22 (48). ‘ In the third part of the night, Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls the holy Sraosha for help, saying: “ Come thou, holy, tail-formed Sraosha, [then he brings unto me some clean wood with his well-washed hands]3: here comes Azi, made by the Daevas, who is about to strive against me, and wants to put out my life.”
23 (51). ‘And then the holy Sraosha wakes up the bird named Parodar.?, which ill-speaking people call Kahrkatas, and the bird lifts up his voice against the mighty dawn: 24 (52). ‘“Arise, O men! recite the Ashem ya</ vahii'tem that smites down the Daevas. Lo! here is Bhshyasta, the long-handed, coming upon you, who lulls to sleep again the whole living world as 1 The Parsi, as soon as he has risen, must put on the K6sti, wash his hands, and put wood on the fire.
2 See Introd. IV, 19.
8 The text seems to be corrupt: it must probably be emendated into ‘ bring into me.. / FARGARD XVIII.
soon as it has awoke: ‘ Sleep! ’ she says, ‘ sleep on, O man! the time is not yet come.’ ” 25 (52). ‘ “ For the three excellent things be never slack, namely, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds; for the three abominable things be ever slack, namely, bad thoughts, bad words, and bad deeds.”
26 (53). ‘ And then bed-fellows address one another: “ Rise up, here is the cock calling me up.” Whichever of the two first gets up.shall first enter paradise: whichever of the two shall firgj, with well-washed hands, bring clean wood unto the Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, the Fire, well pleased with him and not angry, and fed as it required, will thus bless him: 27 (58). ‘ “ May herds of oxen grow for thee, and increase of sons: may thy mind be master of its vow, may thy soul be master of its vow, and mayst thou live on in the joy of the soul all the nights of thy life.”
‘ This is the blessing which the Fire speaks unto him who brings him dry wood, well examined by the light of the day, well cleansed with godly intent.
28 (64). ‘ And whosoever will kindly and piously present one of the faithful with a pair of these my Parodarf birds, a male and a female, it is as though he had given 1 a house with a hundred columns, a thousand beams, ten thousand large windows, ten thousand small windows.
29 (67). ‘ And whosoever shall give to mj* Paro- darr bird his fill of meat, I, Ahura Mazda, need npt 1 ‘ In the day of recompense ' (Comm.); he shalj be rewarded as though he had given a house, &c...he shall receive such a house in paradise.
vendIdad.
interrogate him any longer; he shall directly go to paradise.’
III.
30 (70). The holy Sraosha asked the Druf, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Driif! Thou then, alone in the material world, dost bear offspring without any male coming unto thee? ’ 31 (74). Then the Drug demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! It is not so, nor do I, alone in the material world, bear offspring without any male coming unto me. ^ 32 (77). ‘ There are four males who are mine.
‘And they make me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’
33 (78). The holy Sraosha asked the Druf, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru^! Who is the first of those males of thine?’
34 (79)' Then the Druf demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! He is the first of my males who, being entreated by one of the faithful, does not give him anything, be it ever so little, of the riches he has treasured up \ 35 (82). ‘ That man makes me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’
36 (83). The holy Sraosha asked the Druf, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Druf! What is the thing that can counter- act that?’
37 (84). Then the Druf demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! This is FARGARD XVIII.
IQ7 the thing that counteracts it, namely, when a man unasked, kindly and piously, gives to one of the faithful something, be it ever so little, of the riches he has treasured up.
38 (87). ‘ He does thereby as thoroughly destroy the fruit of my womb as a four-footed wolf does, tvho tears the child out of a mother’s womb.’
39 (88). The holy Sraosha asked the Druf, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Driif! Who is the second of those males of thine?’
40 (89). Then the Dru^ demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! He is the second of my males who, making water, lets it fall along the upper forepart of his foot.
