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III. MEANING OF KHVÊTOK-DAS.
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seven classes of good works (Mkh. IV, 4), and ninth among thirty-three classes of the same (Mkh. XXXVII, 12); and the dissolution of Khvêtūk-das is mentioned as the fourth in point of heinousness among thirty classes of sin (Mkh. XXXVI, 7).
In the Bahman Yast, which may have existed in its original Pahlavi form before the Muhammadan conquest of Persia?, it is stated that, even in the perplexing time of foreign conquest, the righteous man continues the religious practice of Khvêtûk-das in his family?'
The third book of the Dinkard, which appears to have been compiled by the last editor of that work, contains a long defence of the practice of Khvêtakdas, forming its eighty-second chapter, which may be translated as follows :
'On a grave attack (hd-girâyisno) of a Jew upon
text of this work, recently published by Dr. Andreas, it appears that its Pahlavi name was Dinâ-i Mînavad-f Khard (or Mainôg-i Khird), the opinions of the spirit of wisdom.' 1 See Sacred Books of the East, vol. v, pp. liii-Ivi.
See Byt. II, 57, 61. • The name of this editor was Atür-pâd, son of Hêmîd, as appears from the last chapter (chap. 413) of the same book. He was a contemporary of the author of the Dadistân-î Dînîk (see Bd. XXXIII, 11).
Chap. 8o in the recent edition of Dastûr Peshotanji Behramji, because his numbers do not commence at the beginning of the book. His translation of this chapter (see pp. 90-102 of the English translation of his edition) differs considerably from that given in our text. This difference may be partly owing to its being translated from the Gugarâti translation, and not direct from the original Pahlavi; but it is chiefly due to the inevitable result of attempting a free translation of difficult Pahlavi, without preparing a literal version in the first place. The translation here given is as literal as possible, but the Pahlavi text is too obscure to be yet understood with absolute certainty in some places.
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