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* THE GÂTHAS.
righteous believes, or the wicked 1 ? (Let then our questionings cease.) Let the enlightened (alone) speak to the enlightened. Let not the ignorant (further) deceive us, (high though he may lift his voice ). Do Thou thyself, O Ahura Mazda ! declares to us (the truth) as Thy Good Mind's full revealer.
18. (And you, ye assembled throngs !) let not a man of you lend a hearing to Mãthra, or to command of that sinner* (ignorant as he is), for home, village, region, and province he would deliver to ruine and death. But (fly ye to arms without hearing), and hew ye them all with the halberd?!
1 Literally, 'Which of the two (creeds as) the greater does the righteous (the believing saint) or the wicked (opponent) believe?'
. See verse 12.
3 Or with others be Thou'; but the gloss of the Pahlavi translation contains an explanation which may well afford the true solution as in so many instances in which he is both consciously and inadvertently followed. It reads (aighmânð bara khavîtûnînom). May we not see an az=ah in the form, or at least a separate Iranian root, as also in azdå (L, 1), where the Pahlavi translator gives the same explanation admirably suited to the context.
Neryosangh : Which is it, the pure of soul, or the wicked who teaches as the great one? The intelligent speaks to the intelligent [ ]. Be not thou ignorant after this ; because (ignorance is) from the deceiver. Instruct us, O Great Wise One, the Lord! [ ] Furnish us with a sign through the Best Mind; (that is, make me steadfast in good conduct through the recognition of the dîn). Such renderings may suffice to show that an examination of these ancient translations in our search for hints is imperative. Yet the practice prevails of omitting a knowledge of the Pahlavi language, on which not only the oldest translation of the Avesta, but also the irregular Sanskrit of Neryosangh, closely depends.
• Jolly, Keiner von euch höre auf die Lieder und Gebote des Lügners.' Roth, Rath und Befehle.' . Compare evîdvâo in verse 17.
Dos-růbisnih. * Sazed saneh, prepare the sabre.' It was however a two-handed weapon; see Y. LVI, 12, (4 Sp.).
The Parsi-persian MS.: Wa ma kas aêdan az sumâ kiha
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