41 (92). ‘ That man makes me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’
42 (93). The holy Sraosha asked the Dru^, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru^! What is the thing that can counter- act that? ’ 43 (94)’ Then the Druf demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! This is the thing that counteracts it, namely, when the man rising up 1 and stepping three steps further off, shall say three Ahuna-Vairya, two humatanam, three hukhshathrotemam, and then chant the Ahuna- Vairya and offer up one Ye«he h&tam.
1 ‘ Nec stando mingens...facile visitur Persa ’ (Amm. Marc. XXIII, 6); An& Viraf XXIV; Mainyo-i-khard II, 39; Saddar 56, Hyde 60. Cf. Manu IV, 47 seq., and Polack, Persien I, 67: ‘ Von einem in Paris weilenden Perser hinterbrachte man dem Konig, urn seine Emancipation und Abtriinnigkeit vom Gesetz zu beweisen, dass er Schvveinefleisch esse und stehend die Function verrichte.'
vendIdad.
44 (98). ‘ He does thereby as thoroughly destroy the fruit of my womb as a four-footed wolf does, who tears the child out of a mothers womb.’
45 (99)- The holy Sraosha asked the Drug", with his club uplifted against her: ‘O thou wretched and wicked Dru^-! Who is the third of those males of thine?’
46 (100). Then the Dru^ demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! He is the third of my males who during his sleep emits seed.
47 (102). ‘That man makes me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’
48 (103). The holy Sraosha asked the Dru^, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru^! What is the thing that can counter- act that?’
49 (104). Then the Druf demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! this is the thing that counteracts it, namely, if the man, when he has risen from sleep, shall say three Ahuna- Vairya, two humatanam, three hukhshathro- temam, and then chant the Aluina-Vairya and offer up one Ye«he hdtam.
50(107). ‘He does thereby as thoroughly destroy the fruit of my womb as a four-footed wolf does who tears the child out of a mother’s womb.’
51 (108). Then he shall speak unto Spewta Ar- maiti ’, saying: ‘ O Spewta Armaiti, this man do I deliver unto thee; this man deliver thou back unto me, against the mighty day of resurrection; deliver him back as one who knows the Gathas, who * The genius of the earth (cf. Farg. II, 10).
FARGARD XVIII.
knows the Yasna, and the revealed law1, a wise and clever man, who is the Word incarnate.
52 (112). ‘Then thou shalt call his name “Fire- creature, Fire-seed, Fire-offspring, Fire-land,” or any name wherein is the word Fire 2.’
53(113). The holy Sraosha asked the Druf, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru/! Who is the fourth of those males of thine?’
54 ( 1 14). Then the Dru^- demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! This one is my fourth male who, either man or woman, being more than fifteen years of age, walks without wear- ing the sacred girdle and the sacred shirt 3.
55(115). ‘At the fourth step4 we Daevas, at once, wither him even to the tongue and the mar- row, and he goes thenceforth with power to destroy the world of the holy spirit, and he destroys it like the Y&tus and the Zawdas 5 6.’
56 (1 17). The holy Sraosha asked the Drug) with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Drug; what is the thing that can counteract that?’
57 (118). Then the Drug* demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! There is no means of counteracting it; 1 Literally, ' the answers made to the questions (of Zarathurtra).’
* Cf. Introd. IV, go, and Orm. Ahr. § 205.
3 The Kdsti and the Sadarah; see above, p. 191, n. 4. It is the sin known as kushac/ duvarirni (Mainyo-i-khard II, 35; Ar</a VirdfXXV, 6).
4 ‘Going three steps without K6sti is only a three Sraoshoy&arana sin; from the fourth step, it is a tanaffthr* sin’ (Comm.)
6 For the Yatus, see Introd. IV, 20; the za»da is a hobgoblin.
vendJdAd.
58 (120). ‘ When a man or a woman, being more than fifteen years of age, walks without wearing the sacred girdle or the sacred shirt.
