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Pahlavi Texts, Part IV (SBE37), E.W. West, tr. [1892], at sacred-texts.com


CHAPTER IX.

dkar Nask.

1. The eighth fargard, Hvaêtumaiti 4, is about the abstinence of mankind, for special propitiation, from being unreliant upon religion, on account of reverence for the evil spirit 5; that from the habit of

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being ungirdled, on account of reverence for Andar 1 and that for Sôvar 2; that from walking with one boot 3, on account of reverence for Tâûrvŏ and Zârîkŏ 4; that from being harmfully inquisitorial, on account of reverence for Akatâsh 5; and that from the habit of being without a serpent-scourge, on account of reverence for all the demons 6.

2. About the hungry intention (gusnakŏ-mînisnîh) of him who eats 7 and drinks chattering; the delight of the demons on that account; and advice as regards not speaking a word during eating and drinking. 3. As to the praise and gratification of the sacred beings before eating and drinking,

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and also on finishing; and the purity 1 of the mouth owing to its praise of righteousness 2. 4. About him whose ownership of any good work, that they 3 may perform, does not attain to the best existence, on account of not possessing a high-priest by habit.

5. About the period of the ceremonial of Srôsh 4, the righteous, being mostly on the passing away of the first half of the night, and the announcement 5 of him who is the celebrator (yastâr) is for his protection from the fiend spirit. 6. The period of the ceremonial of Rashnû 6 and Âsd 7 is mostly after that, in the jurisdiction (radîh) of the Aûshahîn 8, and the announcement of him who is the celebrator is abundance of grain. 7. The period of the ceremonial of Mitrô 9 of the wide cattle-pastures, and of the spirit of the pleasure of eating 10, is mostly in the

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jurisdiction of the Hâvan 1, and the announcement of him who is the celebrator is a flock of sheep. 8. The period of the ceremonial of Ashavahis2, and also of the fire of Aûharmazd, is mostly in the jurisdiction of the Rapithwin 3, and the announcement of him who is the celebrator is an assemblage of righteousness. 9. The period of the ceremonial of the lofty lord of females, the descendant of waters 4, and also of the water created by Aûharmazd, is mostly in the jurisdiction of the Aûzâêrin 5, and the announcement of him who is the celebrator is a troop of heroes (vîrân ramakŏ). 10. And the period of the ceremonial of the guardian spirits of the righteous, of the females with troops of heroes and years of pleasant dwelling, of the might which is well-formed and handsome, as well as victorious and created by Aûharmazd, and of the fighting which is in the ascendant 6, is mostly in the jurisdiction of the Aiwisrûthrim 7, and the announcement of him who is the celebrator is the origin of all excellence,

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and the produce of all manifestation of righteousness.

11. Righteousness is perfect excellence.


Footnotes

181:1 Compare Yas. XXXI, 14; Byt. I, 1-5.

181:2 See Bk. VIII, Chap. XI, 1-3.

181:3 See Bk. VIII, Chap. I, 22.

181:4 The appellation of the fifth hâ of the first Gâtha (Yas. XXXII) which begins with the words ahvkâ hvaêtus; it is here written khvatamaîtŏ in Pahlavi in both MSS.

181:5 Compare Yas. XXXII, 3.

182:1 Av. Andra, or Indra; one of the arch-demons produced by the evil spirit, and the special opponent of the archangel Ashavahist; he seduces from virtue and opposes the use of the sacred shirt and girdle (see Bd. I, 27, XXVIII, 8, 10, XXX, 29; Ep. I, x, 9; Pahl. Yas. XLVII, 1).

182:2 Av. Sauru; another of the arch-demons and the special opponent of the archangel Shatvaîrô; he encourages anarchy and drunkenness, and opposes the use of the sacred shirt and girdle (see Bd. I, 27, XXVIII, 9, 10, XXX, 29; Ep. I, X, 9).

182:3 Probably equivalent to 'walking in stockings,' though some think it means 'walking barefoot.' It is sinful on account of the risk of pollution from stepping on impurities.

182:4 Av. Tauru and Zairika; two more of the arch-demons and the special opponents of the archangels Khûrdad and Amûrdad; they produce and diffuse poison, and are propitiated by walking with one boot (see Bd. I, 27, XXVIII, 11, 13, XXX, 29; Ep. 1. X, 9).

182:5 Av. Akatasha; 'the fiend of inquisitiveness, who makes the creatures look away from proper things' (Bd. XXVIII, 20), and appears to be closely connected with the demon Aeshm, 'wrath.'

182:6 See Bd. XXVIII, 21, 22, and Bk. VIII, Chap. XVIII, 2.

182:7 B omits 'eats.' Talking during eating is sinful because the eater has muttered an inward prayer, as a protective spell, the good effect of which would be destroyed by speaking aloud (compare Bk. VIII, Chap. XLIII, 37).

183:1 K has 'protection.'

183:2 That is, its muttering the Ashem-vohû formula which is recited thrice, as a conclusion of the inward prayer (see Dd. LXXIX, 1 n).

183:3 Or it may be 'he,' as the optative 3rd plural is often used for the singular; but it is a doctrine of the religion that a person who causes good works to be done by others, as he does when he employs a priest to perform ceremonies, is as much the owner of the good works as the actual performer is (see Sls. X, 22, 23 for cases of less direct agency).

183:4 See Bk. VIII, Chaps. IX, 3, XLIV, 16, and Pahl. Yas. I, 22.

183:5 As an offering, referring to the verb nivaêdhayêmi, 'I announce or invite,' with which most of the clauses of Yas. I. commence.

183:6 See Bk. VIII, Chap. XX, 153, and Pahl. Yas. I, 23.

183:7 Av. Arsd, 'rectitude,' a female angel who assists the soul on its way to the other world (see AV. V, 3).

183:8 The period from midnight till dawn (see Bk. VIII, Chap. XXIX, 9).

183:9 See Bk. VIII, Chap. XLIV, i6.

183:10 Av. râma hvâstrem, Pahl. râmisnŏ khvârôm, who cooperates with Mitrô (see Pahl. Yas. I, 9).

184:1 The period from dawn till noon, and in winter it extends into the afternoon (see Bd. XXV, 9-14).

184:2 See Bk. VIII, Chap. XXXVII, 14, and Pahl. Yas. I, 12.

184:3 The afternoon till 3 pm. during summer (see Bd. XXV, 9-14). Here written Rapisvag.

184:4 Av. berezatô ahurahê nafedhrô apãm, Pahl. bûr’zand khûdâî nekedân-î âvânŏ nâpô (see Pahl. Yas. I, 15).

184:5 The evening from the middle of the afternoon till dusk (see Bd. XXV, 9; Sls. XXI, 4-7).

184:6 See Pahl. Yas. I, 18, 19.

184:7 The period from dusk till midnight; here written ayîvîk-srûksrîm. It will be noticed that the periods for the ceremonials of the beings here detailed correspond with those with which their names are connected in Yas. I, 3-7, II, 3-7, III, 5-9, IV, 8-12, VI, 2-6, VII, 5-9 (W.).


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