1 The offspring of such a match, which the apologist evidently considers an ill-assorted one, as tending to deteriorate the warlike qualities of the warrior’s descendants, although he himself is no advocate for war.
* As their parents.
* Dastir Peshotanji has ‘four,’ because the Pahlavi text seems
pd2
404 APPENDIX.
(vag) and kinds of affection of sister avd brother for
that which shall be born of them :—one is this, where
2# 7s the offspring of brother and brother; one is
this, where the offspring is that of! brothers? and
their sister; and one is this, where z¢ zs the offspring
of sisters, And as ¢o the one of these where the
offspring is that of* a brother, and for the same
reason as applies to all tnree® species of them, the
love, desire, and effort, which arise for the nurture of
offspring of the three species, are zz hope of benefit.
And equally adapted are the offspring to the pro-
creators; and this is the way of the increasing love
of children, through the good nurture which is very
hopeful.
to speak of four species in the next sentence; here it seems to have ‘six’ in ciphers, but the first cipher can also be read aé, the conditional suffix to the verb which immediately precedes the ciphers in the Pahlavi text, and the second cipher is merely ‘three,’ which corresponds to the three possible kinds of first cousins that are about to be detailed in the text.
* Reading zak-f instead of zis (which might be read zakth if there were such a word).
? Literally ‘brother.’ ® Literally ‘ sister.’
* Reading zak-? instead of zfs, as before. This is Dasttir Peshotanji’s fourth species of cousinship, which he understands as meaning second cousins.
° Reading 13, by dividing the Pahlavi cipher for ‘four’ into two parts, both here and near the end of the sentence. This paragraph can hardly be understood otherwise than referring to the present form of Khvéttik-das, the marriage of first cousins.
Iii. Meaning of. Khvetok-Das. 405
country. That, too, Zas then become much delight
(vayag) which is expedient, that pleasure, sweet-
ness, and joy which are owing to a son that a man
begets from a daughter of his own, who is also a
brother of that same mother; and he who is born
of a son and mother is also a brother of ¢hat same
father; this is a way of much pleasure, which is a
blessing of the joy, avd no harm is therein ordained
that is more than the advantage, and no vice that is
more than: the well-doing (khip g4r). And if it
be said that it is of evil appearance, it should be.
observed that when! a wound occurs in the sexual
part of a mother, or sister, or daughter, and she
flees (fravéd) from a medical man, and there is no
opportunity for him to apply a seton (palitd), and
her father, or son, or brother is instructed in similar
surgery, which is more evil zz appearance, when they
touch the part with the hand, and apply a seton, or
when a strange man does so?
‘And, when z¢ is desirable to effect their union,
which is the less remarkable (kam hfi-zanakhiktar)
in evil appearance, when they are united (ham-
dvadi-hénd) by them in secret, such as when the
hearing of their written contract (nipistd) of wife-
hood and husbandhood? is accomplished in the back-
ground (dar ptistd), or when the sound of drums
and trumpets acquaints the whole district, where
? Reading amat instead of mfin, ‘who,’ (see Dd. LXII, 4 n.)
* Showing that the practice advocated was understood to be a regular marriage (performed in private probably on account of the authorities being of a foreign faith) and not any kind of irregular intercourse. It is here approvingly contrasted with the noisy celebration of a marriage with a person of foreign faith, in accordance with foreign customs.
406 APPENDIX.
these people are renowned, that such an Ardman’
intends to effect such a purpose with the daughter,
sister, or mother of such a Parsi man ?
‘On this account of less evil appearance is even
the good appearance which is to be mutually prac-
tised; and after the mode is seen, even the advan-
tageousness in the accomplishment of the daily duty
of concealing disgrace, the mutual desire, the mutual
advantage and harm, and the contentment which
arise as to whatever has happened are also mutual
assistance. Some, with a husband and faint-hearted-
ness, have a disposition (sAn6) of incapability, and
the diligence which is in their reverence of the
husband, who is ruler of the family (binag shah),
is due even ¢o the supremacy which he would set
over them through the severity of a husband. Very
many others, too, who are strange women, are not
content with a custom (vag) of this description ; for
they demand even ornaments to cover and clothe
the bold and active ones, and slaves, dyes, perfumes,
extensive preparations, and many other things of
house-mistresses which are according to their de-
sire, though z¢ is not possible they should receive
them. And, if 2¢ be not possible, they would not
accept retrenchment; and, if they should not accept
retrenchment, it hurries oz brawling, abuse, and
ugly words about this, and even uninterrupted false-
hood (avisistak-i# ztr) is diffused as regards it;
of the secrets, moreover, whzch they conceal they
preserve night and day a bad representation, and
unobservantly. They shall take the bad we to
* A native of Asia Minor, or any other part of the eastern empire of the Romans.
