(it) forth on a bone, I who am Ahuramazda; I will conduct (it) forth unnoticed, I who am Ahuramazda; with those (impurities) I will conduct (it) forth to the sea Pûitika.

19. There exist streaming currents 1 in the inner part of the sea for purifying, (and) the waters flow from the sea Pûitika to the sea Vouru-kasha,2 to the tree Hvâpa ;3 here grow all my trees of every kind.4

20. I rain these down together,5 I who am Ahuramazda, both as food for the righteous man and fodder for the well-yielding Man shall eat my corn, and fodder is for the well-yield

ox.

ing ox.

21. This is better, this is more excellent, than thou, upright one sayest. By this speech the righteous Ahuramazda rejoiced him, the righteous Zarathushtra: Mayst thou purify for man the best (things) for procreation. This which is the Mazdayasnian religion is pure, O Zarathushtra! He who purifies himself by good thoughts and good words and good deeds.7

22. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. How much greater, better, and more excellent is this Zarathushtrian Provision against the

1 Or perhaps "splashing waves;" the Pahlavi translation is obscure, but seems to say: "they remain in a water-skin (av khâîk, Pers. khik) and bucket (dúlá) kept full."

The Pahlavi version adds: "Towards the southernmost side, and it (the water) stays behind in mist (pavan hir, or khir), and the blue (kavud) body of (the sea) Satavaêsa stays behind around it. Pûitika stands away from the shore of Satavaêsa, this is a fact, but from which shore it stands away is not clear to me. The water comes to Satavaêsa through the bottom (pêkh); some say that it traverses a fissure (kâfak).”

3 The Pahlavi version adds: "Afarg says the root of a tree; Mêdôk-mâh (says) a forest."

4 Some MSS. add the Avesta: "by hundreds, by thousands, by myriads of myriads;" and the Pahlavi version adds: "among species, chaiti henti urvaranām saredha ("how many are the kinds of trees?") that is the prin

cipal species." Either a list of species is omitted, or chaiti here merely means "many," as the Pahlavi chand often does.

5 That is, both waters and plants. The Pahlavi commentary ascribes this to Tishtar, according to the later tradition, thus: "he who is Tishtar takes the water (that) they may take it in the wells of waters it comes to."

6 This is a quotation from the Speñta-mainyû Gâtha (Yas. xlviii. 5) which continues as follows:-" for the ox mayst thou nourish that of those labouring for our food." It forms part of an address to Armaiti, the spirit of the earth. The disconnected phrases which follow are probably also texts quoted from the Scriptures.

7 The Pahlavi version adds the note that, "aṇhvăm (life, self) and daếnām (intuition, religion, self) are both the

same.

Devas1 above the other traditions in greatness and goodness and excellence.

23. Then said Ahuramazda: Verily, one may consider, ( Spitama Zarathushtra! this Zarathushtrian Provision against the Devas above the other traditions in greatness and goodness and excellence, as the sea Vouru-kasha is above the other waters.

24. Verily, one may consider, &c. [as in ver. 23], as the greater water overpowers the lesser waters.2 Verily, one may consider, &c. [as in, ver. 23], as the greater tree overshadows the lesser trees. 3

25. Verily, one may consider, &c. [as in ver. 23], as it has been both on and around this earth.4

Let the judge (ratu) be nominated, let the executor of the sentence (sraoshavareza) be nominated, on a Draona (consecrated cake) being uplifted or not uplifted, on a Draona being offered or not offered, on a Draona being delivered or not delivered.5

26. Afterwards this judge is able to remit for him a third of this punishment. And if other wicked deeds were perpetrated by him, his atonement is through patita (renunciation of sin); moreover, if other wicked deeds were not perpetrated by him, the patita of that man is (completed) for ever and ever.

1 The Vendidad, which is a corruption of vidaêvô-dâtem, see p. 225. 2 The Pahlavi version has: " as the great water when it advances upon the little water, bears (it) away when it falls into the chitha" (perhaps equivalent to chah, "a pit").

3 The Pahlavi adds an obscure phrase which may perhaps, in the old MSS., be: sarvân malkâ âb-akhêzak-aê, "the king of cypresses is one (growing) in a marsh."

4 The Pahlavi version in old MSS. has: "as it will travel (bard bâmined) to this earth and over the sky, that is, ever in all (places)." Then follows a commentary which seems to refer to the succeeding sentence, thus: "some say this about Nasush, and that in the eighth (fargard) about decision and judgment, is that in the Hûspârum (Nask) about the formula

(nirang) of worship." There is evidently a change of subject here.

5 The Pahlavi commentaries on this passage are: "The Dastur considers. (the Sraoshâvareza) accuses of sin." And with reference probably to the offender, the Dastur considers: "what was in his thoughts but not committed, and not in his thoughts but committed; what was promised him was not brought, and not promised was brought; what was his intention but not performed, and unintended but performed." This, however, throws little light into the obscurity of the Avesta text.

6 This passage has occurred also in iii. 21, and perhaps "his punishment is abandoned" might be substituted for "his atonement is through patita," and "acquittal" be read instead of the second "patita." The

27. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. When men happen to be in the same place, on a rug together, or on a mat together, and others are on it; there may be two men, or five, or fifty, or a hundred; (and) the same of women; 1 (and) then one of these men shall die; how many among the men does this Drukhsh Nasush (the destroyer, Corruption) reach with impurity and rottenness and filth?

