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IV. THE BARESHNUM CEREMONY.
453
woman, (135) at all from that time, until the time when his three nights shall fully elapse.
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136. After those three nights he shall wash over his body, and his clothes are purified over in such a way as with bull's urine and also with water. 137. He shall sit in the place of the secluded, within the precinct of his abode, apart from the other Mazdaworshippers. 138. He shall not come with authorization to fire, &c. [just as has been written in § 134], (139) at all from that time, until the time when his six nights shall fully elapse.
140. 'After those six nights' he shall wash over his body, and his clothes are purified over in such a way as with bull's urine and also with water. 141143. He shall sit in the place of the secluded [just as has been written in §§ 133-135] until the time when his nine nights shall fully elapse.
144. Then, after the nine nights, he shall wash over his body, and his clothes are purified over in such a way as with bull's urine and also with water. 145. Then he shall come with authorization unto fire, unto water, unto earth, unto animals, unto plants, unto a righteous man, unto a righteous
woman.'
Besides the above fully detailed description of the Bareshnûm ceremony we find two other accounts of the rite, in the Vendidâd. Of these the most detailed is contained in Vend. VIII, 117-228, which mentions the use of the dog', the nine holes, the washing with bull's urine and water, and all the
1 The MSS. omit several words, when sentences are repeated, for the sake of brevity. 9 See § 7 above.
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