u. Excellence is righteousness that is perfect
^ See Pahl. Yas. XXXIV, 8 c. * Ibid. 9 c.
» Ibid. 10 c. * Ibid. 8b.
' Ibid, iia and Chap. XIX, i. • Ibid. 11 c.
' Ibid. 12 a. • Ibid. 13 b. • Ibid. 150.
Chapter Xxxiv, ^-Xxxv, 5. 265
Chapter XXXV. Varsimdnsar Nask.
I. The twelfth fargarrf, the Yasna^ is about the
manifestation of good thoughts, good words, and
good deeds by the religion * ; the lodgment of the
religion in good thoughts, good words, and good
deeds ; and whoever possesses good thoughts, who-
ever has good words, and whoever has good deeds,
by him righteousness and the reward of the righteous
are possessed, 2. This, too, that neither is he, who
is not to be bornybr Zaratftit, an issue from parents
who are not righteous, nor yet is he, for him, who is
a manifestation of the righteous.
3. This, too, is said, namely: *Thou shouldst
give a glad-thinking desire for a spiritual lord, and
an easy-bodied constitution, to their minds, the
religion which I spoke forth to thee ; so that the
greatest, best, and most beneficial of existences*,
that are those which cattle are wanting from men,
are water, pasture, and freedom from danger * ; and
those which men are wanting from cattle are also
food and clothing.' 4. This, too, that that which
mankind ought to give to the sacred beings is
a power for completeness of control ; and that which
the sacred beings ought to give to men is ever that
which is good for them. 5. And this, too, that
thou who art Adharmasr^ also suppliest it from
those sacred beings, and thou who art Zaratii^t
also teachest // thoroughly to that best-ruling
sovereignty'^ and authority.
* See Chap. XII, in; it is here written yast in Pahlavi. » See Pahl. Yas. XXXV, 4-6. » Ibid. 9.
< Ibid. II. » Ibid. 13.
266 DtSKARD, BOOK IX.
6. This, too, IS saidy namely : * Let no one practise
ill-perpetrated deeds, even though in a wilderness
when far from publicity, nor in distress, O Splta-
min! because AAharmas^^, the observer of every-
thing, is aware of them ; and the rule is that just as
any one whatever of the embodied existence thinks,
speaks, and practises, so great is his punishment.'
7. And this, too, that the best ceremonial and
obeisance^ are the ceremonial and obeisance of
a righteous man.
8. About begging for life and receiving it, there is
this, that it is customarily due to two methods
(babi) : one, through leadership of righteousness *,
is that through which it is evident that // is owing
to virtuousness ; and one, through service of right-
eousness ^ is that which is not an evidence that it
is owing to viciousness. 9. About the case where
virtuousness is producing authority over truth, and
truth over the tongue, so that thou speakest words
through the will of AAharma^//. 10. And this, too,
is said, namely : * I am the propitious spirit who
was at first and ever ndll be, and am not really
deceived by anything.'
II. About fire being given by AAharmasrfl? for
shelter and assistance by the protection of mankind ;
its maintenance and assistance by mankind; and
the openheartedness of the spirit of fire for him
who shall perform obeisance to it, and for him who
is to perform obeisance to it^ 12. The work which
is the greatest that exists, and is accomplished in the
future existence*, whereby the creatures become pure,
^ See Pahl. Yas. XXXV, 19. « Ibid. 22.
' See Pahl. Yas. XXXVI, 4, 5. * Ibid. 6.
Chapter Xxxv, 6-1 7. 267
occurs through fire ; and one prays for it for the
sake of the requirements which mankind acquired
from the sacred beings, 13. This, too, is said^
namely : * Since thou art thus, O Zaratd^t ! most
propitiatory, that is, able to perform most for our
pleasure, we are more promptly coming than Mdnfi-
j>felhar was able to come, when thou beggest of us
who are archangels, O Zaratft^t ^ ! '
14. About Adharma^flf's exhibiting the creatures
in the future existence to Zaratft^t. 15. And thiSy
too, namely, the all-brilliance 0/ the earth, the all-
brilliance 0/ the cattle, the all-brilliance 0/ the plants,
and the all-brilliance 0/ every excellence ^ which is
a manifestation of righteousness. i6. About the
worshipping of AfthamiasroT by worshippers, through
advancing^ in the religion of A(ih3,rmsLzd's covenant
(pa^mUno), which gave the world his righteousness ;
also the good protectiveness of his rule, and 0/ the
greatness therein, is owing to it *, and the name of
the ruler is Wisdom®; likewise his ceremonial —
performed while the creations owing to him live,
when possessing bodies and possessing life* — is
a benefit to all the worldly and spiritual existences,
1 7. And this, too, is saidy namely : * Thou art
our own"^, and also our confederate, O Spttimin!
