________________
PAHLAVI TEXTS.
Persian couplets in Avesta characters, with their translation in Gugarâti; and, after a few more verses in Sanskrit, the colophon concludes with Sanskrit to the following effect :'In the Samvat year 1631, the ninth day in the light half of the month Gyaishtha, on Wednesday, the Uttarâ (Ashâdha ?] lunar mansion; in the Parsi Samvat year 944, the 27th day Åsmân, the sixth month Shahrîvar (18th May 1575]”, the Uzayêirina period (the afternoon), the book Sad Dar is completely written by an inhabitant of Bhrigu-kakkha ?. Brought together by the priest Râma, son of Kanhaksha, and written in the handwriting of the priest Padama, his son, the book Sad Dar is completed. Written, by another, for the purpose of reading and for the purpose of reciting by Hîrâka of the good religion, son of ... 3 of the good religion, and also by Âdaraka of the good religion, son of Gâyâ of the good religion ; may it become auspicious and beneficiall' Followed by 'may it be healthful! may it be excellent ! so may it be! and more so may it bel'in Pazand.
It is possible that this colophon may have been copied from an older manuscript, but there are certainly some reasons for supposing that La is the original manuscript completed in 1575. In the first place, the appearance of the paper, on which it is written, favours such a supposition, and enquiries, made in Bombay, have not succeeded in discovering the existence of any other copy of this recension. Again, there are a few defects and inconsistencies in the Gugaráti translation which are best explained by supposing that the translation was made at the time this manuscript was written. Thus, the greater part of Chap. LXXIII, after having been written on one side of a folio, is repeated by mistake on the other side of the same folio with several variations, most of which are alterations in the Gugarati translation, as if the writer were making the trans
1 As the manuscript was written in India, the calendar used would be the Rasmi one.
2 The old name of Bhrôk.
3 This name, with one or two epithets, has to be extracted from the corrupt Sanskrit compound gnâtivyavyagihild â.
Digitized by Google