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SELECTIONS OF ZÂD-SPARAM, X, 6-X1, 7.
185
body, and the brightening of the eyes. 4. The Adrvâzist is that which is in plants, in whose seed it is formed, and its business consists in piercing the earth, warming the chilled water and producing the qualities and fragrance of plants and blossoms therefrom, and elaborating the ripened produce into many fruits. 5. And the Vázist is that which has its motion in a cloud, and its business consists in destroying the atmospheric gloom and darkness, and making the thickness of the atmosphere fine and propitious in quality, sifting the hail, moderately warming the water which the cloud holds, and making sultry weather showery. 6. The Supremelybenefiting, like the sky, is that glory whose lodgment is in the Behram fire, as the master of the house is over the house, and whose propitious power arises from the growing brightness of the fire, the blazing forth in the purity of the place, the praise of God (yazdâno), and the practice of good works. 7. And its business is that it struggles with the spiritual fiend, it watches the forms of the witches—who walk up from the river-, wear woven clothing, disturb the luminaries by the concealment of stench, and by witchcraft injure the creaturesand the occurrences of destruction, burning, and celebration of witchcraft, especially at night; being an assistant of Srôsh the righteous.
* Reading mayâ-i afsardini do tâftanò instead of the seemingly unmeaning mayâ asardînîdò aftano of the MS. : The Verehrano âtásh, or sacred fire of the fire-temples.
Reading pavan instead of bará (see p. 176, note 5). • Or sea' (darîyâvo). This long-winded sentence is more involved and obscure in the original than in the translation.
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