Cuapter VII.-
1. A well-reflecting Aerson, moreover, is able to
understand that which is written by me, in private,
in writing unto the good people of Sirkan, as perhaps
a legitimate copy® of a writing of that kind from
’ Referring to his intended visit to Sirkan (see Chaps. V, 5, VII, 3, Ep. en 4a)
® J has ‘I am an opposition.’
3 Or ‘living.’ * Or ‘the time (hangam).’
* The MSS. have pind, instead of Be bs This copy of Ep. I is mentioned in Ep, I, xi, ro.
Epistle Ii, Chapter Vi, 5—Vii, 4. 351
me may de near you; and it was like the production
of some one for the tearing and rending of his own
limbs, and for the purpose of bringing on that
remedy—the burning, torturing medicine that is
religious '—whose purpose is to remain away from
the steadfast while adzding by the commands of
religion. 2. This same epistle?, which was one of
very great incompleteness, and one as 7z¢ were
thinking very severely, was similar to the decision
(azad %) to which I Zave come on the same subject,
which zs written of below and again; and accom-
panying this epistle was a man of my own with ©
a further epistle*. 3. I am discharging (vigd4rak6)
my own duty as regards it®, where I so arrange
affairs of every kind which z¢ is possible for me to
complete for a period of three months °, azd come
myself to where you are, and that mastery (#irih)
which is prepared is again arranged when it is
wanted by them’.
4. You have already become a reserver (khamo-
sidar) and rapid preparer of the adaptation of words
in which cogency exzsts, and have clearly explained
? Probably meaning ‘ remorse.’ TED» 1.
* Chald. M8, referring to his general mandate.(Ep. III) men- tioned again in Chap. VIII, 1.
* The temporary epistle to Zad-sparam (mentioned in Ep. I, xi, 1, 5), of which no copy has been preserved.
® J begins as follows:—‘And I wi// come later on and more combatively, when it is requisite for the sacred beings (or for them); I am also myself in possession of an opportunity as re- gards it.’
* This period for his visit to Sirkén is also mentioned in Ep. I, xi, 4. .
" Or ‘dy the sacred beings;’ the words yazdin and sin being written alike.
352 EPISTLES OF MANUSKIHAR.
as much as is in sight about the reason of altering
that decree, concerning which your opinion is written
with great judiciousness. 5. But as ¢o the under-
standing which prompted you to write properly, and
not to alter the rites azd purifications of the Avesta,
and about the duty of purifying the purifiers, such
as has entered into the practice of the good, the
propriety is declared in the teaching of the high-
priests; and to do z¢ better, so far as is possible, is
to strive forwards in goodness.
6. Also, as regards changing the law of the
fifteen times washing *, just as z¢ zs for Iran 2” which
purifiers are to be found, it is ordered for places to
be found without purifiers ; avd z¢ zs in the countries
of Iran that the order is given regarding purifiers
not thus appointed for the work.
Crapter Viit,
1. To arrange again for approval the other
matters, of which a portion is written adout by you,
an epistle* is again prepared in advance for Sirkan,
Shiraz, and other places, so as thus to make your
decree a writing of bygone offence. 2. Because,
if your despatch (firist) prepared this new pro-
ceeding, and you do not turn away from it, and do
not recede through opposition azd accumulation
of vexation, azd these others, too, like thee, shall
* J has ‘and not to alter the purification 2” the rites of the Avesta.’
2 See Chaps. III, 2, IX, 2, Ep. I, ii, 6, note.
* Ep. III, also mentioned as a ‘ decision’ in Ckap. VII, 2.
Episteer ‘11, (Chapter? Vii, 5—Viii, 5. 353
* The eastern empire of the Romans, that is, Asia Minor and the neighbouring regions. * The bad Vaé, who carries off the soul (see Dd. XXX, 4).
[18] Aa
354 EPISTLES OF MANOSKIHAR.
CHAPTER IX.
1. This, too, this aged ove (aiizvard6’) orders,
that, as fo the polluted of the countries of Iran,
when they do not obtain another washer, their way
is then through thoroughly washing ¢hemselves*.
