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378
SHAYAST LA-SHAYAST.
whatever occurs, and should seize upon those who consume and steal water and vegetation1. 26. And he should not act oppressively, he should not walk the world in sinfulness, and should not bring bodily refuse (hikhar), dead matter (nasâi), or any other pollution to water; he should not destroy vegetation unlawfully, and should not give fruit to the idle and vile. 27. For when he commits sin against water and vegetation, even when it is committed against merely a single twig of it, and he has not atoned for it, when he departs from the world the spirits of all the plants in the world stand up high in front of that and do not let him go to heaven. 28. And when he has committed sin against water, even when it is committed against a single drop of it, and he has not atoned for it, that also stands up as high as the plants stood, and does not let him go to heaven. 29. Since they are counterparts of Horvadad and Amerôdad themselves, the water and vegetation, whoever propitiates those which be water and vegetation, his fame subsists in the world, and a share of the splendour of Aûharmazd becomes his in heaven.'
man,
30. Aûharmazd said this also to Zaratust, namely:
1 Reading mûn, 'who,' instead of amat,' when,' and dûgend, 'they steal,' instead of dugd (perhaps for dugak, 'thievish'); and supposing the verb to be vakhdûnêd, 'takes, seizes,' and not vâdûnêd, makes, acts.' If the reverse be assumed, the translation would be thus: should act for their happiness. When they consume water and vegetation he should not act thievishly and oppressively.'
2 For the meaning of hîkhar and nasâî, see note on Chap. II, 30.
* Reading amat, 'when,' instead of mûn, 'who' (see Bund. I, 7, note).
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