28. Then said Ahuramazda: If he be a priest (who dies), verily, O Spitama Zarathushtra! this Drukhsh Nasush rushes forth; if she reaches the eleventh she pollutes indirectly to the tenth. If, however, he be a warrior, verily, O Spitama Zarathushtra this Drukhsh Nasush rushes forth; if she reaches the tenth she pollutes indirectly to the ninth. If, however, he be a husbandman, verily, O Spitama Zarathushtra! this Drukhshi Nasush rushes forth; if she reaches the ninth she pollutes indirectly to the eighth.

29. Moreover, if it be a shepherd's dog (pasush-haurva), verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the eighth she pollutes indirectly to the seventh. If, however, it be a house-dog (vishhaurva), verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the seventh she pollutes indirectly to the sixth.

30. If, however, it be a bloodhound (vohunazga), verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the sixth she pollutes indirectly to the fifth. If, however, it be a young (tauruna) dog, verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the fifth she pollutes indirectly to the fourth.

31. If, however, it be a sukuruna 2 dog, verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the fourth she pollutes indirectly to

drift of the sentence being that no offender can be tried or punished for an older offence than the one for which he has been already condemned. The Pahlavi version adds: "that is, when the Dastur considers and deplores the sin, and they shall perform good works "ncomplainingly, it will be allowable for the judge (ratu, i.e., Dastur) to remit one-third of the soul's sin; this is declared where the decision is among the judges [as in cases of appeal or joint decisions], not

the judges' own; when it shall be the judges' own it will be allowable to remit the whole of it."

1 The Pahlavi version misinterprets hãm nâirinām by "in fellowship (and) in contact."

2 What description of dog or animal is meant by this epithet, or any of the three succeeding, is quite uncertain. The Pahlavi version merely transcribes the Avesta words, and owns that the last three are not intelligible.

the third. If, however, it be a jazhu dog, verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the third she pollutes indirectly to the second.

32. If, however, it be an aiwizu dog, verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the second she pollutes indirectly the first. If, however, it be a vîzu dog, verily, &c. [as in ver. 28]; if she reaches the first she pollutes indirectly the first.

33. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. If, however, the dog be a fox (urupi), how many of the creatures of the beneficent spirit does the dog which is a fox pollute directly how many does it pollute indirectly?1

34. Then said Ahuramazda: This dog, which is a fox, does not pollute directly (any) of the creatures of the beneficent spirit, nor does it pollute indirectly, any other than he that smites and kills (it). To him it adheres for ever and

ever.

35. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. Moreover, if he (who dies) be a miscreant, a two-legged unbeliever (drvão),2 as an unrighteous apostate is, how many of the creatures of the beneficent spirit does he pollute directly? how many does he pollute indirectly?

3

36. Then said Ahuramazda: Like any toad dried up (and) over a year dead; for living, O Spitama Zarathushtra! a miscreant, a two-legged unbeliever, as an unrighteous apostate is, pollutes directly (any) of the creatures of the beneficent spirit; living he pollutes (them) indirectly.

37. Living it (the toad) spoils the water, living it quenches the fire, living it drives the cattle mad, living it strikes the righteous man a blow depriving of consciousness (and) cutting off life; not so (when) dead.

38. So, living, O Spitama Zarathushtra! a miscreant, a twolegged unbeliever, as an unrighteous apostate is, plunders the

1 Ham raêthwayĉiti means that it contaminates or communicates contagion by direct contact, and paitiraêthwayêiti means that it infects or spreads infection through an intermediate person or thing.

2 Or "a two-legged, unbelieving serpent."

3 Strictly speaking, vazagha is a poisonous lizard.

330

righteous man of a profusion1 of food and clothing and wood and carpet 2 and iron; not so (when) dead.

39. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. When we bring together, O righteous Ahuramazda! in the dwellings in this material world, the fire and Barsom and cups and Homa and mortar, (and) afterwards either a dog or a man of this dwelling shall die, how should they act, they who are Mazdayasnians?

40. Then said Ahuramazda: Off from these dwellings, O Spitama Zarathushtra! they should carry the fire and Barsom and cups and Homa and mortar, off from (them) the dead one. They may think of it as the lawful man (that) is both brought to the lawful (place) and devoured.3

41. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. How should these Mazdayasnians bring the fire back again to this dwelling where the man had died?

42. Then said Ahuramazda: Nine nights should they who are Mazdayasnians hesitate in winter, but in summer a month long; afterwards these Mazdayasnians may bring the fire back again to this dwelling where the man had died.

43. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. And if these Mazdayasnians should bring the fire back again to this dwelling where the man had died within the space of the nine nights, (or) within the space of the month long, what is the punishment for this?

44. Then said Ahuramazda: One may inflict on the vitiated body of such a one two hundred blows with a horse-goad, two hundred with a scourge.

When in this Mazdayasnian child for one month, or two

45. Creator, &c. [as in iii. 1]. dwelling a woman shall go with months, or three months, or four months, or five months, or six months, or seven months, or eight months, or nine months, or