________________
142
SELECTIONS OF ZÂD-SPARAM.
his mind to us who are demons. 9. And Adharmazd sends Vohûmanô on against him; Akomanô advanced to the front, and had come forward to the door, and wished to go inside.
10. Vohamanô schemingly (kârakogarthâ) turnedi back, and exclaimed to Akômanô thus : 'Go inside!' 11. Akômanô imagined thus: “There is nothing to be accomplished by me of what was mentioned to me, for Vohûmanô has gone back.' 12. And Vohûmanô went inside, and mingled with the reason (vârôm) of Zaratûst, and Zaratūst laughed outright?, for Vohûmanô is a gratifying spirit.
13. Also seven wizards : were seated before him, and owing to the light in the dwelling, his having laughed at birth was conveniently seen, which is opposed to the habit of the rest of mankind who cry out at birth and are quite terrified.
14. Also, at the same time of birth, he authoritatively accepted the religion from Allharmazd, as it is stated in revelation, that he spoke at birth thus: *As is the will of the spiritual lord (ahvô) mayst thou be who art the officiating priest (zôtó) (that is, mayst thou be the leader of the creatures)
15. As Zaratůst, on account of his worldly body, spoke with a worldly voice, Adharmazd spoke in reply to him, on account of the spirits, thus : 'So
Assuming that sto stands for vasto. • Compare Dk. VII, iii, 2; V, ii, 5. This laughing is not mentioned in Dk. IX, xxiv.
8 "Seven midwives' are mentioned in Dk. VII, iii, 2.
• This is one form of the Pahlavi Ahunavair (see Dk. IX, xxiv, 4). At this point the text in the MSS. is interrupted by the erroneous insertion of Chap. XII, 8-16, the contents of a loose folio in some former copy, which have been restored to their original position in this translation.
Digitized by Google