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CHAPTER XCIII, 15-XCIV, 1.
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Tistar is by causing rain for the region and the good, to the aggrandizement of the many grades 1 and the replenishment of the region and creatures 2.'
CHAPTER XCIV. 1. And those of the primitive faith, the ancients of those acquainted with the religion “, thus considered, that in the spirit of life (ahvô). there is
1 Or 'to the great aggrandizement of the grades.'
* Reading dâm, as in M14 and J, instead of gadman,' glory.' The chapter appears to break off here, without any reference to the queries about hail and snow; but it is uncertain if any portion of the work be here omitted (owing to loss of folios in some older MS.) because the author does not always reply to all clauses of the questions, as may be noticed in Chap. XXXVII. One reason, however, for supposing that some of the text is here lost is the allusion, in Chaps. XVII, 20, XVIII, 2, to a chapter no longer extant in Dd.
3 The first eleven sections of this chapter are quoted from the beginning of the sixth book of the Dînkard, which commences as follows :-'The propitiation of the creator Adharmasd is even in the benedictions of the religion of Masda-worship; this, too, was the settled decision of those of the primitive faith. The sixth book is on a compendium (vasang) which was prepared by those of the primitive faith to maintain about the sayings of the religion of Masda-worship;' and then proceeds as in our text, with the variations and additional matter mentioned in the foot-notes. It is hardly probable that these quotations were intended as a conclusion to any reply, the beginning of which may be lost, as they refer to a variety of subjects; but they may have been selected by the author as authoritative opinions sufficiently comprehensive for his general peroration. At any rate they show that the Dînkard must have been in existence in its present form before the Då distân-î Dînîk was written. All the MSS. have this peroration written continuously with the preceding chapter, without stop or break of any kind to indicate a change of subject.
Dk. has the ancients of the wise. Dk. adds of men.'
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