AvestaZoroastrianismAccepted ScriptureAvestanShareVendidad Fargard 18Darmesteter and Mills / Sacred Books of the East - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableDarmesteter and Mills / Sacred Books of the EastLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Vendidad Fargard 1Vendidad Fargard 2Vendidad Fargard 3Vendidad Fargard 4Vendidad Fargard 5Vendidad Fargard 6Vendidad Fargard 7Vendidad Fargard 8Vendidad Fargard 9Vendidad Fargard 10Vendidad Fargard 11Vendidad Fargard 12Vendidad Fargard 13Vendidad Fargard 14Vendidad Fargard 15Vendidad Fargard 16Vendidad Fargard 17Vendidad Fargard 18Vendidad Fargard 19Vendidad Fargard 20Vendidad Fargard 21Vendidad Fargard 22Sirozah Sirozah 1Yashts KhorshedSirozah Sirozah 2Yashts Ormazd YashtYashts ArdibehioT 1 YashtYashts Khordad YashtYashts Aban YashtYashts Khorshed YashtYashts Mah YashtYashts Tlr YashtYashts G oS YashtYashts Mihir / Mithra YashtYashts Sraosha Yasht HadhoKhtYashts Rashn YashtYashts Bahram YashtYashts Ram YashtYashts Ashi YashtYashts Aytad YashtYashts Zamyad YashtYashts Van Ant YashtYashts Yasht FragmentYashts Vtetasp YashtNyayis Khorshed? NyayiyNyayis Mihir / Mithra NyayiyNyayis Aban NyayiyNyayis Atay NyayisYasna Yasna 28Yasna Yasna 34Yasna Yasna 30Yasna Yasna 31Yasna Yasna 32Yasna Yasna 33Yasna Yasna 43Yasna Yasna 44Yasna Yasna 11Yasna Yasna 45Yasna Yasna 46Yasna Yasna 47Yasna Yasna 48Yasna Yasna 49Yasna Yasna 50Yasna Yasna 51Yasna Yasna 60Yasna Yasna 53Yasna Yasna 1Yasna Yasna 2Yasna Yasna 3Yasna Yasna 4Yasna Yasna 5Yasna Yasna 6Yasna Yasna 7Yasna Yasna 8Yasna Yasna 9Yasna Yasna 10Yasna Yasna 12Yasna Yasna 13Yasna Yasna 22Yasna Yasna 14Yasna Yasna 15Yasna Yasna 16Yasna Yasna 17Yasna Yasna 19Yasna Yasna 18Yasna Yasna 20Yasna Yasna 21Yasna Yasna 29Yasna Yasna 23Yasna Yasna 24Yasna Yasna 25Yasna Yasna 26Yasna Yasna 27Yasna Yasna 35Yasna Yasna 36Yasna Yasna 37Yasna Yasna 38Yasna Yasna 39Yasna Yasna 40Yasna Yasna 41Yasna Yasna 42Yasna Yasna 52Yasna Yasna 54Yasna Yasna 55Yasna Yasna 56Yasna Yasna 57Yasna Yasna 58Yasna Yasna 59Yasna Yasna 61Yasna Yasna 62Yasna Yasna 65Yasna Yasna 66Yasna Yasna 68Yasna Yasna 70Yasna Yasna 71Yasna Yasna 72Visparad Visparad 1Visparad Visparad 2Visparad Visparad 11Visparad Visparad 3Visparad Visparad 4Visparad Visparad 5Visparad Visparad 7Visparad Visparad 8Visparad Visparad 9Visparad Visparad 10Visparad Visparad 12Visparad Visparad 13Visparad Visparad 14Visparad Visparad 15Visparad Visparad 16Visparad Visparad 18Visparad Visparad 19Visparad Visparad 20Visparad Visparad 21Visparad Visparad 23Afrinagan AfrinaganGahs Gah 1Gahs Gah 2Gahs Gah 3Gahs Gah 4Gahs Gah 5Miscellaneous Fragments Fragment 1Miscellaneous Fragments Fragment 2Miscellaneous Fragments Fragment 3Miscellaneous Fragments Fragment 4Miscellaneous Fragments Fragment 5Miscellaneous Fragments Miscellaneous FragmentsMiscellaneous Fragments Fragment 9›Vendidad: Fargard 18Vendidad Fargard 18ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1On the unworthy priest and enticers to heresy. II (14-29). The holiness of the cock. III (30-60). The four paramours of the Drug-. IV (61-71). On unlawful lusts. The text and the Pahlavi commentary of this Fargard are trans¬ lated in Haug’s Essays, pp. 243 seq., 364 seq. 1‘There is many a one, O holy Zarathmtra! ’ said Ahura Mazda, ‘ who wears a Paitidana1 2, but who has not girded his loins with the law 3; when such a man says, “ I am an Athravan,” he lies; do not call him an Athravan, O holy Zarathmrtra!’ thus said Ahura Mazda. 2‘ He holds a Khrafstraghna 4 in his hand, but he has not girded his loins with the law; when he says, “ I am an Athravan,” he lies; do not call him an Athravan, O holy Zarathiutra! ’ thus said Ahura Mazda. 31 He holds a twig1 in his hand, but he has not girded his loins with the law; when he says, “ I am an Athravan,” he lies; do not call him an Athravan, O holy Zarathustra! ’ thus said Ahura Mazda. 4‘He wields the Astra mairya2, but he has not girded his loins with the law; when he says, “ I am an Athravan,” he lies; do not call him an Athravan, O holy Zarathustra! ’ thus said Ahura Mazda. 5(11). ‘ He who sleeps on throughout the night, who does not perform the Yasna nor chant the hymns, who does not worship by word or by deed, who does neither learn nor teach, with a longing for (everlasting) life, he lies when he says, “ I am an Athravan,” do not call him an Athravan, O holy Zarathustra! ’ thus said Ahura Mazda. 6‘Him thou shalt call an Athravan, O holy Zarathustra! who throughout the night sits up and demands of the holy Wisdom 3, which makes man free from anxiety, with dilated heart, and cheerful at the head of the Afinva^ bridge 4, and which makes him reach that world, that holy world, that excellent world, the world of paradise. 