________________
37
Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabânazdistas1 answerable for three hundred (years)?'
6 (26). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the hand-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
FARGARD IV.
Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabânazdistas answerable for six hundred (years) ".' 7 (28). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the sheep-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
Ahura Mazda answered: His sin makes his Nabânazdistas answerable for seven hundred (years).' 8 (30). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the ox-contract, how many are involved in his sin?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'His sin makes his Nabânazdistas answerable for eight hundred (years) ".'
1 The next of kin to the ninth degree.
• See § 11. This passage seems to have puzzled tradition. The Commentary says, ' How long, how many years, has one to fear for the breach of a word-contract ?-the Nabânazdistas have to fear for three hundred years;' but it does not explain farther the nature of that fear; it only tries to reduce the circle of that liability to narrower limits: 'only the son born after the breach is liable for it; the righteous are not liable for it; when the father dies, the son, if righteous, has nothing to fear from it.' And finally, the Ravâets leave the kinsmen wholly aside; the penalty falling entirely upon the real offender, and the number denoting only the duration of his punishment in hell: 'He who breaks a word-contract, his soul shall abide for three hundred years in hell' (Gr. Rav. 94). 'His soul shall abide for six hundred years in hell' (Gr. Rav. 1. 1.)
• See § 12.
"
See § 13. His soul shall abide for seven hundred years in hell' (Gr. Rav. 1. 1.)
See § 14.
'His soul shall abide for eight hundred years in hell.'
Digitized by
Google