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94
BUNDAHIS.
five supplementary days at the end of the month Spendarmad, the day and night are again equal.
7. As from the auspicious day Adharmazd of the month Fravardin to the auspicious day Anirân of the month Mitrô 1 is the summer of seven months, so from the auspicious day Allharmazd of the month Avân to the auspicious month Spendarmad, on to the end of the five supplementary days?, is the winter of five months. 8. The priest fulfils the regulation (vakar) about a corpse and other things, by this calculation as to summer and winter. 9. In those seven months 3 of summer the periods (gâs) of the days and nights are five-since one celebrates the Rapitvin-namely, the period of daybreak is Havan, the period of midday is Rapitvin, the period of afternoon is Aůzêrîn, when the appearance of the stars has come into the sky* until midnight is the period of 'Aibisrütêm, from midnight until the stars become imperceptible is the period of Adshahin 6. 10. In winter are four periods, for from daybreak till Adzêrin is all Hâvan, and the rest as I have said; and the reason of it is this, that the appearance 6 of winter is in the direction of the
the vernal equinox, according to the Bundahis. Later writings assert that it commemorates the creation of man.
" That is, from the first day of the first month to the last day of the seventh month.
: That is, from the first day of the eighth month to the last of the five Gâtha days, which are added to the twelfth month to complete the year of 365 days.
3 All MSS. have five months' here. 4 K20 has 'when the stars have come into sight.'
o The Avesta names of the five Gâhs are Hâvani, Rapithwina, Uzayêirina, Aiwisrüthrema, and Ushahina.
• Paz. ashåris is evidently a misreading of Pahl, åshkârîh.
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