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11. THE NÍRANG-I KUSTÍ.
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ened (to prevent their touching the ground) by being partially gathered up in a large loop hanging under each hand, like a pair of spectacles, he proceeds: 'For those sins of thought, word, and deed, of body and soul, worldly and spiritual, do thou pardon this one?! I am penitent and in renunciation through the three words?'
He then continues to recite the following Avesta phrases: 'Satisfaction for Ahura-mazda !' bowing and raising the Kust to the forehead; 'scorn for Angra-mainyu !' jerking the Kusti to the left, without altering the mode of holding it; 'which is the most forward of actual exertions through the will. Righteousness is the best good, a blessing it is; a blessing be to that which is righteousness to perfect rectitude 8' Applying the middle of the Kust to the front of the waist at the first word, 'righteousness,' of the last sentence, it is passed twice round the waist during the remainder of the sentence, by the hands meeting behind, exchanging ends, and bringing them round again to the front.
The following Avesta formula is then recited : *As a patron spirit is to be chosen, so is an earthly master, for the sake of righteousness, to be a giver of good thought of the actions of life towards Mazda ; and the dominion is for the lord whom he has given
1 The Pâzand word is ukhê or aokhê, which the Gugarâti Khurdah Avesta translates by khudâtåelâ, 'most high God;' but it seems more probably a misreading of Pahl hanâ-1,'this one.' These phrases are a portion of the Patit or renunciation of sin.
• That is, in thought, word, and deed. So far the phrases are recited in Pazand, but the following recitations are in the Avesta language. * This last sentence is the Ashem-voh formula (see Bd. XX, 2). [18]
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