________________
CHAPTER XXVIII, 36-44.
113
his wish is this, that is: 'Do not ask about me, and do not understand me! for if ye ask about and understand me, ye will not come after me 1' 41. This, too, it says, that the evil spirit remains at the distance of a cry, even at the cry of a three-year-old cock (külêng), even at the cry of an ass, even at the cry of a righteous man when one strikes him involuntarily and he utters a cry? 42. The demon Kundak 3 is he who is the steed (bârak) of wizards.
43. Various new demons arise from the various new sins the creatures may commit, and are produced for such purposes; who make even those planets rush on which are in the celestial sphere, and they stand very numerously in the conflict. 44. Their ringleaders (kamârikân) are those seven planets, the head and tail of Gôkihar, and Maspar 4
i Compare Mkh. XL, 24-28: The one wish that Hôrmezd, the lord, desires from men is this, that "ye shall understand me (Hôrmezd), since every one who shall understand me comes after me, and strives for my satisfaction." And the one wish that Aharman desires from men is this, that "ye shall not understand me (Aharman), since whoever shall understand me wicked, his actions proceed not after me, and, moreover, no advantage and friendship come to me from that man.”'
The sentence is rather obscure, but it seems to imply that such cries keep the evil spirit at a distance; it is, however, just possible that it means that the cry of the evil spirit can be heard as far as such cries.
• Av. Kunda of Vend. XI, 28, 36, XIX, 138.
* TD has Gôk-kihar and Mûs-parîk here, but see Chap. V, 1, where these beings are included among the seven planetary leaders, and not counted in addition to them. This is another inconsistency which leads to the suspicion that this continuation of the chapter may have been written by a later hand. According to this later view, the sun and moon must be included among those malevolent orbs, the planets.
[5]
Digitized by Google