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Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE24), E.W. West, tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com


p. vii

CONTENTS.

 


INTRODUCTION.

 

CHAP.

 

PAGE

1.

The Dînâ-î Maînôg-î Khirad

xv

2.

The Sikand-gûmânîk Vigâr

xxv

3.

The Sad Dar

xxxvi

 

Abbreviations used in this volume

xlvii

 


TRANSLATIONS.

 

 


DÎNÂ-Î MAÎNÔG-Î KHIRAD

1

1.

Introducing the sage and the spirit of wisdom

3

2.

How to preserve both body and soul, including the fate of the soul after death, whether righteous or wicked

9

3.

What liberality and truth, gratitude and wisdom, mindfulness and contentment are good for

26

4.

The nine chief good works, divided into seven classes

26

5.

The ten happiest lands

27

6.

The ten unhappiest lands

28

7.

The four grades of heaven and hell, with the neutral region between them, and the fate of the souls in each

29

8.

How Aûharmazd created the universe, and Aharman corrupted it for 9000 years. The evil influence of the seven planets, the good influence of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and how far the good and evil can counteract each other

32

9.

The impossibility of going from region to region, the substance of the sky, and the mingling of the water in the earth

35

10.

The impossibility of peace and affection between Aharman and Aûharmazd

36

11.

Wisdom without goodness and skill without wisdom are useless

37

 

p. viii

 

12.

Worldly treasure is not allotted so truly as spiritual, on account of Aharman's chieftains, the seven planets; but, after death, every one is judged according to his own deeds

37

13.

Though animals’ knowledge is instinctive, men obtain theirs only by toil, because Aharman has concealed the results of good and evil, and formed many false religions; but the only true one is that taught by Zaratûst

39

14.

The best protection, friend, supporter of fame, helper of enjoyment, wealth, and pleasure.

41

15.

The poverty and opulence which are good, and the characteristics of good and bad government.

42

16.

The best food, grain, and fruit. The effects of wine on different tempers, and when drunk in moderation and in excess. Also why silk clothing is better for the body, and cotton for the soul

45

17.

The pleasure that is worse than unhappiness

49

18.

Why people disregard the changeableness of worldly things, death, the account of the soul, and hell

49

19.

Living in fear and falsehood is worse than death

50

20.

The best and worst conversation for kings

50

21.

The fate of men who are worldly, scoffing, idle, malicious, lazy, false-hearted, and arrogant

51

22.

How far worldly wealth can be acquired through exertion

54

23.

The impossibility of contending with destiny

54

24.

Providence can over-rule destiny; but rarely does so, because of Aharman's evil doings

55

25.

The poorest of the rich, and the richest of the poor

55

26.

A blind mind is worse than a blind eye, and an ill-informed is worse than an ill-tempered man

56

27.

The several advantages resulting from the actions of Gâyômard, Hôshâng, Tâkhmorup,Yimshêd, Az-î Dahâk, Frâsîyâk, Frêdûn, Mânûskîhar, Kaî-Kavâd, Sâhm, Kâî-Ûs, Sîyâvakhsh, Kaî Khûsrôî, Kaî-Lôharâsp, and Kaî-Vistâsp

57

28.

The most forgiving, strongest, swiftest, happiest, and most miserable

66

29.

What must be most regarded and protected

66

30.

The worst life and most unforeseeing man

67

31.

The business of the three classes-priests, warriors, and husbandman

67

 

p. ix

 

32.

The business of the fourth class, the artizans

68

33.

The worst ruler, chieftain, friend, kinsman, wife, child, and country

69

34.

Aharman can hardly disturb a wise and contented man

70

35.

The seven kinds of men who are rich, and the seven who are poor

70

36.

The thirty sins

71

37.

The thirty-three good works

73

38.

Why worldly happiness is not allotted to the worthy who are accepted in heaven

75

39.

Whose power is most seemly, wisdom most complete, disposition most faithful, speech most proper, goodness least, friendship worst, mental pleasure least, heart most seemly, endurance most approvable, and who is not faithful. What should be kept by every one and no one, and also in conversation. Who cannot give evidence, to whom obedience is due, who must be minded and praised, what must not be unrespected, who is like Aûharmazd, and who like Aharman

76

40.

What is coldest, warmest, brightest, darkest, fullest, emptiest, most fruitless, without superfluity, incapable of deprival, cannot be bought, satisfies every one, and satisfies no one. What Aûharmazd desires from men, and what Aharman does; and what is the end in the worldly and spiritual existences

79

41.

The mightiest man, most dreadful road, most perplexing account, pleasantest tie, most regretable work, and most unprofitable gift.

81

42.

The three kinds of man

82

43.

The spiritual armour and weapons requisite for attaining to heaven and escaping from hell

83

44.

