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III. MEANING OF KHVÊTÜK-DAS.
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wailed together about this, thus : 'They will always carry our daughters into perversion?.'"
'This, too, is said, that Khvêtudâd is so miraculous that it is the preservation of the most grievous sin—such as witchcraft and that worthy of death, from hell. And the want of protection (avipaharth) from hell of one unprotected from Aharman and the demons arises at that time when, owing to what occurs when he is begged by some one to exercise witchcraft, he is made worthy of death. And when they shall perform Khvêtůdad, when the Khvêtādâd is owing to him?, the unprotected one is preserved from the prison of hell, from Aharman and the demons; so miraculous is Khvêtādad.
'In a passage it is declared, that Adharmazd spoke unto Zaratast thus: “These are the best four things: the ceremonial worship of Adharmazd, the lord; presenting firewood, incense, and holy-water to the fire; propitiating a righteous mans; and one who performs Khvêtudâd with her who bore him, or a daughter, or 'with a sister. And of all those he is the greatest, best, and most perfect who shall perform Khvêtādåd. ... When Sôshâns comes * all mankind will perform Khvêtādâd, and every fiend will perish through the miracle and power of Khvêtadâd.
It is then explained why the several merits of the
1 This fear of perversion to another faith was, no doubt, the real cause of the vehement advocacy of family marriages by the priesthood.
· That is, when he has arranged the next-of-kin marriage of others, before his death.
· That is, a priest. • Shortly before the resurrection (see Dd. II, 10). [18]
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