5. And if he who as passed away ordered that
? The soul of a dead person is supposed to hover about the corpse for three nights, and not to depart for the other world till the dawn after the third night; that is, at dawn of the fourth day, including the day of death (see Chap. XX, 2, 3, Sls. XVII, 2-6).
* Where the soul’s good works are balanced against its sins, to determine its fate till the resurrection.
28 DADISTAN-t DINIK.
good work in his own life¢ze, or bequeathed it, or
was the originator and cause of the soul’s employ-
ment, although it is proceeded with after 4zs passing
away, it then reaches out to him for the happiness
of his soul, since the. origin of the thanksgiving
(sipas)1, and the orderer and ownership of the good
work are certain.
6. Any good work whatever which is proceeded
with is clearly a like good work as regards those
who account for z¢ as with him who is the doer of
z¢; also in the account of his soul the good work is
as much with him who did z¢, but the soul of him
by whom the good work is done by his own hand,
is handsomer and stronger than of him by whom it
is ordered. 7. And its similitude is such as when
a man’s handsome and seemly suit of clothes is his
own, and he wears z¢ on zs body aud is handsomer,
more splendid, and more seemly ¢Zaz another man
who wears a suit of clothes, zz like manner, which is
his own by theft.
CHAPTER IX.
1. The eighth question is that which you ask
thus: Of him who, out of his owz wealth, himself
directed others thus: ‘Let them act advantageously
(khanginak6) for my soul,’ is it so that what others
may do for him out of that wealth azd that done by
his own toil are very different, one from the other,
or not?
* The good works mentioned in this chapter would chiefly consist of prayers and ceremonies for which priests have to be remunerated, and gifts to holy men and the poor; such actions as are most highly appreciated by priests.
Chapter Viii, 6—X, 2. 29
2. The reply is this, that ¢/ey are very different,
one from the other; for that which he orders out of
his own wealth is more effectual than that which
others may do for him without order. 3. And
among the kinds of good work, that is more effec-
tual which ove practises himself and with his own
toil; then that whzch one sets going out of what-
ever is his own by his own order, regarding which
he! afterwards bequeaths azd orders out of his own
property and it comes into progress; and, lastly, that
which others may do for him.
4. Since thus his own azd that which is his by
design, wien any one manages for him and in his
lifeczme, aggrandize his position then, amd his soul
is preserved, when he manages for him thereafter
the enjoyment then reaches unto his soul. 5. When
not consenting as to the good work, and 2z¢ zs not
his by design, even though others may do 2z¢ for
him it does not then come into his possession.
CHAPTER X.
1. The ninth question is that which you ask thus:
How much does the growth? of his good works
increase, from the ézme when the good works are
done, so long as He is living?
2. The reply is this, that from the “me when a
good work comes into progress z/s growth remains
on the increase so long as He is living; moreover,
* Mr4 and J make this an additional kind of good work by reading ‘after which is that regarding which he himself,’ &c. ** Reading vakhsh instead of the vés, ‘more,’ of the MSS.
30 pApISTAN-{i DINIK.
when he is distressed by that good work}, while the
increase does not desist fom increase, it grows just as
a child becomes enlarged in the womb of a mother.
CHAPTER XI.
1. The tenth question is that which you ask thus:
Does the growth which increases become as com-
mendable in the fourth night? as the original good
work? in Azs possession, or does it become otherwise?
2. The reply is this, that z¢ is otherwise ; for the
original good work stands up opposing sin, and the
growing good work‘ stands up opposed to the growth
of sin.
CHAPTER XII.
1. The eleventh question is that you ask thus:
Does the growth of a good work eradicate sin just
like the original good work, or not ?
2. The reply is this, that the growth does eradi-
cate 24, as happens wz¢h the good work which is for
atonement for sin; it shall be done as retribution for
sin, avd it eradicates the sin, which is specially men-
tioned in revelation®. 3. ‘Then the place of his
' The good work being more meritorious when more trouble- some.
2 After death, when all the immediate ceremonies for the dead have been completed (see Sls. XVII, 5 note).
* Literally ‘the good work of the beginning.” ‘That bfin kirfak6 does not here stand for bfiin-f kirfak6, ‘the origin or
root of the good work,’ appears from Chap. XII, 1, where it is written kirfak6-i bfin.
* Literally ‘the good work of growth,’ ® See Pahl. Vend. VII, 136, where the matter is mentioned, but
Chapter Xi, I~Xiii, 3. 31
other good work is evidently the soul ; and, in order
to be with the sin at z¢s origin, it remains amd is
taken into account. 4. ‘Through good works and
the growth of good works is the recompense of the
soul, so that they should do those good works in
atonement for sin.’ 5. And concerning the sin
eradicated it is said: ‘An original good work era-
dicates original sin!, and the growth of a good
work evadicates the growth of a sin.’
CHAPTER XIII.
1. The twelfth question is that which you ask
thus: In the fourth night do they score off (bara
angdrénd) the sin by the good works, and does
he go by the residue (bén); or do they inflict
punishment on him for the sin which “as happened
to him, and give reward aud recompense for the
good works which he sas done?
2. The reply is this, that at dawn of the third
night the account is prepared it is said, and about
the sin which he Zas atoned for, axd the good work
which is its equivalent (4var) ¢here is no need for
account, since the account is about the good works
which may be appropriated by him as his own, and
about the sin which may remain zz him as z¢s
origin. 3. Because the origin of it (the sin atoned
for) remains distinct, and it is cancelled (astard6)
the passages which seem to be quoted here must be from some other source.
' Literally ‘ sinning of the beginning’ (bfin-vinAsih). It must mean the first commission of any particular sin, and has no con- nection with the ‘original sin’ of Christian writers.
a¢ DADISTAN-1 DINIK.
by it (the good work), they balance it therewith ;
and they weigh the excess and deficiency, as it may
be, of the other good works and sin.
