0. Perfect righteousness is excellence.
• The three nights* final punishment of those worthy of death, to be inflicted at the time of the resurrection (see Bd. XXX, 13, 16).
» See Pahl. Yas. XLIII, aoa. * Ibid. 20 e.
CHAPTER XXXVII, i-XXXVIII, 5. 273
Chapter XXXVIII.
Varstmdnsar Nask.
I. The fifteenth fargaraf, A^-fravakhshy4^ is
about the seven* perfections of the admonitions of
the religion. 2. First, association with the beneficent
spirit of the creator, through hearing ', learning, and
practising his religion ; and this, too, that thereby
arises the preservation of the good creation when
the destroyer is separated (van^l^. 3. Second,
about separation from the destructive evil spirit*,
and the contempt which is due to his arrogance and
falsehood, the chief of all his vice. 4. Third,
governing the temper* by good thoughts, good
words, and good deeds ; and this, that, whoever of
you does not so use this liturgy as thought and word ♦,
they will not allot him light, they will not allot him
the best existence, and he is miserable up to the
last ''. 5. Fourth, about the perfection it/" the nature
of next-of-kin marriage^, which is when ii is a giving
of ones own (khfi^ih-dahi^nlh) ; and the decision
^ See Chap. XV, in; it is here written a^-fravakhsh6 in Pahlavi.
' Only six are numbered in our text, but the seventh seems to be detailed in § 9.
» See Pahl. Yas. XLIV, i a. * Ibid, i d, e.
* Ibid. 3 a. • Ibid. 3 c, d. "^ Ibid. 3 e.
• Ibid. 4 a. There is nothing whatever about next-of-kin mar- riage in the original Avesta text of this Gdtha, but the Pahlavi translators (in order to interpolate authority for such marriages) took advantage of the Avesta speaking metaphorically of Ma^^ as being father of Good Thought (Vohfiman), and of Bountiful Devotion (Spendarma</) as being Mas^/a's daughter ; while they ignored the old tradition that Vohiiman was created be/are Spen- darmaJ (see Bd. I, 23, 26). A translation of the Pahlavi version of this Gdtha passage is given in S. B. £., vol. xviii, pp. 392, 393.
2 74 viSKARDj BOOK IX.
given aioui it, which is the goodness of one's own
progeny for the manifestation of progeny ; also the
relationship, sturdiness, effectiveness, advantageous-
ness, ownership, and giving tn next-of-kin marriage,
6. /is first accomplishment was by the creator
Aiiharma^^ in the fatherhood of VohAman ^ who
was the first progeny, and from that arising of the
practice (var'-^-yehevAnlh) came the progress of the
spiritual and worldly creatures and much connected
therewith, such as the arising of splendour from
light, radiance from splendour, and lustrousness
from radiance, and the fully progressive diffusion
and succession of mankind till the renovation of the
universe; also, through spiritual and worldly passing
on in the spiritual and worldly existences^ Spendar-
ma^'s* acceptance of the motherly glory was an
ennoblement. 7. Fifth, about providing and main-
taining the high-priests * who are provided with a
spiritual lord and possessing priestly instruction;
the listening of his authorities of every kind to
AAharma-sr^, and the reward of the beneficent good
works * of the high-priesthood, are authority for
Aftharmasr^ ; and the reward of the good works of
the high-priesthood is their relation to the best
existence. 8. Sixth, about the praise, obeisance,
and ceremonial ^ for the creator AAha/'masr^/ ; and
this, too, that further conference with VohOman •
arises, and wisdom and advantage ^ are taught by
* See Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 4 c. » Ibid. 4 d. » Ibid. 5 a.
^ Rather doubtfU, as the repairer of the MS. has omitted the first two Pahlavi letters of kirfak5, 'good works,' when writing the word on a patch.
« See Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 6 a, b, d.
• Ibid. 6 d. ^ Ibid. 6 e, 7 a.
Chapter Xxxviii, 6-12. 275
him thus : * Thou shouldst be a supplicant for the
immortal progress of the soul ^ O Zaratiii't ! so that
Atiharmajsr// may be lord of the creatures *, and the
practice of propitiation by mankind may be that for
him, also a proportion of the ordering of obeisance*/
9. About the sovereignty of Aftharmasfl^* — even
through the reward given at the bridge of judgment
— which is in his good assemblies*, those of the
restorer of the world, the destroyer of the evil oney
and the benefiter.