2. For you who are understanding the rite and
capable of washing, avd are the most forward and
intelligent of the religious, so long as your previous
washing is a way of no assistance, there is thes
tediously-worded epistle; moreover, all their sin you
assign for your own affliction*®, whose after-course
is thus for their PazZadasa (‘fifteenfo/d’) washing “,
at the time they shall abandon, as distasteful, that
sin which is a new development by way of Upas-
nateé (‘washing downwards’)*; and the sinfulness
is his who established that law for them.
3. And yours are truly creatures of a fetid pool
(gand-4v6), who, as regards my motive, always
speak about it just as they spoke thus to a priest®:
‘Why as the savoury meat-offering not become
forgotten by thee, wz/e the firewood and incense,
because it is not possible to.eat ‘hem up, are quite
‘-From this it appears clearly that Mantssthar was an aged man when these epistles were written, though not too old to travel. The previous allusion to old age, however, in Chap. I, 9, may not have referred to himself.
? As provided in Vend. VIII, 299 (see App. V).
° J omits alag, ‘affliction ;’ and in K35 it is doubtful whether it be struck out, or not.
* See Chap. III, 2 for both these terms.
> Implying that the laity were inclined to attribute his own strict enforcement of ceremonies, requiring the employment of the priest- hood, to interested motives.
EPISTER T+ CHAPTER sIX)21-7. 355
forgotten?’ 4. Also, as a similitude of your affairs,
they are saying that z¢ zs as though the stipend of —-
guardianship were always to be demanded just zz
accordance with omissions of duty (avag mani-
diha)?. 5. So that even while the trifle of trifles
which exists as an interval from the title of leader-
ship unto ¢hat of high-priestship—in which, except
a title that is no joy of the strictly religious, there
is nothing whatever—is, that way, to prepare a
source of dispute as to the work which you do
for the guardianship, it should, therefore, be a
sufficiency (khvar-b4ar), where your own supreme
work is purification itself; and to do either what is
taught, or is advantageous, would be withdrawing
from the country a demand which as caused disturb-
ance (balibakinidd); to subdue z¢ thou shouldst
always so decide the daily allowances *.
6. And, to-day, I Zave, on that account, written
everything sternly, because that which another per-
son arranges and speaks so opposed Zo me in evil
appearance—which is little fit ¢o de prepared—when
I write seasonably, and with friendly and brotherly
exaltation, you direct and persevere more expressly
in preparing, so that portion upon portion is thus
brought forth. 7. In good old age® the great law
of after-restoration is a harsh remedy, and, on that
* That is, the laity attributed his brother’s laxity, on the other hand, to sheer neglect of duty, and had, therefore, begun to consider his supervision hardly worth paying for.
* Meaning that by adherence to long-established custom, as regards both priestly work and priestly allowances, the laity would be better satisfied and more easily managed. |
* Reading hfi-kahébanih; J has merely kahébanth, ‘old age, antiquity.’ He appears to be referring rather to the antiquity of the Avesta law, thaa to his own old age.
Aa2
356 - EPISTLES OF MANOSKIHAR.
9. This, too, they® say that, if z¢ de on that account
that the purifiers shall not always so perform the
purification by all three teachings, or every rite
which is proper according to one teaching, it will be
necessary ¢at the purifiers shall abandon purifica-
tion. 10. Then about old age, the performance of
the ceremonial’, azd the many times of this which
V See Chape Lik ipl v enn.
2 J has khavitinéd, ‘you know.’ He deprecates all further investigation into the meaning of the scriptures, which had already been explained by three old commentators, as he doubted the religious wisdom of the age in which he lived.
* The continuation of the text in J ends at this point.
* ‘The commentators.
° That is, the decree of Zad-sparam, though itself objectionable, was opposed to the heterodox who wished for further innovations.
° The heterodox.
” Referring perhaps to the performance of the Vendidad service
Epistle Ii, Chapter Ix, 8-15. 357
are mentioned as ¢hough this were proper, z¢ is stated
as regards how it is proper that, when on account of
those of the good religion they always proceed just
as is mentioned in the Zand teaching of the Avesta’,
it will then be necessary ¢/ad¢ they shall abandon the
religion. 11. And many other sayings of things like
unto these are scattered about (zerkhint-aitd), and
are named near Ativd-pad? as hints from you; for
this reason they are reckoned (khaprag-ait6) in
the thoughts of men.
