^ See Dk. VIII, Chap. IX. » Ibid. Chap. X.
• So in OM, MHio; but O225, B29 are corrupted.
4^4 OTHER DETAILS OF NASKS.
tage arises for mankind ; and, as to those who tell
lies, how it occurs in the vicinity of kings and
peasants.
11. The eleventh is the Vi^tisp-shdh^ and
that is of sixty compilations, but after the calamity
of Alexander they found again no fpiore than ten
subdivisions. It is about Gurtdsps acceptance of
the sovereignty, and as to the religion of Zaratu^t —
who was skilful in reciting the religion, and main-
taining it and making it current in the world — ^he
chose the religion of Zaratu^.
12. The name of the twelfth is '/^a^t^ and this
is of twenty-two subdivisions, which are sent down
in six portions (^uzti). The first is about knowing
the Lord, may he be honoured and glorified ! and
faith on account of Zaratu^t. The second portion
is about the obedience of kings, the truth of the
religion, complying with commands and resisting
them, and restraining onds hand from bad actions.
The third portion is about the promise to benefac-
tors and their recompense, evildoers and punishment,
and escaping hell. The fourth portion is about the
mansions of the world, agriculture, trimming trees,
such as the date tree, and whatever remains thereof;
the trouble and power of mankind and quadrupeds
therefrom, and the obedience they exercise ; they
are the people to whom heedfulness is attributed,
and whatever remains thereof ; and the high-priests
perform their duty by the law of the religion. The
fifth portion is about the ranks of mankind, and
* See Dk. VIII, Chap. XL In Riv. IV the surviving subdivisions are said to be only eight, so as to correspond with the sections of the extant Vijt&sp Yajt.
* Ibid. Chap. XII. O225 has 'Ha^t.
PERSIAN RIVAyATS. 425
those are four ranks : the first is to maintain the
king grandly, and, next, the judges and the learned
in religion ; the second rank is to keep watch over
the cities, and to annihilate the enemy ; of the third
rank are writers and, secondarily, cultivators and the
society of cities ; of the fourth rank are the people
of trade, artizans, market-dealers, and tax-gatherers,
in war they appear excited, and it is requisite to give
a tithe to the high-priests and king ; they keep on
foot the obeisances and good works of which we
have spoken, and, when they act thus, they obtain
great rewards in the end ^.
13. The name of the thirteenth is Sfend*, and
that is of sixty subdivisions which are sent down
for the information of people who are in want of it,
and for the knowledge of those persons who become
covetous 6f virtuous actions, and act after the pro-
ceedings of the learned and people of religion, and
receive advantage therefrom ; also as reminders that
there is advantage from the daily practice of them.
And this book is our reminder about the accounts
of the apostle Zaratu^t by religious people, and
whatever is the allotment of God, the exalted ;
about the false speaking of the people of the world,
and about the goodness of the condition of the
people of the world. Alsp whatever becomes mani-
fest in ten years, about the miracles of Zaratu^t, by
the seven reports that they recite.
14. The name of the fourteenth is G^ira^t ^, and this is of twenty-two subdivisions sent down for the
^ Nothing is said of the sixth portion, either in the Riv^jats or
the Dtn-vi^gard.
• See Dk. VIII, Chap. XIV.
» Ibid. Chap. XHI. MHio has JTiraxt
426 OTHER DETAILS OF NASKS.
understanding of the causes of mankind, which ha;^
made people manifest in the mother's womb, and
afterwards those who come out of the womb,
some of whom are apostles, some kings, and some
peasants ; and whatever remains therein.
15. The name of the fifteenth is Baghdn-ya^t\
and it is of seventeen subdivisions in praise of the
creations of God, the praiseworthy and exalted, and
the angels admitted to him ; also thanksgiving for
his favours, and that which he makes expedient in
the religion, augments the thanksgiving for his
favour, until one obtains it back in the end ; likewise
the appearance of the angels, and this is noble.
Praise be to the sacred being, the exalted !
