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“”^fiitivSiliI!!PRINCETON,Shelf.N.J.BL 1010 .S3V.5West, Edward William,18241905.Pahlavi texts^”^r-i1″:*”.””i-:.:-^^”«,””^X:^•>?.•.^^ v.^”I;-*.I/-“.”:”” THESACRED BOOKS OF THE EASTTRANSLATEDBY VARIOUS ORIENTAL SCHOLARSAND EDITED BYF.MAX MULLERVOL. VATTHE CLARENDON PRESS1880^All rights reserved”> PAHLAVI TEXTSTRANSLATED BYE.W.WESTPARTIthe bundahi5, bahman ya5t, andshAyast lA-shAyastATTHECLARENDON1880_All rights reserved 1PRESS CONTENTS.INTRODUCTION.PAGE1.TheParsi Scriptures2.ThePahlavi3.The Bundahij4.The5.The Bahman6.The7.Concluding RemarksLanguageixanjl Literaturexixxii.Selections of Za^-sparamYa^-txlvi1Shayast la-shayastlixIxviiTRANSLATIONS.BUNDAHI^-ISelections of ZA^j-sparam153Bahman189Ya^-tShayast la-shayast237Index407Errata434Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the Translations of theSacred Books of the East435 PRIITCSTOITMAR 1881REC.PAHLAVI TEXTS.The ParsiI.Though weScriptures.must look to the Avestafor informationregarding the main outlines of the Parsi religion,we mustPahlavi writingsrelating to the traditions,ancientmost of theceremonies, and customsreferforitselfemphaticallywhich stylesfaith,religion of the Mazdayasnians,”or “those of theAvesta whichgoodstillold, withmanycalls its laitytoisdetailsof thisthe goodbahdinan,religion.”In the fragments of thewe maytrace the solid foundationsexist,of the religion, laidand”itby philosophic bards and lawgiversa moulderingofcolumn and massive fragmentthem by the ancientof the superstructure erected uponpriesthood.These are thelastremnants of theLordby Cyrus, the anointedof therighteous oneor eagle(Is. xli. 2),called from the east,pleasureprofessed(Is.his successes to”(Is. xlvi. 11),i),thewhom Heand the sheph; erd who performed Hisxliv. 28)by Dariusfaith held(Isaiah xlv.;scattered fragments of the creedin his inscriptions,the will ofAuramazdawhen he;”attributesand moulderingruins of the comparatively pure religion of oriental”bar-barism,” which Alexander and his civilising Greek successorswere unable wholly to destroy, and replace by their ownidolatrous superstitions. While in the Pahlavi texts we findmuchof the mediaeval edifice built by later Persian priestupon the old foundations, with a strange mixture ofold and new materials, and exhibiting the usual symptomof declining powers, a strong insistence upon complex formsand minute details, with little of the freedom of treatmentand simplicity of outline characteristic of the ancient bards.craftXPAHLAVI TEXTS.Tounderstand the relationship between these two classesit must be observed that the Avestaof Parsi sacred writings,and Pahlavi of the same scripture, taken together, form itsAvesta and Zand, terms which are nearly synonymous withrevelation and commentary.” Both words are derived fromverbal roots implying knowledge;” Avesta being the Pahlaviavistak, which may most probably be traced to the pastparticiple of a, “to,” + vid, “to know,” with the meaning of”what is announced” or “declaration ;” and Zand, being thePahlavi form of Av. zalnti (traceable in the word azai^tij”),must be referred to the root zan, to know,” with the meaningof knowledge, understanding ^.” European scholars, misledprobably by Muhammadan writers, have converted thephrase “Avesta and Zand” into “Zend-Avesta/ and have””””Zand with the languagefurther identifiedThis use of the word Zandis,of the Avesta.however, quite at varianceall Parsi writers who have been independent of European influence, as they apply the termZand only to the Pahlavi translations and explanations oftheir sacred books, the original text of which they callAvesta. So that when they use the phrase Avesta andZand” they mean the whole of any scripture, both the Avestatext and Pahlavi translation and commentary. And thelatter, being often their only means of understanding thewith the practice of”former, hasnow becomeof nearly equal authority with theAvesta itself. It is probable, indeed, that the first Zandwas really written in the Avesta language, as we find manytraces of such Avesta commentaries interpolated both inthe Avesta and Pahlavi texts of the Parsi scriptures butthis is rather a matter of European inference than of Parsi;belief.Theplaces, tolater (or Pahlavi)Zand appearsbe merely a translation ofalso, inthis earlier (ormanyAvesta)Zand, with additional explanations offered by the Pahlavitranslators.Regarding the sacredness of these Pahlavi translations,can be no manner of doubt,so far as they