________________
228
orders to the archangels that they should speak to the angels of the spiritual existences thus: "Proceed to the assistance of the illustrious Pêshyotanû!" 32. Mitro of the vast cattle-pastures, Srôsh the vigorous, Rashn the just, Vâhrâm1 the mighty, Astâd the victorious, and the glory of the religion of the Mazdayasnians, the stimulator of religious formulas (nirang), the arranger of the world, proceed to the assistance of the illustrious Pêshyôtanû, through the order of which I, the creator, have just written3.
33. 'Out of the demons of gloomy race the evil spirit cries to Mitrô of the vast cattle-pastures thus: Stay above in truth, thou Mitrô of the vast cattlepastures!"
34. 'And then Mitro of the vast cattle-pastures cries thus: "Of these nine thousand years' support, which during its beginning produced Dahâk of evil religion, Frâstyâv of Tûr, and Alexander the Rûman, the period of one thousand years of those leathern-belted demons with dishevelled hair is a more than moderate reign to produce"."
35. The wicked evil spirit becomes confounded when he heard this; Mitrô of the vast cattle-pastures will smite Wrath of the infuriate spear with
"
BAHMAN YAST.
1 The fact that the angel Vâhrâm goes in his spiritual form to the assistance of Pêshyôtanû, rather militates against the idea that he also goes in the form of Vâhrâm the Vargâvand.
This verb is omitted by mistake in K20.
Literally, 'arrive at the writing.'
8
Or, 'stand up with honesty !'
The latter two names are here written Frâsâv and Alasandar.
• From this it appears that the writer expected the evil reign of the unbelievers to last a thousand years, that is, till the end of Hûshêdar's millennium, about A. D. 1593-1635, which corresponds very closely with the reign of the great Shâh 'Abbâs.
Digitized by Google