16. The name of the sixteenth is Niyiram-,
and that is of fifty-four subdivisions, about decrees
as to riches, introducing inmates among outsiders,
and whatever is made lawful by the exalted Lord ;
obtaining deliverance from hell, performing service,
slavery, and the nature of wayfarers, and every one
who performs service and produces remembrance for
mankind ; whatever is in the thoughts of mankind,
and whatever is in the bodies of mankind.
17. The seventeenth is Asp4ram*, and this is of
sixty-four subdivisions which are sent down about
rituals, those which are in the book of the people of
the religion, and an examination of the people's
expense they know of, for the safety and punish-
ment they order in the world until they obtain
deliverance in the end; and whatever they do
lawfully and do unlawfully they know ; also decrees
^ See Dk. VIII, Chap. XV. > Ibid. Chaps. XVI-XX,
» Ibid, Chaps. XXVIII-XXXVII.
PERSIAN RIVAyATS. 427
a^ to inheritances and the limits of faith, about
anything which they sow and whatever they grow,
and about regulating nativity ; whatever one makes
incumbent on memory, and whatever one makes
incumbent on memoranda prepared; also how it is
necessary to produce whatever tokens there are at
the time of childbirth.
18. The name of the eighteenth is DuvAsar6ni-
^ad ^ and it is of sixty-five subdivisions ; robbers of
human beings and quadrupeds, whatever ofie makes
incumbent that they shall give, and an enumeration
of what one makes incumbent on each one of them,
owing to theft and terror, obstructing the roads, the
dread of the wayfarers, and the disturbance of
prisons; and whatever remains therein.
19. The name of the nineteenth is Ask dram*,
and it is of fifty-two subdivisions, about judges and
philosophers, the method of examining decrees,
the knowledge of definitions, and an opinion of
those in other matters.
20. The name of the twentieth is Vendld&d^
and that is of twenty-two subdivisions, for causing
the abstinence of mankind from bad actions, from
the devil and disgrace, foreign magicians and those
who act after their proceedings and become com-
mitters of crime; and we are told of their crime
among the whole of the goodness and purity, and
the whole of the wickedness and defilement, and
the explanation of them.
» See Dk. VIII, Chaps. XXI-XXVII. MHio has Duv4sr6b,
andOM DuvSsard^ad; duv& standing for diib^, or 2(lbd, the
traditional reading of the Zvdri^ ganabd, ' a thief/
« Ibid. Chaps. XXXVIII-XLIIL » Ibid. Chap. XLIV.
428 OTHER DETAILS OF NASKS.
21. The name of the twenty-first is HAdokhtS
and this is a book of thirty subdivisions, about the
manner of bringing together and the abundance of
miracles, also the excellence and connections of
them. And the accursed devil goes far from every
one who recites this book together with the Yart -,
and this person is near to the rank (pilgdh) of a
sacred being, and his sins become pure ; also in this
book the accursed devil becomes cursed, and God
knows it.
III. From the RivAyat of Nar^man H6shang'.
1. Again, that which is in Pahlavi characters is
clear in that manner, that in the Yathi-ahA-vairyo
there are twenty-one vocables, that is, twenty-one
words, and beneath each word there is an equivalent
meaning ; it is also known to the devout that there
are twenty-one Nasks of the Avesta,
2, The first Nask is of thirty-three subdivisions,
that is, it is of thirty-three compilations, and its
name is St6d-ya^^, that is, * producing the praise
of the sacred beings;' and the words of the book
have come down for the majesty of the sacred beings
and angels, and they recite them in that manner;
and in the presence of every high-priest of the pure
ritual, who rightly understands its Avesta and Zand,
^ See Dk. VIII, Chap. XLV. O225 has Hadfikht.
« The Yasna, or St6d-yajt of § i.
* Nar6mdn Hoshang of Bhard^ returned from Persia, a.d. 1478, with letters from priests in Irin in reply to those from priests in India. His account of the Nasks is more abbreviated than the others, and appears to be derived from a Pahlavi original
PERSIAN RIVAyaTS. 429
2LS he recites them correctly on three occasions, the a.ngels come down ; of this there is no doubt.
3. The name of the second is IstAdgar, and it is
of twenty-two subdivisions; its statements are for
the admonition of the people.