cannot be shown to be inconsistent with thein the eyes of the Parsis, there*See Haug”s Essays on the Sacred Language, Writings, and Religion of theParsiS; second edition,London, 1878jpp. 121, 122.INTRODUCTION.originalAvestaXIBut besides these translations theretext.another class of Pahlavi religious writings whose authority-ismore open to dispute. These writings are either transand Zands of Avesta texts no longer extant, or theycontain the opinions and decisions of high-priests of latertimes, when the Pahlavi language was on the decline. Suchwritings would hardly be considered of indisputable authorityby any Parsi of the present day, unless they coincided withhis own preconceived opinions. But for outsiders they havethe inestimable value either of supplying numerous detailsof religious traditions and customs which would be vainlyislationssought for elsewhere, or of being contemporary records ofthe religious ideas of the Parsis in the declining days oftheirthisMazdayasnian faith. It is with a few of such writingsvolume has to deal but before describing them more;minutelyitbe desirable to give some account of thewillPahlavi language in which they are written.2.The Pahlavi Language and Literature.The term”Pahlavi,” in its widest extent,isapplied toallthe varying forms of the mediaeval Persian language, fromwhen the grammatical inflexions of ancient Persianwere dropped, till the period when the modern alphabetwas invented, and the language became corrupted intomodern Persian by the adoption of numerous Arabic wordsand phrases. Some traces of Pahlavi words and phrases,written in old Semitic characters, have been found in thethe timebylegends of coins struckcertain kings of Persian provinces,subordinate to the Greek successors of Alexander, as earlyas the third centuryB. C.^Further traces have been dis-covered in the legends on some provincial coins of the timeof the Arsacidan dynasty.But, practically, our acquaintancewith Pahlavi commences with the inscriptions^ on rocks andcoins, of Ar-sparam.In some manuscripts of the Da^istan-i Dinik the ninety-two questions and answers, which usually go by that name,are preceded and followed by Pahlavi texts which are eachnearly equal in extent to the questions and answers, andtreat of a variety of subjects, somewhat in the manner ofa Rivayat. Of the texts which follow the questions andanswers the following are the principalindicationsIncantations for fever, &c.:afforded bymarks on the body; about the hamistakan (“theever-stationary,” or neutral state of future existence) andcopy of an epistle ^ fromthe different grades in heavenHerbad Manuj/tihar son of Yudan-Yim^, which he addressed to the good people of Sirkan ^, about the decisionspronounced by Herbad Za^-sparam son of Yudan-Yimcopy of a letter from Herbad Manuj^ihar son of YudanYim to his brother, Herbad Za^-sparam, on the samesubject, and replying to a letter of his written fromNivshipuharcopy of a notice by Herbad Manui-/^ihar,son of Yiidan-Yim and high-priest (ra^^) of Pars andKirman, of the necessity of fifteenfold ablution on accountof grievous sin, written and sealed in the third month A.Y.250 (a.d. 881) memoranda and writings called “Selectionsof Za/^-sparam son of Yudan-Yim,” the first part treatingof many of the same subjects as the Bundahij-, together;natural;;;;” This long epistle contains one statement which is important in its bearingupon the age of certain Pahlavi writings. It states that Nishahpuhar was inthe council of Anoshak-ruban Khusro, king of kings and son of Kavarf, alsoNow this is the name ofthat he was Mobad of Mobads and a commentator.a commentator quoted in the Pahlavi Vend. Ill, 151, V, 112, VIII, 64, and veryfrequently in the Nirangistan;it isalso a title applied to Arc?a-Viraf (seeAY.These facts seem to limit the age of the last revision of the PahlaviVendidad, and of the composition of the Pahlavi Nirangistan and Art/a -Virafnamak to the time of King Khilsro Noshirvan (a.d. 531-579). The statementdepends, of course, upon the accuracy of a tradition three centuries old, asthis epistle must have been written about a. d. 880.