ZOROASTRIANISM
The Zend Avesta
Vendidad: Book of Law
Fargard 1 - 16 Perfect Lands
Created by Ahura Mazda
Fargard 2 - Myths
of Yima
Fargard 3 - The Earth
Fargard 4 - Contracts and Offenses
Fargard 5 - Purity Laws
The Avesta
VENDIDAD: BOOK OF LAW
Translated by James Darmesteter (From Sacred
Books of the East, American Edition, 1898.)
FARGARD 1.
Sixteen perfect lands created
by Ahura Mazda, and as many plagues created by Angra Mainyu.
-
- 1. Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathushtra, saying: I have
made every land dear (to its people), even though it
- had no charms whatever in it*: had I not made every land dear
(to its people), even though it had no charms whatever
- in it, then the whole living world would have invaded the Airyana
Vaeja.
- *Clause 2
in the Vendidad Sada is composed of Zend quotations in the Commentary that
illustrate the alternative process of creation: 'First, Ahura Mazda would
create a land of such kind that its dwellers might like it, and there could be
nothing more delightful. Then he who is all death would bring against it a
counter-creation.'
- 2. The first of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was the Airyana Vaeja, by the Vanguhi
- Daitya.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the serpent in the river and Winter, a work
- of the Daevas.
-
- 3. There are ten winter months there, two summer months; and
those are cold for the waters, cold for the earth, cold for
- the trees. Winter falls there, the worst of all plagues.
-
- 4. The second of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was the plain [Doubtful] which the
- Sughdhas inhabit.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the locust, which brings death unto cattle
- and plants.
-
- 5. The third of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was the strong, holy Mouru.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
plunder and sin [Doubtful].
-
- 6. The fourth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was the beautiful Bakhdhi with high-lifted
- banner.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the ants and the ant-hills.
-
- 7. The fifth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was Nisaya, that lies between the Mouru
- and Bakhdhi.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the sin of unbelief.
-
- 8. The sixth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was the house-deserting Haroyu.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
tears and wailing.
-
- 9. The seventh of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was Vaekereta, of the evil shadows.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the Pairika Knathaiti, who claves unto
- Keresaspa.
-
- 10. The eighth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was Urva of the rich pastures.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the sin of pride.
-
- 11. The ninth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was Khnenta which the Vehrkanas inhabit.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
a sin for which there is no atonement, the
- unnatural sin.
-
- 12. The tenth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was the beautiful Harahvaiti.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
a sin for which there is no atonement, the
- burying of the dead.
-
- 13. The eleventh of the good lands and countries which I,
Ahura Mazda, created, was the bright, glorious Haetumant.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the evil work of witchcraft.
-
- 14. And this is the sign by which it is known, this is that by
which it is seen at once: wheresoever they may go and raise a
- cry of sorcery, there the worst works of witchcraft go forth. From
there they come to kill and strike at heart, and they
- bring locusts as many as they want.
-
- 15. The twelfth of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura
Mazda, created, was Ragha of the three races.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
the sin of utter unbelief.
-
- 16. The thirteenth of the good lands and countries which
I,Ahura Mazda, created, was the strong, holy Chakhra.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
a sin for which there is no atonement, the
- cooking of corpses.
-
- 17. The fourteenth of the good lands and countries which
I,Ahura Mazda, created, was the four-cornered Varena, for
- which was born Thraetaona, who smote Azi Dahaka.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
abnormal issues in women, and barbarian
- oppression.
-
- 18. The fifteenth of the good lands and countries which I,
Ahura Mazda, created, was the Seven Rivers.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
abnormal issues in women, and excessive
- heat.
-
- 19. The sixteenth of the good lands and countries which I,
Ahura Mazda, created, was the land by the sources (?) of the
- Rangha,where people live who have no chiefs.
-
- Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created
Winter, a work of the Daevas.
-
- 20. There are still other lands and countries, beautiful and
deep, longing and asking for the good, and bright.
-
FARGARD 2.
Myths of Yima
-
- 1. Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda: O Ahura Mazda, most
beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy
- One! Who was the first mortal, before myself, Zarathushtra, with whom
thou, Ahura Mazda, didst converse, whom
- thou didst teach the Religion of Ahura, the Religion of Zarathushtra?
2. Ahura Mazda answered: The fair Yima, the
- good shepherd, O holy Zarathushtra! he was the first mortal, before
thee, Zarathushtra, with whom I, Ahura Mazda,
- did converse, whom I taught the Religion of Ahura, the Religion of
Zarathushtra. 3. Unto him, O Zarathushtra, I,
- Ahura Mazda, spake, saying: 'Well, fair Yima, son of Vivanghat, be
thou the preacher and the bearer of my Religion!'
- And the fair Yima, O Zarathushtra, replied unto me, saying: 'I was
not born, I was not taught to be the preacher and
- the bearer of thy Religion.'
-
- 4. Then I, Ahura Mazda, said thus unto him, O Zarathushtra:
'Since thou dost not consent to be the preacher and the
- bearer of my Religion, then make thou my world increase, make my
world grow: consent thou to nourish, to rule,
- and to watch over my world.'
-
- 5. And the fair Yima replied unto me, O Zarathushtra, saying:
'Yes! I will make thy world increase, I will make thy
- world grow. Yes! I will nourish, and rule, and watch over thy world.
There shall be, while I am king, neither cold
- wind not hot wind, neither disease nor death.'
- 6.
*Vd2.6 is composed of unconnected Zend quotations, which are no part of
the text and are introduced by the commentator for the purpose of showing that
'although Yima did not teach the law and train pupils, he was nevertheless a
faithful and a holy man, and rendered men holy too (?).' See Fragments of the
Vendidad.
- Then I, Ahura Mazda, brought two implements unto him: a golden seal
and a poniard inlaid with gold. Behold, here
- Yima bears the royal sway!
-
- 7. [Obscure.]
-
- 8. Thus, under the sway of Yima, three hundred winters passed
away, and the earth was replenished with flocks and
- herds, with men and dogs and birds and with red blazing fires, and
there was room no more for flocks, herds, and
- men.