I o. This, too, is said, namely : ' Thou becomest,
through complete mindfulness, O SpltAmdn ! a per-
petual adopter ^iriftir) of this ceremonial of mine^'
1 1 . About A Aharmasr^ having given power ^ to
the creatures, the preparation® of the power, and the
contempt • for the evil spirit and his appliances ;
Aflhanna3r^ and the creations gave that contempt
back to the evil spirit and the primary (kidmon)
demons who are those produced by the demons.
12. About the glorification .of Zaratftrt there is
II _ ■ . ^ - - — - - ,
* See Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 7 c. « Ibid. 7 e. » Ibid. 8 a.
* Ibid. 9 c. This appears to be the seventh * perfection' men- tioned in § I.
' Assuming that hii-hamb&mthd stands for h(i-hang&mth&, just as hanb&m is a common variant of hang&m. It might also mean ' good times,' but it seems to represent the incorrect word amdvandfh in Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 9 e, which each of the four MS. authorities spells diflFerently. Mf4 has hii-dandih which, no doubt, stands for an original hi^-zandih, 'good community,' a fair translation of Av. haozSLthwa, and well expressed by ' good assemblies.'
* SeePahLYas. XLIV, loa.
276 DtNKAJU), BOOK IX.
this, too, namely : ' Thou art beneficial, thou art
high-priest and master, and through thee exists the
religion which is propitious ^ ; thou art brother and
companion ^all the benefiters, and thus thy friend*
is Vohflman/
1 3. Perfect zs the excellence 0/ righteousness.
Chapter XXXIX.
Varsttndnsar Nask,
I. In the sixteenth fargar^/, Kamnamafiza*,
about departure to any land whatever *, in renewed
search of fortune, there is also this, namely : * Do
not stay away discontentedly from this thy cere-
monial and obeisance, O Zaratftrt ! through love of
us, when they do not satisfy thee — neither thy own,
nor the confederate, nor the companion, nor the serf,
nor the wicked tyrant* — by whom those who are
demons are wont to be worshipped. 2. And where
and when thou art far from us, even then do not
stand aloof from our affairs ; and also when the
affairs of the worldly existence shall not stand well
for thee, even then thou shouldst reverence us and
shouldst pay us homage.' 3. So also this, that the
wish of the evil spirit is thus : * Thou shouldst not
reverence and shouldst not pay homage to the arch-
angels ; and here • the people shall possess neither
lordship, nor priestly instruction — that is, ruler and
1 See Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 1 1 d. • Ibid. 1 1 e.
' See Chap. XVI, in; it is here written kdmnam/so in PahlavL
* See Pahl. Yas. XLV, i a. * Ibid, i b, c, d.
* In this world
Chapter Xxxviii, I3-Xxxix, 9. 277
high-priest — and their desire is not /or perfect right- eousness/
4. And this, too, is said, namely : ' 0/ the con-
tracted * spirituality and deficient wealth ^, owing to
the little progress of men who are self-gratifiers, thou
art aware, O Zaratd^t! iAou who art no seeker of
this — that is, this want of opulence of thine — because
thou dost not know zi * ; 6ui I perceive those words
of complaint of thine, of which I demand an account
from thee *.' 5. And this, foo, namely : * Thou art
aware 0/ the gratification of desire * dy us who are
archangels, and which we give for the gratification
that thou br ingest forth (zihi^) ; we also give thee
the liberty which a friend gives to him who is a
friend ^'
6. About what occurs in future ages ® : the ex-
perienced (arvandin) who are beneficial through
teaching and practising wisdom ^, and the thirst of
youths is increased by them ; by the assistance
of complete mindfulness they improve the world of
righteousness and produce distress for the fiend ;
and the advantage due to virtue extends to them ^.
7. And this, too, that he who is evilly oppressive
has died off through his own deeds'. 8. About
always opposing villains with as much strength as
exists, so that he who is a good ruler ^^ whose high-
priest is the bounteous liturgy (M&nsars/end),
may become predominant " over Wrath.