59 (120). ‘ At the fourth step we Daevas, at once, wither him even to the tongue and the marrow, and he goes thenceforth with power to destroy the world of the holy spirit, and he destroys it like the Ydtus and the Zawdas.’
IV.
60 (122). Demand of me, thou upright one! of me who am the Maker, the best of all beings, the most knowing, the most pleased in answering what is asked of me; demand of me that thou mayst be the better, that thou mayst be the happier.
61(123). Zarathwtra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘Who grieves thee with the sorest grief? Who pains thee with the sorest pain?’
62(124). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘It is the Cahi1, O Spitama Zarathurtra! who goes a-whoring after the faithful and the unfaithful, after the wor- shippers of Mazda and the worshippers of the Daevas, after the wicked and the righteous 2.
63(125). ‘Her look dries up one third of the mighty floods that run from the mountains; her look withers one third of the beautiful, golden hued, growing plants; 64 (127). ‘ Her look withers one third of the grass 1 The courtezan, as an incarnation of the female demon (7ahi (see Introd. IV, 15).
a ‘ [Whether she gives up her body to the faithful or to the un- faithful], there is* no difference; when khe has been with three men, she is guilty of death ’ (Comm.)
FARGARD XVIII.
wherewith Spewta Armaiti 1 is clad 2, and her touch withers in the faithful one third of his good thoughts, of his good words, of his good deeds, one third of his strength, of his fiend-killing power, and of his holiness 3.
65 (129). ‘Verily I say unto thee, O Spitama Zarathmtra! such creatures ought to be killed even more than gliding snakes4, than howling wolves, than the wild she-wolf that falls upon the fold, or than the she-frog that falls upon the waters with her thousandfold brood.’
66 (133). Demand of me, thou upright one! of me who am the Maker, the best of all beings, the most knowing, the most pleased in answering what is asked of me; demand of me that thou mayst be the better, that thou mayst be the happier.
67-68(133). Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘If a man shall come unto a woman who has an issue of blood, either out of the ordinary course or at the usual period, and he does so wittingly and know- ingly5 * * 8, and she allows it wilfully, wittingly, and 1 The earth.
4 Doubtful. The Pahlavi translation has, ‘ One third of the strength of Spewta Armaiti.’
3 ‘ If a Crahi (courtezan) look at running waters, they fall j if at trees, they are stunted; if she converse with a pious man, his intel- ligence and his holiness are withered by it’ (Saddar 67; Hyde 74).
Cf. Manu IV, 40 scq.
* ^ It is wrilteH’ lTT the law (the Avesta): ‘0 Zartart Isfitaman 1 with regard to woman, I*>ay to thee that any woman that has given up her body to two men in one day is sooner to be killed than a wolf, a lion, or a snake: any one who kills such a woman will gain as much merit by it as if he had provided with wood a thousand fire- temples, or destroyed the dens of adders, scorpions, lions, wolves, or snakes ’ (Old Rav. 59 b).* 8 ‘ Knowing her state and knowing that it is a sin ’ (Comm.)
VENDfDAD.
knowingly, what is the atonement for it, what is the penalty that he shall pay to atone for the deed they have done? ’ 69(136). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘If a man shall come unto a woman who has an issue of blood, either out of the ordinary course or at the usual period, and he does so wittingly and know- ingly, and she allows it wilfully, wittingly, and knowingly; 7° {l * 37)' ‘He shall slay a thousand head of small cattle; he shall godly and piously offer up to the fire 1 the entrails - thereof together with Zaothra- libations; he shall bring the shoulder bones to the good waters 3.
71 (140). ‘He shall godly and piously bring unto the fire a thousand loads of soft wood, of Urvdsna, Vohu-gaona, Vohu-kereti, Hadhd-naepata, or of any sweet-scented plant 4 5.
72(142). ‘He shall tie and consecrate a thou- sand bundles of baresma; he shall godly and piously offer up to the good waters a thousand Zaothra- ' libations, together with the Haoma and the meat, cleanly prepared and well strained by a pious man, together with the roots of the’ tree known as Hadha-naepata i!.
