5. Excellence that is perfect is righteousness.
Chapter XII.
1. The Avesta and commentary of the Va^tag^ have not reached us through any high-priest.
2. Excellence that is perfect is righteousness.
Chapter XIII.
I. The Kitr^d^d^ contains particulars about the race of mankind ; how the formation of the first
VirtSsp on account of the latter's conversion to Majs^/a-worship, and was defeated with great difficulty in a most desperate battle which is also described in the Shdhn&mah. Whether the Khydns were the Chionitae of later times is uncertain.
* Corresponding to the eleventh word, mananghd, in the Ahunavair, according to B. P. Riv. ; but it is the twelfth Nask in other Rivajats. The name of this Nask is very uncertain ; in five occurrences of the word the first letter is omitted once and may once be the conjunction ' and/ and the last syllable is also omitted once ; the 6. P. Riv. calls it Did, by omitting the first and last letters and varying the reading of the rest, and the other Riv^yats call it *Z^art or 'Haft They also state that it contained twenty- two kardah, or fargar^s, in six divisions treating of various religious and worldly duties, as detailed in the translations in the latter part of this volume.
' Corresponding to the twelfth word, j^yaothananSm, in the Ahunavair, according to R P. Riv. ; but it is the fourteenth Nask in other Riviyats. ^itradfte/ means ' the races produced,' a name of the same form as Dftmdi</, but it is read iHdrart, Kixzsi, or G^ran in the Rivfiyats, which also state that it contained twenty- two kardahy or subdivisions*
26 dInka/jd, book viir.
man, Gdy6mar^\ by AAharma^oT was for the mani-
festation of the bodily form (kerplh) ; and in what
manner the first couple, Mashya and Mashydi *,
arose. 2. About their progeny and lineage during
the entire progress of mankind in the central region
of Khvanlras^, and the distribution from them into
the six* regions which are around Khvanlras. 3.
The various races, which are specially enumerated,
were ordered to disperse l)y the attracting or banish-
ing command of the creator, to eacli separate race,
as to the place where it went to ; and whose life and
soul (nisman) are appointed from yonder world.
4. Also the original description of their descent
into the various regions, of those, too, who are
on thq frontiers of Khvanlras, and those who also
made their habitation in the intermediate places;
and the customs of each one of the species of
mankind which was produced among the original
races.
5. The original establishment of law and custom ;
that of village superintendence (dih4nk&nlh)^, for
the cultivation and nourishment of the world, based
upon the traditional early law (visarli/ pfe^dd^o) ;
and that of monarchy, for the protection and govern-
^ The original human being who was created as the source whence mankind were to spring, in the same way as ' the sole- created ox ' was to be the origin of all other animals (see Bd. Ill, 14, 17, 19-23, IV, I, XV, I, 31).
* Literally ' man and woman,' here written masy6 va-masy&6i. The mode of their origin from Gdydmar^ and the development of man upon the earth are detailed in Bd. XV.
» See Chap. VIII, 2.
* The MS. has * seven ' by mistake.
^ A more probable reading than geh&naktnth in the sense of ' colonization/
Chapter Xiii, 2-8. 2^
ment of the, creatures, upon H6sh4ng the P6^dAi/ian ^
6. A report of the lineage of H6sh4ng, who was the
first, and Tikhmd-rup6* who was the second ruler
of the seven regions ; and an enumeration of reports
of lineage from the original creation even unto Yim^
7. A report of the lineage of Yim, the third ruler of
the seven regions ; information as to his period, and
the progress (sa/ti^nd) of time from the original
creation till the end of the reign of Yim.
* This 'Hdsb&ng of the early law,' Av. Haoshyanghd para- dhitd, is considered to have been the great-grandson of Mashya and first monarch of the world, being the founder of the P6f d&(Aan dynasty (see Bd. XV, 28, XXXI, i, XXXIV, 3, 4).
■ Here written Tikhmd-r^, Av. Takhmd-urupa; the great- grandson and successor of H6shing (see Bd. XXXI, 3, 3, XXXIV, 4).
* Av. Yimd khshafitd, the GamshM of the Sh&hn^mah; the
brother and successor of T&khmd-rupd (see Bd. XXXI, 3-5,
XXXIV, 4).
^ Also called KzA Dah&k, Av. avij dah&kd, 'destructive ser- pent,' a name applied to a foreign dynasty, considered as a single king who conquered Yim and succeeded him, being traditionally his third cousin once removed (see Bd. XXXI, 5, 6, XXXIV, 5)« Further details are given in Bk. IX, Chap. XXI, 1-13. Dahdk was the last ruler of all the seven regions, excepting K&t-IJs.
