Zoroastrianism.html

to Home Page

ZOROASTRIANISM

(See http://www.ozemail.com.au/~zarathus/tenets33.html - Traditional Zoroastrianism: Tenets of the Religion)


The Zend Avesta

Khwarshed Niyayesh ("Litany to the Sun")
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

To Unique and Unusual Esoteric Books!




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!'

to Index
to Home Page