73 (144). ‘ He shall kill a thousand snakes of 1 To the Bahrain fire.
a The omentum (afsman) or epipleon. Strabo XV, 13: roC fViriXoi) ti fwcpbv riBtaai, &>s \tyovai nvfs, (Vi to Mp. ‘ Ascending six steps they showed me in a Room adjoining to the temple, their Fire which they fed with Wood, and sometimes Burn on it the Fat of the Sheep’s Tail.’ AVoyage Round the World, Dr. J.F.Gemelli, 1698.
’ The meat is eaten by the faithful (Asp.); cf. Herod. 1, 132.
4 Cf. Farg. XiV, 3 seq.
FARGARD XIX.
those that go upon the belly, two thousand of the other kind 1: he shall kill a thousand land frogs and two thousand water frogs; he shall kill a thousand corn-carrying ants and two thousand of the other kind2 * 4.
74 (147). ‘ He shall throw thirty bridges over canals; he shall undergo a thousand stripes with the Aspahe-astra, a thousand stripes with the Sraoshd- £arana;i.
75 (149). ‘ This is the atonement, this is the penalty that he shall pay to atone for the deed that he has done.
76 (150). ‘If he shall pay it, he shall enter the world of the holy ones; if he shall not pay it, he shall fall down into the world of the wicked, into that dark world, made of darkness, the offspring of darkness V Fargard XIX.
I (1-11). Angra Mainyu attempts to kill Zaratlnutra, and, when he fails, tempts him. Zarathurtra withstands both assaults with weapons both material and spiritual.
II (11-43). Zarathujtra applies to Ahura Mazda for a revelation of the law. He is taught how the fiend may be repelled, how the creation of Mazda is to be worshipped, how unclcanncss is to be washed away, and what becomes of the soul after death.
III (43-47). Angra Mainyu and his host, driven to despair, and feeling themselves powerless, flee down into hell.
This chapter may be entitled ‘The Revelation,’ and considered as the frame-work ofthe Vendidad, the remainder of which should have its place between the first and the third part; as the first part 8 Five tanaffihrs, that is six thousand dirhems.
vendIdAd.
shows the fiend’s struggles to prevent the revelation, and the third shows the effects of it; the second being, as it were, an abstract of the law, an abridged Venditlad.
The text and the Pahlavi commentary of this Fargard are translated in Haug’s Essays, p. 253 seq., p. 333 seq., and p. 379 seq.
I.
i. From the region of the north, from the regions of the north ', forth rushed Angra Mainyu, the deadly, the Daeva of the Daevas1 2. And thus spake the guileful one, he the evil-doer Angra Mainyu, the deadly: ‘ Druf, rush down upon him! destroy the holy Zarathuxtra! ’ The Dr of came rushing along, the demon Bfiiti3 4, the unseen death, the hell-born.
2 (5). Zarathuxtra chanted aloud the Ahuna- Vairya *: ‘The will of the Lord is the law of holiness; the riches of Vohu-man6 shall be given to him who works in this world for Mazda, and wields according to the will of Ahura the power he gave to him to relieve the poor.’
(He added): ‘Offer up prayers to the good waters of the good Dfiitya5!
‘ Profess the law of the worshippers of Mazda!’
The Druf dismayed, rushed away, the demon Buiti, the unseen death, the hell-born.
s ‘ The fiend of fiends,’ the arch-fiend.
* ‘ How does death enter the body of man? There are several Drupes from Ahriman, who come into the body and the soul of man: one of whom is a Drug- known as Bftt; she is the forerunner of death; when the time of the end is at hand, she produces in the body of man such excessive heat that he falls ill ’ (Dadar i Dadfikht, British Museum, Add. 8994, 130 a).
5 The river in Airyaha Vaejo; see Farg. I, 3, and Introd. Ill, 15.
FARGARD XIX.
