AVESTA.

THE KHORDEH

1. IF with the "Yasna of Seven Chapters" we already pass into an atmosphere distinct from that of the Gâthas (see p. 108), the Vendîdâd takes us into another world. The most cursory perusal of the book shows us that the religion carried westward by its Eranian bearers has wandered far from its cradle, and has assimilated many foreign elements in its wanderings. The Vendîdâd, the only book of Avestan law preserved entire out of the mass of Avestan literature, is devoted to only one subject, but that a most important one: the means of maintaining the ideal Mazdayasnian purity and of fighting and defeating the daêvas. It is the extreme minuteness and puerility of most of the observances prescribed, together with the importance given to mere points of material detail, which produce so startling a contrast between this later development of Mazdeism and the pure abstraction of Zarathushtra's own teaching. Still the spirit of that teaching is there in its essential features; and the regulations contain much that is excellent and wise under all

the rubbish of priestly discipline. Moreover, we must bear in mind that Mazdeism in this particular form was not by any means adopted by all the followers of Zarathushtra, and, indeed, seems to have been at first confined to the northern Eranians, especially the Medes, and to have become generally enforced only at the revival of the national religion under the Sassanian kings.

2. Three fundamental principles underlie this priestly legislation, and make it at once intelligible, even in its extravagances: (1) There is only one thoroughly noble and honorable calling, and that is agriculture and cattle-raising, for as much land as is reclaimed and made productive or used for pasture, just so much is wrested from Angra-Mainyu and. his daêvas. (2) The entire creation is divided into "the good" and "the bad." Ahura-Mazda made all useful creatures; foremost and holiest among these are cattle, the guardian dog and the vigilant cock. It is a duty to tend them and a sin to neglect them. Angra-Mainyu made all the noxious creatures. It is a duty to destroy them on all occasions. They are classed under the generic name of KHRAFSTRAS, and we are surprised to see the most harmless insects, and animals like the frog, the lizard, included in the doom of destruction together with wolves, serpents, flies, and ants. Heretics and wicked men also sometimes come under this denomination. (3) The elements-air, water, earth, and fire-are pure and holy, and must not be defiled by the contact of any thing impure. The priest, therefore, while officiating before the fire, wears a cloth before his mouth, that

his breath may not sully the supremely holy element. Such a cloth is worn to this day by every Parsi while tending the sacred fire of his own homealtar, or even saying his prayers.

3. Every thing in the Vendîdâd, as well as in the later purely liturgical portions of the Yasna, and the litany known as the "Vîspered " (see p. 30), betrays the authority of a long-established and all-powerful priesthood. This would be obvious enough, even

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8. "ATESH-GAH" OR FIRE-ALTAR OF MODERN PARSIS.

without the evidence of a passage (Fargard-i. e., "chapter"-IX.) where Zarathushtra is made to complain to Ahura-Mazda of the harm that is done by any person-layman or heretic-who, "not knowing the rites of purification according to the law of Mazda," presumes to perform the ceremony for any of the faithful who have incurred uncleanness. AhuraMazda expressly states that "sickness and death,

and the working of the fiend, are stronger than they were before" in consequence of such sacrilegious interference, and, on being asked "What is the penalty that he shall pay?" gives the following directions:

"The worshippers of Mazda shall bind him; they shall bind his hands first; then they shall strip him of his clothes, they shall flay him alive, they shall cut off his head, and they shall give over his

"

9. "ÂTESH-GÂH OR FIRE-ALTAR"; SEEN BY ANQUETIL DUPER

RON AT SURAT.

corpse unto the greediest of the corpse-eating creatures made by Ahura-Mazda, unto the ravens,* with these words: 'The man here has repented of all his evil thoughts, words, and deeds. If he has committed any other evil deed, it is remitted by his repentance for ever and for ever.

* Although there is no worse pollution than touching a corpse, these birds are made by Ahura-Mazda," i. e., pure, because they are necessary to remove the pollution from the face of the earth.

The punishment atones for all offences, and the soul goes to Paradise free from taint or guilt.