{"collection":"Zoroastrianism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/zor/sbe24/dd42.htm","path":"zor/sbe24/dd42.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/zor/sbe24/dd42.htm","text":"Sacred-Texts\u00a0\nZoroastrian Texts\u00a0\nDadestan-i Denig Index\u00a0\nPrevious\u00a0\nNext\u00a0\nDadestan-i Denig ('Religious Decisions')\n Translated by E. W. West, from Sacred Books of the East, volume 24, \n Oxford University Press, 1880. \nCHAPTER 42.\n \n - 1. \n \n- As to the forty-first question and reply, that which you ask is thus: As \n to him who remains in the good religion of the Mazda-worshippers, whom men \n shall make the protection and assistance of the good religion, who shall save \n men from a foreign faith and irreligion (akdinoih), and then holds back some \n of those who have the idea that they should go over to a foreign faith and \n irreligion, and they do not go over to the foreign faith, but become steadfast \n in the religion of the Mazda-worshippers, what is then the nature of the decision \n of the angels about him, and what is the nature of their (the men's) good \n works and sin? \n \n- 2. \n \n- The reply is this, that he is much extolled, happy, exalted, of great good \n works and abundant recompense, and the path to the best existence, prepared \n (frarasto) by his righteousness, is wide; the delight of his soul becomes \n complete, and its hope is great. 3. And every good work that is manifested \n in the good religion by those who are transferred by him from a foreign faith \n and irreligion, and which they shall do thereafter -- when, through the perseverance \n and praise exercised by him who is protected by the religion, they are saved \n from irreligion -- becomes his as much as though it had been set going by \n him himself, and he has the same praise and the same good works with them. \n 4. Of the extent (samano) and amount of such good works there is no writing \n a second time, unless his acquaintance with the full computation of the good \n works due to their number is continuous; but when in the same way they are \n practicing and steadfast in sin it shall not be assigned to him. 5. Then his \n position in righteousness is very grand, and in the world he has himself great \n eminence, applause, and dignity. \n \n- 6. \n \n- And as much as that which is an improper law and a law worthy of death is \n a punishing of the soul, and the disconnected words and perversion (vashtakih), \n due also to the perfidy (rangishno) of the fiend who has come, are such that \n in his time the religious rites (dino) performed are rites of grievous vexation \n and fear, so that which is a proper law, like the great glorification in spirit \n and the connected words of the high-priests, is the arrival of the good spirit \n as much as a virtue worthy of recompense and full of hope. 7. Even as that \n which is said thus: 'Of men who are practices of good deeds the manifestation \n is then in their children.' \nCHAPTER 43.\n \n - 1. \n \n- As to the forty-second question and reply, that which you ask is thus: Regarding \n a man who is consecrating a sacred cake [dron], and the fire is his household \n attendant (khavag-i mano) from afar, when he sees it, at how many steps is \n it improper? 2. When they consecrate a sacred cake by light of a lamp, why \n do they not say the words 'tava athro (for thee, the fire),' as by another \n fire? 3. And of the propitiatory dedications (shnumanoiha) to the period of \n the day (gah), the day, and the month of the consecration of the sacred cake, \n which is that which when earlier or later is also then not proper, and which \n is that which is proper? 4. When they shall accomplish the consecration of \n a sacred cake [dron] with one more dedication than those of the thirty days \n of the months in the year, how is it necessary to act so that it may not enter \n too early; and which is the one more dedication which, when they shall make \n it, is proper, which is that which is not proper, and which is that which \n is earlier and later? \n \n- 5. \n \n- The reply is this, that at forty-eight feet from the sacred twigs [baresma] \n to the fire -- which would be about nine reeds, if of a medium man -- even \n though one sees the fire and does not say 'tava athro,' it is proper. 6. And \n a lamp also has the same contingency (ham-brah) as a fire; and by our teaching \n they do not consecrate a sacred cake [dron] at a lamp on which there is no \n burning of firewood, but they should cause a burning of firewood on that at \n which they consecrate a sacred cake, and they say 'tava athro.' \n \n- 7. \n \n- And there is a propitiatory dedication for each separate consecration of \n a sacred cake [dron], and not again from the first to the last; and the first \n is the nearest to the first day, Ohrmazd, just as Adar ('fire') and Aban ('waters') \n are other days in the series; and the last is the day Anagran, because in \n the same series the day Anagran is the latest. 