9. About the praise of the renovators there is this,
^ Assuming that tak stands for tang.
» See PahL Yas. XLV, 2 b. » Ibid. 2 a. * Ibid. 2 c.
* Ibid. 2 d. • Ibid. 3 a. ^ Ibid. 3 c.
• Ibid. 3 d. • Ibid. 4 c. *• Ibid. 4 d. " Ibid. 6 a.
278 dJnKA^D, book IX.
too, namely : ' Blessings on good understanding atui
also on Mitr6, whose punishment of sinners they
shall inflict for this consideration, that Ae is intelli-
gent and friendly (mitr6-p4n)'.' 10. And, about
adjudication as to di kinsman (naf^man) of any one
whatever, there is this, too, namely : ' Through a
revival of Rashnft, whoever is righteous and also
whoever is wicked — that is, every one — is to be kept
for judicial investigation V 11. This, too, namely:
* A kinsman is to be considered as virtuous ^ by
whom his own soul is preserved from wickedness *.'
12. And this, too, namely: 'So thy high-priest is
he whose own religion is pure *.'
13. About the characteristics of the fiend, the
broken-down (khas tak6) Minih*,and the destruction
of the wicked who were listening to him, that which
came from him who was monarch. 14. And this,
too, namely : * The wicked ane^ who gives my world
to that which the malicious "^ Aharman has established
as supremacy (lililh), is he who is a self-wounding*
demon that is set going for the death of the world
of righteousness which he praises. 15. The cere-
* See Pahl. Yas. XLV, 5 b. For Mitrd see Bk. VIU, Chap. XLIV, i6n.
» Ibid. 5 c. For RashnA see Bk. VIII, Chap. XX, 153 n. » Ibid. 6 d. * Ibid. 5 e. • Ibid. 7 e.
• The arch-heretic who was born in a.d. 215-6, first preached his doctrines on the coronation day of king Shahpiir I (20th March, 242), and was put to death by order of Bahrdm I in a,d. 276-7 (see N6ldeke's Gesch. der Sas. pp. 47, 412, 415). From the mode in which he and his followers are mentioned in §§ 13-16, it would seem that the original Pahlavi version of this Nask must have been made at a time when this heresy was still fresh in men's memories, as it would have been in the first half of the fourth century, when At(irplrf-i MSraspenddn was collecting and revising the sacred books.
' See Pahl. Yas. XLV, 8 a. « Ibid. 8 b.
Chapter Xxxix, Io-I9. 279
inonial of righteousness is not such as that he
praises, O Zaratti^t ! the priestly authority of the
-worldly settlements (g^hdnin) that he mentions
thus : " In priestly authority and high-priestship I
am better (^aplr) and am better suitable;" and not
so, O ZaratAi-t ! is that excretion (mfitri^nb)* he
stirs up for mankind ; that which he mentions to
them becomes a perpetual effusion from him, and
they who stirred up the excretion afterwards think
it theirs, and that which is a perfect ceremonial of
the demons occurs, i6. Through the opposing
arrival of Srdsh *, the righteous, the ruler is in vexa-
tion with that person ; that ruler who is a protection of
these others through good emanation ^ — not through
evil living — and at every time a distresser of the
wicked */
1 7. About the peculiarity of attracters to the re-
ligion, and the good works of those attracted'*.
1 8. About the sigps of the last times, which are the
millenniums of the sons of ZaratOrt.
19. This, too, that they cause disturbance (aira-
mSnd) unto the sovereignty, and they who are Kais
and Karaps •, those even who are the most evil-
ruling in the country — who by villanous deeds are
those who destroy the existence of mankind through
statements, and destroy their own souls "^ — also
destroy the material world which, confused by them,
^ Compare Pahl. Yas. XLVII, 10 b. « See Bk. VIII, Chap. IX, 3 n.
» See Pahl. Yas. XLV, 8 c, d. This last word (h(i-zahijnih) ought certainly tobehCl-zivijnfh, 'good living.'
* Ibid. 8 e. » Ibid. 10 d, e.
• Ibid. II a; also see Bk. VIII, Chap. XXXV, 13 n. ^ Ibid. 1 1 b, c.