likewise unto us thou comest with the reverence
that is good ® ; thine, O Zaratii^t ! are the greatness
and completeness in performance®, so that they
^ See Pahl. Yas. XXXVI, 9-14. For Mdnaj/^ihar see Bk. VIII, Chap. XIII, 10, 12, 18.
« See Pahl. Yas. XXXVII (=V), i, 2. » Ibid. 4.
* Ibid. 3. '^ Ibid. 6. • Ibid. 7,
' See Pahl. Yas. XXXIX, 13. « Ibid. 14.
' See Pahl. Yas. XL, i.
268 DiNKAlJD, BOOK IX.
become thy greatness and completeness, that is, they
are thine, O Zaratii^t! and are boundless onwards
from the middle, that is, we give thee a reward ^ so
enormous that, when thou shouldst stand in the
middle of it, thou wouldst not see to its limits, the
width of the earth, the length of a river, and the
height of the sun ^'
1 8. Zaratft^t begged of Aiiharma^^ thus : * Give
unto me him who becomes a disciple of men « of the
mighty through meditation for the religion, of them
who shall produce the actual progress of this my
religion of the Masr^a-worshippers, and who will also
explain the good practices to this one of mine, even
the blessings set forth by me in the benedictions they
possess/ 19. And AAharma^^f spoke thus : ' I will
give unto thee him who becomes a disciple of other
men of the mighty; they are thy kinsmen and those
confederates of theirs, and thine are their com-
panions and their serfs*, who produce the progress
of this thy religion of the Ma-s'^a-worshippers. 20.
Mostly thine, O Zaratd^t! are their worship and
their homage; and, through their ceremonial and
obeisance, the liberality of him who is worshipped
is given to thee, and righteousness for the soul is
with thee; also thy life exists owing to us, and
likewise thy body*, O ZaratArt! 21. Forth to thee
will I, who am the creator AAhanna^^, come in
both existences*, as assistance; thou becomest
worthy, O ZaratA^t ! through Khdrda^/ and Amur-
da^ ''^, both of them, and through the gratification of
' See Pahl. Yas. XL, 3.
* This expression for boundless extent occurs in Yas. LX, 4, Yt. XIII, 32. » See Pahl. Yas. XL, 7. * Ibid. 10.
» See PahU Yas. XLI, 7. • Ibid. 8. ^ See Chap. XIX, i.
Chapter Xxxv, 18-Xxxvi, 3. 269
me, who am AAharmas:^, by those sayings and
deeds which I, who am the most propitious of
spirits, proclaimed unto thee.'
22. ZaratfUt spoke thus: *They have become applicants on him who is powerful with thee^'
23. -^«^ AAharmas:^ spoke thus: * Thou becomest an applicant and powerful in the embodied existence/
24. ZaratA^t spoke thus : * Be thou a gratification to
us in the slow progress of life, thou most beneficent
(h(k-dahiktAm) of existences ! that is, thou shouldst
give to us ^! 2^, And Aflharmasr^ spoke thus : ' I
will gratify thee, O righteous Zaratfi^t ! in that best
existence '/
26. Excellence that is perfect is righteousness.
Chapter XXXVI. Varstmdnsar Nask.
I. The thirteenth fargar^, U^tayaiti*, is about
the great reward of him who, through virtuous
procedure, may occasion the benefit of a man * and
of the religion of righteousness also. 2. This, too,
that the maintenance of righteousness® is through
the practice of it.
3, About the tokens of a righteous man — that is,
the evidence of him — and his reverence for duty
and good works ; also his imperceptible perversion
(kastcLrlh) — that is, not a single sin is manifest
* SeePahl.Yas.XLI, 10.
■ Ibid. II, ' Ibid. 15.
* See Chap. XIII, i n.
» See Pahl. Yas. XLII, i a. • Ibid, i d.