3 (7). And the Dru^-, the guileful one, said unto Angra Mainyii: ‘O baneful Angra Mainyu! I see no way to kill him, so great is the glory of the holy Zarathiutra.’
Zarathiutra saw (all this) from within his soul: ‘ The evil-doing Daevas and Drvawts1 (thought he) take counsel together for my death.’
4(11). Up started Zarathiutra, forward went Zarathiutra, unshaken by the evil spirit, by the hardness of his malignant riddles 2 3, swinging stones in his hand, stones as big as a house s, which he obtained from the Maker, Ahura Mazda, he the holy Zarathiutra.
‘At what on this wide, round earth, whose ends lie afar, at what dost thou swing (those stones), thou who standest by the river Dare^a 4 *, upon the mountains, in the mansion of Pourusaspa fl?’
5 (16). Thus Zarathiutra answered Angra Mainyu: ‘ O evil-doer, Angra Mainyu! I will smite the crea- tion of the Daeva; I will smite the Nasu, a creature of the Daeva; I will smite the Pairika Knathaiti 6, till the fiend-smiter Saoshyawt come up to life out 1 See Introd. IV, 22.
2 This is a fragment of an old myth in which Zarathurtra and Angra Mainyu played respectively the parts of Oedipus and the Sphinx. See, for further explanation, Orm. Ahr. §§ 163-165.
3 See Introd. IV, 40. The Commentary has, ‘ Some say, those stones are the Ahuna^Vairya.’ In another attempt to account for a mythical expression, which was no longer understood, those thunder- bolts were turned into the nine-knotted stick used in the Barashnftm (see Farg. IX, 14; Comm, and Asp.)
* See Introd. Ill, 15.
* The father of Zarathurtra.
* Cf. Farg. 1, 10, and Introd. IV, 21.
VENDfDAD.
of the lake Kasava, from the region of the dawn, from the regions of the dawn V 6 (20). Again to him said the guileful one, the Maker of the evil world, Angra Mainyu: ‘ Do not destroy my creatures, O holy Zarathmtra! Thou art the son of Pourmaspa1 2, just born of thy mother3. Renounce the good law of the worshippers of Mazda, and thou shalt gain such a boon as the murderer 4 * * gained, the ruler of the nations/ 7 (24). Thus in answer to him said Spitama Zarathmtra: ‘No! never will I renounce the good law of the worshippers of Mazda, though my body, my life, my soul should burst! ’ 8 (27). Again to him said the guileful one, the Maker of the evil world, Angra Mainyu: ‘ By whose Word wilt thou strike, by whose Word wilt thou repel, by whose weapon will the good creatures (strike and repel) my creation who am Angra Mainyu? ’ 9 (29). Thus in answer to him said Spitama Zarathmtra: ‘ The sacred mortar, the sacred cup, the Haoma, the Words taught by Mazda, these are my weapons, my best weapons! By this Word will I strike, by this Word will I repel, by this weapon the good creatures (will strike and repel thee), O evil-doer, Angra Mainyu! To me Spewta Mainyu gave it, he gave it to me in the boundless Time 8; 1 See Introd. IV, 39-40. 2 ‘ I krfow thee ’ (Comm.)
3 Doubtful (cf. § 46); possibly, ‘ I was invoked by thy mother.’ The Commentary has, ‘ Some explain thus: Thy forefathers worshipped me: worship me also.’
4 Ajis Dahaka or Zohak, who, as a legendary king, is said to have ruled the world for a thousand years (Introd. IV, 1 1).
* See Introd. IV, 42. The Ahuna -Vairya was revealed before FARGARD XIX.
to me the Amesha Spewtas, the all-ruling, the all- beneficent, gave it.’
10 (35). Zarathuitra chanted aloud the Ahuna- Vairya. The holy Zarathiutra said aloud: ‘ This I ask thee: teach me the truth, O Lord1!..
II.
