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332
SHAYAST LÂ-SHAYAST.
nation (nisrüst) · does not rush upon him; and for this reason, this, too, is well for the good, that is, to show a dog rightly again a previous corpse in the forthcoming period of the day.
33. The rule is this, that by those who attend to a corpse among the pure it is then to be shown to a dog very observant of the corpse ; for when even a thousand persons shall carry away a corpse which a dog has not seen, they are all polluted s.
34. The rule is this, that meat, when there is stench or decomposition not even originating with it, is not to be prayed over *; and the sacred cake (drôn) and butter (gâ ùs-dak) which are hairy are also not to be prayed over .
35. A woman is fit for priestly duty (zôtih) among women, and when she is consecrating the sacred
· See Bund. XXVIII, 29.
In order that there may be no risk of the fiend of corruption having entered the corpse after it was first exhibited to a dog.
* This statement has been already made in Chap. II, 65.
• That is, it is not to be used in any religious ceremony. Small pieces of meat are consecrated, along with the sacred cakes, in the Drôn and Âfrîngân ceremonies at certain festivals.
So in K20; but M6 has, 'the sacred cake they present, even that is not to be prayed over. Although M6 is more carefully written than K20, it seems to have been copied from an original which was hardly legible in some places, of which this is one. The presence of a hair in the cake or butter would render it useless for religious purposes.
. But only for some of the minor priestly offices, such as consecrating the sacred cake. According to Avesta passages, quoted in the Nîrangistân, any man who is not a Tanâpühar sinner can perform certain priestly duties for virtuous men, and any woman who is not feeble-minded (kasu-khrathwa) can perform them for children.
? M6 has, when she does not consecrate.'
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