8. When the seven archangels \n [Amahraspandan] are in the propitiatory dedication it is proper to put the \n seven archangels first in their own order, then the period of the day [gah], \n then the day. then the month of the consecration, and, afterwards, the other \n dedications in such order as they are written. \n \n- 9. \n \n- And as to the earlier which they should put later, one is when they shall \n put a dedication before the seven archangels [Amahraspandan], one is that \n when they shall put the day before the period of the day [gah], one is when \n they shall put the month before the day, and one is that when a dedication, \n distinct from the seven archangels, the period of the day, the day, and the \n month, on account of being before the archangels, or before the period of \n the day, or before the day, or before the month, is accounted as improper \n a dedication as that of yesterday, or the day before, is for this day. \n \n- 10. \n \n- So that when it is the propitiatory dedication for the day Khwarshed of \n the month of consecration Aban, the day and month are such that their order \n and the Adar ('fire') and Aban ('waters') succeeding them are thereby set \n in reverse order to the proper sequence. 11. Then, too, when in the same month \n its propitiatory dedication for the day and month becomes alike for day and \n month, it is recited as regards both the month and the 'waters' (Aban), because \n they are not connected together and have again become non-inclusive; and then \n one is to consider them as proper. \nCHAPTER 44.\n \n - 1. \n \n- As to the forty-third question and reply, that which you ask is thus: There \n is a man who is superintending (avar-mandakako) and skillful, in whom great \n skill as regards religion is provided, and the high-priest's duty and officiating \n priest's duty (mago-patih) are performed by him; or they are not performed \n by him, but in him great skill as regards religion is provided. 2. In a place \n of that district there is no one who rightly knows the commentary and 'the \n proper and improper,' so that he comes forth into a place of such decay (sapakhan); \n and the people of the district -- who constantly order all the religious rites \n (dino) of many sacred ceremonies from any poor man of the various persons \n from other districts whose skill and superintending are not like his, but \n they constantly come to that district -- shall constantly receive from him \n all the many religious rites and many sacred ceremonies. 3. And that man, \n who is revered and skillful, proceeds not undejectedly (la anashkandiha) and \n bashfully to his own superintending position, the position of the religion \n and position of the skill which are his; he does not demand any employment \n in the district or any award (dina) from the district, and does not know how \n to provide any other employment or award, in which there would be any fitness \n for him. 4. Are the people of the district -- on account of the skill and \n activity which that man has exercised in religion, due to the performance \n of all the religious rites and sacred ceremonies which they constantly order \n -- thereupon to prepare that man a stipend (bahar), and is it necessary for \n them to give a stipend to that man, or how is it necessary to act; and is \n it necessary for them to collect it for him, or not? 5. And of the much advantage \n of all the religious rites and work is it necessary to speak thus: 'Until \n the time that thou hadst come it was not possible for us to order except of \n him who is inferior to thee,' or how is it to be done? 6. Is it necessary \n to collect a stipend for him on account of the benefit and reasoning thought \n (virmato) on other subjects, of which he was the means, or how is it necessary \n for the superintendent of our people to collect such stipend of skill, position, \n and religion? \n \n- 7. \n \n- The reply is this, that a man of such description as written above, and \n superintending the exercise of skill and provision of ability, is very worthy \n of a stipend and courtesy (khupih); also, through good management of all religious \n rites and the ceremony of the sacred beings, he is very confident in any uncertainty. \n 8. Therefore it is necessary to consider that he manages more openly and better \n than those whose skill and ability are not like his; and also as regards stipend \n and reasoning thought, owing to the worthiness of the ceremony of the sacred \n beings, his are more whose skill, ability, and activity in religion are greater. \n 9. And as to a man who is as written above -- when all those religious rites \n and ceremonies are well-managed by him, and his repeated direction and right \n continuance of proper duties are an accumulation of his own reasoning thought \n and great capability, and are ordered of him with great solicitude -- one \n is also to consider him a stipendiary thereby, and a thriving acquirement \n of ample reasoning thought. 