11(37). Zarathurtra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘O Ahura Mazda, most beneficent spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! [he was sitting by the T)are^a, on the mountain2, praying to Ahura Mazda, to the good Vohu-man6, to Asha Vahwta, Khshathra Vairya, and Spewta Armaiti;] 1 2 (39). ‘ How shall I make the world free from that Druf, from the evil-doer Angra Mainyu? How shall I drive away direct defilement? How indirect defilement? How shall I drive the Nasu from the house of the worshippers of Mazda? How shall I cleanse the faithful man? How shall I cleanse the faithful woman?’
13(42). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Invoke, O Zarathartra! the good law of Mazda.
‘ Invoke, O Zarathustra! the Amesha Spe«tas who rule over the seven Karshvares of the earth 8_ ‘ Invoke, 0 Zarathuxtra! the sovereign Heaven, the boundless Time4, and Vayu5, whose action is most high.
the creation of the world (Yasna XIX), and consequently in the boundless Time.
1 This verse is the beginning of a Gatha (Yasna XLIV), in which Zarathurtra applies to Ahura Mazda to be taught the mysteries of the world and of the law.
2 See § 4 and Introd. Ill, 15. 8 See Introd. IV, 7.
4 See Introd. IV, 42. 6 See Introd. IV, 15.
vendIdAd.
‘ Invoke, O Zarathustra! the powerful Wind, made by Mazda, and Spewta [Armaiti]1, the fair daughter of Ahura Mazda.
14(46). ‘Invoke, O Zarathustra! my Fravashi 2, who am Ahura Mazda, the greatest, the best, the fairest of all beings, the most solid 3, the most intel- ligent, the best shapen, the highest in holiness, and whose soul is the holy Word 4!
1 Invoke, O Zarathustra! this creation of mine, who am Ahura Mazda.’
15 (50). Zarathmtra took those words from me, (and said): ‘ I invoke the holy creation of Ahura Mazda.
‘I invoke Mithrafi, the lord of wide pastures, a god armed with beautiful weapons, with the most glorious of all weapons, with the most fiend-smiting of all weapons.
‘ I invoke the holy, tail-formed Sraosha G, who wields a club in his hand, to bear upon the heads of the fiends.
16 (54). ‘ I invoke the most glorious holy Word.
‘ I invoke the sovereign Heaven, the boundless Time, and Vayu, whose action is most high.
‘ I invoke the mighty Wind, made by Mazda, and Spe«ta (Armaiti), the fair daughter of Ahura Mazda.
‘ I invoke the good law of Mazda, the fiend- destroying law of Zarathiutra.’
1 7 (58). Zarathurtra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘ O Maker of the good world, Ahura*. Mazda! With 1 See Introd. IV, 30. a See Introd. IV, 37.
, See Introd. IV, 5. * Miithra Spewta; see Introd. IV, 40.
* See Introd. IV, 8.
6 See Introd. IV, 31, and cf. Farg. XVIII, 2a seq.
FARGARD XIX.
what manner of sacrifice shall I worship, with what manner of sacrifice shall I worship and forward this creation of Ahura Mazda?’
18 (60). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Go, O Spitama Zarathu.ftra! towards that tree1 that is beautiful, high-growing, and mighty amongst the high-growing trees, and say thou these words: “ Hail to thee! O good, holy tree, made by Mazda! Ashem vohu2!”
19 (63). ‘ Let the faithful man cut off a twig of baresma, long as a ploughshare, thick as a barley- corn 3. The faithful one, holding it in his left hand, shall not leave off keeping his eyes upon it 4 *, whilst he is offering up the sacrifice to Ahura Mazda and to the Amesha-Spe;ztas, and to the high and beau- tiful golden Haomas, and to Vohu-man6r’ and to the good RAta 6 7 8, made by Mazda, holy and excellent V 20(67). Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘O thou, all-knowing Ahura Mazda! thou art never asleep, never intoxicated, thou Ahura Mazda! Vohu-mano * gets directly defiled: Vohu-mano gets indirectly de- 1 The tree, whatever it is, from which the baresma is taken.