* Some Parsis read this name Goshnajam, others Yudan-dam.3 Mr. Tehmuras Dinshawji thinks this is the place now called Sir^an, aboutthirty parasangs south of Kirman, on the road to Bandar Abbas, which is noJ,35).doubt thecase.INTRODUCTION.xlvliwith legends regarding Zaratujt and his family the secondpart about the formation of men out of body, life, and;souland the third part about the;of the universe.completeinalldetails of the renovationTheknown MSS., andlast part of these Selections is inisfollowedby somefragments of a further series of questions and answersregarding the omniscient wisdom, theevil spirit,Kangde^,by Yim, &c.A translation of so much of the Selections of ZaThefact of itsbeing a copy ofK35isproved by strong circumstantialevi-contains several false readings which are clearlydue to mis-shapen letters and accidental marks in K35, so that it is evidentlydescended from that MS.But it is further proved to have been copied directdence.In thefirstplace,from that MS., by thelastwith interlined circles infinding his place,itwordsK35;in thirty-two of itspages having been markedthe circle having been the copyist”swhen beginninganew pagedmarkafter turning over his folios.for,PAHLAVI TEXTS.1Bombay copyK35, though it has lost about fourteenThis MS. must be either the originalfrom which K35 was copied, or an independent authority ofequal value, but it has not been available for settling theoffohos at the end.text of the Selections for the present translation.5.The BahmanVohuman Yaj”t,”The Bahman Vast.Ya^-t,usuallyprofessesthecalled”Zandof thebe a prophetical work, inZaratiji^t an account of whattowhich Auharmazd giveswas to happen to the Iranian nation andreligion in thefuture.Itthat,begins with an introduction (Chap. I) which statesaccording to the Stu^^gar Nask, Zaratuj-t having askedAuharmazdfor immortality,was supplied temporarily withomniscient wisdom, and had a vision of a tree with fourbranches of different metals which were explained to himas symbolical of four different periods, the times ofVii-tasp,of Ar^akhshir the Kayanian, ofcertaindemons oridolatorsof a thousand years.Khusro Noshirvan, andwho wereto appear at theIt states, further,that theofendcommen-Ataries of theVohuman, Horvada^, and Ai-ta^Ya^-tsmen-tioned the heretic Mazdak, and that Khusro Noshirvansummoneda council of high-priests and commentators, andordered them not to conceal these. Yaj-ts, but to teach thecommentary only amongThetheirownrelations.text then proceeds (Chap. II) to give the details of—Zaracommentary on the Vohuman Ya^-t as followshaving again asked Auharmazd for immortality, isrefused, but is again supplied with omniscient wisdom for athe:tu^t,week, during which time hesees,amongother things, a treewdth seven branches of different metals, which are againexplained to him as denoting the seven ages of the religion,triumph in the reigns of Vii-tasp, of Ar^/akhshirthe Kayanian, of one of the A^kanian kings, of Arrf”akhshirPapakan and Shahpur I and II, of Vahram Gor, and ofKhusro Noshirvan, and its seventh age of adversity whenitssix ages ofINTRODUCTION.Iranistolibe invaded from the east by hordes of demons orwork much misandbecomes nearly extinct.whoidolators with dishevelled hair,are tochief, so as to destroy the greater part of the nationmislead theThe detailsthe religionrest, untilof this mischief, written in a tone of lamentation,constitute the greater part of the text, which also noticesthat the sovereignty will pass from the Arabs,these leathern-belteddemons (Turks)Rumans, andTurks andto othernon-Turanians who are worse than themselves.Distressed at this narrative(Chap.Ill, i)howthe rehgionHeZaratuJt asksisAuharmazdto be restored,and theseinformed that, in the course ofbanners, red weapons, and redwithredtime, other fiendswill appear in the northChristians,hats, who seem to bedemons destroyed ?isadvance either to the Arvand (Tigris) or theEuphrates, driving back the former demons who will assemble all their allies to a great conflict, one of the threegreat battles of the religions of the world, in which thewicked will be so utterly destroyed that none will be leftwest,andwillto pass into the next millennium.ZaratCut enquires (III, 12)ishowsomanycan perish, andinformed that, after the demons with dishevelled hairappear, Hushe(^ar, thefirstof the last three apostles,isborn near Lake Frazdan and when he begins to confer withAuharmazd a Kayan prince is born in the direction ofTTinistan (Samarkand), who is called Vahram the Var^avand,;and when heisthirty years old he collects a largearmyofHindu (Bactrian) and A^ini (Samarkandian) troops, andadvances into Iran, where he is reinforced by a numerousarmy of Iranian warriors, and defeats the demon races withimmenseslaughter, in the great conflict already mentioned,so that there will be only onemanto a thousandleftwomen.The writer