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INTRODUCTION.
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is undated, but gives the testimony of Dastûr Rüstâm ? Gustasp Ardashîr, who is known to have written another MS. dated A.Y. 1068 (A.D. 1699). The second colophon is by Dastar Jamshed Jâmâsp Hakîm, and is dated A.Y. 1113 (A. D. 1743), which was probably the date when this last folio was supplied to complete the old defective MS.
With regard to the age of the older part of this MS. we can arrive at an approximation in the following manner :A valuable MS. of the Dâdistân-i Dînîk, which also belongs to Tehmuras Dinshawji, was written (according to a colophon which it contains) by Gôpatshah Rústôm 2 Bândâr Malkamardân in the land of Kirmân, who was evidently the same person as the writer of TD. Another MS. of the Dâdistân-i Dînîk was written by Marsapân Frédân Vâhrôm Rastâm Bôndâr Malka-mardân Dîn-ayâr, also in the land of Kirmân, in A.Y. 941 (A.D. 1572). Comparing these two genealogies together it seems evident that Gôpatshah was a brother of Vâhrôm, the grandfather of Marzapân, and, therefore, a grand-uncle of Marza pân himself. Allowing for these two generations, it is probable that Gôpatshah wrote TD about A.Y. 900 (say A. D. 1530); although instances have occurred in which a son has written a MS. at an earlier date than that of one written by his father.
The introductory sentences on the first restored folio are evidently a modern addition to the text, after it had acquired the name of Bundahis ; but they seem to have been copied from some other MS., as the copyist appears to have hardly understood them, having written them continuously with the beginning of the text, without break or stop. The spelling is modern, but that may be due to the copyist; and the language is difficult, but may be translated as follows 3:
*The propitiation of the creator Adharmazd, the radiant,
This Dastûr is said to have sprung from the laity, and not from a priestly family.
· The vowels â and ô (or a often interchange in Pahlavi MSS. from Persia, probably owing to peculiarities of dialect, and the very broad sound of Persian â, like English a in call. : English words in italics are additions to complete the sense.
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