Contracts and Outrages

V.

26 (74). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man involuntarily emits his seed, 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.’

27 (77). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man voluntarily emits his seed, 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.’

28 (83). When is it so?

‘It is so, if the sinner be a professor of the law of Mazda, or one who has been taught in it. But if he be not a professor of the law of Mazda, nor one who has been taught in it, then this law of Mazda takes his sin from him, if he confesses it and resolves never to commit again such forbidden deeds.

29 (88). ‘The law of Mazda indeed, O Spitama Zarathustra! takes away from him who confesses it the bonds of his sin; it takes away (the sin of) breach of trust; it takes away (the sin of) murdering one of the faithful; it takes away (the sin of) burying a corpse; it takes away (the sin of) deeds for which there is no atonement; it takes away the heaviest penalties of sin; it takes away any sin that may be sinned.

30 (95). ‘In the same way the law of Mazda, O Spitama Zarathustra! cleanses the faithful from every evil thought, word, and deed, as a swift-rushing mighty wind cleanses the plain.

‘So let all the deeds thou doest be henceforth good, O Zarathustra! a full atonement for thy sin is effected by means of the law of Mazda 1.’

31 (98). O Maker of the material world, thou only One! Who is the man that is a Daêva? Who is he that is a worshipper of the Daêva? that is a male paramour of the Daêvas? that is a female paramour of the Daêvas? that is a she-Daêva?

that is in his inmost self a Daêva? that is in his whole being a Daêva 1? Who is he that is a Daêva before he dies, and becomes one of the unseen Daêvas after death 2?

32 (102). 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 Daêvas, that is a female paramour of the Daêva, that is a she-Daêva; this is the man that is in his inmost self 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 3.’

VI.

33 (107). 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?

34 (108). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘He shall. The dry mingles not with the dry 1. Should the dry mingle with the dry, how soon this material world of mine would have in it only Peshôtanus, shut out from the way of holiness, and whose souls will cry and wail! so numberless are the beings that die upon the face of the earth 2.’

VII. 35 (111). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Can the man be made clean that is touched the corpse of a dog or the corpse of a man?

36 (113). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘He can, O holy Zarathustra!’

How so?

‘If the Nasu has already been smitten by the corpse-eating dogs, or by the corpse-eating birds,

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he shall cleanse his body with gômêz and water, and he shall be clean 1.

37 (117). ‘If the Nasu has not yet been smitten by the corpse-eating dogs, or by the corpse-eating birds 2, then the worshippers of Mazda shall dig three holes in the ground 3, and he shall thereupon wash his body with gômêz, not with water. They shall then lift and bring my dog 4, they shall bring him (thus shall it be done and not otherwise) in front of the man 5.

38 (121). ‘The worshippers of Mazda shall dig three other holes 6 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 they shall wait until he is dried 7 even to the last hair on the top of his head.

39 (125). ‘They shall dig three more holes 8 in the ground, and he shall thereupon wash his body with water, not with gômêz.

40 (127). ‘He shall first wash his hands; if his

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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.’

41 (131). 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 1?

Ahura Mazda answered: ‘In front, between the brows, the Drug Nasu rushes.’

42 (134). 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.’

43 (13 7). 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.’

44 (140). 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.’

45 (143). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When the good waters reach the right ear, whereon does the Drug Nasu rush?

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Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Upon the left ear the Drug Nasu rushes.’

46 (146). 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.’

47 (149). 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.’

48 (152). 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.’

49 (155). 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.’

50 (158). 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.’

51 (161). 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.’

52 (164). O Maker of the material world, thou

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[paragraph continues]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.’

53 (167). 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.’

54 (170). 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.’

55 (173). 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.’

56 (176). 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.’

57 (179). 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.’

58 (182). 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

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man, thou shalt sprinkle him first behind, then before; if the unclean one be a woman, thou shalt sprinkle her first before, then behind.’

59 (187). 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.’

60 (190). 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.’

61 (193). 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.’

62 (196). 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.’

63 (199). 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.’

64 (202). 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.’

65 (205). O Maker of the material world, thou

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[paragraph continues]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.’

66 (208). 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.’

67 (211). 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.’

68 (214). 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.’

69 (217). 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 is driven to the sole of the foot, where what is seen of her is like the wing of a fly.

70 (220). ‘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 is driven to the toes, where what is seen of her is like the wing of a fly.

