Vendidad 8

Fargard VIII

If a dog or a man die under a hut of wood or a hut of felt, what shall the worshippers of Mazda do?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall search for a Dakhma, they shall look for a Dakhma all around. If they find it easier to remove the dead, they shall take out the dead, they shall let the house stand, and shall perfume it with Urvâsna or Vohû-gaona, or Vohů-kereti, or Hadhâ-naêpata, or any other sweet-smelling plant.

If they find it easier to remove the house, they shall take away the house, they shall let the dead lie on the spot, and shall perfume the house with Urvâsna, or Vohû-gaona, or Vohû-kereti, or Hadhâ-naêpata, or any other sweet-smelling plant.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If in the house of a worshipper of Mazda a dog or a man happens to die, and it is raining, or snowing, or blowing, or it is dark, or the day is at its end, when flocks and men lose their way, what shall the worshippers of Mazda do?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'The place in that house whereof the ground is the cleanest and the driest, and the least passed through by flocks and herds, by the fire of Ahura Mazda, by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by the faithful;'-

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How far from the fire? How far from the water? How far from the consecrated bundles of Baresma? How far from the faithful?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'Thirty paces from the fire; thirty paces from the water; thirty paces from the consecrated bundles of Baresma; three paces from the faithful;-

On that place they shall dig a grave', half a foot deep if the earth be hard, half the height of a man if it be soft; [they shall cover the surface of the grave with ashes or cowdung]; they shall cover the surface of it with dust of bricks, of stones, or of dry earth.

'And they shall let the lifeless body lie there, for two nights, or three nights, or a month long, until the birds begin to fly, the plants to grow, the hidden floods to flow, and the wind to dry up the earth.

'And when the birds begin to fly, the plants to grow, the hidden floods to flow, and the wind to dry up the earth, then the worshippers of Mazda shall make a breach in the wall of the house, and two men, strong and skilful, having stripped their clothes off, shall take up the body from the clay or the stones, or from the plastered house, and they shall lay it down on a place where they know there are always corpse-eating dogs and corpse-eating birds.

Afterwards the corpse-bearers shall sit down, three paces from the dead, and the holy Ratu shall proclaim to the worshippers of Mazda thus: "Worshippers of Mazda, let the urine be brought here wherewith the corpse-bearers there shall wash their hair and their bodies!"'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Which is the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies? Is it of sheep or of oxen? Is it of man or of woman?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is of sheep or of oxen; not of man nor of woman, except a man or a woman who has married the next-of-kin: these shall therefore procure the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Can the way, whereon the carcases of dogs or corpses of men have been carried, be passed through again by flocks and herds, by men and women, by the fire of Ahura Mazda, by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by the faithful?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'It cannot be passed through again by flocks and herds, nor by men and women, nor by the fire of Ahura Mazda, nor by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, nor by the faithful.

They shall therefore cause a yellow dog with four eyes, or a white dog with yellow ears, to go three times through that way. When either the yellow dog with four eyes, or the white dog with yellow ears, is brought there, then the Drug Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, [in the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, droning without end, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.]

If the dog goes unwillingly, O Spitama Zarathustra, they shall cause the yellow dog with four eyes, or the white dog with yellow ears, to go six times through that way. When either the yellow dog with four eyes, or the white dog with yellow ears, is brought there, then the Drug Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, [in the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, droning without end, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.]

If the dog goes unwillingly, they shall cause the yellow dog with four eyes, or the white dog with yellow ears, to go nine times through that way. When either the yellow dog with four eyes, or the white dog with yellow ears, has been brought there, then the Drug Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, [in the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, droning without end, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.]

An Athravan shall first go along the way and shall say aloud these victorious words: "Yatha ahů vairy:-The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. The gifts of Vohu-manô to the deeds done in this world for Mazda. ""He who relieves the poor makes Ahura king.

"Kem-nå mazda':-What protector hast thou given unto me, O Mazda! while the hate of the wicked encompasses me? Whom but thy Åtar and Vohu-manô, through whose work I keep on the world of righteousness? Reveal therefore to me thy Religion as thy rule! "Ke verethrem-gâ:-Who is the victorious who will protect thy teaching? Make it clear that I am the guide for both worlds. May Sraosha come with Vohu-manô and help whomsoever thou pleasest, O Mazda!

"Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Armaiti Spenta! Perish, O fiendish Drug! Perish, O brood of the fiend! Perish, O creation of the fiend! Perish, O world of the fiend! Perish away, O Drug! Rush away, O Drug! Perish away, O Drug! Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of Righteousness!"