4 The Parsis arc recommended to keep their eyes on the baresma during the sacrifice: 4 A man is offering the Darun, he has said all the required Avesta, but he has not looked at the baresma: what is the rule? It would have been better if he had looked at it: however he may proceed to the meal ’ (Old Rav. 97 b).
• See Introd. IV,?. 0 See Inlrod. IV, 30.
7 Doubtful. Possibly, ‘While he is offering up the high and beautiful Haomas, and Vohu-man6 (good thoughts) and the good R$ta (sacrificial presents).’
8 Vohu-mand is often used as a designation of the faithful one, literally, ‘the good-minded;’* this is the meaning which is given to it in this passage by the Commentary, and it certainly belongs vendIdAd.
filed; the Daevas defile him from the bodies smitten by the Daevas 1: let Vohu-man6 be made clean.’
21(70). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Thou shalt take some gomez from a bull ungelded and such as the law requires it2; thou shalt take the man who is to be cleansed 3 to the field made by Ahura 4, and the man that is to cleanse him shall draw the furrows ®.
22 (73). ‘He shall recite a hundred Ashem vohu: “Holiness is the best of all good. Happy, happy the man who is holy with perfect holiness! ” ‘He shall chant two hundred Ahuna-Vairya: “ The will of the Lord is the law of holiness; the riches of Vohu-man6 shall be given to him who works in this world for Mazda, and wields according to the will of Ahura the power he gave to him to relieve the poor.”
‘He shall wash Vohu-mano four times with the gomez from the ox, and twice with the water made by Mazda ".
to it in the second part of § 25; but in the first part of the same clause it is translated ‘clothes,’ a meaning which is not unlikely in itself, as Vohu-mano, being the Amshaspand of cattle, may designate, and in fact did designate, the skins of cattle and leather (Comm, ad Farg. XVIII, 2). On the whole the description in the text applies to the cleansing both of the man and of the clothes, and Vohu-man6 sometimes means the one, and sometimes the other.
1 From dead bodies.
2 The so-called VarasiS; ‘it must be of a white colour; if a single hair on its body be found other than white, the animal is rejected as unfit for the purpose ' (Sorabji Kavasji Khamb&ta, in the Indian Antiquary, VII, 180).
3 Or better, ‘ the things that are to be cleansed.’
4 The place of the cleansing, the Barashnflm-gah (see Farg.
* See Farg. IX, 10.
* This can hardly refer to the cleansing of the man, as the man FARGARD XIX.
23 (76). ‘ Thus Vohu-mano shall be made clean, and clean shall be the man. Then he shall take up Vohu-mano1 with his left arm and his right, with his right arm and his left: and thou shalt lay down Vohu-mand under the mighty structure of the bright heavens, by the light of the stars made by the gods, until nine nights have passed away 2.
24 (80). ‘ When nine nights have passed away, thou shalt bring libations unto the fire, thou shalt bring hard wood unto the fire, thou shalt bring incense of Vohu-gaona unto the fire, and thou shalt perfume Vohu-mano therewith.
25 (82). ‘ Thus shall Vohu-mano become clean, thus shall the man be clean3: he shall take up Vohu-mano with the right arm and the left, with the left arm and the right, and Vohu-mano * shall say aloud: “ Glory be to Ahura Mazda! Glory be to the Amesha-Spewtas! Glory be to all the other holy beings.” ’ 26 (85). Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘ O thou all-knowing Ahura Mazda: Should I urge upon the godly man, should I urge upon the godly woman, should I urge upon the wicked Daeva- worshipper who lives in sin, that they have once to leave behind them the earth made by Ahura, ought to be washed six times with g6mcz and three times with water (see Farg. VIII, 37 seq.; IX, 28 seq.)
