DENKARD, the Acts of Religion, Book 3 Edited by Dastur Peshotanji Behramji Sanjana, 1876 English Translation of Volumes 2-4 by Ratanshah E
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DENKARD, the Acts of Religion, Book 3 Edited by Dastur Peshotanji Behramji Sanjana, 1876 English translation of volumes 2-4 by Ratanshah E. Kohiyar Electronic edition prepared by Joseph H. Peterson, 1999. avesta.org Based on Peshotun Dustoor Behramjee Sunjana [Sanjana], The Dinkard Vols. I-IX, Bombay: D. Ardeshir & Co., 1874-1900. Contents Preface....................................................................................xxxv Translation of the Gujarati preface.......................................xxxvi PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION.........................xl Preface to the English translation of the Seventh Volume (chapters 275-361). ....................................................................xl THE DENKARD. BOOK 3..............................................................42 [25.] Twelve questions asked by an Ashmogh (apostate).........42 [26.] THE 16 QUESTIONS ASKED BY A STUDENT................45 QUESTION 2.............................................................................45 27. Exposition in the good religion about the greatness of times, about the things appertaining to greatness, and as to whom power accrues by attaining to greatness...................................53 28. Exposition in the good religion regarding the greatness of the relations, disposition, and strength of natives of Iran........56 29. Exposition in the good religion regarding the origin of the formation of the peoples (living) on the outskirts of Iran.........57 30. Exposition in the good religion regarding persons whose ways are deserving of superior privileges being bestowed upon them...........................................................................................58 31. Exposition in the good religion regarding the contentedness of those who carry on their business in the right way and the discontentedness of those who carry on their business in the wrong way..................................................................................58 32. Exposition in the good religion about protection and the leaving off of protection.............................................................59 33. Exposition in the good religion about the man who abstains from sin and advances in righteous, and the man who abstains from righteousness and advances in sin...................................60 34. Exposition in the good religion about the ways of the good religion having reference to the wishes of the yazads and the ways of the bad religion having reference to the wishes of the daevas........................................................................................60 35. Of the first bearer of the good religion................................60 36. Exposition in the good religion for Mazdayasnians to remain aloof from the worshippers of the daevas who disobey i Contents ii God and from the nature of deceitful Ashmoghs......................62 37. Exposition in the good religion about those among God's servants who hold the superior, the middle, and the inferior rank............................................................................................62 38. Exposition in the good religion as to the nature of very great happiness, very great misery, happiness accompanied by misery, and misery accompanied by happiness........................63 39. Admonition and exposition in good religion about that from which men have to obtain deliverance and about those things which are not fit to be approved of by them.............................63 40. Exposition in the good religion regarding the Lord of Existence being the Creator of Being and the creation.............64 41. Exposition in the good religion as to the Creator of the creation having promised to keep free from dread that (part) of His creation which abstains from giving pain to its Creator....65 42. Exposition in the good religion regarding the Superiority and superior dignity of Athornanship over Arthestarship and Vastariushship. [Athornan = a priest; Arthestar = a warrior; Vastarius = a husbandman.].....................................................65 43. Exposition in the good religion regarding man's becoming virtuous in all the virtues of the world by means of his being made to observe the commands of the religion regarding him. ....................................................................................................66 44. Exposition in the good religion regarding the warring the yazads to smite the Opposer and to suppress the dark danger (arising through him), for (enabling) the people to live as good creation......................................................................................67 45. Exposition in the good religion regarding evil to man, arising from his conducting himself, by means of the soul, for (obtaining) the riches appertaining to the body.......................67 46. Exposition in the good religion about the duty of rulers being, as far as practicable, to remove misery, want, hardships, filth, and pestilence from men..................................................68 47. Exposition in the good religion regarding the duty of bearing enmity to the Enemy. [i.e. Ahriman or Satan, and other evil powers.]...............................................................................69 48. Exposition in the good religion regarding the means of getting rid of those whose ways are to oppose the creation of Ohrmazd....................................................................................70 iii Contents 49. Exposition in the good religion regarding (men's) improving themselves for happiness by directing (their) attention towards the pure (and) invisible yazads and by cutting off from among them the admixture of those whose intentions are to wound and to give pain..................................71 50. Exposition in the good religion regarding (man's) becoming better owing to the Good, and worse, owing to the Bad...........72 51. Exposition in the good religion regarding the kinds of possessors of life........................................................................73 52. About guiding oneself with thoughts connected with religion.......................................................................................75 53. Exposition in the good religion regarding deceitless (and) proper behavior towards Him from whom there is deliverance to men........................................................................................76 54. Exposition in the good religion worthy of man's attention.76 55. Seven explanations sought by a scholar of (his) teacher.....76 56. Replies given by the teacher from a knowledge of the good religion.......................................................................................77 57. Exposition in the good religion regarding the wisdom of the Mazdayasnian religion being for all professors of that religion. ....................................................................................................77 58. Exposition in the good religion regarding state and religion. ....................................................................................................78 59. Exposition in the good religion regarding the good, the more good, and the most good; the bad, the very bad, and the most bad among men................................................................78 60. Exposition in the good religion regarding the government of men and the governors..............................................................79 61. Exposition in the good religion regarding the obtaining of the nature [Lit. body; hence, personality or nature.] of the Ghanamino himself....................................................................81 62. Exposition in the good religion regarding the causes of obtaining wisdom and happiness..............................................81 63. Exposition in the good religion regarding the power possessed by man, of choosing happiness in this awful world.82 64. Exposition in the good religion regarding happiness arising from (such) wisdom in man (as that) of Farehbut and Aibibut. ...................................................................................................83 Contents iv 65. About men having the ways of the good religion................84 Exposition in the good religion regarding the coming or not coming of invisible yazads to help the inhabitants of this world. (66)............................................................................................84 Exposition in the Good religion regarding Holy Thoughts being the cause of high thoughts, words and deeds in every matter. (67) ............................................................................................86 Exposition in the good religion as to spending a lifetime. (68) ...................................................................................................86 Exposition in the good religion regarding superior, middling, and inferior deeds (69)..............................................................87 Exposition in the good religion regarding (acts of) righteousness which may be promised and performed by the believer in the good religion to (and towards) the believer in an evil faith (70).............................................................................89 Exposition in the good religion regarding the good, the better, and the best among men, and the bad, the worse and the worst among those who are evil. (71)..................................................90 Exposition in the good religion regarding those among