The Good Waters

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26 (74). O Maker of the material world! 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, 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! 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, 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 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?

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! 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!”’]