10. And as to him, moreover, who is less skilled \n than he, and of inferior position, by as much as he is not so worthy, his \n custom is therefore to produce a want of himself again. \n \n- 11. \n \n- But he who has much skill should have a great stipend, and he of medium \n ability should have a medium one, he having less means of benefiting worthily, \n maturely, and necessarily. 12. And the value is as it is said in revelation \n thus: 'The stipend they should announce to him who is an upholder of religion \n is two shares, and to him who is mediocre only one, to him whose lot is inferior.' \n \n- 13. \n \n- That man is a master and high-priest whose usage also (ain-icho) is wise, \n and in ability, goodness, and skill is the best of those of the religion of \n the Mazda-worshippers, which is the religion of wise upholders. 14. And the \n exercise of his religious disposition -- originally possessing a religious \n stipend -- which they shall order of him in that place, and that of the other \n worthy ones and applicants in the place and coming applying to the place, \n as much as it is worth and happens to be their own want, one is to altogether \n thoroughly well consider for him. 15. Good destiny is not fulfilled by granting \n to those applying, but through forward ability, the forward, kind-hearted, \n and extreme skill provided, and grand position he is worthy of much stipend, \n and it is important to make them stipendiary in their own gradation of applying. \n 16. For the observance of moderation and the granting of applications are \n mutually destructive, and it is discriminatively said that the high-priest \n Jamasp of the Hvovas considered, in that mode, the much skill of that good \n superintendent being without a stipend as not disproportionate, but most justly \n very moderate. \n \n- 17. \n \n- Moreover, to collect for all except for one skillful man, and to provide \n a stipend for any other applicants, is not right; and the limits should be \n moderate, for each one really shares the moderate apportionments according \n to his own want, apart even from the sacred ceremony. 18. But to collect for \n such a man, who has kind-heartedly superintended by rule during reasoning \n thought, is a greater good work than to approve even him who is superintending \n much more authoritatively. 19. And he who has himself requested is to obtain \n everything last; for, except in that case when a virtuous doer has in any \n mode begged a livelihood and is not capable of earning it -- so that something \n even of the righteous gifts of clothing is begged by him -- to live in idleness \n is not the way to be assisted; but he who has not himself requested, and is \n wise, is to beg a suit of clothes (rakht-hana). \n \n- 20. \n \n- They give to the good provider of gifts much praise, and for the preservation \n of the perfect giver are many religious friends, and the position of the upholders \n of religion; so it is necessary to give, and to consider it as provided for \n the great female whom revelation greatly celebrates, that patron spirit (ahu) \n connected with religion, as it is said that in the opinion of Human, the high-priest, \n the propitious religion is, as it were, the way of saving their souls. \n \n- 21. \n \n- About upholders of religion, and a more particular rule how the lawful computation \n should be for glorifying with moderation, a chief of the priests [mobad of \n mobads] has spoken thus: 'Shouldst thou be our father in wealthiness, I am \n thy protector in body and thou becomest thy protector in soul.' \n \n- 22. \n \n- The same collection is the way of the friends of religion for begging from \n the upholders of religion the preservation of the soul, and for well considering, \n extremely gracefully and fully reverently, the advantage and pleasure of the \n position of the upholders of religion, so that they shall properly collect \n for the preservation of souls by the mode of going to collect thoroughly with \n great gain. \nCHAPTER 45.