1 ‘ The clothes ’ (Comm.)
a The clothes of tile unclean shall be exposed to the air for nine nights, all the time while he himself is confined in the Arm&rt-gfih. The rules for the cleansing of clothes that have been worn by the dead himself are different (see Farg. VII, 12 seq.)
3 ‘ Thus Vohu-man6 shall be clean — the clothes; thustheman shall be clean — he who wears those clothes’ (Comm.)
4 The faithful one.
vendIdad.
that they have to leave the water that runs, the corn that grows, and all the rest of their wealth 1?’
Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ Thou shouldst, O holy Zarathuitra.’
27 (89). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Where are the rewards given? Where does the rewarding take place? Where is the rewarding fulfilled? Whereto do men come to take the reward that, in their life in the material world, they have won for their souls?
28 (90). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘ When the man is dead, when his time is over, then the hellish, evil-doing Daevas assail him; and when the third night is gone, when the dawn appears and brightens up, and makes Mithra, the god with beautiful weapons, reach the all-happy mountains, and the sun is rising: 29 (94). ‘ Then the fiend, named Vlzaresha, carries off in bonds 2 the souls of the wicked Daeva-worshippers who live in sin. The soul enters the way made by Time, and open both to the wicked and to the righteous. At the head of the Khwad bridge, the holy bridge made by Mazda 3, they ask for their spirits and souls the 1 ‘Linquenda tellus, et domus ct placens Uxor, nec harum, quas colis arborum...'
The translation is doubtful in its details; yet there is little doubt that the sentence refers to future life (cf. § 27). Aspendiarji trans- lates, ‘ Shall the godly man...arise (from tlje dead)...? ’ which seems to be the meaning of the Pahlavi Commentary too.
* ‘ Every one has a noose cast around his neck: when a man dies, if he has been a righteous man, the noose falls from his neck; if a wicked, they drag him with that noose down into hell' (Comm.; cf. Farg. V, 8, add Introd. IV, 26).
* The JPlnvarf bridge extends over hell and leads to paradise: for the souls of the righteous it widens to the length of nine javelins; FARGARD XIX.
reward for the worldly goods which they gave away here below1.
30 (98). 4 Then comes the well-shapen, strong and tail-formed maid 2, with the dogs at her sides one who can distinguish 4, who is graceful 5, who does what she wants, and is of high understanding.
4 She makes the soul of the righteous one go up above the Hara-berezaiti above the K'mv&d bridge she places it in the presence of the heavenly gods themselves.
31 (102). ‘Up rises Vohu-mano7 from his golden seat; Vohu-mano exclaims: 44 How hast thou come to us, thou holy one, from that decaying world into this undecaying one 8? ” for the souls of the wicked it narrows to a thread, and they fall down into hell (cf. Ar</a VirafV, i). This bridge is known in many mythologies; it is the Sirath bridge of the Musulmans; not long ago they sang in Yorkshire of ‘ the Brig o’ Dread, na brader than a thread' (Thoms, Anecdotes, 89), and even nowadays the peasant in Nifcvre tells of a little board — 4 Pas pu longue, pas pu large Qu'un ch’veu de la Sainte Viargc/ which was put by Saint Jean d’Archange between the earth and paradise: ‘Ceux qu'saront la raison (=l'oraison?) d’Dieu Par dessus passeront.
Ceux qu’la sauront pas Au bout mourront.’ (Mdlusine, p. 70.)
1 Cf. Farg. Ill, 34,.35; XVIII, 33 seq.
2 The soul of the dead, on the fourth day, finds itself in the presence of a maid, of divine beauty or fiendish ugliness, according as he himself was gofcd or bad, and she leads him into heaven or hell: this maid is his own conscience ( Yasht XXII).
8 The dogs that keep the ATinva^/ bridge (see Farg. XIII, 9).
4 The good from the wicked. 6 Doubtful.
6 The heavenly mountain, whence the sun rises, and upon which the abode of the gods rests. *