7‘(Therefore) demand of me, thou upright one! of me, who am the Maker, the best of all beings, the most knowing, the most pleased in an¬ swering what is asked of me; demand of me, that thou mayst be the better, that thou mayst be the happier V 8Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘ O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! What is it that makes the unseen power of Death increase?’ 9Ahura Mazda answered: * It is the man that teaches a wrong law 2; it is the man who con¬ tinues for three years 3 without wearing the sacred girdle4, without chanting the Githas, without wor¬ shipping the good waters. 10‘And he who should set that man at Another piece of clothing which every Parsi is enjoined to wear is the Sadarah, or sacred shirt, a muslin shirt with short sleeves, that does not reach lower than the hips, with a small pocket at the opening in front of the shirt (see § 54 seq.) liberty, when bound in prison 1, does no better deed than if he should flay a man alive and cut off his head 2. ix (27). ‘The blessing uttered on a wicked, un¬ godly Ashemaogha does not go past the mouth (of the blesser); the blessing for two Ashemaoghas does not go past his tongue; the blessing for three is no word at all; the blessing for four is a curse against himself. 12‘Whosoever should give some Haoma juice to a wicked, ungodly Ashemaogha, or some Myazda consecrated with blessings, does no better deed than if he should lead a thousand horse against the cities of the worshippers of Mazda, and should slaughter the men thereof, and drive off the cattle as plunder. 13(32). ‘Demand of me, thou upright one! of me, who am the Maker, the best of all beings, the most knowing, the most pleased in answering what is asked of me; demand of me, that thou mayst be the better, that thou mayst be the happier.’ 14(33). Zarathmtra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘Who is the Sraosha-varez 3 of Sraosha 4? the holy, strong Sraosha, who is the incarnate Word, a mightyspeared and lordly god.’ 16‘ “Arise, O men! recite the Ashem ya d vahutem that smites down the Daevas3. Lo! here is Bftshyasta, the long-handed 4 *, coming upon you, who lulls to sleep again the whole living world, as soon as it has awoke: ‘ Sleep! ’ she says, ‘ sleep on, O man! the time 6 is not yet come.’ ” 17‘For the three excellent things be never slack, namely, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds; for the three abominable things be ever slack, namely, bad thoughts, bad words, and bad deeds.” 18‘ In the first part of the night, Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls the master of the house for help, saying: 19“‘ Up! arise, thou master of the house! put on thy girdle on thy clothes, wash thy hands, take wood, bring it unto me, and let me burn bright 32Hyde 35, and J. Ovington, A Voyage to Suratt, 1696, p. 371). with the clean wood, carried by thy well-washed hands1. Here comes Azi 2 * *, made by the Daevas, who is about to strive against me, and wants to put out my life.” 20(46). ‘In the second part of the night, Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls the husbandman for help, saying: 21(46). ‘“Up! arise, thou husbandman! Put on thy girdle on thy clothes, wash thy hands, take wood, bring it unto me, and let me burn bright with the clean wood, carried by thy well-washed hands. Here comes Azi, made by the Daevas, who is about to strive against me, and wants to put out my life.” 22‘ In the third part of the night, Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, calls the holy Sraosha for help, saying: “ Come thou, holy, tail-formed Sraosha, [then he brings unto me some clean wood with his well-washed hands]8: here comes Azi, made by the Daevas, who is about to strive against me, and wants to put out my life.” 23‘And then the holy Sraosha wakes up the bird named Parddars, which ill-speaking people call Kahrkatas, and the bird lifts up his voice against the mighty dawn: 24‘ “Arise, O men! recite the Ashem ya d vahistem that smites down the Dadvas. Lo! here is Bushyasta, the long-handed, coming upon you, who lulls to sleep again the whole living world as into ‘ bring into me...’ soon as it has awoke: ‘ Sleep! ’ she says, ‘ sleep on, O man! the time is not yet come.’ ” 25‘ “ For the three excellent things be never slack, namely, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds; for the three abominable things be ever slack, namely, bad thoughts, bad words, and bad deeds.” 