then proceeds to describe the supernaturalhow the evilagencies employed to produce this resultofthe demonassistancethespirit (III, 24) comes toangelsto Kangde^,hissendsworshippers how Auharmazd:;Peshyotanu, the immortal son of Vi.ftasp, withhis disciples, to re-establish the sacred fires and restore thetosummond2PAHLAVI TEXTS.Hiand how the angels assist them againstVahram the Var^avand is enabledfiendishraces, as already detailed, andto destroy thePeshyotanu becomes supreme high-priest of the Iranianreligious ceremoniesthe evil;so thatspirits,world.Finally, the writer givessomedetails regarding the mis-sions of the last three apostles, returning for that purpose(III,44) to the birth of Hlashe^^ar, thefirstof the three,whosemillennium witnesses both the invasion and the destructionHushe-^ar proves his apostolic auof the fiendish races.thority, to the satisfaction of Vai^avandand the people, bydays and nights. Hismission is to bring the creatures back to their properstate;” and it is not till near the end of his millennium thatPeshyotanu appears, as before described. As this millen-making the sun standstillfor ten”nium begins with the invasionof the fiendish racesand themust have terminated in theseventeenth century, unless it was to last more than afallof the Sasanian dynasty,itAvery brief account is then given ofthousand years.the millennium of Hushe(;/ar-mah, the second of the threeapostles,whose missionistomake”the creaturesmoreprogressive” and to destroy “the fiend of serpent origin”During his millennium (which appears to bemankind become so skilled in medicinethat they do not readily die but owing to their tolerationof heretics the evil spirit once more attains power, andreleases A^^-i Dahak, from his confinement in Mount Dimavand, to work evil in the world, till Auharmazd sends hisangels to rouse Keresasp the Saman, who rises from histrance and kills A^-i Dahak with his club at the end of the(A^”-inowDahak).in progress);millennium.to”make theAfterwards, Soshyans, the last apostle, appearscreatures again pure;” when the resurrectiontakes place and the future existence commences.Whetherthis text, asnowextant, be the originalmentary or Zand of the VohumansinceitYaj-tcom-admits of doubt,appears to quote that commentary (Chap.II, i)asan authority for its statements it is, therefore, most proSuchbably, only an epitome of the original commentary.an epitome would naturally quote many passages verbatim;INTRODUCTION.liilfrom the original work, which ought to bear traces of translation from an Avesta text, as its title zand implies aPahlavi translation from the Avesta (see p. x). There are,in fact,manysuch tracesin thisepitome, as indicatedthe numerous sentences beginning with a verb, themodebyofaddressing Auharmazd, the quotation of different opinionsfrom various commentators, and other minor peculiarities.Some of these might be the result of careful imitation ofother commentaries, but it seems more likely that they aVeoccasioned by literal translation from an original AvestaIn speculating, therefore, upon the contents of thetext.Bahman Vast it is necessary to remember that we are mostprobably dealing with a composite work, whose statementsmay be referred to the three different ages of the Avestaand commentary, and theand that this last form of theoriginal, the Pahlavi translationPahlavi epitome of the lattertextthe only old versionisWith regard;nowextant.work we have the external(K20)hundred years ago, and that this copy isto the age of theevidence that a copy ofwritten about fiveitexists in a manuscriptevidently descended from older manuscripts asseveral clerical blunders incompatible withitcontainsany idea ofitsbeing the original manuscript, as witness the omissions notedin Chaps. II, 10, 13, 14, 33, 37, 45, III, 30, 33, the misplace-ment of II, 18, and many miswritings of single words.Owing to the threefold character of the work, alreadyage can only apply tothe form of an epitome, as an orientalnoticed, the internal evidence ofits lastrecension initseditor (to say nothing of others) generally considers himselfat liberty to alterstandit,and addto his text,or thinks he can improveifit.he does not under-Thatthis libertyhas been freely exercised, with regard to these professedprophecies,isshown by thephetical ages of the StU(/garidentification of the four pro-Naskin the firstchapter ofBahman Ya^t being different from that given in theDinkar^. The Dinkar
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