* Combining the information given in the Persian Riv&yats with that in the Dfnkar^/ we find only 905 chapters enumerated, of which 180 are said to have been lost, from the philosophical Nasks, during the Greek rule.
lO viNKARD, BOOK Vlll.
recovered as would be possible for a high-priest to
preserve^. 22. And that which the saintly (hA-
fravarrfd) Atdr-p&cl^, son of Miraspend, achieved
through their composition and preservation, is known
so far as the decrees (iak6) in the treatises (mi^!-
gin) of the country of Irin are preserved as
teaching and admonition (panddn6).
23. After writing of each separate Nask, that is,
as to what it speaks about more particularly^, each
Nask is accounted for separately, and what is in its
various His and Fargar^s comes to be realized* ;
for in these particulars (m 4^1 gin) any ruggedness
of the auspicious^ and desirable collection is ex-
plained. 24. But, first, the class of writing of the
various Nasks — that is, about what they speak — is
here written ; the extent of attainment not 6eing'
adapted to ^Aeir peculiarity of wonderfulness.
Chapter II.
1. Homage fo the glory 0/ the good religion 0/ Ma8:^a-worship 1
2. The S6^/kar* contains particulars about the
^ Probably meaning not more than a high-priest could retain in his memory.
' A supreme high-priest \vho was prime minister of king Shah- piihar II (a.d. 309-379).
' In this eighth book of the Dfnkar^.
^ In the more detailed statements in the ninth book.
^ Reading hO^ukiingfin, but it may be kh<ijkiintn&, 'benefi- cent/ or ana^ikdn-giin, ' unconfusing/
• Corresponding to the first word, yathd, in the Ahunavair, ac- cording to the Persian Riviyat of Bahman Pfii^^yah, which adopts the sequence detailed in Chap. I, la. All other Persian Riviyats and also the Dtnt-vi^rkard adopt the sequence G 1-4 ; H 1-7 ;
Chapter I, 22~Ii, 5. Ii
power of the pure glorifying of the first utterance of
AClharmsLsr^^, through thinking, speaking, and acting;
and about abstaining from the law of very evil and
very disturbing peopled 3. Glorifying the obser-
vances (hdnardno) and good works of the good
religion and of a like nature, as well as their cffec-
tualness ; and condemning the faults and sin of him
of very evil religion, when all kinds of neglect of the
spiritual ceremony and of care for the archangel of
the worldly existence are owing to him* ; also much
information about spiritual matters. 4. It has be-
come old (kahflnik), and is a witness whose state-
ment extends even unto the renovation of the
universe^.
5. Righteousness is perfect excellence*.
G 5, 7 ; L 6, 7, 1, 3, a, 4, 5 ; G 6. Lflte most of the names of the Nasks, Sfi^kar is an adjective, meaning 'causing benefit, or act-- ing beneficially;' it is comipted into Stftdgar, or Isti^dgar, in the Rivdyats and Dv. For a detailed account of the contents of each of its twenty-two fargar<i^ see Bk. IX, Chaps. II-XXIII.
' The Ahunavair, or Yathd ahii vairyd, which AftharmaA/ recited before the creation in order to confound Ahannan (see Bd. I, a I, 2 a). This clause refers chiefly to the first fargar^/ of the SaAar (see Bk. IX, Chap. II).
* Referring to Bk. IX, Chaps. V, IX, X, &c.
• See Bk. IX, Chap. IX. * See Bk. IX, Chap. XXIII, 7.
" The text is ahardyth dz^dWi pihliim afto, the Pahl. equiva- lent of the Av. ashem vohO vahif tern astf, ' righteousness is the best good,' the first metrical line of the Asbem-vohii formula, with which it is usual to conclude forms of prayer and religious writings. It is here used to conclude the account of each of the twenty-one Nasks, and twice over at the end of the last one, so that it occurs twenty-two times in this eighth Book. In the ninth Book it con- cludes the account of each fargar^ of the three Nasks detailed, and is written twice at the end of the second Nask, and twice at the end of the Book; so that it occurs in three series of aa, a4, and a4 repetitions, respectively, in the ninth Book. As the formula,
12 dInKA^J), book VIII*
Chapter III,
I. The Var^tminsar^ contains particulars about
the birth of Zaratftrt, his attaining the reHgion^, and
whatever is on the same subject^ 2. A notice
(numifl?) of the priestliness, discipleship, spiritual
lordship, priestly authority, and steadfastness which
are in his original more concise words of the G&thas *.