Then the worshippers of Mazda may at their will bring by those ways sheep and oxen, men and women, and Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and the faithful. 'The worshippers of Mazda may afterwards' prepare meals with meat and wine in that house; it shall be clean, and there will be no sin, as before.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man shall throw clothes, either of skin or woven, upon a dead body, enough to cover the feet, what is the penalty that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Four hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man shall throw clothes, either of skin or woven, upon a dead body, enough to cover both legs, what is the penalty that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Six hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, six hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man shall throw clothes, either of skin or woven, upon a dead body, enough to cover the whole body, what is the penalty that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'A thousand stripes with the Aspahê-astra, a thousand stripes with the Sraosho-karana.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man, by force, commits the unnatural sin, what is the penalty that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Eight hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, eight hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man voluntarily commits the unnatural sin, what is the penalty for it? What is the atonement for it? What is the cleansing from it? Ahura Mazda answered: 'For that deed there is nothing that can pay, nothing that can atone, nothing that can cleanse from it; it is a trespass for which there is no atonement, for ever and ever.' away any sin that may be sinned.

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Who is the man that is a Daêva? Who is he that is a worshipper of the Daêvas? that is a male paramour of the Daêvas? that is a female paramour of the Daêvas? that is a wife to the Daêva? that is as bad as a Daêva? that is in his whole being a Daêva? Who is he that is a Daêva before he dies, and becomes one of the unseen Daêvas after death?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'The man that lies with mankind as man lies with womankind, or as woman lies with mankind, is the man that is a Daêva; this one is the man that is a worshipper of the Daêvas, that is a male paramour of the Daevas, that is a female paramour of the Daêvas, that is a wife to the Daêva; this is the man that is as bad as a Daêva, that is in his whole being a Daêva; this is the man that is a Daêva before he dies, and becomes one of the unseen Daêvas after death so is he, whether he has lain with mankind as mankind, or as womankind.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Shall the man be clean who has touched a corpse that has been dried up and dead more than a year?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'He shall. The dry mingles not with the dry. Should the dry mingle with the dry, how soon all this material world of mine would be only one Peshôtanu, bent on the destruction of righteousness, and whose soul will cry and wail! so numberless are the beings that die upon the face of the earth.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Can the man be made clean that has touched the corpse of a dog or the corpse of a man?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'He can, O holy Zarathustra!' How so? 'If the Nasu has already been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs, or by the corpse-eating birds, he shall cleanse his body with gômêz and water, and he shall be clean.

'If the Nasu has not yet been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs, or by the corpse-eating birds, then the worshippers of Mazda shall dig three holes in the ground, and he shall thereupon wash his body with gômêz, not with water. They shall then lift and bring my dog, they shall bring him (thus shall it be done and not otherwise) in front [of the man].

The worshippers of Mazda shall dig three other holes in the ground, and he shall thereupon wash his body with gômêz, not with water. They shall then lift and bring my dog, they shall bring him (thus shall it be done and not otherwise) in front [of the man]. Then shall they wait until he is dried even to the last hair on the top of his head.

'They shall dig three more holes in the ground, three paces away from the preceding, and he shall thereupon wash his body with water, not with gômêz.

He shall first wash his hands; if his hands be not first washed, he makes the whole of his body unclean. When he has washed his hands three times, after his hands have been washed, thou shalt sprinkle with water the forepart of his skull.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the forepart of the skull, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'In front, between the brows, the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach in front, between the brows, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'On the back part of the skull the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the back part of the skull, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'In front, on the jaws, the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach in front, on the jaws, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: Upon the right ear the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right ear, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left ear the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left ear, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right shoulder the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right shoulder, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left shoulder the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left shoulder, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right arm-pit the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right arm-pit, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left arm-pit the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left arm-pit, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'In front, upon the chest, the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the chest in front, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the back the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the back, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right nipple the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right nipple, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left nipple the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left nipple, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: Upon the right rib the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right rib, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left rib the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left rib, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right hip the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right hip, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left hip the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left hip, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the sexual parts the Drug Nasu rushes. If the unclean one be a man, thou shalt sprinkle him first behind, then before; if the unclean one be a woman, thou shalt sprinkle her first before, then behind.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the sexual parts, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right thigh the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right thigh, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left thigh the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left thigh, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right knee the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right knee, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left knee the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left knee, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right leg the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right leg, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left leg the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left leg, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right ankle the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right ankle, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left ankle the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left ankle, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the right instep the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right instep, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'Upon the left instep the Drug Nasu rushes.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the left instep, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush? Ahura Mazda answered: 'She turns round under the sole of the foot; it looks like the wing of a fly.

He shall press his toes upon the ground, and shall raise up his heels; thou shalt sprinkle his right sole with water; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left sole. Thou shalt sprinkle the left sole with water; then the Drug Nasu turns round under the toes; it looks like the wing of a fly.

He shall press his heels upon the ground, and shall raise up his toes; thou shalt sprinkle his right toe with water; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left toe. Thou shalt sprinkle the left toe with water; then the Drug Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, in the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, droning without end, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.