71 (225). ‘He shall press his heels upon the ground and shall raise up his toes; thou shalt

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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, all stained with stains, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.

[72. ‘And thou shalt say aloud these fiend-smiting and most-healing words:

‘“The will of the Lord is the law of holiness,” &c.

‘“Whom hast thou placed to protect me, O Mazda! while the hate of the fiend is grasping me?” &c.

‘“Who is he who will smite the fiend in order to maintain thy ordinances?” &c. 1

‘“Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Ârmaiti Spenta! Perish, O fiendish Drug! Perish, O brood 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 the holy spirit 2!”’]

VIII. 73 (229). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If worshippers of Mazda, walking, or running, or riding, or driving, come upon a corpse-burning fire, whereon a corpse is being cooked or roasted, what shall they do?

74(233). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘They shall kill the man that burns the corpse; surely they shall kill him 1. They shall take off the cauldron, they shall take off the tripod.

75 (237). ‘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; and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

76 (242). ‘Thus they shall lay a first bundle on the ground 2, a Vîtasti 3 away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

77 (245). ‘They shall lay down, a second bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

‘They shall lay down a third bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

‘They shall lay down a fourth bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

‘They shall lay down a fifth bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

‘They shall lay down a sixth bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

‘They shall lay down a seventh bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

‘They shall lay down an eighth bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

78 (245). ‘They shall lay down a ninth bundle on the ground, a Vîtasti away from the corpse-burning fire, and they shall separate and disperse it, that it may die out the sooner.

79, 80 (246). ‘If a man shall then piously bring unto the fire, O Spitama Zarathustra! wood of Urvâsna, or Vohu-gaona, or Vohu-kereti, or Hadhâ-naêpata, or any other sweet-smelling wood, wheresoever the wind shall bring the perfume of the fire, thereunto Fire, the son 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 1.’

IX. 81 (251) O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring a corpse-burning fire to the Dâityô-gâtu 1, 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.’

82 (254). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire wherein excrement has been burnt 2, 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.’

83 (257). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire wherein cowdung has been burnt 3, 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.’

84 (258). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from the kiln of a brick-maker 4, 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’

85 (259). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from a potter’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 pots baked in that fire 1.’

86 (260). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of the reapers 1, 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 in the crop 1.’

87 (261). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire 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.’

88 (262). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire 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.’

89 (263). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of a worker in brass, 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.’

90 (264). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire 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 seventy fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.’

91 (265). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of an oven 1, 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.’

92 (266). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from under a cauldron 2, 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.’

93 (267). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire from an encampment 1, 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.’

94 (268). 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 it he had, here below, brought thirty fire-brands to the Dâityô-gâtu.’

95 (269) 2. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man bring to the Dâityô-gâtu the fire of the field 3, 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.’

96 (270). 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.’

X. 97 (271) 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 fields 1?

98 (272). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘He can, O holy Zarathustra.’

How so?

‘If the Nasu has already been smitten 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 2.

99 (278). ‘If the Nasu has not yet been smitten 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 3.

100 (280). ‘Then he shall run a distance of a Hâthra 4. He shall run until he meets some man on his way, then he shall cry out aloud: “Here am I, one who has touched the corpse of a man, without any wilful sin of mind, tongue, or hand, and who wishes to be made clean.” Thus shall he run until he overtakes the man. If the man will not cleanse him, he takes upon his own head the third of his trespass.

101 (287). ‘Then he shall run another Hâthra, he shall run off again until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he takes upon his own head the half of his trespass.

102 (291). ‘Then he shall run a third Hâthra, he shall run off a third time until he overtakes a man; if the man will not cleanse him, he takes upon his own head the whole of his trespass.

103 (294). ‘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, without any wilful sin of mind, tongue, or hand, and who wishes to be made clean.” If they will not cleanse him, he shall cleanse his body with gômêz and water; thus shall he be clean 1.’

104 (300). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If he found water on his way, the water requires an atonement 2; what is the penalty that he shall pay?

105 (303). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Four hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, four hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana.’

106 (304). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If he found trees 3 on his way, the fire requires an atonement; what is the penalty he shall pay?

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

107 (308). ‘This is the penalty, this is the atonement, which saves him who submits to it; he who does not submit to it, shall surely be an inhabitant in the mansion of the Drug 1.’