CHAPTER 14.

0. May it be in the name of God (yazdan) and the good creation! 1. When they consecrate a sacred cake (dron), and it becomes demon worship, what and how many thing are not proper? 2. The decision is this: -- Whoever knowingly consecrates a sacred cake with unpurified sacred twigs (barsom-i apatiyav), or with a twig-bundle the number of whose twigs (tak) is too many or too few, or of another plant not proper for sacred twigs; or holds the end of the twig-bundle to the north and utters the Avesta attentively; or whoever consecrates with efficacy unawares, it is not to be considered as uttered by him. 3.

Nor by him who advertently or inadvertently takes a taste (chashnik), not from the sacred cake with the butter (gaush-dae), but from the frasast; or takes the prayer (baj) inwardly regarding that cake (dron) before the officiating priest (zot) takes a taste from the same cake; or shall utter the length of a stanza in excess, and does not again make a beginning of the consecration of the sacred cake; or takes up the dedication formula (khshnuman) too soon or too late; or does not utter the Avesta for the fire when he sees the fire. 4. This is how it is when the period of the day (gas) is retained, and how it should be when one may relinquish it; that is, when even one of the stars created by Ohrmazd is apparent, it is retained, and when not it is relinquished.

5. It is Vand-Ohrmazd who said that when, besides Tishtar, Vanand, or Sataves, one of the zodiacal stars (akhtarik) is apparent, it is retained, and when not it is relinquished. 6. There have been some who said that when, besides one of those three, three zodiacal stars are apparent, it is retained, and when not it is relinquished.