Iii. Meaning of Khvetok-Das. 407
the house of er father and mother, the husband
is dragged to the judges, avd they shall form a dis-
trict assembly (shatrv6 angéz6) about it. And lest
he should speak thus: “I wil release “er from wife-
hood wz me',” vice and fraud of many kinds and
the misery of deformity are the faults which are also
secretly attributed to him.
‘A wife of those three classes? is to be provided,
since they would not do even one of ¢hese things;
on which account, even through advantageousness,
virtuous living, precious abundance, dignity, and .
innocence, mutual labour is manifestly mighty axd
strong.
‘And if it be said that, “with all this which you
explain, there is also, afterwards, a depravity (dar-
vakh) which is hideous,” it should be understood
in the mind that hideousness and beauteousness
are specially those ¢hzmgs which do not exist in
themselves, but through some one’s habit of taking
up an opinion and belief. The hideous children of
many are in the ideas of procreation exceedingly
handsome, and the handsome forms of many are in
the ideas of a housekeeper (kh4ndp4nd) exceed-
ingly ugly. We consider him also as ome of our
enemies when any one walks naked in the country,
which you consider hideous; du¢ the naked skins of
* That is, lest he should pronounce her divorce.
2 The three nearest degrees of relationship must be meant, as the sequel admits the possibility of the union being considered objectionable; otherwise, the three kinds of first cousins might be understood.
* As a special pleader for marriage between near relations the apologist feels himself bound to argue that all bad wives must have been strangers to the family before marriage.
A408 APPENDIX.
the country call 42m handsome whose garments,
which seem to them hideous, have fallen of And
we are ¢hey in whose ideas a nose level with the face
is ugly, da¢ they who account a prominent nose ugly,
and say it is a walling ¢at reaches between the two
eyes, remain selecting a handsome ove’. And con-
cerning handsomeness and ugliness in themselves,
which are only through saving taken wp an opinion
and belief, ‘eve is a change even through time and’
place; for azy one of the ancients whose head was
shaved was as 7¢ were ugly, and it was so settled by
law that z¢ was a sin worthy of death for them’;
then its habits (s4n6) did not direct the customs of
the country to shave the head of a man, éwf now
there is a sage who has considered z¢ as handsome
and even a good work. Whoever is not clear that
zt is hideous is to think, about something threaten-
ing (girdi), that z¢ is even so not in itself, but
through what zs taken into themselves they con-
sider that z¢ is hideous.
‘Then for us the good work of that thing’, of
which z¢ is cognizable that it is so ordained by the
creator, has z¢s recompense; it is the protector of
the race, and the family is more perfect; z¢s nature
1 That is, those who admire flat noses select their beauties accordingly. Beauty being merely a matter of taste, which varies with the whim of the individual and the fashion of the period.
* This law was evidently becoming obsolete at ‘he time the apologist was writing, and is now wholly forgotten. All Parsi laymen have their heads shaved at the present time, although the priests merely have their hair closely cut. This change of custom, in a matter settled by religious law, should warn the Parsis not to deny the possibility of other complete alt2rations having taken place in their religious customs.
° Khvétik-das.
Iii]. Meaning of Khvetok-Das. 409
1 Khvétfik-das. ® Perhaps the law of the foreign conquerors is meant. * See Dd. XXXVII, 35, XL, 3.
AIO APPENDIX.
also of everything worldly the existence, maturing,
and arrangement are due to union in proportion ;
water, which is female, and fire, which is male’,
are accounted sister azd brother in combination,
and they seem as ¢hough one restrains them from
Khvéttik-das, unless, through being dissipated them-
selves?, seed—which is progeny—arises therefrom ;
and owing to a mutual proportionableness of water
and fire is the power in the brain, for if the water be
more it rots z¢ away, aud if the fire be more it burns
zt away.’
