Questions of King Milinda Part 02

SR No.: 007682
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2240
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 38 MB

Page 462

INTRODUCTION.
xxxi
prophet (vakh shvar) Spitâmân Zaratust, whose guardian spirit is reverenced, and his first disciple through asking and hearing the same reverenced guardian spirit-is information which is a similitude of enlightenment on every subject from the original light. 3. And those original questions and the decision of the exalted ruler Kai-Vistâsp to have them written were its origin, and he ordered them to deliver the original to the treasury of Shapîgân', and to distribute copies provided. 4. And, after that, he sends a copy to the fortress of documents, to keep the information also there.
5. And during the ruin that happened to the country of Iran, and in the monarchy, owing to the evil-destined villain Alexander, that which was in the fortress of documents came to be burnt, and that in the treasury of Shapîgân into the hands of the Arûmans, and was translated by him even into the Greek language, as information which was connected with the ancients (min pêsînigan padvastako).
6. And that Artakhshatar, king of kings, who was son of Papak, came for the restoration of the monarchy of Irân, and the same scripture was brought from a scattered state to one place. 7. The righteous Tôsar of the primitive faith, who was the priest of priests, appeared with an exposition recovered from the Avesta and was ordered to complete the scripture from that exposition. 8. He did so accordingly (ham-gûnako), to preserve a similitude of the splendour of the original enlightenment in the treasury of Shapigân, and was ordered to distribute copies of the information provided.
9. And after the ruin and devastation that came from the Arabs, even to the archives (dîvân) and treasures of the realm, the saintly. Atūr-farnbag, son of Farukhô-zâd, who became the leader of the orthodox, brought those copies, which were scattered on all sides, and new resources, back from dispersion into union with the archives of his residence; and, through observance and consideration for the Avesta and Zand of the good religion, he made the sayings of those of the primitive faith again a similitude of the illumination (fîroko) from that splendour.
1 Both MSS. have Shaspigân here, but see p. 413, n. 4.
So in K, or perhaps Shfzigân; B bas Shaspigan. * So in K.
So in K; B has Shapân. 5 B bas Å tarpåd inserted here by mistake.
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