-
- 9. Then I warned the fair Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son of
Vivanghat, the earth has become full of flocks and herds,
- of men and dogs and birds and of red blazing fires, and there is room
no more for flocks, herds, and men.'
-
- 10. Then Yima stepped forward, in light, southwards, on the
way of the sun, and (afterwards) he pressed the earth with
- the golden seal, and bored it with the poniard, speaking thus: 'O
Spenta Armaiti, kindly open asunder and stretch thyself afar, to bear flocks
and herds and men.'*
- *'Do this
out of kindness to the creatures'
- 11. And Yima made the earth grow larger by one-third than it
was before, and there came flocks and herds and men, at
- their will and wish, as many as he wished.
-
- 12. Thus, under the sway of Yima, six hundred winters passed
away, and the earth was replenished with flocks and
- herds, with men and dogs and birds and with red blazing fires, and
there was room no more for flocks, herds, and
- men.
-
- 13. And I warned the fair Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son of
Vivanghat, the earth has become full of flocks and herds, of
- men and dogs and birds and of red blazing fires, and there is room no
more for flocks, herds, and men.'
-
- 14. Then Yima stepped forward, in light, southwards, on the
way of the sun, and (afterwards) he pressed the earth with
- the golden seal, and bored it with the poniard, speaking thus: 'O
Spenta Armaiti, kindly) open asunder and stretch
- thyself afar, to bear flocks and herds and men.'
-
- 15. And Yima made the earth grow larger by two-thirds than it
was before, and there came flocks and herds and men, at
- their will and wish, as many as he wished.
-
- 16. Thus, under the sway of Yima, nine hundred winters passed
away, and the earth was replenished with flocks and
- herds, with men and dogs and birds and with red blazing fires, and
there was room no more for flocks, herds, and
- men.
-
- 17. And I warned the fair Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son of
Vivanghat, the earth has become full of flocks and herds, of
- men and dogs and birds and of red blazing fires, and there is room no
more for flocks, herds, and men.'
-
- 18. Then Yima stepped forward, in light, southwards, on the
way of the sun, and (afterwards) he pressed the earth with
- the golden seal, and bored it with the poniard, speaking thus: 'O
Spenta Armaiti, kindly) open asunder and stretch
- thyself afar, to bear flocks and herds and men.'
-
- 19. And Yima made the earth grow larger by two-thirds than it
was before, and there came flocks and herds and men, at
- their will and wish, as many as he wished.
-
- 20. The Maker, Ahura Mazda, called together a meeting of the
celestial Yazatas in the Airyana Vaejo of high renown, by
- the Vanguhi Dairya.
-
- The fair Yima, the good shepherd, called together a meeting of the
best of the mortals, in the Airyana Vaejo of high
- renown, by the Vanguhi Daitya.
-
- 21. To that meeting came Ahura Mazda, in the Airyana Vaejo of
high renown, by the Vanguhi Daitya; he came together
- with the celestial Yazatas.
-
- To that meeting came the fair Yima, the good shepherd, in the Airyana
Vaejo of high renown, by the Vanguhi Daitya;
- he came together with the best of the mortals.
-
- 22. And Ahura Mazda spake unto Yima, saying: 'O fair Yima, son
of Vivanghat! Upon the material world the evil
- winters are about to fall, that shall bring the fierce, deadly frost;
upon the material world the evil winters are about to
- fall, that shall make snow-flakes fall thick, even an aredvi
deep* on the highest tops of mountains. Even where it (the snow) is
least, it will be one Vitasti [two fingers deep].'
- *That is,
fourteen fingers deep.
- 23. 'And the beasts that live in the wilderness ['for
instance, Ispahan.'], and those that live on the tops of the mountains
['For instance, Aparsen (the Upairisaena or Hindu-Kush).'], and those
that live in the bosom of the dale ['For instance, Khorastan (the plain of
Khorasan).'] shall take shelter in underground abodes.
-
- 24. 'Before that winter, the country would bear plenty of
grass for cattle, before the waters had flooded it. Now after the
- melting of the snow, O Yima, a place wherein the footprint of a sheep
may be seen will be a wonder in the world.
-
- 25. 'Therefore make thee a Vara, long as a riding-ground on
every side of the square ['Two hathras long on
- every side' (A hathra is about an English mile.)], and thither
bring the seeds of sheep and oxen, of men, of dogs, of birds, and of red
blazing fires. Therefore make thee a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every
side of the square, to be an abode for man; a Vara, long as a riding-ground on
every side of the square, for oxen and sheep.
-
- 26. 'There thou shalt make waters flow in a bed a hathra long;
there thou shalt settle birds, on the green that never fades,
- with food that never fails. There thou shalt establish
dwelling-places, consisting of a house with a balcony, a
- courtyard, and as gallery<FNOTE>The last three words are of
doubtful meaning.</FNOTE>.
-
- 27. 'Thither thou shalt bring the seeds of men and women, of
the greatest, best, and finest on this earth; thither thou shalt
- bring the seeds of every kind of cattle, of the greatest, best, and
finest on this earth.
-
- 28. 'Thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind of tree,
of the highest of size and sweetest of odour on this
- earth [''The highest of size, like the cypress and the plane-tree;
the sweetest of odour, like the rose and the
- jessamine' ]; thither thou shalt bring the seeds of every kind
of fruit, the best of savour and sweetest of odour ['The best of savour,
like the date; the sweetest of odour, like the citron.' ] All those seeds
shalt thou bring, two of every kind, to be kept inexhaustible there, so long as
those men shall stay in the Vara. 29. 'There shall be no humpbacked,
none bulged forward there; no impotent, no lunatic; no malicious, no liar; no
one spiteful, none jealous; no one with decayed tooth, no leprous to be pent
up, nor any of the brands wherewith Angra Mainyu stamps the bodies of mortals.
-
- 30. 'In the largest part of the place thou shalt make nine
streets, six in the middle part, three in the smallest. To the streets
- of the largest part thou shalt bring a thousand seeds of men and
women; to the streets of the middle part, six hundred;
- to the streets of the smallest part, three hundred. That Vara thou
shalt seal up with thy golden seal, and thou shalt
- make a door, and a window self-shining within.'
