is not able
to seek good works by thought, word, ov deed, and
is not able to purify his soul, it is then a matter for
the truly wise ¢o seek even for purification of the
soul by the purification of the body, for whose
religious purification are those ¢hzmgs which are
unsubdued (asikand) in the religious ritual.
12. When these are thus the statements of former upholders of the religion and high-priests of the
religion, he who is more intelligent azd more active
whereas ordinary washing cleanses the body only, and is spiritually useless.
1 In Pahl. Vend. V, 65, X, 35, being a translation of a quotation from the Gathas or sacred hymns (Yas. XLVII, 5, c).
* Quoted, with some variation, from Pahl. Vend. VIII, 283, 284 (see App. V).
286 EPISTLES OF MANOSKIHAR.
in the religion of the Mazda-worshippers in every
house, village, tribe, and province—azd, very much
more the man who is righteous, of fluent speech,
speaking the truth, who as chanted the sacred
hymns, acquainted with the ritual, trained for the
work, of renowned disposition, and a friend of the
soul—is competent for the purification which 7 is
very important to prepare, to think of, azd to
promote.
13. When the period is so unworthy, the fiend
so abundantly contentious, and the hasty preparer
of holy-water of such base origin (dfis-vékh)!—
which Lappens, moreover, when the good are equally
low-minded (ham-bast6-minisn6)—we strive for
what encourages the preparation of that even which
is a collectively virtuous profession. 14. Then, too,
there remains such rising in strength of many new
things from very many countries, which is particu-
larly grievous distress and danger to us; they
deliver tokens of them to us applaudingly, and the
expansibility of the words of the delivering diffuser
of these and also other religious customs, as the
sacred beings’ own persistency and complete glory,
is a great anxd powerful capability.
Cuapter III.
1. This, too, I am begging of you, that you may be desiring the truth, and ¢Laf Vohtman 2, who,
— ee:
* This seems to be an allusion to the unworthiness of some of the priests of the period (compare Ep. II, i, 155° vp EH). * The archangel personifying “good thought’ (see Dd. III, 13).
Epistle I, Chapter Ii, I3—Iii, 6. 287
when a ruler (shah) of yours, is an interpreter
(pa£0k5) about the writing which! I write, may as
regardfully azd accommodatingly observe and direct
as the variety of dispositions permzts. 2. For you
are of like opinion with me, to inform again the
most initiated?; so that I am more steadfastly-
determined (afistikand-minisntar) thereon. 3. And
if there be anzything that seems to you otherwise,
direct some one to point z¢ out again, with the reason
for maintaining z¢ which occurs to you, just as a
household companion is a responder azd has spoken
again for the sake of pointing out again; for there
are many reasons, on account of which your kindly-
regardful observation is needful, which are to be
written about.
4. The first is this, that the penmanship of the
spirits is not the profession of me and others *; azd
as to him by whom a theory (farhang) not univer-
sally operating is disseminated, which is azs¢enct
from his more indispensable occupation, ¢here is
then no command for his teaching azd apostleship
therein. 5. On that account, too, the wise azd the
seekers for truth uphold the body of opinion about
the statements of the writing of the spirits *, and,
therefore, direct less of the ingenuity of preparing
again the penmanship of various tidings.
6. The second is this, that, in the distress (dahyak6) of this grievous time, he to whom
1 Reading i instead of va, ‘ and.’
* That is, to severely admonish their high-priest, as he does in Ep. II.
* That is, he disclaims all pretensions to inspiration on the part of himself and his contemporaries.
* The inspired scriptures.
288 EPISTLES OF MANOsKIHAR.
hhh gl tli Ma tg ee
adherence and much indebtedness even as to his
forefathers have remained, is well-lamenting, owing
to the proposals (dadan6) of the unfriendly, and
much harm has occurred through the conflicting
(ArdikS) offer of remedies avd lawful provision of
means, full of trouble, except, indeed, to the up-
holder of religion who is more worldly-managing ;
and investigation by opponents is grievous danger,
full of things inopportune azd unnecessary for
accomplishment}. |
7. The third is this, that a wise man who is
a high-priest of the spirit-retaining? religion and
acquainted with opinions, when also himself pro-
perly humble, fearless, arid benedictive in the world,
is then even, owing to his estimating*® pardonings
and \ong-continued dexterity (dér zivaakith),
united with the good creations in affliction and
vexation. 8. And,on account of information about
the worldly azd spiritual misery of former evils
of many kinds—always as much in the religion,
and in the thoughts of others*, as ove delivers up
his heart to ingenious verbiage and for the prepara-
tion of phrases—he speaks as in the question zz
revelation, thus®: ‘‘““Who in the bodily existence
’ Referring to the risk of unfriendly and destructive criticism of the scriptures.
2 J has ‘spirit-observing,’ by changing girisn6 into nigtfrisn6.
* Reading andasth; the reference being to the sympathy ac- quired by a high-priest through performing his duty of appointing atonements for sins confessed to him.
* Assuming that afsano stands for afs4no.
° J has only ‘as one speaks out his heart for ingenious verbiage and phrases, thus.’ The question and reply here quoted seem to be no longer extant in the Avesta.
EPISTLE I, CHAPTER III, 7—I0. 289
is more quickly fortunate ?” azd it is answered thus :
“The youth who is observant azd humble, O Zara-
tist! who, as regards both that which has happened
and that whzch happens, also sees that which is evil
and good with gratitude, just like that also which
happens unto another ;”’ because he knows this, that
from this is a benefit, for he knows happiness and
also misery’. 9. The glorified leader of those of
the good religion, Hér-Frévag*, son of Farukht-
zad, wrote: ‘It is he understands the consequence |
of his own action; and z¢ is his great household
attendant, and the worldly desire provided at the
Kinvad bridge * becomes less watchful.’
10. The fourth is this, that I a more universally
hoping about the property of the profession and the
much duty fit for the truly wise, zz such manner
as even that zz which the glorified and greatly-
learned leader of those of the good religion, Yddan-
Yim 4, son of Shahpthar, always urged on a priestly
man with many sons and equally clever ® discourse.