270 DtNKARD, BOOK IX.
in him — and he is an accomplisher of the stipulations
of Vohftman ^, good thoughts, good words, and good
deeds, and a comprisal of every goodness in the
propitiation of the righteous. 4. About ^ . . I
Chapter XXXVII. Varsimdnsar Nask.
* produced the dawn and noon-
tide (adsh r#pis/)^ e. I fashioned sovereignty
and the desired complete mindfulness together*,
and produced, for more advantageous disclosure,
a son (bermanar-a^) for a father^; the disclosure
that discloses a male and the impregnation of a
female, and in that disclosure a son was produced
by me for the father, O Zarat^^t ! ' f. So the evil
spirit observed, and he called upwards from the
abyss thus : ' O beneficent spirit ! thou art the
creator of all creatures, but I will make all thy
creatures old, O beneficent spirit!
* See Pahl. Yas. XLII, 2 d.
^ Another folio of B is here lost, containing the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next. The passage missing was equivalent to about 100 lines of this translation, of which perhaps three-fourths belonged to this chapter and one-fourth to the next.
' See Pahl. Yas. XLIII, sd: aCishahtno va-rapfspin6 = Av. ushau ar^m-pithwa.
* Ibid. 7 b.
* Ibid. 7 c. The verbal causative stem vindfn, 'cause to find, or obtain, disclose,' is twice spelt without its first letter, out of four occurrences ; and bermanar is hybrid Zvdrir for piisar, in which bermanspCls.
CHAPTER XXXVI, 4-XXXVII, y. 27 1
g. About the religion becoming progressive^ in
every one, through its renovation of the universe and
its future existence, there is this, too, namely : * This
thy religion of ZaratArt is the width of the world,
and righteousness is the best of religions ; this thy
religion of Zaratd^t is the improvement of the world,
which is first supplied by righteousness and complete
mindfulness in the reason (v&r6m) of those who
recite this thy revelation (d6n6)* of the Mas:^a-wor-
shippers, O ZaratA^t ! this thy good religion is the
best which it is possible to provide with righteous-
ness for one's own. h. Thou shouldst proclaim this
to kinsmen and confederates, to priests and him who
is most active in the country ; as to those who will
dispute * this thy religion of the Masr^a-worshippers,
thou shouldst proclaim this over the earth of seven
regions, unto that which is the furthest of houses,
villages, communities, and provinces : " Do thou
openly curse * these who are heretical towards me,
thou united Ma^a!a-worship of Zaratd^t, opposed to
the demons, which is the ordinance of Adhar-
ma^fl?*!"'
i. Adharmasr^/ spoke thus : * I will exalt this
which is beloved by thee, the religion of the Masr^a-
worship (T/'ZaratAjt, opposed to the demons, which is
the ordinance of Adharmasr^. j. If this which is
thine had not been further loved by me, the Ma^rfa-
worship of Zaratdrt, that is opposed to the demons
and is the ordinance of Adharmasr^, would have
lapsed into disaster (vin&si^no) ®, so that the pro-
^ See Pahl. Yas. XLIII, 8 c. * Ibid. 1 1 d. » Ibid. 13 c.
* Assuming that naf6rin6 stands for nafrino. «* See Pahl. Yas. I, 65.
• See Pahl. Yas. XLIII, ipd.
272 DiUKARD, BOOK IX, I
fession of the religion 0/ the Ma^^fei-worshippers
would be destroyed, that is, the religion would not
have become progressive, and no one would be after
the benefiters. k. But, owing to that lovcy O Zara-
td^t ! the religion of the Ma^^a-worshippers becomes
progressive ^ even then up to the production of the
renovation of the universe, even then until the per-
petual life of the existences, even then till the raising
up of the dead, and even then up to the full atone-
ment of the spirits/
/. About being despised in hell ; the wicked are
scornful to a wicked one^ and to the spirits apart
from the wicked ; and it is the creator who, even
after saving the others from hell, and the three
nights stewing in hell *, is to cause the preservation
of them also — after those three nights — from that
misery, and every one attains to happiness, m. This,
too, that Zaratflrt enquired of Aflharma^fl? thus :
* How have the ignorant demons, O Aftharma?//!
ever been good rulers ^ ? How do they think of
them in the world thus, that their happiness arose
from them ? ' n. And AAharmajsr^ spoke thus :
* They have been demons, O ZaratArt ! and evil-
ruling ; not well-ruling, even for a reward, do they
produce the work of righteousness */