-
- 31. Then Yima said within himself: 'How shall I manage to make
that Vara which Ahura Mazda has commanded me to
- make?' And Ahura Mazda said unto Yima: 'O fair Yima, son of
Vivanghat! Crush the earth with a stamp of thy heel,
- and then knead it with thy hands, as the potter does when kneading
the potter's clay.'
-
- 32. [And Yima did as Ahura Mazda wished; he crushed the earth
with a stamp of his heel, he kneaded it with his hands,
- as the potter does when kneading the potter's clay (From the
Vendidad Sada).]
-
- 33. And Yima made a Vara, long as a riding-ground on every
side of the square. There he brought the seeds of sheep and
- oxen, of men, of dogs, of birds, and of red blazing fires. He made a
Vara, long as a riding-ground on every side of
- the square, to be an abode for men; a Vara, long as a riding-ground
on every side of the square, for oxen and sheep.
-
- 34. There he made waters flow in a bed a hathra long; there he
settled birds, on the green that never fades, with food that
- never fails. There he established dwelling-places, consisting of a
house with a balcony, a courtyard, and a gallery.
-
- 35. There he brought the seeds of men and women, of the
greatest, best, and finest on this earth; there he brought the
- seeds of every kind of cattle, of the greatest, best, and finest on
this earth.
-
- 36. There he brought the seeds of every kind of tree, of the
highest of size and sweetest of odour on this earth; there he
- brought the seeds of every kind of fruit, the best of savour and
sweetest of odour. All those seeds he brought, two of
- every kind, to be kept inexhaustible there, so long as those men
shall stay in the Vara.
-
- 37. And there were no humpbacked, none bulged forward there;
no impotent, no lunatic; no one malicious, no liar; no
- one spiteful, none jealous; no one with decayed tooth, no leprous to
be pent up, nor any of the brands wherewith
- Angra Mainyu stamps the bodies of mortals.
-
- 38. In the largest part of the place he made nine streets, six
in the middle part, three in the smallest. To the streets of the
- largest part he brought a thousand seeds of men and women; to the
streets of the middle part, six hundred; to the
- streets of the smallest part, three hundred. That Vara he sealed up
with the golden ring, and he made a door, and a
- window self-shining within.
-
- 39. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! What are the
lights that give light in the Vara which Yima made?
-
- 40. Ahura Mazda answered: 'There are uncreated lights and
created lights.' [The Commentary has here the
- following Avestan quotation: 'The uncreated light shines from
above; all the created lights shine from
- below.' The one thing missed there is the sight of the stars, the
moon, and the sun, and a year seems only
- as a day.]
-
- 41. 'Every fortieth year, to every couple two are born, a male
and a female. And thus it is for every sort of cattle. And the
- men in the Vara which Yima made live the happiest life [''They
live there for 150 years; some say, they
- never die.' ].'
-
- 42. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Who is he
who brought the Religion of Mazda into the Vara which
- Yima made? Ahura Mazda answered: 'It was the bird Karshipta, O holy
Zarathushtra!'
-
- 43. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Who are the
Lord and the Master there? Ahura Mazda answered:
- 'Urvatat-nara, O Zarathushtra! and thyself, Zarathushtra.'
FARGARD 3.
The Earth
-
- 1. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
first place where the Earth<FNOTE>'The Genius of the
- Earth' (Comm.)</FNOTE> feels most happy? Ahura Mazda answered:
'It is the place whereon one of the faithful
- steps forward, O Spitama Zarathushtra! with the log in his hand, the
Baresma in his hand, the milk in his hand, the
- mortar in his hand, lifting up his voice in good accord with
religion, and beseeching Mithra, the lord of the rolling
- country-side, and Rama Hvastra.'
-
- 2,3. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is
the second place where the Earth feels most happy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place whereon one of the faithful erects a
house with a priest within, with cattle, with a
- wife, with children, and good herds within; and wherein afterwards
the cattle continue to thrive, virtue to thrive,
- fodder to thrive, the dog to thrive, the wife to thrive, the child to
thrive, the fire to thrive, and every blessing of life to
- thrive.'
-
- 4. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
third place where the Earth feels most happy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place where one of the faithful sows most
corn, grass, and fruit, O Spitama Zarathushtra!
- where he waters ground that is dry, or drains ground that is too
wet.'
-
- 5. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
fourth place where the Earth feels most happy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place where there is most increase of
flocks and herds.'
-
- 6. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
fifth place where the Earth feels most happy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place where flocks and herds yield most
dung.'
-
- 7. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
first place where the Earth feels sorest grief? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the neck of Arezura, whereon the hosts of
fiends rush forth from the burrow of the Druj.'
-
- 8. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
second place where the Earth feels sorest grief? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place wherein most corpses of dogs and of
men lie buried.'
-
- 9. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
third place where the Earth feels sorest grief? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place whereon stand most of those Dakhmas
on which the corpses of men are deposited.'
-
- 10. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
fourth place where the Earth feels sorest grief? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place wherein are most burrows of the
creatures of Angra Mainyu ['Where there
- are most Khrafstras' (noxious animals).]
-
- 11. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Which is the
fifth place where the Earth feels sorest grief? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is the place whereon the wife and children of one
of the faithful, O Spitama Zarathushtra! are
- driven along the way of captivity, the dry, the dusty way, and lift
up a voice of wailing.'
-
- 12. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Who is the
first that rejoices the Earth with greatest joy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is he who digs out of it most corpses of dogs and
men.' [See 8 above.]
-
- 13. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Who is the
second that rejoices the Earth with greatest joy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is he who pulls down most of those Dakhmas on
which the corpses of men are deposited.'
-
- 14. Let no man alone by himself carry a corpse. If a man alone
by himself carry a corpse, the Nasu rushes upon him, to
- defile him, from the nose of the dead, from the eye, from the tongue,
from the jaws, from the sexual organs, from the
- hinder parts. This Druj Nasu falls upon him, [stains him] even
to the end of the nails, and he is unclean, thenceforth,
- for ever and ever.
-
- 15. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! What shall
be the place of that man who has carried a corpse [alone]?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'It shall be the place on this earth wherein is
least water and fewest plants, whereof the
- ground is the cleanest and the dryest and the least passed through by
flocks and herds, by the fire of Ahura Mazda, by
- the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by the faithful.'
