? Reading rai, as in J, instead of the 14, ‘not,’ of K35 and BK.
? That is, the circumstances are too unpropitious for any one to come to a decision without consulting those who are better qualified to judge, as is also the case when commentators disagree.
* Or ‘that remains the effect.’
® Reading nisaninidd; K35 and BK omit the first letter so
as to convert the word into dihaninidd, which might mean
‘ presented.’
* From pollution. There is some temptation to use the word ‘salvation’ for biigisn, but this would introduce ideas that were, no doubt, foreiga to the author’s mind.
336 EPISTLES OF MANOSKIHAR.
intellectuality of the re-explainers of what zs not
well-considered zz connection with z¢ts purpose (4han-
kd), and for the accumulation of opinions that is
steadfast in the law of the ancients azd orders you
to heed z¢. 13. For, owing to the miraculousness
and pre-eminence of that}, he who thinks to restore
the good ideas of the ancients does not himself
understand the knowledge in that wisdom of the
ancients, azd does not keep his own presumption
(minth) lowly and teachable; much, too, which is
through his own learning is declared Zo de out of
it (the law), azd how he orders ws to understand z¢
is dy his own opinion ?.
Cuapter III.
1. Jé is disquieting about this, too, which is
declared in your writing °, as regards your vehement
desire and embarrassment (rdzdih) for a new law,
and your wish and longing for the establishment of
the law of the apostles‘; as also that which you
have done about the gathering of the details of
statements from the three teachings®, axzd about
1 The ancient law, as contained in the difficult language of the Avesta.
* That is, commentators are apt to attribute to the scriptures many opinions which really originate in themselves.
® The decree mentioned in Chap. II, 1.
* That is, the new law which the future apostles, Hfshédar, Hfishédar-mah, and Sdéshans (see Dd. II, 10) are expected to bring, so as to restore the religion in preparation for the resurrection.
° Those of Médyék-mah, Afarg, and Sdshans (see Ep. I, v, 1, 6).
Epistle Ii, Chapter Ii, I3—Iii, 4. 337
3. As to the three times, each of which times oxe
runs a mile (hdsar) even until he obtains a purifier’,
since peradventure thy mile (parasang), too, mzght
become. more, all the good work is written purposely
(ag-kariha) of three miles and more*. 4. And
that, too, which the high-priests have so appointed,
when fe has striven in that manner for three per-
sons*, or that sin and retribution of his is appor-
tioned unto them azd brought to the balance
(sangag-Ainidd), is because that commission and
retribution of sin mzght now, peradventure, be
* These terms are quoted from Vend. VIII, 276, 279 (see App. V), and are thus explained in Pahlavi in Chap. IV, 2.
2 Referring, apparently, to the second mention of the fifteen washings, in Pahl. Vend. VIII, 281, which does not occur in the Avesta text (‘the ordinance’), but refers to its previous occurrence in § 279 of the Avesta. But, perhaps, the author means that they would confound the final washing appointed in Vend. VIII, 299 with the preliminary washing appointed in the previous § 279.
® See Vend. VIII, 280, 287, 291 (compare App. V and Ep. I, ii, 6, note).
* After the polluted person has thrice run a mile, he is to run further (see Vend. VIII, 294) to some inhabited spot; from which directions the author concludes that any excess of distance is immaterial K35 and BK have ‘four miles and more,’ but this seems to be a copyist’s blunder.
* To purify him, and, if they refuse, they each take a share of his sin (see Vena. VIII, 280-293).
338 EPISTLES OF MANOSKIHAR.
lw gs cs tge i cmp ate hc
allotted unto the priest?; for if fe were impure
(palistd) there would be no one whatever who
would properly perform the purification as it is
necessary.
5. Then it Zas become indispensable for you to
perform the purification, for that operation—so
suitable for the discreet where ‘he who has been by
the dead2, so that he has become polluted, and
even ‘the stars and moon and sun shine upon his
life discontentedly’—is just as fit for the exalted
when there is great ‘propitiation of fire, water,
earth, cattle, righteous males, and righteous women’
thereby. 6. So great is 2¢s value ¢ha¢ where there
is no purification of the body z¢ is not possible to
purify the life ad soul; axd when there is a man
in a realm who is able to perform it, that man is
not justifiable except when he shall perform zz.
+. Finally, when that pre-eminent operation is
being accomplished, over which ¢ere is in revelation
and the perfect information due to revelation that
supreme * control which you are so disputing in the
religion—which even through your trifling (khdr-
dak6) in the name of authority is becoming a
struggle (patkar-yehevtin)—then, though it may
not be possible for you to perform z¢ yourself, it
should thereupon be the duty of some one of your
disciples to perform it in your sight, so that you may
be aware of the rite, even apart from the great
resources in ¢#a¢ most learned (azt{im) acquaintance
* Who is to purify him finally with the Bareshnfim ceremony.
* Referring to Vend. IX, 161-163, quoted at length in Ep. I, iv, 3.
* Reading mahist6, but it can also be read Magdayasté, ‘Mazda-worshipping.’
Epistle Ii, Chapter Iii, 5-—Ii. 339
with revelation which is associated with you’.
8. Also from that which is repeatedly written by
you with understanding of the rite, as regards all
three teachings’, z¢# is manifest those rites are
mentioned even as those whzchk are more maintained,
and are not those which are unnecessary to perform.
9. You are a something therein that éends to
preserve ® a little of what it is not possible for thee
to attain fully in any mode; when thou shalt obtain
the operations of the voice‘, and the water and
bull’s urine, as well as the three men, or thou
shalt give a man® to wash therein, the intellect of
those controlling is then, indeed, not preservative
therein.
