CHAPTER 10.

1. The rule is this, that a sacred thread-girdle (kusti) be three finger-breadths loose transversely (pavan targun), as is said in every teaching (chastak), and when it is less it is not proper. 2. The rule is this, that the sacred cake (dron), set aside at the dedication formula (khshnuman) on the days devoted to the guardian spirits, is to be used at the season-festivals, the Nonabar, the three nights' ceremony, the Haoma-dron, and other rites of the righteous guardian spirits; and when they shall not do so, according to some teachings, it is not proper. 3. In the exposition (chastak) of the Nigadum Nask it says that a man is going to commit robbery, and a wall falls in upon him, it is his destroyer; when a man strikes at him he is his adversary, and both are in sinfulness; when he is going to perform the worship of God (yazisno-i yazdano) both of them are in innocence.

4. The rule is this, that when a woman becomes pregnant, as long as it is possible, the fire is to be maintained most carefully in the dwelling, because it is declared in the Spend Nask that towards Dogdo, the mother of Zartosht, when she was pregnant with Zartosht, for three nights, every night a leader (khuda) with a hundred and fifty demons rushed for the destruction of Zartosht, but owing to the existence of the fire in the dwelling they knew no means of accomplishing it. 5. The rule is this, that they have a tank (moj) for the disciples, when they are going to perform the worship of God, and are sprinkling the stone seat (magok); and lest they should make a wet place by that sprinkling through taking water out from it, it is to be done sitting; for in the Vendidad the high-priests have taught, about making water when standing on foot, that the measure it refers to applies to everything else, not even of a like origin; by him who makes water the Avesta for making water is to be uttered, and then it is the root of a tanapuhr sin for him, and when he does not utter it he is more grievously sinful.

6. The rule is this, that to recite the Gathas over those passed away is not to be considered as beneficial, since it is not proper to recite the three Has which are the beginning of the Ushtavat Gatha whenever one is on the road; whenever one recites them over a man in the house they are healing. 7. The rule is this, that in the night wine and aromatic herbs (sparam) and anything like food are not to be cast away towards the north quarter, because a fiend will become pregnant; and when one casts them away one Yatha-ahu-vairyo is to be uttered. 8. The rule is this, that reverential should be the abstinence from unlawfully slaughtering of any species of animals; for in the Sudgar Nask it is said, concerning those who have unlawfully slaughtered animals, the punishment is such that each hair of those animals becomes like a sharp dagger (tekh), and he who is unlawfully a slaughterer is slain.

9. Of animals, the slaughtering of the lamb, the goat (vahik), the ploughing ox, the war-horse, the hare, the bat (chiharaz), the cock or bird of Vohuman, and the magpie (kaskinak) bird, and of birds that of the kite, eagle (humai), and swallow is most to be abstained from. 10. A pregnant woman who passes away is not to be carried away by less than four men, who are at it constantly with united strength; for with other corpses, after a dog's gaze, when they carry them along by two men with united strength, they do not become polluted; but for a pregnant woman two dogs are necessary, to whose united power she is to be exposed; and they carry her along by four men with united strength, and they do not become polluted; but when they carry her along by two men they are to be washed with ceremony (pishak).

11. The rule is this, that when they beg forgiveness for a person (mardum) who has passed away, such a prayer is more significant when one says thus: 'Whenever a trespass (vinas) of mine has occurred against him, you will take account of it along with those of his which have occurred against me, and the trespasses have passed away one through the other; any further trespasses of his which have occurred against me are then made a righteous gift by me.' 12. The rule is this, that one should not walk without boots; and his advantage therefrom is even this, that when a boot (mujak) is on his foot, and he puts the foot upon dead matter, and does not disturb the dead matter, he does not become polluted; when a boot is not on his foot, and he puts the foot upon dead matter, and does not disturb it, he is polluted, except when he knows for certain (aevar) that a dog has seen it, or if not it is to be considered as not seen by a dog.

13. The rule is this, as revealed in the Duwasrud Nask, where a day in the year is indicated, that the sacred thread-girdle [kusti] of every one who shall be one day more than fourteen years and three months old is to be tied on -- it is better so than when he remains unto fifteen years, and then ties on the girdle -- who is more cared for, that way, than a five-months' child, on whom they should put it in the womb of its mother. 14. The rule is this, that when one retains a prayer inwardly, and wind shall come from below, or wind shall come from the mouth, it is all one.

15. Also this, that ten women are necessary for affording assistance to a woman who is in labor: five women for directing the making of the cradle (gavarak), one woman should be opposite the left shoulder, and one to hold the right shoulder, one woman to throw a hand on her neck, one woman to hold her waist, and one woman, when the infant shall be born, to take it up and cut the navel cord, and to make the fire blaze. 16. Three days and three nights no one is to pass between the fire and the child, nor to show the child to a sinful man or woman; they are to titrate a little sulfur in the sap (maya) of a plant, and to smear it over the child; and the first food to give it is Haoma-juice (parahom) and aloes (shapyar).

17. The rule is this, that in case any one shall beat an innocent man, until the pain shall cease it becomes every day the root of a tanapuhr sin for him. 18. The rule is this, that when in a country they trust a false judge, and keep him among their superiors, owing to the sin and breach of faith which that judge commits, the clouds and rain, in that country, are deficient, a portion (bavan) of the deliciousness, fatness, wholesomeness, and milk of the cattle and goats diminishes, and many children become destroyed in the mother's womb. 19. The rule is this, that a man, when he does not wed a wife, does not become worthy of death; but when a woman does not wed a husband it amounts to a sin worthy of death; because for a woman there is no offspring except by intercourse with men, and no lineage proceeds from her; but for a man without a wife, when he shall recite the Avesta, as it is mentioned in the Vendidad, there may be a lineage which proceeds onwards to the future existence.