-
- 16. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! How far from
the fire? How far from the water? How far from the
- consecrated bundles of Baresma? How far from the faithful?
-
- 17. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Thirty paces from the fire, thirty
paces from the water, thirty paces from the consecrated
- bundles of Baresma, three paces from the faithful.
-
- 18,19. 'There, on that place, shall the worshippers of Mazda
erect an enclosure, and therein shall they establish him with
- food, therein shall they establish him with clothes, with the
coarsest food and with the most worn-out clothes. That
- food he shall live on, those clothes he shall wear, and thus shall
they let him live, until he has grown to the age of a
- Hana, or of a Zaurura, or of a Pairishta-khshudra.
-
- 20,21. 'And when he has grown to the age of a Hana, or of a
Zaurura, or of a Pairishta-khshudra, then the worshippers of
- Mazda shall order a man strong, vigorous, and skilful ['Trained to
operations of that sort'], to cut the head off his neck, in his enclosure on
the top of the mountain: and they shall deliver his corpse unto the greediest
of the corpse-eating creatures made by the beneficent Spirit, unto the
vultures, with these words: "The man here has repented of all his evil
thoughts, words, and deeds. If he has committed any other evil deed, it is
remitted by his repentance: if he has committed no other evil deed, he is
absolved by his repentance, for ever and ever." '
-
- 22. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Who is the
third that rejoices the Earth with greatest joy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is he who fills up most burrows of the creatures
of Angra Mainyu.'
-
- 23. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Who is the
fourth that rejoices the Earth with greatest joy? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'It is he who sows most corn, grass, and fruit, O
Spitama Zarathushtra! who waters ground that is
- dry, or drains ground that is too wet.
-
- 24. 'Unhappy is the land that has long lain unsown with the
seed of the sower and wants a good husbandman, like a
- well-shapen maiden who has long gone childless and wants a good
husband.
-
- 25. 'He who would till the earth, O Spitama Zarathushtra! with
the left arm and the right, with the right arm and the left,
- unto him will she bring forth plenty of fruit: even as it were a
lover sleeping with his bride on her bed; the bride will
- bring forth children, (the earth will bring forth) plenty of fruit.
-
- 26,27. 'He who would till the earth, O Spitama Zarathushtra!
with the left arm and the right, with the right arm and the left,
- unto him thus says the Earth: "O thou man! who dost till me with the
left arm and the right, with the right arm and
- the left, here shall I ever go on bearing, bringing forth all manner
of food, bringing corn first to thee ['When something good grows up, it will
grow up for thee first' (Perhaps: 'bringing to thee profusion of corn' ('some
say, she will bring to thee 15 for 10;' )]."
-
- 28,29. 'He who does not till the earth, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! with the left arm and the right, with the right arm and the left,
- unto him thus says the Earth: "O thou man! who dost not till me with
the left arm and the right, with the right arm
- and the left, ever shalt thou stand at the door of the stranger,
among those who beg for bread; the refuse and the
- crumbs of the bread are brought unto thee [''They take for
themselves what is good and send to thee what is
- bad' ( brought by those who have profusion of wealth)]." '
-
- 30. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! What is the
food that fills the Religion of Mazda [lit: what is the
- stomach of the law?]? Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is sowing corn
again and again, O Spitama Zarathushtra!
-
- 31. 'He who sows corn, sows righteousness: he makes the
Religion of Mazda walk, he suckles the Religion of Mazda; as
- well as he could do with a hundred man's feet, with a thousand
woman's breasts ['He makes the Religion of
- Mazda as fat as a child could be made by means of a hundred feet,
that is to say, of fifty servants walking to rock
- him; of a thousand breasts, that is, of five hundred nurses' (with
ten thousand sacrificial formulas)].
-
- 32. 'When barley was created, the Daevas started up; when it
grew [doubtful], then fainted the Daevas' hearts; when the knots
came[doubtful], the Daevas groaned; when the ear came, the Daevas flew away. In
that house the Daevas stay, wherein wheat perishes [doubtful]. It is as
though red hot iron were turned about in their throats, when there is plenty of
corn [doubtful].
-
- 33. 'Then let people learn by heart this holy saying: "No one
who does not eat, has strength to do heavy works of
- holiness, strength to do works of husbandry, strength to beget
children. By eating every material creature lives, by not
- eating it dies away."'
-
- 34. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! Who is the
fifth that rejoices the Earth with greatest joy?
-
- Ahura Mazda answered: '[It is he who kindly and piously
gives]the Asho-dad or alms. [The bracketed
- clause is from the Vendidad Sada] [ to one of the faithful
who tills the earth,] O Spitama Zarathushtra!
-
- 35. 'He who would not kindly and piously give to one of the
faithful who tills the earth, O Spitama Zarathushtra! Spenta
- Armaiti will throw him down into darkness, down into the world of
woe, the world of hell, down into the deep
- abyss [Conjectural translation.].'
-
- 36. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! If a man
shall bury in the earth either the corpse of a dog or the corpse
- of a man, and if he shall not disinter it within half a year, what is
the penalty that he shall pay?
-
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'Five hundred stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra,
five hundred stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 37. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! If a man
shall bury in the earth either the corpse of a dog or the corpse
- of a man, and if he shall not disinter it within a year, what is the
penalty that he shall pay?
-
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'A thousand stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, a
thousand stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 38. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy one! If a man
shall bury in the earth either the corpse of a dog or the corpse
- of a man, and if he shall not disinter it within the second year,
what is the penalty for it? What is the atonement for it?
- What is the cleansing from it?
-
- 39. Ahura Mazda answered: 'For that deed there is nothing that
can pay, nothing that can atone, nothing that can cleanse
- from it; it is a trespass for which there is no atonement, for ever
and ever.'
-
- 40. When is it so?
-
- 'It is so, if the sinner be a professor of the Religion of Mazda, or
one who has been taught in it.
-
- 'But if he be not a professor of the Religion of Mazda, nor one who
has been taught in it, then his sin is taken from
- him, if he makes confession of the Religion of Mazda and resolves
never to commit again such forbidden deeds.