\n \n - 1. \n \n- The forty-fourth question is that which you ask thus: Of priesthood (aerpatih) \n or discipleship (havishtih) which is the priest's duty (aerpatih), and which \n the disciple's; which is that which it is necessary to have in priesthood, \n and which in discipleship? \n \n- 2. \n \n- The reply is this, that the priesthood and discipleship are connected together; \n the priests teach the scriptures, and the disciples learn the knowledge of \n the religion, that is, the Avesta and Zand. 3. The priest, have been disciples; \n through the teaching of his own priest they make the aroused existence of \n even a disciple become a priest, and in one body with the learner are the \n priesthood and discipleship. 4. Through that which he has learned as a disciple \n from the priest he is wiser, and owing to the priesthood in his own person \n he teaches the disciple who is a learner; the desire which is his craving \n for learning is also owing to that in his own priest, when he was a disciple \n unto his own priest. \n \n- 5. \n \n- And the disciple and priest are even such as is said thus: 'The director \n (farmadar) of the profession of priests (asravoan) of Pars, and chieftain \n over the faithful and the officiating priests (magopatan) of Pars, is the \n leader of the religion; and his disciple (ashakardo) is a disciple in a selected \n foremost position among the priests of the religion, set up (madam ajast) \n over those acquainted with the commentary (zand-akasano).' 6. The more infallible \n (ashaktar) of these is the powerful skill of the priest (aerpato) put forth \n through the ritual and Visparad, and his skill in the commentary (zand); the \n skill of disciples in the Avesta is, further, fully understood, and sin recognized \n as oppressive, through the formulas (nirang) of the sacred ceremony, ablution \n and non-ablution, purity and pollution. \n \n- 7. \n \n- And both professions are the indispensable preservers of great decisions \n as to that which the priestly disposition has taught, done, and considered \n about the perpetual existence of every being, the complete goodness and final \n success of the nonexistent evil and entire good of the sacred beings, the \n annihilation of the demons, and the complete understanding of the friends \n of the sacred beings. \nCHAPTER 46.\n \n - 1. \n \n- The forty-fifth question is that which you ask thus: Is it allowable that \n those of the priesthood, when there is no daily livelihood for them from the \n life of the priesthood, should abandon the priesthood, and that other work \n be done, or not? \n \n- 2. \n \n- The reply is this, that there is no loss of reputation to priests from priestly \n duties (aerpatih), which are themselves the acquired knowledge that is accumulated \n by the priestly disposition, care for the soul, and the requisite good works. \n 3. And there is this advantage, that, through acquaintance with the religion \n of the sacred beings, and certainty as to the reward of the spirit, they make \n them become more contented in adversity, more intelligent as regards stability \n of character in difficulty and restriction, and more through knowledge the \n abode of hope for those saved. 4. So that it is not fit they should abandon \n the priesthood, which is both harmless and an employment with advantages that \n has required much trouble to learn. \n \n- 5. \n \n- But, indeed, when they do not obtain a daily livelihood from priestly duty, \n and the good do not give them chosen righteous gifts for it, and they do not \n let them obtain any from next of kin or the wicked even by begging, a livelihood \n may be requested from the paid performance of ceremonies, management of all \n religious rites (dino), and other priestly disciple's duty therein. 6. When \n even by that they do not obtain it, they are to seek a livelihood by agriculture, \n sheep-rearing, penmanship, or other proper employment among priests; a when \n it is not possible for them to live even by these, they are to seek it by \n bearing arms, hunting, or other proper employment in the profession of a virtuous \n warrior. 7. And when even it is not possible for them to maintain their own \n bodies, which are in requisite control, by that which is cravingly digested, \n they are to beg a righteous gift authorisedly (dastobariha) as an effectual \n remedy; by living idly, or not expending strength, their own bodies, which \n are in control, are without livelihood, but not authorisedly. \nCHAPTER 47.