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SOME ANCIENT AND EXTINCT FAITHS
dwell in the Realm of Light, in the splendour of Dharma-Jnana, protected by the rampart of understanding (Zad Sparain, v. 1) built by the beneficent spirit, Auhar Mazd.
Of the other varieties of creation, everything represents some abstraction, pertaining to religion or its antithesis, irreligion. Death is spiritual extinction, corruption, the filth of disbelief, and cow, spiritual piety. The Iranians are the pious followers of Auhar Mazd. Armaiti is saintly piety, and the soul of the kine, the spirit of the pious, wailing in distress for the advent of the saviour. The same spirit of personification prevails in all the other departments of creation. This is very clearly stated in the nineteenth chapter of the Bundahish from wbich we need quote only the following striking passages :" The conclusion is this, that, of all beasts and birds and
fishes, every one is created in opposition to some noxious creature...... The cock is created in opposition to demons and wizards, co-operating with the dog ; as it says in revelation, that of the creatures of the world, those which are co-operating with Srosh, in destroying the fiends, are the cock and the dog......The dog is a destroyer of such a fiend as covetousness, among those which are in the nature of man and of animals (verses 30, 33 and 34)......Dogs are created in opposition to the wolf-species and for securing the protection of sheep (verse 27). ...... Auhar Mazd created nothing useless whatever, for all these are created for advantage ; when one does not understand the reason of them, it is necessary to ask the Dastur (high priest), for his five dispositions are created
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