-
- 41. 'The Religion of Mazda indeed, O Spitama Zarathushtra!
takes away from him who makes confession of it the bonds
- of his sin; it takes away (the sin of) breach of trust
[Doubtful]. [From the commentary it appears that draosha
- must have meant a different sort of robbery: ('He knows that it is
forbidden to steal, but he fancies that robbing the rich
- to give to the poor is a pious deed'.)]; it takes away (the
sin of) murdering one of the faithful; it takes away (the sin of) deeds for
which there is no atonement; it takes away the worst sin of usury; it takes
away any sin that may be sinned.
-
- 42. 'In the same way the Religion of Mazda, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! cleanses the faithful from every evil thought, word,
- and deed, as a swift-rushing mighty wind cleanses the plain ('From
chaff').'
-
- 'So let all the deeds he doeth be henceforth good, O Zarathushtra! a
full atonement for his sin is effected by means of
- the Religion of Mazda.'
FARGARD 4.
Contracts and
Offenses
I.
-
- 1. He that does not restore a loan to the man who lent it,
steals the thing and robs the man ["He is a thief when he takes a view not to
restore; he is a robber when, being asked to restore, he answers, I will not"].
This he doeth every day, every night, as long as he keep in his house his
neighbour's property, as though it were his own.
-
Ia.
-
- 2. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How many in
number are thy contracts, O Ahura Mazda? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'They are six in number, O holy Zarathushtra. The
first is the word-contract; the second is the
- hand-contract; the third is the contract to the amount of a sheep;
the fourth is the contract to the amount of an ox; the
- fifth is the contract to the amount of a man; the sixth is the
contract to the amount of a field, a field in good land, a
- fruitful one, in good bearing.'
-
- 3. The word-contract is fulfilled by words of mouth. It is
cancelled by the hand-contracct; he shall give as damages the
- amount of the hand-contract.
-
- 4. The hand-contract is cancelled by the sheep-contract; he shall
give as damages the amount of thhe sheep-contract. The
- sheep-contract is cancelled by the ox-contract; he shall give as
damages the amount of the ox-contract. The
- ox-contract is cancelled by the man-contract; he shall give as
damages the amount of the man-contract. The
- man-contract is cancelled by the field-contract; he shall give as
damages the amount of the field-contract.
-
- 5. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the word-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabanazdishtas answerable
for three hundred (years).'
-
- 6. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the hand-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabanazdishtas answerable
for six hundred (years).'
-
- 7. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the sheep-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabanazdishtas answerable
for seven hundred (years).'
-
- 8. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the ox-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabanazdishtas answerable
for eight hundred (years).'
-
- 9. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the man-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabanazdishtas answerable
for nine hundred (years).'
-
- 10. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the field-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabanazdishtas answerable
for a thousand (years).'
-
- 11. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the word-contract, what is the penalty that he shall
- pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Three hundred stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, three hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 12. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the hand-contract, what is the penalty that he shall
- pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Six hundred stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, six hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 13. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the sheep-contract, what is the penalty that he shall
- pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Seven hundred stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, seven hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 14. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the ox-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'Eight hundred stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra,
eight hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 15. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the man-contract, what is the penalty that he shall
- pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Nine hundred stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, Nine hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 16. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
break the field-contract, what is the penalty that he shall
- pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'A thousand stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, a thousand stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
IIa.
-
- 17. If a man rise up with a weapon in his hand, it is an
Agerepta. If he brandish it, it is an Avaoirishta. If he actually smite
- a man with malicious aforethought, it is an Aredush. Upon the fifth
Aredush he becomes a Peshotanu.
-
- 18. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! He that
committeth an Agerepta, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'Five stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, five stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the second Agerepta, ten stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ten
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the third, fifteeen stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, fifteen
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 19. 'On the fourth, thirty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra,
thirty stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the fifth, fifty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, fifty stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the sixth, sixty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, sixty stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the seventh, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ninety
stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 20. If a man commit an Agerepta for the eighth time, without
having atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay?
-
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with
the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with
- the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 21. If a man commit an Agerepta, and refuse to atone for it,
what penalty shall he pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a
- Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred
stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 22. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
commit an Avaoirishta, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'Ten stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ten stripes with
the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the second Avaoirishta, fifteen stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra,
fifteen stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 23. 'On the third, thirty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra,
thirty stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the fourth, fifty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, fifty stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the fifth, seventy stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, seventy
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the sixth, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ninety stripes
with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 24. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
commit an Avaoirishta for the seventh time, without having
- atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura Mazda
answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes
- with the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the
Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 25. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
commit an Avaoirishta, and refuse to atone for it, what
- penalty shall he pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two
hundred stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, two
- hundred stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 26. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
commit an Aredush, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'Fifteen stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, fifteen
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 27. 'On the second Aredush, thirty stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, thirty stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the third, fifty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, fifty stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the fourth, seventy stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, seventy
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'On the fifth, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ninety stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 28. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
commit an Aredush for the sixth time, without having
- atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura Mazda
answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes
- with the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the
Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 29. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
commit an Aredush, and refuse to atone for it, what penalty
- shall he pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred
stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred
- stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 30. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another and hurt him sorely, what is the penalty that
- he shall pay?
-
- 31. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Thirty stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, thirty stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'The second time, fifty stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, fifty stripes
with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'The third time, seventy stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, seventy
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'The fourth time, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ninety
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 32. If a man commit that deed for the fifth time, without
having atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with
the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with
- the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 33. If a man commit that deed and refuse to atone for it, what
penalty shall he pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a
- Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred
stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 34. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another so that the blood come, what is the penalty
- that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Fifty stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, fifty stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'The second time, seventy stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, seventy
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'The third time, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ninety
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 35. If a man commit that deed for the fourth time, without
having atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay?
- Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with
the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with
- the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 36. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another so that the blood come, and if he refuse to
- atone for it, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'He is
a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the
- Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 37. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another so that he break a bone, what is the penalty
- that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Seventy stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, seventy stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana;
-
- 'The second time, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, ninety
stripes with the Sraosho-charana;
-
- 38. If he commit that deed for the third time, without having
atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 39. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another so that he break a bone, and if he refuse to
- atone for it, what is the penalty he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered:
'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with
- the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 40. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another so that he give up the ghost, what is the
- penalty that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Ninety stripes with
the Aspahe-ashtra, seventy stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana;
-
- 41. If he commit that deed again, without having atoned for
the preceding, what is the penalty that he shall pay? Ahura
- Mazda answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the
Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the
- Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 42. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man
smite another so that he give up the ghost, and if he refuse
- to atone for it, what is the penalty he shall pay? Ahura Mazda
answered: 'He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with
- the Aspahe-ashtra, two hundred stripes with the Sraosho-charana.'
-
- 43. And they shall thenceforth in their doings walk after the
way of holiness, after the word of holiness, after the
- ordinance of holiness.
-
IIIa.
-
- 44. If men of the same faith, either friends or brothers, come
to an agreement together, that one may obtain from the
- other, either goods, or a wife, or knowledge, let him who desires
goods have them delivered to him; let him who
- desires a wife receive and wed her; let him who desires knowledge be
taught the holy word,
-
- 45. during the first part of the day and the last, during the
first part of the night and the last, that his mind may be
- increased in intelligence and wax strong in holiness. So shall he sit
up, in devotion and prayers, that he may be
- increased in intelligence: he shall rest during the middle part of
the day, during the middle part of the night, and thus
- shall he continue until he can say all the words which former
Aethrapaitis have said.
-
IVa.
-
- 46. Before the boiling water is publicly prepared [This
clause is intended against false oaths taken in the so-called
- Var-ordeal (see par. 54 n.) It ought to be placed before par. 49
bis, where the penalty for a false oath is
- given.], O Spitama Zarathushtra! let no one make bold to deny
having received [from his neighbour] the
- ox or the garment in his possession.
-
- 47. Verily I say it unto thee, O Spitama Zarathushtra! the man
who has a wife is far above him who lives in continence;
- he who keeps a house is far above him who has none; he who has
children is far above the childless man; he who has
- riches is far above him who has none.
-
- 48. And of two men, he who fills himself with meat receives in
him Vohu Mano much better than he who does not do
- so; the latter is all but dead; the former is above him by the worth
of an Asperena, by the worth of a sheep, by the
- worth of an ox, by the worth of a man.
-
- 49. This man can strive against the onsets of Asto-vidhotu; he
can strive against the well-darted arrow; he can strive
- against the winter fiend, with thinnest garment on; he can strive
against the wicked tyrant and smite him on the head;
- he can strive against the ungodly fasting Ashemaogha.
-
IVb.
-
- 49 (bis). On the very first time when that deed has been done,
without waiting until it is done again,
-
- 50. down there [In hell.] the pain for that deed shall be as
hard as any in this world: even as if one should cut off the limbs from his
perishable body with knives of brass, or still worse;
-
- 51. down there the pain for that deed shall be as hard as any
in this world: even as if one should nail [doubtful] his perishable body
with nails of brass, or still worse;
-
- 52. down there the pain for that deed shall be as hard as any
in this world: even as if one should by force throw his
- perishable body headlong down a precipice a hundred times the height
of a man, or still worse;
-
- 53. down there the pain for that deed shall be as hard as any
in this world: even as if one should by force
- impale [doubtful] his perishable body, or still worse.
-
- 54. Down there the pain for that deed shall be as hard as any
in this world: to wit, the deed of a man, who knowingly
- lying, confronts the brimstoned, golden, truth-knowing water with an
appeal unto Rashnu and a lie unto Mithra.
-
- 55. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! He who,
knowingly lying, confronts the brimstoned, golden,
- truth-knowing water with an appeal unto Rashnu and a lie unto Mithra,
what is the penalty that he shall pay [In this world.]? Ahura Mazda answered:
'Seven hundred stripes with the Aspahe-ashtra, seven hundred stripes with the
Sraosho-charana.'
-
FARGARD 5.
Purity Laws
-
- 1. There dies a man in the depths of the vale: a bird takes
flight from the top of the mountain down into the depths of the
- vale, and it feeds on the corpse of the dead man there: then, up it
flies from the depths of the vale to the top of the
- mountain: it flies to some one of the trees there, of the hard-wooded
or the soft-wooded, and upon that tree it vomits
- and deposits dung.
-
- 2. Now, lo! here is a man coming up from the depths of the
vale to the top of the mountain; he comes to the tree
- whereon the bird is sitting; from that tree he intends to take wood
for the fire. He fells the tree, he hews the tree, he
- splits it into logs, and then he lights it in the fire, the son of
Ahura Mazda. What is the penalty he shall pay?
-
- 3. Ahura Mazda answered: 'There is no sin upon a man for any
Nasu that has been brought by dogs, by birds, by
- wolves, by winds, or by flies.
-
- 4. 'For were there sin upon a man for any Nasu that might have
been brought by dogs, by birds, by wolves, by winds,
- or by flies, how soon all this material world of mine would be only
one Peshotanu, bent on the destruction of
- righteousness, and whose soul will cry and wail! so numberless are
the beings that die upon the face of the earth.'
-
- 5. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Here is a man
watering a corn-field. The water streams down the
- field; it streams again; it streams a third time; and the fourth
time, a dog, a fox, or a wolf carries some Nasu into the
- bed of the stream: what is the penalty that the man shall pay?
-
- 6. [Repeat st. 3.]
-
- 7. [Repeat st. 4.]
-
- 8. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Does water
kill? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Water kills no man:
- Asto-vidhotu binds him, and, thus bound, Vayu carries him off; and
the flood takes him up, the flood takes him
- down, the flood throws him ashore; then birds feed upon him. When he
goes away, it is by the will of Fate he
- goes.'
-
IIb.
-
- 9. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Does fire
kill? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Fire kills no man:
- Asto-vidhotu binds him, and, thus bound, Vayu carries him off; and
the fire burns up life and limb. When he goes
- away, it is by the will of Fate he goes.'
-
III.
-
- 10. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If the
summer is past and the winter has come, what shall the
- worshippers of Mazda do? Ahura Mazda answered: 'In every house, in
every borough, they shall raise three rooms
- for the dead.'