3. The explanation (zand) of the statements about
everything and also the good arrangement (khuj-
ra^/ak6) are such as that which one speaks of thus :
— ' // is the Var^tminsar which has given forth an
exposition upon ew^rythingJ 4. So that, in the
Var^tminsar, something is said about ^v^xy thing that
is mentioned in the Gdthas.
which is thus repeated, consists of four words, it is capable of 1x2x3x4 = 24 permutations in the order of its words ; and it appears as if the author intended that each of the four series of repetitions of the formula, contained in the two Books, should give all these permutations successively; and, with the exception of a few deviations (chiefly in the first two series, and probably due to the errors of copyists), he has maintained this fanciful peculiarity throughout. The English translations of the formula have been varied, so as to preserve this peculiarity to some extent, but it has not been found possible to differentiate the whole of the twenty- four permutations.
^ Corresponding to the second word, ahd, in the Ahunavair, according to B. P. Riv. ; but it is the third Nask in other Rivdyats. Varjtm&nsar means ' used as spells, or employed as liturgy,' and is often corrupted into VahLft-m&nthrah in the Riviyats. For a detailed account of the contents of each of its twenty-three fargar^s see Bk. IX, Chaps. XXIV-XLVI.
* See Bk. IX, Chap. XXIV.
' This final phrase is often used for unspecified details, and may be considered as equivalent to ei caeUra.
* See Bk. IX, Chap. XXV.
Chapter Iii, I-V, I. 13
Chapter IV.
J. The Bakd^ contains particulars about the divi-
sion of the recital of the first saying of revelation *,
the first creature^ in that saying, the first occurrence
of it, the adaptation of the creature, and the greatness
of that saying which is incorporating the creature,
owing thereto; also, especially, the intermingling
of thought (m^^* with it. 2. Very comprehensive
knowledge about everything, each separately its
own offspring, and many an appendage as much
connected with it a3 that which is said concerning
the Bako^ that *the Bak6 of the community (ddh-
min) is heard where it is spoken for the community,'
that is, whoever shall do this good work, for him
this good work will be done.
3. Righteousness is perfect excellence.
Chapter V.
I. Amid the Dimd&^® are particulars about the maintenance of action and the production of the
^ Corresponding to the third word, vairyd, in the Ahunavair, according to B. P. Riv. ; but it is the fourth Nask in other Riv^- yats. Bakd means 'subdivision, or apportionment,' and is written Bagh, or Bagh-ast, in the Riviyats. For a detailed account of the contents of each of its twenty-two fargar^s see Bk. IX, Chaps. XLVII-LXVIIL
• The Ahunavair (see Chap. II, 2 and Bk. IX, Chap. XL VII, 3).
• The Ahft, or * spiritual lord,* who is the first creature mentioned in the Ahunavair (see Bk. IX, Chap. XL VII, 4).
^ Av. maiti, Paz. mit in Bk. IX, Chap. XLVII, 5, the Av. manas of Yas. XIX, 29 (Sp.).
^ This section is an extreme condensation of the contents of Bk. IX, Chaps. XLVIII-LXVIIL
• Corresponding to the fourth word, ath&, in the Ahunavair,
14 viNKARD, BOOK VIIL
beneficial creatures. 2. First, as to the spiritual
existence, and how much and how is the mainten-
ance in the spiritual existence; and the production of
the worldly existence therefrom, qualified and con-
structed for descending (fitdoTanS) into the combat
with the destroyer, and accomplishing the associated
necessity for the end and circumvention (garang)
of destructiveness.
3. The manner and species of the creation of the
creatures ; also their material existence, and the char-
acter and use of the races and species ; and whatever
is on the same subject. 4. The reason for their
creation, and for their perfection at last. 5. About
the adversity, injury, and misery of those creatures,
and their secret (nlhdnS) resources and means
of attacking and annihilating them; with the pre-
servation or disablement (<zp^>fe&rlnlrfan6) of the
creatures thereby^.
