Book Title: Sacred Laws of Aryas
Author(s): Gorge Buhler
Publisher: Oxford


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Page 952
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INTRODUCTION.
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Iran is to be invaded from the east by hordes of demons or idolators with dishevelled hair, who are to work much mischief, so as to destroy the greater part of the nation and mislead the rest, until the religion becomes nearly extinct. The details of this mischief, written in a tone of lamentation, constitute the greater part of the text, which also notices that the sovereignty will pass from the Arabs, Ramans, and these leathern-belted demons (Türks) to other Tärks and non-TQranians who are worse than themselves.
Distressed at this narrative Zaratůst asks Adharmazd (Chap. III, 1) how the religion is to be restored, and these demons destroyed? He is informed that, in the course of time, other fiends with red banners, red weapons, and red hats, who seem to be Christians, will appear in the northwest, and will advance either to the Arvand (Tigris) or the Euphrates, driving back the former demons who will assemble all their allies to a great conflict, one of the three great battles of the religions of the world, in which the wicked will be so utterly destroyed that none will be left to pass into the next millennium.
Zaratust enquires (III, 12) how so many can perish, and is informed that, after the demons with dishevelled hair appear, Hashedar, the first of the last three apostles, is born near Lake Frazdân; and when he begins to confer with Adharmazd a Kayan prince is born in the direction of Kinistân (Samarkand), who is called Váhrâm the Vargavand, and when he is thirty years old he collects a large army of Hindu (Bactrian) and Kini (Samarkandian) troops, and advances into Iran, where he is reinforced by a numerous army of Iranian warriors, and defeats the demon races with immense slaughter, in the great conflict already mentioned, so that there will be only one man left to a thousand women.
The writer then proceeds to describe the supernatural agencies employed to produce this result: how the evil spirit (III, 24) comes to the assistance of the demonworshippers ; how Adharmazd sends his angels to Kangdez, to summon Pêshyötand, the immortal son of Viståsp, with his disciples, to re-establish the sacred fires and restore the
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