The arrangement of the sky and earth, flow of the water, and resting-place of the clouds; where the winter demon is most predominant, and the most undisturbed country

84

45.

How Aharman deceives, whence is his pleasure, where he has a foundation, whom he haunts, and whence is his food

87

46.

Aharman considers no injury complete, unless he seizes the soul

88

47.

What is better than all wealth, predominant over everything, and from which no one can escape

89

 

p. x

 

48.

The dwelling of the understanding, intellect, seed, and wisdom in the body

89

49.

The duties and motions of the stars, Tîstar, Vanand, Haptôk-ring, the twelve signs of the zodiac, and the rest, the sun and the moon.

90

50.

The opulent person who is fortunate, and the reverse

93

51.

Why a bad man sometimes succeeds, and a good one fails

93

52.

How the ceremonies and religion should be considered, and what is requisite for the renunciation of sin

94

53.

How the homage and glorifying of the sacred beings are to be performed

95

54.

Why an ignorant man will not learn

96

55.

Why an ill-natured man is no friend of the good, nor an untalented man of the talented

97

56.

The uses of mountains and rivers

98

57.

The many advantages and uses of wisdom

98

58.

Though an ignorant king is esteemed by man, a wise poor man is more esteemed by the angels

105

59.

The vices of the four classes-priests, warriors, husband-men, and artizans

105

60.

The man most conversant with good and evil

106

61.

The chiefs of men, women, horses, flying creatures, oxen, wild animals, and grains

107

62.

Regarding Kangdez, the enclosure formed by Yim, the body .of Sâhm, the abode of Srôsh, the three-legged ass, the Hôm tree, Gôpaîtôshah, the Kar fish, the griffon bird, and Kînâmrôs

108

63.

The best good work, which requires no trouble

113

 


SIKAND-GÛMÂNÎK VIGÂR

115

1.

Introducing the subject and the author

117

2.

Why Aharman advanced towards the light, though of a different nature

122

3.

Why Aûharmazd did not use his omnipotence to repel Aharman

124

4.

How the stars came to be distributors both of the good produced by Aûharmazd, and of the evil produced by Aharman

127

5.

Proof of the existence of a creator derived from the evident design in the creation

139

 

p. xi

 

6.

Further proofs of a similar description

146

7.

Proof of the existence of an injurer from the provision made against him

150

8.

Proofs of the same from the existence of evil

152

9.

Proof of the existence of the opponent before the creation, and of his appearance afterwards

162

10.

Those who believe in the unity of creation, also believe in a corrupting influence which is really another being

166

11.

The inconsistency of those who trace both good and evil to a sacred being whose attributes are incompatible with the latter; with references to various scriptures

173

12.

Other inconsistencies in the assertions of various sects regarding the sacred being

202

13.

Criticism of the Jewish account of the creation of the universe and the fall of man, as given in the Old Testament

208

14.

Other statements of the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, regarding the sacred being, that are inconsistent with his attributes

221

15.

Criticism of many statements of the Christian scriptures, showing their inconsistency, and that some of them also admit the existence of a separate originator of evil

229

16.

Criticism of some of the doctrines of the Mânîchaeans

243

 


SAD DAR

253

 

Introduction

255

1.

Necessity of unwavering faith in the religion

257

2.

Sin not to be committed

258

3.

Advantage of perseverance in industry

259

4.

No one should despair of the mercy of Hôrmazd

260

5.

Advantage of Navazûd and Gêtî-kharîd

262

6.

The six indispensable good works

264

7.

Why we should recite certain formulas after sneezing

265

8.

Why high-priests must be obeyed

266

9.

The sin of unnatural intercourse to be punished, by any one, by death on the spot.

267

10.

Reasons for wearing the sacred thread-girdle and tying it with four knots

268

11.

Why a household fire should be properly maintained

270

12.

Why the clothing of a corpse should be scanty and old, though many people must follow the bier

272

 

p. xii

 

13.

Why ceremonies in honour of the souls of the departed should be properly celebrated

273

14.

How nail-parings should be treated, and why

275

15.

How we should salute anything agreeable, and why

276

16.

A pregnant woman and new-born infant require the protection of a fire or burning lamp, with other precautions

277

17.

Why a toothpick must be cut free from bark

278

18.

People should marry early, to benefit by children's good works; and a childless man must have an adopted son

278

19.

Advantage of attending to agriculture

281

20.

Advantage of feeding the worthy

282

21.

How grace must be said before and after eating, and why

282

22.

Advantage of performing Gâdangôî

285

23.

Tethered animals must be restrained

286

24.

Why and how Hôm-juice must be given to anew-born child

286

25.

Why promises must not be broken

287

26.

Every man of fifteen years must select a patron spirit and a priestly guide whom he must obey

288

27.

