Vendidad 12

Fargard XII

If one's father or mother dies, how long shall they stay [in mourning], the son for his father, the daughter for her mother? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners'? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay thirty days for the righteous, sixty days for the sinners.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How shall I cleanse the house? How shall it be clean again? Ahura Mazda answered: 'You shall wash your bodies three times, you shall wash your clothes three times, you shall chant the Gâthas three times; you shall offer up a sacrifice to my Fire, you shall bind the bundles of Baresma, you shall bring libations to the good waters; then the house shall be clean, and then the waters may enter, then the fire may enter, and then the Amesha-Spentas may enter, O Spitama Zarathustra!'

If one's son or daughter dies, how long shall they stay, the father for his son, the mother for her daughter? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay thirty days for the righteous, sixty days for the sinners.'

If one's brother or sister dies, how long shall they stay, the brother for his brother, the sister for her sister? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay thirty days for the righteous, sixty days for the sinners.'

If the master of the house dies, or if the mistress of the house dies, how long shall they stay? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They' shall stay six months for the righteous, a year for the sinners.'

If one's grandfather or grandmother dies, how long shall they stay, the grandson for his grandfather, the granddaughter for her grandmother? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay twentyfive days for the righteous, fifty days for the sinners.' ' All the familia, both relatives and servants.

If one's grandson or granddaughter dies, how long shall they stay, the grandfather for his grandson, the grandmother for her granddaughter? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay twentyfive days for the righteous, fifty days for the sinners.'

If one's uncle or aunt dies, how long shall they stay, the nephew for his uncle, the niece for her aunt? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay twenty days for the righteous, forty days for the sinners.'

If one's male cousin or female cousin dies, how long shall they stay? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay fifteen days for the righteous, thirty days for the sinners.'

If the son or the daughter of a cousin dies, how long shall they stay? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay ten days for the righteous, twenty days for the sinners.'

If the grandson of a cousin or the granddaughter of a cousin dies, how long shall they stay? How long for the righteous? How long for the sinners? Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall stay five days for the righteous, ten days for the sinners.'

If a man dies, of whatever race he is, who does not belong to the true faith, or the true law, what part of the creation of the good spirit does he directly defile? What part does he indirectly defile?

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 Zarathustra! such wicked, two-legged ruffian as an ungodly Ashemaogha, directly defiles the creatures of the Good Spirit, and indirectly defiles them.

Whilst alive he smites the water; 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.

'Whilst alive, indeed, O Spitama Zarathustra such 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.'