\n \n - 1. \n \n- As to the forty-sixth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: At \n a sacred feast (myazd) of those of the good religion, in which there are fifty \n or a hundred men, more or less, just as it happens, and seven men who are \n engaged in the performance of the religious rite (dino) which is celebrated \n by them are feasting together with them, of those seven men there are some \n who are easily able to pray five sections (vidak), and some six subdivisions \n (vakhshisno), of the Avesta, but no chapter (fargardo) of the commentary (zand) \n is easy to them; and all seven of them are disputing about the right (ras) \n to the foremost places. 2. And he to whom thirty chapters in the commentary \n are easy speaks thus: 'The foremost place is mine, and it became my place \n owing to great retentiveness of memory, for I know the commentary well and \n \"the proper and improper;\" and my place must be good, for whenever \n I do not indicate this as the place of religion unto the people I am not in \n the security of religion; but you should not dispute about my place, for it \n is not becoming to dispute it, because this neglect and outlandishness (an-airih), \n which some one brings constantly into the religion, is not due to me.' 3. \n Those seven men, moreover, speak constantly unto him thus: 'Our place is more \n important and must ever be so, for every man of us is able to pray several \n sections in his own officiating priestly duty (zotih), and it is ever necessary \n to consider who is more participating in sharing a reward.' 4. Then as to \n those whose Avesta is very easy, or him who knows the commentary and 'the \n proper and improper' well, and their goodness and greatness, as asked by us \n in this chapter, direct some one to make them clear unto us, for when he demonstrates \n the littleness and greatness in this subject his great religion is then completely \n an advantage. \n \n- 5. \n \n- The reply is this, that, as to that which you ask me to write, so that they \n may decide whether thirty chapters in the commentary are easier, or really \n the other, be they five or be they six sections of the Avesta, are easier, \n there is no deciding, because which are the chapters and which the sections? \n 6. For, as regards more cleverness and less cleverness, it is not clear; there \n are some of the sections greater than many sections, and there are chapters \n as great as many chapters, but to understand severally the divisions (burish) \n and enumeration of him to whom five sections of the Avesta are easy, and also \n of him whose thirty chapters in the commentary are easy, it is necessary for \n making the calculation to consider every single division in the commentary \n as equivalent to seven equal divisions apart from the commentary. 7. And it \n is thereby thus manifest who has skill in the one and who has skill in the \n other, and whoever has less, when there is nothing in it regarding which he \n is otherwise than when the superintending command of rulers (khudayan) delivered \n over to him the place of duty -- or on account of a new officiating priestly \n duty or directorship (radih) of the season festivals [Gahambars], or the foremost \n places being occupied, or like causes he becomes otherwise -- is fit for all \n the great share and very good estimation of the place of one much more skillful, \n when their being fitting and skillful, or their excess or deficiency, is not \n specially manifest from their skill. 8. And him to whom the commentary is \n very easy, having prayed much, it has seemed important to consider more thriving \n proportionable to his eating. \n \n- 9. \n \n- And great and ample respect for both their ways of worthiness is an advantage \n and fully necessary, skill in the commentary and that in the Avesta being \n together mutually assisting; for even the solemnizers of the Avesta have need \n for information from the commentary about the scattered (parvand) 'proper \n and improper' usages of the sacred ceremony. 10. The more efficient information \n from the commentary is advantageous when the ceremonial is proceeded with \n by them, and one of those two is one of the skillful, and a friend, provider, \n glorifier, and aggrandizer for the other; and the friends of religion are \n good friends and, therefore, also providers of fame for both of them. \n \n- 11. \n \n- When, too, they are publishing accusing statements, one about the other, \n from necessity, or from the violence which is owing to the adversary [Ahriman], \n it is important to become an excuser as regards them, and not a diminisher \n of their share, nor a bringer (akhtar) of unhealthiness to their united strength.","title":"Dadestan-i Denig, chapters 42-47","type":"page"}