6. Of righteousness the excellence is perfect ex- cellence.
according to B. P. Riv. ; but it is the fifth Nask in other Riviyats. DdmddJ means 'the creatures produced/ and it is called Dvdz- dah-bSm&st (or hum^t) in the Riv&yats, which also state that it contained thirty-two kardah, or subdivisions. No further particulars of this and the subsequent Nasks are given by the Dinkar</, beyond the contents of this eighth Book.
^ So far as this brief account of the Ddmd^ goes, it corresponds very well with much of the contents of the Bundahi^ . Zi^-sparam, in his Selections, IX, i, 16, also quotes the DdmdIU/ as the authority for certain details contained in the Bundahish, which work must therefore be considered as derived from this Nask. It is very probable, however, that the Nask contained much more information than is here hinted, because the author's usual plan, in these brief summaries, is evidently to confine his remarks to a few of the details near the beginning of each Nask.
CHAPTER V, 2-Vn, 2. I5
« Chapter VI.
1. On account of the Zand of the N4^/ar* not
reaching us, the Avesta is retained, for teaching,
recital, and ceremony, because it has come unto us
with authority.
2. Of righteousness the excellence is perfect ex- cellence.
Chapter VII.
I. The Pi^ag* contains particulars about law-
fully slaughtering a sheep, for the ceremonial of
fires, waters, and holy-water, in aid of a season-
festival^ of the Masflfa-worshippers ; besides this,
namely, in what are the skill, and the means for
selection, of a man for such work, and the for-
mula (nlrang) of the ceremony. 2. And this,
namely, from which limb of the sheep species is the
^ Corresponding to the fifth word, ratuj, in the Ahunavair, according to B. P. Riv. ; but it is the sixth Nask in other RivSyats. Owing to its Zand, or Pahlavi version, having been lost, the author does not undertake to describe its contents; but the Riv&yats state that it consisted of thirty-five jiirat, or compilations, about astronomy and astrology. The traditional name Nd</ar, or Ni^i^r, is pro- bably a misreading; as Vakhtar (for Vakhttar), 'more destined,' and Vakhtvar, ' fate-bringing/ would be more intelligible readings of the same letters.
* Corresponding to the sixth word, ash&</, in the Ahunavair, according to B. P. Riv.; but it is the seventh Nask in other Rivdyats. P^^ag probably means ' cooking/ with reference to the preparations for the sacred feasts; it is called P^ifam, Pd^m, or Pizi^n in the Rivdyats, which also state that it contained twenty- two kardah, or subdivisions.
1 6 DtNKAJW), BOOK VIII.
share ofxh^ fires and waters to be taken\ and how
is the preparation which is to be carried on, ^^^ith
what Avesta, 3. And whatever is about a season-
festival; where the appointed place is, when one
celebrates //, and when it has fully elapsed ; the
assembly of the season-festival, and the donation for
the feast ; where and when the celebration is possible,
in what proportion the provisions are to be given
out, and^Nfh&[i to be prepared and divided ; where its
advantage is, and what benefit there is from it to the
good creations both spiritually and materially.
^ The heart for the fires, and the fore-legs for the waters, accord- ing to Sis. XI, 4.
' The Z6ti is the chief officiating priest in the ceremonial, and the Rdspi is the assistant priest. *
Chapter Vii, 3-12. 17
priesdy authorities, who are great and good, and
when they do not give a portion to the authorities
are cases when the season-festivals are not to be con-
sidered as celebrated 9. This, too, that the Z6tis
and R&spis are for the Zdti duty and Rdspt duty,
and the other priestly authorities for the control of
sin and computation {dvkr) of the portions; and
more on the same subject.
10. About the rotation of the day-watches (g4s),
days, months, and seasons of the year — ^which are
when it is summer and winter — and the appearances
(sahtj'nd) therein which are owing to the motion of
the constellations ^. 11. Where the coming of the
righteous guardian spirits (frav4har) into the
worldly existence occurs^ in those ten days which
are the end of the winter and termination of the
year, because the five Gothic days*, among them,
are for that purpose; the cessation of that same, as
well as its continuance. 12. The great needfulness
of the guardian spirits of the righteous in the cere-
monial and obeisance of those ten days, and their
abundant gratification therefrom; their vexation from