26‘And then bed-fellows address one another: “ Rise up, here is the cock calling me up.” Whichever of the two first gets up shall first enter paradise: whichever of the two shall first, with well-washed hands, bring clean wood unto the Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, the Fire, well pleased with him and not angry, and fed as it required, will thus bless him: 27‘ “ May herds of oxen grow for thee, and increase of sons: may thy mind be master of its vow, may thy soul be master of its vow, and mayst thou live on in the joy of the soul all the nights of thy life.” ‘ This is the blessing which the Fire speaks unto him who brings him dry wood, well examined by the light of the day, well cleansed with godly intent. 28‘ And whosoever will kindly and piously present one of the faithful with a pair of these my Parddanr birds, a male and a female, it is as though he had given 1 a house with a hundred columns, a thousand beams, ten thousand large windows, ten thousand small windows. 29‘And whosoever shall give to my Parddars bird his fill of meat, 1, Ahura Mazda, need not interrogate him any longer; he shall directly go to paradise.’ 30The holy Sraosha asked the Druf, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Druj1'! Thou then, alone in the material world, dost bear offspring without any male coming unto thee? ’ 31Then the T>rng demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! It is not so, nor do I, alone in the material world, bear offspring without any male coming unto me. 32(77). ‘ There are four males who are mine. ‘ And they make me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’ 33The holy Sraosha asked the Dru^-, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Drug"! Who is the first of those males of thine?’ 35‘ That man makes me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’ 36The holy Sraosha asked the Drug, with his club uplifted against her: £ O thou wretched and wicked Dru^! What is the thing that can counter¬ act that?’ 37Then the Drug demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! This is the thing that counteracts it, namely, when a man unasked, kindly and piously, gives to one of the faithful something, be it ever so little, of the riches he has treasured up. 38‘He does thereby as thoroughly destroy the fruit of my womb as a four-footed wolf does, who tears the child out of a mother’s womb.’ 39The holy Sraosha asked the Drug', with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru^! Who is the second of those males of thine?’ 40Then the Dru g demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! He is the second of my males who, making water, lets it fall along the upper forepart of his foot. 41‘That man makes me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’ 42The holy Sraosha asked the Drug, with his club uplifted against her: ‘O thou wretched and wicked Drujf! What is the thing that can counter¬ act that?’ 44‘ He does thereby as thoroughly destroy the fruit of my womb as a four-footed wolf does, who tears the child out of a mothers womb.’ 46Then the Dru^- demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! He is the third of my males who during his sleep emits seed. 47‘That man makes me conceive progeny as other males make their females.’ 48The holy Sraosha asked the Dru g, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru g\ What is the thing that can counter¬ act that?’ 49Then the Dru^ demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! this is the thing that counteracts it, namely, if the man, when he has risen from sleep, shall say three Ahuna- Vairya, two humatanam, three hukhshathrotemam, and then chant the Ahuna-Vairya and offer up one Yd^hd hatarn. 50‘He does thereby as thoroughly destroy the fruit of my womb as a four-footed wolf does who tears the child out of a mother’s womb.’ 51Then he shall speak unto Spe^ta Armaiti \ saying: ‘ O Spe/zta Armaiti, this man do I deliver unto thee; this man deliver thou back unto me, against the mighty day of resurrection; deliver him back as one who knows the Gathas, who knows the Yasna, and the revealed law1, a wise and clever man, who is the Word incarnate. 52‘Then thou shalt call his name “Firecreature, Fire-seed, Fire-offspring, Fire-land,” or any name wherein is the word Fire 2.’ 53(113). The holy Sraosha asked the Dru g, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru^! Who is the fourth of those males of thine?’ 54Then the Dru.g demon, the guileful one, answered: • O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! This one is my fourth male who, either man or woman, being more than fifteen years of age, walks without wear¬ ing the sacred girdle and the sacred shirt 3. 