10. It is proper also for you to consecrate the
water aud bull’s urine by that ritual which is in all
three teachings, to prepare your own ritualistic
liquid and other ¢hzngs which are approved among
you with mutual assistance, avd to appoint a purifier
who has performed fully acceptably azd been wanted.
11, Then, to give ou¢ properly to the country that
the purification is according to my order, I always
+ That is, even when not performing the ceremony himself, his presence would be desirable, for the sake of securing due attention to all the details, with which his superior knowledge must make him better acquainted than his subordinates.
*. See §.1,
* Reading biikhtand; the MSS. divide the word, so as to con- vert it into bara tanf,‘ without a body.’ The meaning is that by his presence he is, at all events, able to secure some efficiency in the ceremony, when he is compelled to intrust its performance to subordinates who are not fully competent.
* In the prayers and exorcisms. 5 See § 4.
* That is, one thoroughly qualified (the priest mentioned in § 4) who requires no special supervision.
340 EPISTLES OF MANUOSKIHAR.
perform z¢ more acceptably than that of other puri-
fiers. 12. For the water avd bull’s urine are all
consecrated by me, and the three hundred pebbles
(sang) are cast into them (afibas) by me, just as
it is directed; the operation is also directed by me
in the three days? when it is performed, and all the
customary farts are washed three times by me?;
the ablution seats (mak6) are also arranged by me
anew for every single person, and the use of washed
seats is not ordered by me therein‘; every rite of
the washing by the purifier is also so performed by
me as all three teachings have mentioned as per-
fection. 13. You become the best of the district,
as regards the minutiae (barikid64n) of the puri-
fication that is within your duty, so long as they
excite the sight °, d¢ which are curtailed (kazd) by
you in the way of washing disclosed to me®, while,
when it should be performed by you in this manner,
your performance would be equally constantly ex-
tolled axd your writing praised.
14. When, then, you write of it that they should always perform it just as now, the falsity therein is
1 See Ep. I, vii,.16:.
* The ‘three washings’ mentioned in Pahl. Vend. IX, 132, 0 (see App. IV); referring probably to those after the third, sixth, and ninth nights (see Vend. 1X, 136, 140, 144), that is, on the fourth, seventh, and tenth days of the Bareshniim ceremony. Most of this clause is omitted in J.
> As said to have been directed by Médy6k-mah (see Chap. II, 6, Ep. I, vi, 7), though the extant Pahlavi Vendidad (IX, 132, 7) attri- butes the order to Afarg.
* Compare Ep. I, ix, 7, Pahl. Vend. IX, 132, g, s.
° J has ‘so long as they advance the purification as much as possible by a resemblance so approved.’
® In the heretical decree under consideration.
BPistae it, CHAPTER Iti, T2-IV, 2. 341
grievous (yagar), and I know none worse; for this
washing and professional purification which oxe is
to keep in operation—as is declared by revelation,
the teaching of high-priests, and those of the primi-
tive faith who are esteemable'—you withdraw
(madam daréd6) from the midst of ws. 15. That
which you understand yourself is that unto Afthav-
mazd the confederate good creatures are as z¢ were
defiled, azd in the eyes of the good azd wise they
are as it were propitiatory towards the mischievous
Vaé*?. 16. And your words about it are just as
they say concerning a beggar®, where a garment
is given to him, thus: ‘Wash the dirt (alig) on him
thoroughly clean ;’ ad that garment they shall take
is put upon the fire azd burnt; and he spoke thus:
‘My dirt was a comfort.’
CuapTer IV.
1. /¢* is both explained again axd summarized
thus :—Ilf the decree be from a law of Zarattist, is it
so decreed as he spoke it ? and if they should never
perform by that, do not bring the Avesta azd zts
exposition into the midst ofz¢. 2. For the fifteen
times of which you ave written, if from the reve-
lation of Zaratfist, are his mode of washing fifteen
times upwards and fifteen times downwards ®, a rule
1 That is, by the Avesta and Zand.
2 Reading anak6 V4é; he is the demon that carries off the soul (see Dd. XXX, 4). Even the best creatures are imperfect in the eyes of Aflharmazd and the righteous.
* Reading niyazkar, instead of the niy4zar of the MSS.
* His own line of argument. 5 See Chap. III, 2.
342 EPISTLES OF MANOsKIHAR.
which is fulfilled. 3. J¢ is said, if one’s defilement be
owing to depositing any bodily refuse (higar-1),
then nothing of this is ever necessary for him, for
one reckoning (mar-1)! will smite that which he
takes hold of with a finger and z¢ is clean, or it will
smite a golden yellow clean, or whatever? it shall
smite is clean; but nothing merely clean is purified,
unless a demon be clean *.
4. And this, too, is very amazing to me, that
when this is not taken into account by you, that
when there should be, azd one should obtain, no
purifier* it would then be necessary for him to
operate himself*, how then is this knowledge ob-
tained by you, on which information (4gahih) has
reached you, that the purifying of all the purifiers
of the country of Iran is just as they should always
perform z¢. 5. When, as I consider, there is then
no complete acquaintance zwzth the management of
a house in you, its own master, in what manner
then is your accoun: of the gossip®, azd your infor-
mation, about all the purifiers of the country of Iran
’ That is, a single washing, which is sufficient for ordinary defilements unconnected with the dead.
2 This is doubtful; the word seems to be £7ké in P&zand, but, as the Av. fand fi are much alike in Iranian MSS., it may be read kik-é, and the phrase would then be ‘or it will smite a penis clean.’
° That is, cleanliness can no more be considered purification than a demon, who is supposed to be an embodiment of impurity, can be considered clean.
* J has ‘when there should be no purifier it would be necessary to beg the help of a chief of the religion, and when one should not obtain shat.’
