CHAPTER 17.

1. This, too, Zartosht asked of Ohrmazd, that is: 'Which is the time when one must not eat meat?' 2. Ohrmazd gave a reply thus: 'In a house when a person shall die, until three nights are completed, nothing whatever of meat is to be placed on a sacred cake (dron) therein and in its vicinity; but these, such as milk, cheese, fruit, eggs, and preserves, are to be placed; and nothing whatever of meat is to be eaten by his relations. 3. In all the three days it is necessary to perform the ceremonial (yazishn) of Srosh for this reason, because Srosh will be able to save his soul from the hands of the demons for the three days; and when one constantly performs a ceremonial at every period (gas) in the three days it is as good as though they should celebrate the whole religious ritual (hamak dino) at one time.

4. And after the third night, at dawn, one is to consecrate three sacred cakes (dron), one for Rashn and Ashtad, the second for Vae the good, and the third for the righteous guardian spirit (ardafrawash) and clothing is to be placed upon the sacred cake of the righteous guardian spirit. 5. For the fourth day it is allowable to slaughter a sheep, and the fourth day the ceremonial (yazishn) of the righteous guardian spirit is to be performed; and afterwards are the tenth-day, the monthly, and, then, the annual ceremonies; and the first monthly is exactly on the thirtieth day, and the annual on the particular day. 6. When he shall die at a place distant from that where the information arrives, when the three days' ceremonies (satuih) are celebrated at that place where he shall die it is well, when not, their celebration is to be at this place, and from the time when the information arrives, until three nights are completed, it is necessary to perform the ceremonial of Srosh, and after three days and nights it is necessary to perform the ceremonial of the righteous guardian spirit.' 7.

In one place it is declared that of him whose begetting is owing to the demons, of him who commits sodomy, and of him who performs the religious rites (dino) of apostasy, of none of the three do they restore the dead [i.e. there is no resurrection for them], for this reason, because he whose begetting is owing to the demons is himself a demon, and the soul of him who commits sodomy will become a demon, and the soul of him who performs the religious rites of apostasy will become a darting snake. 8. This, too, is revealed by the Avesta, that Ohrmazd spoke thus: 'Give ye up the persons of all men, with the submissiveness of worshippers, to that man to whom the whole Avesta and Zand is easy, so that he may make you acquainted with duties and good works; because men go to hell for this reason, when they do not submit their persons to priestly control (aerpatistan), and do not become acquainted with duties and good works.' 9.

Query: There is an action which, according to the Avesta, is not good for a person to do, and the sentence of 'worthy of death' is set upon it; for one's better preservation is one not to do that action, or to accomplish and urge it on, for the advance of religion in a state of uncertainty (var-homandih)? 10. The answer is this, that when they act well for their better preservation there is no fear, on account of acting well, but one is not to forsake that, too, though it be not goodness; a forsaken duty is very bad, for a contempt of it enters into one. 11. This, too, is declared, that Zartosht inquired of Ohrmazd thus: 'From what place do these people rise again?

from that place where they first went into their mothers, or from that place where the mothers have given them birth, or from that place where their bodies happen to be (aufted)?' 12. Ohrmazd gave a reply thus: 'Not from that place where they have gone into their mothers, nor from that place where they have been born from their mothers, nor from that place where their bodies and flesh happen to be, for they rise from that place where the life went out from their bodies.' 13. And this, too, he asked, that is: 'Whence do they raise him again who is suspended from anything, and shall die in the air?' 14.

The reply was: 'From that place where his bones and flesh first fall to the ground; hence, except when he shall die on a divan (gas) or a bed (vistarg), before they carry him away, whatever it is, a fragment is to be taken and to be laid across his limbs; for when the usage is not so, they raise him again from that place where his body arrives at the ground.' 15. Completed in peace, pleasure, and joy.