* See Bd. XV, 26-28.
* Av. Thradtaond, son of Ath wyd, and, traditionally, the ninth in descent from Yim (see Bd. XXXI, 7, 8); nine generations being assumed necessary to allow for the thousand years' reign of the Dah^ dynasty which he put an end to. His rule was confined to the central region of Khvantras.
28 DtNKA^D, BOOK VIII.
12. The descendant of Mdnii^ithar, Kavl-KavA^/,
who was progenitor of the Kayins and ruler of
IrAn ; and the expiating ruler KeresAsp^ 13. KAl-
Us, grandson'^ of Kavd^, ruler and maintainer of
royalty (kal-dino) in the seven regions. 14.. Kal-
KhAsr61 who was son of SlyAvakhsh® and ruler of
^ The land on the southern coast of the Caspian belonging to the Mdzainya dafiva (demons, or idolators) of Ae Avesta.
' The last of whom was slain by his brothers, and was avenged by his descendant MindLr^har (see Bd. XXXI, 9-12).
' Possibly the celebrated individual of that name who is men- tioned, in Pahl. Vend. XX, 4, as an instance of opulence. The Shihndmah speaks only of the three daughters of the king of Yaman.
* Or 'plundering;' but T<i^-h6m6nd here, and T%&vand in
§12, may perhaps mean 'descended from Tfi^,' as YT&sXydv was
the sixth in descent from Ttig (see Bd. XXXI, 14).
* Said to have been a great-grandson of MdnflfiWhar (see Bd. XXXI, 23).
• Probably the hero who was sixth in descent from TC(^, and third cousin of YxMydv (see Bk. IX, Chap. XV; Bd. XXXI, 14, 26, 27); though placed by Firdaust as a king Garshasp preceding Kat-Qub&d.
^ As appears from Bd. XXXI, 25.
• The son of Kdt-tFs, who did not become king.
Chapter Xiii, 9-18. 29
Khvanlras. 15. And a special report of many par-
ticulars of the races of Irin, TArAn, and Salmin \
even unto the ruler Kal - Ldharisp* and the
monarch Kal-Vi^-tAsp ^ 16. The prophet (vakh-
shvar) of the Ma^flfet-worshipping religion, ZaratCl^
the Spftimin, and the progress of time from the
beginning of the reign of Fr^rfAn till the coming of
ZaratfLrt to conference with AHharmazd *.
17. And many races and statements, onwards
from that time, are enumerated in the same Nask as
having existed, and are characterized by it for exist-
ence, such as the Sasanians — whom it reckons as
the well-created — and their sovereignty. 18. In the
race of M^nft^^har, N6^ar^ Yd^kS Fry4n6^ and
* The people of the Airya, Tiiirya, and Sairima provinces, men- tioned in Yt. XIII, 143.
■ Fifth in descent from Kavf-Kavfi^, and third cousin once re- moved of his predecessor Kat-Khiisr6t (see Bd. XXXI, 25, 28). « Son of Kat-Ldhadlsp (see Bd. XXXI, 29).
* The historical legends contained in the Avesta end with the sons of king Vixtisp, and other contemporaries of Zarat^ ; not a word being said of any succeeding monarch. Similarly, Bd. XXXI and this historical Nask fail to carry on the details of the royal line beyond Vijtdsp ; ignoring the Achaemenians, Alexander, and the A^kinians, they leap over an evident gap in history (very in- sufiiciendy bridged in the more modern chapter, Bd. XXXIV) to the Sasanians. This gap, between Avesta legends and the later undoubted Persian history, is a very weak point in the continuity of the two periods. And as the mode of bridging over this gap in Bd. XXXIV occurs in a chapter * on the computation of years of the Arabs ' (see S. B. E. vol. v, p. xxxvii) it must be considered as more of an Arab than a Persian contribution to history.
" Av. Naotara; a son of Manilr^^ihar (see Bd. XXXI, 13, 23, XXXIII, 5).
* Doubtful ; if the second name be a patronymic, the combina- tion suggests the Y6ijt6 yd Frydnanam of Yt. V, 81, XIII, 120, regarding whom the tale of Y6jt-t Frydno is told. No son of
30 d!nkaiu), book viii,
Namiin, son of Spend-sh6^\ is included the father
of Avarethrab^u ^, AtA^-pA^ son of Miraspend ;
and its existence, even then, remains for the future,
19. Also about the many qualities of capability and
glory of the selfsame sovereignty, which are pro*
moting the renovation of the universe destined for
the races ; and its fortune and splendour which are
shed upon the race, and are not severed from it till
the renovation ^
20. About the original knowledge of the profes-
sions, care, and industry of the period ; the great
acquaintance of mankind with the putting aside of
injury from the adversary, the preservation of the
body, and the deliverance of the soul ; the govern-r
Nd^ar with a corresponding name is known, so that we are not dealing with a complete pedigree.