55‘At the fourth step4 * we Daevas, at once, wither him even to the tongue and the mar¬ row, and he goes thenceforth with power to destroy the world of the holy spirit, and he destroys it like the Yatus and the Za«das6.’ 56The holy Sraosha asked the Dru^, with his club uplifted against her: ‘ O thou wretched and wicked Dru g, what is the thing that can counteract that? ’ 57Then the ~Dr\xg demon, the guileful one, answered: ‘ O holy, tail-formed Sraosha! There is no means of counteracting it; ^arana sin; from the fourth step, it is a tanafuhr sin’ (Comm.) 58‘ When a man or a woman, being more than fifteen years of age, walks without wearing the sacred girdle or the sacred shirt. 59‘At the fourth step we Daevas, at once, wither him even to the tongue and the marrow, and he goes thenceforth with power to destroy the world of the holy spirit, and he destroys it like the Yatus and the Za^das.’ 60Demand of me, thou upright one! of me who am the Maker, the best of all beings, the most knowing, the most pleased in answering what is asked of me; demand of me that thou mayst be the better, that thou mayst be the happier. 61(123). Zarathostra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘Who grieves thee with the sorest grief? Who pains thee with the sorest pain?’ 62(124). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘It is the Cahi ', O Spitama Zarathostra! who goes a-whoring after the faithful and the unfaithful, after the wor¬ shippers of Mazda and the worshippers of the Daevas, after the wicked and the righteous1 2 3. 63(125). ‘Her look dries up one third of the mighty floods that run from the mountains; her look withers one third of the beautiful, golden hued, growing plants; 64‘ Her look withers one third of the grass (see Introd. IV, ig). wherewith Spe^ta Armaiti 1 is clad 2, and her touch withers in the faithful one third of his good thoughts, of his good words, of his good deeds, one third of his strength, of his fiend-killing power, and of his holiness 3. 65‘Verily I say unto thee, O Spitama Zarathiuvtra! such creatures ought to be killed even more than gliding snakes4, than howling wolves, than the wild she-wolf that falls upon the fold, or than the she-frog that falls upon the waters with her thousandfold brood.’ 66Demand of me, thou upright one! of me who am the Maker, the best of all beings, the most knowing, the most pleased in answering what is asked of me; demand of me that thou mayst be the better, that thou mayst be the happier. 67-68(133). Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: ‘If a man shall come unto a woman who has an issue of blood, either out of the ordinary course or at the usual period, and he does so wittingly and know¬ ingly5and she allows it wilfully, wittingly, and knowingly, what is the atonement for it, what is the penalty that he shall pay to atone for the deed they have done? ’ 69(136). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘If a man shall come unto a woman who has an issue of blood, either out of the ordinary course or at the usual period, and he does so wittingly and know¬ ingly, and she allows it wilfully, wittingly, and knowingly; 70‘ He shall slay a thousand head of small cattle; he shall godly and piously offer up to the fire 1 the entrails 2 thereof together with Zaothralibations; he shall bring the shoulder bones to the good waters 3. 71‘He shall godly and piously bring unto the fire a thousand loads of soft wood, of Urvasna, Vohu-gaona, Vohu-kereti, Hadha-naepata, or of any sweet-scented plant4. 72(142). ‘He shall tie and consecrate a thou¬ sand bundles of baresma; he shall godly and piously offer up to the good waters a thousand Zaothralibations, together with the Haoma and the meat, cleanly prepared and well strained by a pious man, together with the roots of the tree known as H adha-naepata 5. 73‘ He shall kill a thousand snakes of those that go upon the belly, two thousand of the other kind 1: he shall kill a thousand land frogs and two thousand water frogs; he shall kill a thousand corn-carrying ants and two thousand of the other kind 2 3 4. 74‘ He shall throw thirty bridges over canals; he shall undergo a thousand stripes with the Aspahe-astra, a thousand stripes with the Sraoshd- >£arana s. 75(149). ‘This is the atonement, this is the penalty that he shall pay to atone for the deed that he has done. 76‘If he shall pay it, he shall enter the world of the holy ones; if he shall not pay it, he shall fall down into the world of the wicked, into that dark world, made of darkness, the offspring of darkness V ‹Previous chapterVendidad Fargard 17Next chapterVendidad Fargard 19›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain 1880/1883/1887 English translation