20. The rule is this, that a toothpick is to be cut out clear of bark (post pak), for the high-priests have taught that when one's toothpick -- made for the mouth with the bark -- shall fall, and when a pregnant woman puts a foot upon it, she is apprehensive about its being dead matter. 21. The rule is this, that in accepting the child of a handmaid (chakar) discrimination is to be exercised; for in the fourteenth of the Nask Husparum the high-priests have taught thus: 'My son is suitable also as thy son, but my daughter is not suitable also as thy daughter.' 22. The rule is this, that one perseveres much in the begetting of offspring, for the acquisition of abundance of good works at once; because, in the Nigadum Nask, the high-priests have taught that the duty and good works which a son performs are as much the father's as though they had been done by his own hand; and in the Damdad Nask it is revealed thus: 'Likewise, too, the good works, in like measure, which come into the father's possession.' 23.

The rule is this, that they shall give to the worthy as much of anything as is proper for eating and accumulating; because in the Nigadum Nask the high-priests have taught thus: 'A man gives a hungry one bread, and it is too much, yet all the good works, which he shall perform through that superabundance, become as much his who gave it as though they had been done by his own hand.' 24. The rule is this, where one lies down, in circumstances of propriety and innocence, one Ashem-vohu is to be uttered, and in like manner when he gets up well; when he does so, every single drawing of the breath (vayo) becomes a good work of three Srosho-charanams, that is, a weight of ten dirhams of the full weight of four mads.

25. The rule is this, that when an action or an opinion comes forward, and one does not know whether it be a sin or a good work, when possible it is to be abandoned and not executed by him; as it says in the Sagadum Nask that Zartosht has not provided about everything whatever, but three times it been done by Zartosht about this duty, that is, so that the Avesta and Zand, when one has learned it thoroughly by heart, is for recitation, and is not to be mumbled (juyishno), for in mumbling (judano) the parts of the Ahunwar are more chattering. 26. As it says in the Bag Nask thus: 'Whoever shall mutter, O Zartosht!

my allotment of the Ahunwar -- that is, shall softly take it inwardly -- and shall let it escape again -- that is, shall utter it aloud -- so much as a half, or one-third, or one-fourth, or one-fifth, his soul will I shield, I who am Ohrmazd, from the best existence -- that is, I will keep it away -- by so much of an interval as the width of this earth.' 27. The rule is this, that one is to proceed with great deliberation when he does not know whether it be a sin or a good work, that is, it is not to be done. 28. The rule is this, that an opinion (andazak) of anything is to be formed through consultation with the good; even so it is revealed in the Chihrdad Nask that Spandarmad spoke to Manuschihar thus: 'Even the swiftest horse requires the whip (tazanak), the sharpest steel knife requires the whetstone (afsan), and the wisest man requires counsel (ham-pursih).' 29.

The rule is this, that when one laughs outright (bara khanded) the Avesta and Zand are not to be mumbled, for the wisdom of Ohrmazd is omniscient, and good works are a great exercise of liberality, but an extreme abstinence from producing irritation (hanjidar-dahishnih); because in the Ratushtaiti Nask many harsh things are said about the severe punishment of producers of irritation, in the spiritual existence. 30. The rule is this, that as there may be some even of those of the good religion who, through unacquaintance with the religion, when a female fowl crows in the manner of a cock, will kill the fowl, so those of the primitive faith have said that there may be mischief (vinastarih) from wizards in that dwelling, which the cock is incapable of keeping away, and the female fowl makes that noise for the assistance of the cock, especially when the bringing of another cock into that dwelling is necessary.

31. The rule is this, that when one sees a hedgehog, then along with it a place in the plain, free from danger, is to be preserved; for in the Vendidad the high-priests have taught that it is when the hedgehog every day voids urine into an ant's nest that a thousand ants will die. 32. The rule is this, that in the Vendidad seven kinds of things are mentioned, and when they are the cause of a man's death, until the forthcoming period of the day (gas-i levin) comes on, contamination (nisrusht) does not rush upon him; and for this reason, this, too, is well for the good, that is, to show a dog rightly again a previous corpse in the forthcoming period of the day.

33. The rule is this, that by those who attend to a corpse among the pure it is then to be shown to a dog very observant of the corpse; for when even a thousand persons shall carry away a corpse which a dog has not seen, they are all polluted. 34. The rule is this, that meat, when there is stench or decomposition not even originating with it, is not to be prayed over; and the sacred cake (dron) and butter (gaush-dak) which are hairy are also not to be prayed over. 35. A woman is fit for priestly duty (zotih) among women, and when she is consecrating the sacred cake (dron), and one Ashem-vohu is uttered by her, she puts the sacred twigs (barsom) back on the twig-stand, brings them away, and the utterance of another one is good; when she says it is not expedient to do it with attention before a meal, it is proper.

36. The sacred cake of a disreputable woman is not to be consecrated, but is to be rendered ineligible (avijinako). 37. When one places a thing before the fire observantly, and does not see the splendor itself, 'tava athro' is not to be said. 38. At night, when one lies down, the hands are to be thoroughly washed. 39. That which comes from a menstruous woman to any one, or to anything, is all to be thoroughly washed with bull's urine (gomez) and water. [40. The rule is this, as Adarbad Mahraspandan said when every one passed away:- 'The mouth-veil and also the clothing are to be well set apart from the gifts (dasaran), so that his soul may become easier.' Completed in peace and pleasure.]