4. The name of the third Nask is Vahi^t-
ind,nthrah, and it is of twenty-two subdivisions;
its purport is to bring confirmation of the religion.
5. The name of the fourth is Bagh, and this
is of twenty-one subdivisions; its explanation is
about heedfulness.
6. The name of the fifth is DvAzdah-hAmAst,
and it is of thirty-two subdivisions; its explanation
is in remembrance of the upper world, and about
the lower world.
7. The name of the sixth is Nddar, and that
is of thirty-five compilations; its explanation is
about the interpretation of the world of the stars,
the planets and constellations, and understanding
the arrangement of the sky.
8. The seventh is the Pi^am; this Nask is of
twenty-two subdivisions, and its explanation is with
regard to lawful and unlawful animals, whenever
they slaughter them for the sake of solemnizing a
sea3on-festival ; and, again, whatever is manifold
reward and good work ; also about the reason of the
five days of the guardian spirits, which they call the
select, and wherefore they are appointed.
9. The name of the eighth is Ratu^tiyl, and it
is of fifty subdivisions, of which, after the time of
Alexander, they preserved and found no more than
thirteen subdivisions ; its explanation is about main-
taining devotion, and of obedience to kings, high-
priests, and governors.
430 OTHER DETAILS OF NASKS.
10. The name of the ninth is Bari^, and this
Nask was of sixty subdivisions, but after the time of
Alexander they found no more than twelve sub-
divisions ; its explanation is of those who are kings
and high-priests, leaders and princes, judges and
messengers, what is the nature of the authority of
peasants and princes, and what kind of towns they
possess.
11. The name of the tenth is Ka^sr6b, and this
Nask has been of sixty subdivisions, but after the
time of Alexander they found again no more than
fifteen subdivisions; its explanation is about the
distinction of natural wisdom and knowledge from
acquired knowledge; that which makes mankind
pure from defilement, and the usage that maintains
the proceedings of mankind.
12. The eleventh is the Nask of Vi^tdsp-sh&h,
and it has been of sixty subdivisions, but after the
time of Alexander they found again no more than
ten subdivisions, and their statements are with re-
gard to king Gurtfisp making the religion current.
13. The name of the twelfth is*//"axt, and it is of
twenty-two subdivisions; its explanation is about
enquiry of wisdom, maintaining devotion in the
world, and the punishment for every sin such as
they supply it.
14. The name of the thirteenth is Sfend, and it
is of sixty subdivisions ; its explanation is of that
which they demonstrate as miracles from this Nask,
that every requirement comes to pass which every
high-priest — who shall recite this Nask for several
days with stM^nfold voice, according to that which
has been written — shall solicit for the world.
15. The name of the fourteenth is (9ira^t, and
PERSIAN RIvAyATS. 43 1
this is of twenty-two subdivisions, its explanation is
a,bont the creation of the people of mankind in
the day of the Eternal, until the last day of the
resurrection occurs ; their becoming manifest in the
mother s womb, and why some die in the womb
and some are bom, some are kings and some are
peasants.
16. The name of the fifteenth is BaghAn-ya^t,
and this is of seventeen subdivisions ; its explanation
is about the praise of the angels admitted, and, as to
the servants of the Most Glorious, at what period
they each become manifest, and what duty they
perform, till the resurrection.
17. The name of the sixteenth is Niydram, and
this is of fifty-four subdivisions ; its explanation is
^bout decrees as to traders, covenants and decisions,
that is, awards with regard to the creatures and how
they act
18. The name of the seventeenth is AspAram,
and this is of sixty-four subdivisions ; its explanation
in these is well-directed and a good thing; and
whatever remains therein.
19. The eighteenth is the Duvdsard^ad, and it
is of sixty-five subdivisions ; its explanation is that
which is a statement on the subject of Kh6dy6dath,
that is, forming a union with each other by relations
and those next one another.
20. The name of the nineteenth is Askiram,
and it is of fifty-two subdivisions ; its explanation is
about the occurrence of the production of the re-
novation of the universe, up to the resurrection and
future existence which are the converting of the
dead alive, Aharman and the demons becoming
extinct, and the circumstances of those events.