12. And this much is written by me in distressing
haste; I consider z¢ complete, and may peace and
every happiness perpetually become hospitably at--
tainable azd accomplishable for you thereby, through
the severe anguish axzd discomfort, azd the eternal
distress and despondency of the healer of affliction,
Mandséihar, son of Yaidan-Yim, director of the pro-
fession of priests of Pars and Kirman®.
13. Written in propitiation, praise, and benedic-
tion of the creator Atharmazd and the archangels,
all the angels of the spiritual and the angels of the
worldly eaxzstences, and every guardian spirit of the
righteous. 14. Homage to the exalted pontiff (rad6)
sent from the creator Atharymazd, the most heavenly
of the heavenly, Zaratist the Spitaman. 15. The
(which includes the Yasna ceremonial) as directed in Pahl. Vend. IX, 132, 4, o (see App. IV).
1 It is possible also to read ‘in the teaching of the Avesta and Zand ;’ but this would ignore the fact that the ‘teaching’ is the Zand itself.
2 The same rival as is mentioned in Chap. V, 14.
* According to Dd. XLV, 5 the farm4dar or ‘director’ of the profession of priests of Pars was the pésfipdi or ‘leader’ of the religion.
358 EPISTLES OF MANUSKIHAR.
most prayerful and gainful of things is righteous-
ness; great and good and perfect is Zaratist; and
one only is the way of righteousness, all the others
are no ways.
1 Compare Dd. XCIV, 14, Ep. III, 23.
Loti ie by oot be Moa Saga 9
TO ALL OF THE GOOD RELIGION IN IRAN.
In the name of the sacred beings.
A copy of the notification (vishadak6) of hes
priestly lordship Mandséihar, son of Ydidan-Yim,
regarding the grievous sinfulness of assuming the
propriety of washing for fifteen times.
In the name of the sacred beings.
1. It has come unto the ears (vasammfnisn6)
of me, Mantiséihar, son of Yadan-Yim, pontiff (rad)
of Pars and Kirman}, that, in some quarters of the
country of Iran, they whose chance happens ¢o de so
much? pollution, such as is decreed unto so much
washing of the customary farts (pisaks), always
wash ¢hemselves fifteen times with bull’s urine and
once with water, consider themselves as clean 3, and
go to water, fire, and ceremonial ablution, the ablution
1 See Dd. XCIV, 13.
2 Reading havan; but it may be ‘pollution of the spiritual life (ahv6),’ though this is hardly possible in the next phrase, where the same word occurs,
* By confounding the preliminary washing appointed in Vend. VIII, 279 with the final washing appointed in Vend. VIII, 299 (see App. V, and compare Ep. II, iii, 2, ix, 2).
360 EPISTLES OF MANOsKIHAR.
of the sacred twigs. 2. Such—although’ they say
that ZAd-sparam?, son of Ytid4n-Yim, 4as. ordered,
and the high-priests ave appointed, washing of this
kind—Zas appeared to my well-reflecting (hfi-min)
opinion, apprehension, and appreciation very mar-
vellous aud grave, and merely arumour. 3. And zz
is needful for me to keep those of the good religion
in alZ quarters of the country of Iran informed con-
cerning the placing reliance upon their washing with
the Bareshnim ceremony*, and to make my own
opinion clear also as regards the writings collected.
4. And, first of all, about the indispensability of
the Bareshnfim ceremony I write several such copies
of a well-matured writing of mine* as may even be
new light to the intelligent. 5. That my opinion
of the information provided by revelation, the deci-
sions of high-priests, azd the teachings of those of
the primitive faith is thus, that washing by the pol-
luted with water is pollution for the life and spiritual
life (ahvd)5; they render the material dody clean
thereby, du¢ that which is known as the handiwork °
of the immortals, and is also professionally called the
Bareshntm, when Zhere zs the protection of a ritual
of varzous kinds, shall make the body clean from
endless worldly attacks.