[And thou shalt say aloud these victorious, most healing words: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness, &c. ""What protector hast thou given unto me, O Mazda! while the hate of the wicked encompasses me? &c. "Who is the victorious who will protect thy teaching?" &c. 1 ""Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Armaiti Spenta Perish, O fiendish Drug! Perish, O brood of the fiend! Perish, O creation of the fiend! Perish O world of the fiend! Perish away, O Drug! Rush away, O Drug! Perish away, O Drug! Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of Righteousness!']

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If worshippers of Mazda, walking, or running, or riding, or driving, come upon a Nasu-burning fire, whereon Nasu is being burnt or cooked, what shall they do?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'They shall kill the man that cooks the Nasu; surely they shall kill him. They shall take off the cauldron, they shall take off the tripod.

Then they shall kindle wood from that fire; either wood of those trees that have the seed of fire in them, or bundles of the very wood that was prepared for that fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

Thus they shall lay a first bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

They shall lay down a second bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner. 'They shall lay down a third bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that may die out the sooner. it They shall lay down a fourth bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that die out the sooner. it may 'They shall lay down a fifth bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner. 'They shall lay down a sixth bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner. 'They shall lay down a seventh bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner. They shall lay down an eighth bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

They shall lay down a ninth bundle on the ground, a Vitasti away from the Nasu-burning fire; then they shall take it farther and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

If a man shall then piously bring unto the fire, O Spitama Zarathustra! wood of Urvâsna, or Vohu-gaona, or Vohû-kereti, or Hadhâ-naêpata, or any other sweet-smelling wood;

Wheresoever the wind shall bring the perfume of the fire, thereunto the fire of Ahura Mazda shall go and kill thousands of unseen Daêvas, thousands of fiends, the brood of darkness, thousands of couples of Yâtus and Pairikas.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring a Nasu-burning fire to the Dâityô-gâtu, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ten thousand fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire wherein impure liquid has been burnt', what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought a thousand fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire wherein dung has been burnt, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought five hundred fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from the kiln of a potter, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought four hundred fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from a glazier's kiln, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought to the Dâityô-gâtu as many fire-brands as there were glasses [brought to that fire].

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from the aonya parô-beregya, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought to the Dâityô-gâtu as many fire-brands as there were plants.

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from under the puncheon of a goldsmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought a hundred fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from under the puncheon of a silversmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ninety fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from under the puncheon of a blacksmith, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought eighty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from under the puncheon of a worker in steel, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought seventy fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of an oven, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted from his body? Ahura Mazda answered: His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought sixty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from under a cauldron, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought fifty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the The kitchen-fire. fire from an aonya takhairya, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought forty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring a herdsman's fire to the Dâityô-gâtu, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought thirty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

[O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of the field, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought twenty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.']

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of his own hearth, what shall be his reward when his soul has parted with his body? Ahura Mazda answered: 'His reward shall be the same as if he had, here below, brought ten fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Can a man be made clean, O holy Ahura Mazda! who has touched a corpse in a distant place in the wilderness?

Ahura Mazda answered: 'He can, O holy Zarathustra.' How so? 'If the Nasu has already been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs or the corpse-eating birds, he shall wash his body with gômêz; he shall wash it thirty times, he shall rub it dry with the hand thirty times, beginning every time with the head.

If the Nasu has not yet been expelled by the corpse-eating dogs or the corpse-eating birds, he shall wash his body with gômêz; he shall wash it fifteen times, he shall rub it dry with the hand fifteen times.

'Then he shall run a distance of a Hâthra. He shall run until he meets some man on his way, and he shall cry out aloud: Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, and who is powerless in mind, powerless in tongue, powerless in hand. Do make me clean. Thus shall he run until he overtakes the man. If the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the third of his trespass.

'Then he shall run another Hâthra, he shall run off again until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the half of his trespass.

Then he shall run a third Hâthra, he shall run off a third time until he overtakes a if the man will not cleanse him, he remits him the whole of his trespass. man;

Thus shall he run forwards until he comes near a house, a borough, a town, an inhabited district, and he shall cry out with a loud voice: "Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, and who is powerless in mind, powerless in tongue, powerless in hand. Do make me clean." If they will not cleanse him, he shall cleanse his body with gômêz and water; thus shall he be clean.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If he find water on his way and the water make him subject to a penalty, what is the penalty that he shall pay?

Ahura Mazda answered: Four hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana.'

O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If he find trees on his way and the fire make him subject to a penalty, what is the penalty that he shall pay? Ahura Mazda answered: Four hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana.

This is the penalty, this is the atonement which saves the faithful man who submits to it, not him who does not submit to it. Such a one shall surely be an inhabitant in the mansion of the Drug.'