When it is doubtful whether an action be right or wrong a high-priest must be consulted

290

28.

Why the Avesta must be properly learnt and remembered

290

29.

Why liberality must extend only to the worthy

291

30.

Water must not be poured away, or drunk, in the dark

292

31.

Dogs must be fed and well-treated

292

32.

Why a hen or cock must not be killed for crowing

293

33.

Why search must be made where a corpse is supposed to be buried

294

34.

Animals must not be often killed, and some never; also certain parts should be consecrated

295

35.

Prayers to be used when washing the face

296

36.

Necessity of the Bareshnûm for both men and women

296

37.

Why the ten days of the guardian spirits must be celebrated

298

38.

We must not drink from the same cup as those of a different religion, until it is purified

300

39.

The sacred fire and its attendant must be properly maintained (see Chap. 92)

301

40.

Parents and priests must be obeyed and not vexed

301

41.

The care and prayers necessary for menstruous women

302

42.

Why slander and seduction, sins producing accusers, are specially injurious

305

43

Noxious creatures must be killed, especially five kinds

306

44.

Walking barefoot is a sin, and why

307

 

p. xiii

 

45.

How repentance must be accomplished for every sin

308

46.

The proper age for tying on the sacred thread-girdle

309

47.

Ceremonies must be celebrated after the death of a child of seven, to liberate its soul from those of its parents

310

48.

A cooking-pot must not be more than two-thirds full, for fear of boiling over

311

49.

A fire must be cold before the ashes are removed

311

50.

How the morning ablutions must be performed

312

51.

Why it is necessary to send a child to school

313

52.

Why a sacred cake must be consecrated every year on the day Khurdâd of the month Fravardîn

314

53.

Any one travelling twelve leagues must have a sacred cake consecrated before he goes and every Bahirâm day during his absence

315

54.

If a man's serving wife has a son, he may adopt it; but if only a daughter, he must adopt a relation's son

316

55.

When a sacred cake cannot be consecrated at a Navazûd, bread must be eaten with the Hôrmazd vâg

316

56.

Precautions and prayers necessary when evacuating water

317

57.

A hedgehog must not be injured, and why

318

58.

Advantages of a ceremony for the living soul

318

59.

The only Nyâyis for women is obedience to their husbands

320

60.

Steadfastness in the religion leads to heaven, and helping others to be steadfast is the best good work

321

61.

Evils of falsehood

322

62.

Advantages of truth in word and action

323

63.

Regarding the sin of adultery

324

64.

Penalties for theft with and without violence

326

65.

Duties of thanksgiving and doing good

328

66.

All women must have the Dvâzdah-hômâst celebrated

330

67.

Why women must abstain from adultery

331

68.

Precautions to be taken by menstruous women

332

69.

Allowing the sun to shine on a fire, even through holes, is sinful

334

70.

Precautions to be observed in carrying the dead

335

71.

Punishment for eating dead matter as medicine

336

72.

Bringing dead matter to water or fire is a deadly sin

336

73.

Any cow, goat, or fowl that eats dead matter is impure, and its produce cannot be used, for a year

337

74.

Morning ablutions

337

75.

Cultivators must be careful that irrigation water is not defiled with dead matter

338

 

p. xiv

 

76.

Period of purification after childbirth

339

77.

Purification and precautions after still-birth

340

78.

Why meat must not be eaten for three days after a death in the house

341

79.

Advantages of liberality

342

80.

Different values of Ashem-vohû on different occasions

343

81.

Hôrmazd admonishes Zaratust not to postpone to-day's duties and good works till to-morrow

344

82.

The sacred thread-girdle must be re-tied when dressing, before moving from the spot

347

83.

Proper fasting is from sin, not from food

348

84.

Prayers before sleeping and when restless

348

85.

Advice must always be asked of the wise and relations

349

86.

Beavers must not be killed

350

87.

Ceremonies to be celebrated after a death

350

88.

Polluted wood must not be used or burnt

353

89.

Any one eating dead matter, or polluting another with it, must be purified

353

90.

Nothing is to be given to a sinner

354

91.

How to purify articles of various materials when polluted by dead matter

354

92.

The sacred fire must be properly maintained, and an attendant provided (see Chap. 39)

355

93.

Slander a sin, and how to atone for it

356

94.

Benefits must be reciprocated

357

95.

The merit of performing the Nyâyises, and the sin of neglecting them

357

96.

Mourning for the dead is improper

358

97.

Priests’ instructions must be treated with respect

359

98.

Priests must teach the Avesta to laymen correctly

359

99.

Pahlavi must be taught to priests only

360

100.

Any one molesting a harmless person in this world will be delayed on his way to the other world

361

 


INDEX

363

 

Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the Translations of the Sacred Books of the East

373


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