4. Of those living, at the just, impartial (aZafsisn6)
balance the man of proper habits (d4d6), whose
good works are more, when sin as happened to
him, undergoes a temporary (vidanaik) punishment
and becomes eternally cleansed by the good works ;
and he of improper habits, of much sin and little
good works, attains temporary enjoyment by those
good works, éu¢ through the sin which they per-
ceive zz him he is suffering punishment unto the
resurrection.
CHAPTER XIV.
1. The thirteenth question is that which you ask
thus: Who should prepare the account of the soul
as to sin and good works, and in what place should
they make it up? Azd when punishment is inflicted
by them, where is their place then?
2. The reply is this, that the account about the
doers of actions, as to good works avd sin, three
times every day whilst the doer of the actions is
living, Vohfiman the archangel should prepare;
because taking account of the thoughts, words, and
deeds of all material existences is among his duties.
3. And about the sin which affects accusers!, which
1 Sins are divided into two classes, hamém4l4an or those which affect ‘accusers,’ and riibantk or those which affect only one’s own soul. In the first class are included all evil actions which injure our fellow-creatures or any good animal or thing, and for which the injured party (the ‘ accuser’) must receive satisfaction before the sinner can be pardoned (see Sls, VIII, 1).
Chapter Xiii, 4—Xiv, 6. 33
is committed by (vaZ) breakers of promises, even
in the world Mit7é! is said Zo de over the bodies,
words, and fortunes (hi-bakhtak6) of the promise-
breakers; aud as to the amount, and also as to
being more than the stipulation when ¢here is a
period of time”, Mitvé is the account-keeper. 4. In
the three zzghts’ account (sattih) Srésh the righteous
and Rashnti the just? are over the estimate of the
lim:ts of the good works and sin of righteousness
and wickedr.ess. 5. In the future existence, on the
completion of every account, the creator Atharmazd
himself takes account*, by whom both the former
account of the three zzghts and all the thoughts,
words, and deeds of the creatures are known
through his omniscient wisdom.
6. The punishment for a soul of the sinners
comes from that spirit® with whom the sin, which
was committed by it, is connected; fostered by the
iniquity practised, that punishment comes upon the
souls of the sinful and wicked, first on earth, after-
wards in hell, azd lastly at the organisation of the
1 The angel of the sun’s light; he is a personification of friend- ship and good faith, and is, therefore, specially aggrieved by breaches of promise and fraudulent debtors, but assists righteous souls in their passage to the other world (see AV. V, 3, Mkh. II, 118).
? Referring to debts and promises to pay.
* The angels of obedience and justice; the duty of the former is to protect the righteous, and that of the latter is to weigh the good works and sins in his golden scales, when the soul’s account is balanced after the third night after death (see AV. V, 2-5, Mkh. II, 115-122).
* Referring, perhaps, to the future temporary separation of the wicked from the righteous, after the assembly of the Sadvastaran (see Bd. XXX, 10-16).
® The demon who is supposed to have occasioned the sin.
34 pDApISTAN-{ DINIK.
future existence. 7. When the punishment of the
three mzghds is undergone? the soul of the righteous
attains to heaven azd the best existence, azd the
soul of the wicked to hell and the worst existence.
8. When they have undergone their punishment at
the renovation of the universe they attain, by com-
plete purification from every sin, unto the everlasting
progress, happy progress, ad perfect progress of the
best azd undisturbed existence.
CHAPTER XV.
1. The fourteenth question is that whicn you ask
thus: Is the eradication of life the gnawing of dogs
and birds upon the corpse? And does the sin of
those who suppose 7¢* a sin proceed from ¢/a¢# origin,
or not ?
2. The reply is this, that the decrease of sin and
increase of good works, owing to good thoughts,
good words, azd good deeds, arise really from the
effort and disquietude which come on by means of
the religion the soul practises, azd through the
strength in effort, steadfastness of religion, and
1 The three days and nights of final punishment, after the resurrection and before the final purification in melted metal (see Bd. XXX, 13, 16, 20), which is mentioned again in § 8.
* This does not refer to the final punishment of §§ 6 and 8, but to the previous three nights’ tribulation just after death, and to the fate of the soul before the resurrection (see Chaps. XXIV, XXV).
* The exposure of the dead, apparently; but the construction of this question and its relation to the reply are by no means clear at first sight. From §§ 2, 5, 6 we have to infer that the exposure is a meritorious action rather than a sin; and from §§ 3, 4 we have to gather that as loss of life occurs to every one, and exposure of the corpse Only to some, the former cannot be caused by the latter.
Chapter Xiv, 7—Xv, 6. 35
protection of soul whzch the faithful possess. 3. That
evil which occurs when doing good works, which
is the one (hana) when doing iniquity, and when
one strives zf is the one when he does not strive,
the one when content and the one when not content,
and after z¢ zs undesired, and no cause of good
works is with it, it occurs just as undesired, for the
sake of favour and reward, is the certain eradication
of life. 4. It happens once only (aétdim) unto the
righteous and the wicked, every one who may have
received the reward—that reward is living until the
time of passing away—but the gnawing of dogs and
birds dozs not happen unto every one and every
body. 5. It is necessary for those to act very
differently! whose understanding of good works is
owing to proper heed of dead matter; and, on
account of the rapid change (vardi-hastan6) of
that pollution, and a desire of atonement for sin,
they should carry the body of one passed away out
to a mountain-spur (kéf vakhsh), ov a place of
that description, enjoining unanimously that the
dogs and birds may gnaw it, owing to the position
of the appointed place”. 6. Therefore, as owing to
that fear*, the commands of religion, and progressive
