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III. MEANING OF KHVETOK-DAS.
'On the same subject the exposition of the obscure statements of the good religion, by a wise high-priest of the religion, is this:-"I assert that God (yêdatô) is the being, as regards the creatures, who created any of the creatures there are which are male, and any there are which are female; and that which is male is a son, and, similarly, a daughter is that which is female. The daughter of himself, the father of all, was Spendarmad', the earth, a female being of the creation; and from her he created the male Gâyômard, which is explained as the name for him who was specially the first man, since it is Gâyômard living who is speaking and mortal, a limitation which was specially his, because of these three words-which are 'living, speaking, and mortal'-two of the limitations, which are 'living and speaking,' were through the provision of his father, the creator, and one, which is 'mortal,' was proceeding from the destroyer; the same limitation is upon all mankind, who are connected with that man's lineage, until the renovation of the universe. And now I say, if the aid of the father has produced a male from the daughter, it is named a Khvêtûk-das of father and daughter "."
'This, too, is from the exposition of the religion, that the semen of Gâyômard-which is called seedwhen he passed away, fell to Spendarmad, the earth, which was his own mother; and, from its being united
1 See p. 393, note a.
See Dd. II, 10, XXXVII, 82, LXIV, 5.
401
It is uncertain whether the high-priest's statement continues beyond this point, or not.
See Bd. XV, 1, 2, Dd. LXIV, 6.
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