-
- 11. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How large
shall be those rooms for the dead? Ahura Mazda
- answered: 'Large enough not to strike the skull of the man, if he
should stand erect, or his feet or his hands stretched
- out: such shall be, according to the law, the rooms for the dead.
-
- 12. 'And they shall let the lifeless body lie there, for two
nights, or for three nights, or a month long, until the birds begin
- to fly, the plants to grow, the hidden floods to flow, and the wind
to dry up the earth.
-
- 13. 'And as soon as the birds begin to fly, the plants to
grow, the hidden floods to flow, and the wind to dry up the earth,
- then the worshippers of Mazda shall lay down the dead (on the
Dakhma), his eyes towards the sun.
-
- 14. 'If the worshippers of Mazda have not, within a year, laid
down the dead (on the Dakhma), his eyes towards the sun,
- thou shalt prescribe for that trespass the same penalty as for the
murder of one of the faithful; until the corpse has
- heen rained on, until the Dakhma has heen rained on, until the
unclean remains have been rained on, until the birds
- have eaten up the corpse.'
-
IV.
-
- 15. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Is it true
at thou, Ahura Mazda, seizest the waters from the sea
- Vouru-kasha with the wind and the clouds?
-
- 16. That thou, Ahura Mazda, takest them down to the corpses?
that thou, Ahura Mazda, takest them down to the
- Dakhmas? that thou, Ahura Mazda, takest them down to the unclean
remains? that thou, Ahura Mazda, takest them
- down to the bones? and that then thou, Ahura Mazda, makest them flow
back unseen? that thou, Ahura Mazda,
- makest them flow back to the sea Puitika?
-
- 17. Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is even so as thou hast said, O
righteous Zarathushtra! I, Ahura Mazda, seize the waters
- from the sea Vouru-kasha with the wind and the clouds.
-
- 18. 'I, Ahura Mazda, take them to the corpses; I, Ahura Mazda,
take them down to the Dakhmas; I, Ahura Mazda, take
- them down to the unclean remains; I, Ahura Mazda, take them down to
the bones; then I, Ahura Mazda, make them
- flow back unseen; I, Ahura Mazda, make them flow back to the sea
Puitika.
-
- 19. 'The waters stand there boiling, boiling up in the heart
of the sea Puitika, and, when cleansed there, they run back
- again from the sea Puitika to the sea Vouru-kasha, towards the
well-watered tree, whereon grow the seeds of my
- plants of every kind by hundreds, by thousands, by hundreds of
thousands.
-
- 20. 'Those plants, I, Ahura Mazda, rain down upon the earth,
to bring food to the faithful, and fodder to the beneficent
- cow; to bring food to my people that they may live on it, and fodder
to the beneficent cow.'
-
V.
-
- 21. 'This is the best, this is the fairest of all things, even
as thou hast said, O pure [Zarathushtra]!'
-
- With these words the holy, Ahura Mazda rejoiced the holy
Zarathushtra: 'Purity is for man, next to life, the greatest
- good, that purity, O Zarathushtra, that is in the Religion of Mazda
for him who cleanses his own self with good
- thoughts, words, and deeds.'
-
- 22. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! This Law,
this fiend-destroying Law of Zarathushtra, by what
- greatness, goodness, and fairness is it great, good, and fair above
all other utterances?
-
- 23. Ahura Mazda answered: 'As much above all other floods as
is the sea Vouru-kasha, so much above all other
- utterances in greatness, goodness, and fairness is this Law, this
fiend-destroying Law of Zarathushtra.
-
- 24. 'As much as a great stream flows swifter than a slender
rivulet, so much above all other utterances in greatness,
- goodness, and fairness is this Law, this fiend-destroying Law of
Zarathushtra.
-
- 'As high as the great tree1 stands above the small plants it
overshadows, so high above all other utterances in
- greatness, goodness, and fairness is this Law, this fiend-destroying
Law of Zarathushtra.
-
- 25. 'As high as heaven is above the earth that it compasses
around, so high above all other utterances is this Law, this
- fiend-destroying Law of Mazda.
-
- '[Therefore], he will apply to the Ratu, he will apply to the
Sraosha-varez; whether for a draona-service that should
- have been undertaken and has not been undertaken6; or for a draona
that should have been offered up and has not
- been offered up; or for a draona that should have been entrusted and
has not been entrusted.
-
- 26. 'The Ratu has power to remit him one-third of his penalty:
if he has committed any other evil deed, it is remitted by
- his repentance; if he has committed no other evil deed, he is
absolved by his repentance for ever and ever.'
-
VI.
-
- 27. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If there be
a number of men resting in the same place, on the same
- carpet, on the same pillows, be there two men near one another, or
five, or fifty, or a hundred, close by one another;
- and of those people one happens to die; how many of them does the
Druj Nasu envelope with corruption, infection,
- and pollution?
-
- 28. Ahura Mazda answered: 'If the dead one be a priest, the
Druj Nasu rushes forth, O Spitama Zarathushtra! she goes
- as far as the eleventh and defiles the ten.
-
- 'If the dead one be a warrior, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the tenth and
- defiles the nine.
-
- 'If the dead one be a husbandman, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O
Spitama Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the ninth
- and defiles the eight.
-
- 29. 'If it be a shepherd's dog, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O
Spitama Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the eighth and
- defiles the seven.
-
- 'If it be a house-dog, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the seventh and defiles
- the six.
-
- 30. 'If it be a Vohunazga dog1, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O
Spitama Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the sixth and
- defiles the five.
-
- 'If it be a Tauruna dog2, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the fifth and defiles
- the four.
-
- 31. 'If it be a porcupine dog, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O
Spitama Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the fourth and
- defiles the three.
-
- 'If it be a Gazu dog, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the third and defiles the
- two.
-
- 32. 'If it be an Aiwizu dog, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O
Spitama Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the second and defiles
- the next.
-
- 'If it be a Vizu dog, the Druj Nasu rushes forth, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! she goes as far as the next, she defiles the
- next.'
-
- 33. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If it be a
weasel, how many of the creatures of the good spirit does it
- directly defile, how many does it indirectly defile?