This elaborate defence of Khvétik-das shows
clearly that, at the time it was written (about a
thousand years ago), that custom was understood to
include actual marriages between the nearest rela-
tives, although those between first cousins appear
to be also referred to. |
In the 195th*® chapter of the third book of the
Dinkavd we are told that the eighth of the ten
admonitions, delivered to mankind by Zaratdst, was
this:—‘For the sake of much terrifying of the
demons, and much lodgment of the blessing of the
holy* in one’s body, Khvétik-das is to be practised.’
And the following chapter informs us, that ‘ opposed
to that admonition of the righteous Zaratist, of prac-
tising _Khvétik-das for the sake of much terrifying
* See Dd? XCIIL T3'n,
* Into the forms of moisture and warmth in the body. Water and fire in their ordinary state being incapable of combination.
° This will be the r93rd chapter in Dastfir Peshotanji’s edition, because his numbers do not commence at the beginning of the book. A similar difference will be found in the numbering of all other chapters of the third book of the Dinkard.
* The technical name of Yas, LIX,
Ill. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS. 41I
of the demons from the body of man, and the lodg-
ment of the blessing of the holy in the body, the
wicked wizard Akht6d1, the enemy of the good man
on account of the perplexing living which would
arise from his practising Khvéttk-das, preferred not
practising Khvétik-das.’
The practice is also mentioned in the 287th chapter
of the same book, in the following passage :—‘ The
welfare of the aggregate of one’s own limb-forma-
tions—those which exs¢ through no labour of one’s
own, azd have not come to the aid of those not
possessing ¢hem (anafsmanan) owing to their own
want of gratitude—even ove of a previous formation
has to eulogize suitably; ad this which fas come,
completely establishing (spér-nih) the Avesta, one
calls equally splendid, by the most modestly com-
prehensive appellation of Khvétik-das.’
In the sixth book of the Dinkard, which professes
to be a summary of the opinions of those of the
primitive faith’, we are told that, ‘when the good
work of Khvétik-das shall diminish, darkness will
increase and light will diminish.’
In the seventh book of the Dinkavd, which relates
the marvels of the Mazda-worshipping religion, we
are informed that it was ‘recounted how—Gay6o-
mard® having passed away—zt was declared secondly,
as regards worldly dezugs, to Masyé and Masyadé’,
the first progeny of GAayédmard, by the word of
Atthaymazd—that is, he spoke to them when they
1 Av. Akhtya of Abin Yt. 82, who propounded ninety-nine enigmas to YOist6 of the Fry4ns (see Dd. XC, 3).
2 See Dd. XCIV, 1 a.
* The sole-created man (see Dd. II, 10, XXXVII, 82).
* See p. 402, note 1.
A12 APPENDIX.
were produced by him—thus: “ You are the men I
produce, you are the parents of all bodily life, and
so you men shall not worship the demons, for the
possession of complete mindfulness! has deen per-
fectly supplied to you by me, so that you may quite
full-mindfully observe duty and decrees.” And the
creativeness of Aftthaymazd was extolled by them,
and they advanced in diligence; they also performed
the will of the creator, hey carved (parkavinid6)
advantage out of the many duties of the world, and
practised Khvétik-das through procreation azd the
union and complete progress of the creations in the
world, which are the best good works of mankind.’
The following passage also occurs in the same
book :—‘ Then Zaratfst, on becoming exalted, called
out unto the material world of righteousness to extol
righteousness and downcast are the demons; and,
“homage demg the Mazda-worship of Zaratist, the
ceremonial and praise of the archangels are the best
for you, I assert; and, as zo deprecation (ayazisnih)
of the demons, Khvétik-das is even the best intima-
tion, so that, from the information which is given as
¢o the trustworthiness of a good work, the greatest
is the most intimate of them, ¢hose of father and
daughter, son axd she who bore Azm?, and brother
and sister.” Jt zs declared that, upon those words,
innumerable demon-worshipping Kiks and Karaps®
disputed (sdrisidd) with Zaratist and strove for his
death, just like this which revelation states :—“ It is
then the multitude clamoured (mar bara virad)
who are in the vicinity of the seat of Tir, the well-