^ Probably intended for Spend-dd^, and we should perhaps read • Vohiimanfi, son of Spend-dd</,* whose reign is celebrated as the silver age in Byt. II, 17 (see also Bd. XXXI, 29, XXXIV, 8).
' This name, or surname, is given in Pizand, and is also to be found in Yt XIII, ioi5, as follows: 'we reverence the guardian spirit of the righteous Avarethrabmi, son of RiUtare-vagha/r/.' If the latter epithet were a surname of Atiir-pd</, the famous prime minister of Shahpi^har II, as the text intimates, we must conclude that the former epithet was a surname of his only son, ZaratCLrt, mentioned in his Pandndmak. These surnames, and others of their time, might have been easily interpolated in the long list of uncouth names included in the Fravar^n Yart, when the Avesta books were revised during the reign of Shahpiihar II, and the Nasks were ' reckoned,' as stated in the fourth book of the Dinkar</ (see Haug's Essay on Pahlavi, pp. 146, 152).
' §§ 1 7-1 9 refer to text which must have been written either in the time of Shahpdhar II, or at some later period during Sasanian rule. Whereas §§ 1-16 are descriptive of an older record which, though consistent with the extant Avesta texts, could not have been compiled from them alone. And § 20 describes text that might have been written at any time.
Chapter Xiit, I9-Xiv, 3. 3 1
ment necessary for the world, even before the coming
of Zaratiirt by order of the creator ; the bringing
of the word^ from the sacred beings, and all occur-
rences to the leaders of religion at various times ;
and whatever is on the same subjects,
21, Perfect righteousness is excellence.
Chapter XIV,
I. The Spend 2 contains particulars about the
origin and combination of the material existence,
guardian spirit, and soul (n ism an) of ZaratA^t ; how
the creation of each one occurred in the spiritual
existence^ and in what mode // was produced for the
worldly existence; how their connection with the
parents arose, the coming of the parents together,
the combination in the mother, and the birth from
the mother; tfw^/ whatever is on the same subject.
2. Also about the arrival of both spirits, the good
one for developing, and the evil one for destroying ;
the victory of the good spirit, and the rearing of
Zaratfkrt.
3. His attainment on maturity, at thirty years of age, to a conference with Afiharma^^/ ; and the
^ Reading vakhsh in the same Avesta sense as in vakhshvar, * a prophet ; ' it may, however, mean * gain, fortune, gifts.' A simi- larly-written word, vSyft, 'air, breath,' is used in Sg. XIII, 7 to translate the * Spirit ' of God in Gen. i. 2.
' Corresponding to the thirteenth word, anghfux, in the Ahun- avair, according to B. P, Riv. ; and it is the thirteenth Nask in all Riviyats. Spend means 'beneficent, or bounteous,' and is written Sfend, or Spentah, in the Rivdyats, which also state that it con- tained sixty kardah, or subdivisions.
32 DiNKAiJjD, BOOK VIII.
occurrence of seven conferences in ten years. 4.
Many marvels, owing to him, are published therein,
just as there are sonte which, collected and selected,
are noticed by the Dlnkaraf manuscript *.
5. In seven sections (burl no), such as are called
Spend, are the seven enquiries, //^ each instance a
single enquiry; andxh^ bestowal of the other Nasks,
in these seven enquiries, was through speaking out
in each one of the places of conference. 6. About
the various enquiries, the period of the sitting and
rising on each occasion, the nature of the sitting of
the archangels, the coming forward of Zaratftrt to
that domestic conclave (handfem4nlh), his position
in that place, what there was to say to him, and
what there was to exhibit to him.
7. The conferring of the wisdom of omniscience
upon ZaratCl^t, and what was seen by Zaratfi^t ^the
past and future, and the perpetual amount of dura-
tion therein, through that wisdom ^ 8. The exist-
ence of that wisdom, and what that is which, after
having subsisted in it, is again well recognised ;
such as, owing to it, are the highest and best of
places, heaven and the various grades of position
and reward of the righteous, according to their
worthiness through the practice of good works ; the
most downward and worst of places, hell and the
place of punishment of the wicked, according to
their sin ; and, between the two, the place of the
ever-stationary, those having equal good works and