-
- 34. Ahura Mazda answered : 'A weasel does neither directly nor
indirectly defile any of the creatures of the good spirit,
- but him who smites and kills it; to him the uncleanness clings for
ever and ever.'
-
- 35. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If the dead
one be such a wicked, two-footed ruffian, as an ungodly
- Ashemaogha, how many of the creatures of the good spirit does he
directly defile, how many does he indirectly
- defile?
-
- 36. Ahura Mazda answered: 'No more than a frog does whose
venom is dried up, and that has been dead more than a
- year. Whilst alive, indeed, O Spitama Zarathushtra! such a wicked,
two-legged ruffian as an ungodly Ashemaogha,
- directly defiles the creatures of the good spirit, and indirectly
defiles them.
-
- 37. 'Whilst alive he smites the water6; whilst alive he blows
out the fire; whilst alive he carries off the cow; whilst alive
- he smites the faithful man with a deadly blow, that parts the soul
from the body; not so will he do when dead.
-
- 38. 'Whilst alive, indeed, O Spitama Zarathushtra! such a
wicked, two-legged ruffian as an ungodly Ashemaogha robs
- the faithful man of the full possession of his food, of his clothing,
of his wood, of his bed, of his vessels; not so will
- he do when dead.'
-
VII.
-
- 39. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When into
our houses here below we have brought the fire, the
- Baresma, the cups, the Haoma, and the mortar, O holy Ahura Mazda! if
it come to pass that either a dog or a man
- dies there, what shall the worshippers of Mazda do?
-
- 40. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Out of the house, O Spitama
Zarathushtra! shall they take the fire, the Baresma, the cups,
- the Haoma, and the mortar; they shall take the dead one out to the
proper place whereto, according to the law,
- corpses must be brought, to be devoured there.'
-
- 41. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When shall
they bring back the fire into the house wherein the man
- has died? 42. Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall wait for nine
nights in winter, for a month in summer, and then they shall bring back the
fire to the house wherein the man has died.'
-
- 43. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! And if they
shall bring back the fire to the house wherein the man
- iias died, within the nine nights, or within the month, what penalty
shall they pay?
-
- 44. Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall be Peshotanus: two
hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two hundred stripes
- with the Sraosho-karana.'
-
VIII.
-
- 45. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If in the
house of a worshipper of Mazda there be a woman with
- child, and if being a month gone, or two, or three, or four, or five,
or six, or seven, or eight, or nine, or ten months
- gone, she bring forth a still-born child, what shall the worshippers
of Mazda do?
-
- 46. Ahura Mazda answered: 'The place in that Mazdean house
whereof the ground is the cleanest and the driest, and the
- least passed through by flocks and herds, by the fire of Ahura Mazda,
by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by
- the faithful;'
-
- 47. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How far from
the fire? How far from the water? How far fiom the
- consecrated bundles of Baresma? How far from the faithful?
-
- 48. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Thirty paces from the fire; thirty
paces from the water; thirty paces from the consecrated
- bundles of Baresma; three paces from the faithful;-
-
- 49. 'On that place shall the worshippers of Mazda erect an
enclosure, and therein shall they establish her with food,
- therein shall they establish her with clothes.'
-
- 50. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! What is the
food that the woman shall first take?
-
- 51. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Gomez mixed with ashes, three
draughts of it, or six, or nine, to send down the Dakhma
- within her womb.
-
- 52. 'Afterwards she may drink boiling milk of mares, cows,
sheep, or goats, with pap or without pap; she may take
- cooked milk without water, meal without water, and wine without
water.'
-
- 53. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How long
shall she remain so? How long shall she live thus on milk,
- meal, and wine?
-
- 54. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Three nights long shall she remain
so; three nights long shall she live thus on milk, meal,
- and wine. Then, when three nights have passed, she shall wash her
body, she shall wash her clothes, with gomez and
- water, by the nine holes, and thus shall she be clean.'
-
- 55. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How long
shall she remain so? How long, after the three nights have
- gone, shall she sit confined, and live separated from the rest of the
worshippers of Mazda, as to her seat, her food,
- and her clothing?
-
- 56. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Nine nights long shall she remain
so: nine nights long, after the three nights have gone, shall
- she sit confined, and live separated from the rest of the worshippers
of Mazda, as to her seat, her food, and her
- clothing. Then, when the nine nights have gone, she shall wash her
body, and cleanse her clothes with gomez and
- water.'
-
- 57. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Can those
clothes, when once washed and cleansed, ever be used
- either by a Zaotar, or by a Havanan, or by an Atare-vakhsha, or by a
Frabaretar, or by an Abered, or by an Asnatar,
- or by a Rathwiskar, or by a Sraosha-varez, or by any priest, warrior,
or husbandman?
-
- 58. Ahura Mazda answered: 'Never can those clothes, even when
washed and cleansed, be used either by a Zaotar, or by
- a Havanan, or by an Atare-vakhsha, or by a Frabaretar, or by an
Abered, or by an Asnatar, or by a Rathwiskar, or by
- a Sraosha-varez, or by any priest, warrior, or husbandman.
-
- 59. 'But if there be in a Mazdean house a woman who is in her
sickness, or a man who has become unfit for work, and
- who must sit in the place of infirmity, those clothes shall serve for
their coverings and for their sheets, until they
- can withdraw their hands for prayer.
-
- 60. 'Ahura Mazda, indeed, does not allow us to waste anything
of value that we may have, not even so much as an
- Asperena's weight of thread, not even so much as a maid lets fall in
spinning.
-
- 61. 'Whosoever throws any clothing on a dead body, even so
much as a maid lets fall in spinning, is not a pious man
- whilst alive, nor shall he, when dead, have a place in Paradise.
-
- 62. 'He makes himself a viaticum unto the world of the wicked,
into that world, made of darkness, the offspring of
- darkness, which is Darkness' self. To that world, to the world of
Hell, you are delivered by your own doings, by
- your own religion, O sinners!'
The Nazarenes of Mount Carmel
Copyright
© 1999-2016. The Nazarenes of Mount Carmel.
The Essene Numerology
Chart | Ministerial Training
Course