1Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda:—

2O most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

3To whom shall they apply here below, who want to cleanse their body defiled by the dead?

4Ahura Mazda answered:—

5"To a pious man, O Spitama Zarathustra!

6who knows how to speak, who speaks truth, who has learned the Holy Word, who is pious, and knows best the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda.

7That man shall fell the trees off the surface of the ground on a space of nine Vibâzus square; in that part of the ground where there is least water and where there are fewest trees, the part which is the cleanest and driest, and the least passed through by sheep and oxen, and by the fire of Ahura Mazda, by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by the faithful."

8How far from the fire?

9How far from the water?

10How far from the consecrated bundles of Baresma?

11How far from the faithful?

12Ahura Mazda answered:—

13"Thirty paces from the fire, thirty paces from the water, thirty paces from the consecrated bundles of Baresma, three paces from the faithful.

14Then thou shalt dig a hole, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come." How far from one another?

15"One pace." How much is the pace?

16"As much as three feet.

17Then thou shalt dig three holes more, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come." How far from the former six?

18"Three paces." What sort of paces?

19"Such as are taken in walking." How much are those three paces?

20"As much as nine feet.

21Then thou shalt draw a furrow all around with a metal knife.

22Then thou shalt draw twelve furrows; three of which thou shalt draw to surround and divide from the rest the first three holes; three thou shalt draw to surround and divide the first six holes; three thou shalt draw to surround and divide the nine holes; three thou shalt draw around the three inferior holes, outside the six other holes.

23At each of the three times nine feet, thou shalt place stones as steps to the holes; or potsherds, or stumps, or clods, or any hard matter.

24Then the man defiled shall walk to the holes; thou, O Zarathustra!

25shalt stand outside by the furrow, and thou shalt recite, 'Nemaskâ yâ ârmaitis izâkâ'; and the man defiled shall repeat, 'Nemaskâ yâ ârmaitis izâkâ.' The Drug becomes weaker and weaker at every one of those words which are a weapon to smite the fiend Angra Mainyu, to smite Aeshma of the murderous spear, to smite the Mâzainya fiends, to smite all the fiends.

26Then thou shalt take for the gômêz a spoon of brass or of lead.

27When thou takest a stick with nine knots, O Spitama Zarathustra!

28to sprinkle the gômêz from that spoon, thou shalt fasten the spoon to the end of the stick.

29They shall wash his hands first.

30If his hands be not washed first, he makes his whole body unclean.

31When he has washed his hands three times, after his hands have been washed, thou shalt sprinkle the forepart of his skull; then the Drug Nasu rushes in front, between his brows.

32Thou shalt sprinkle him in front between the brows; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the back part of the skull.

33Thou shalt sprinkle the back part of the skull; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the jaws.

34Thou shalt sprinkle the jaws; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right ear.

35Thou shalt sprinkle the right ear; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left ear.

36Thou shalt sprinkle the left ear; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right shoulder.

37Thou shalt sprinkle the right shoulder; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left shoulder.

38Thou shalt sprinkle the left shoulder; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right arm-pit.

39Thou shalt sprinkle the right arm-pit; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left arm-pit.

40Thou shalt sprinkle the left armpit; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the chest.

41Thou shalt sprinkle the chest; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the back.

42Thou shalt sprinkle the back; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right nipple.

43Thou shalt sprinkle the right nipple; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left nipple.

44Thou shalt sprinkle the left nippíe; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right rib.

45Thou shalt sprinkle the right rib; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left rib.

46Thou shalt sprinkle the left rib; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right hip.

47Thou shalt sprinkle the right hip; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left hip.

48Thou shalt sprinkle the left hip; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the sexual parts.

49Thou shalt sprinkle the sexual parts.

50If the unclean one be a man, thou shalt sprinkle him first behind, then before; if the unclean one be a woman, thou shalt sprinkle her first before, then behind; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right thigh.

51Thou shalt sprinkle the right thigh; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left thigh.

52Thou shalt sprinkle the left thigh; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right knee.

53Thou shalt sprinkle the right knee; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left knee.

54Thou shalt sprinkle the left knee; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right leg.

55Thou shalt sprinkle the right leg; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left leg.

56Thou shalt sprinkle the left leg; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right ankle.

57Thou shalt sprinkle the right ankle; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left ankle.

58Thou shalt sprinkle the left ankle; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right instep.

59Thou shalt sprinkle the right instep; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left instep.

60Thou shalt sprinkle the left instep; then the Drug Nasu turns round under the sole of the foot; it looks like the wing of a fly.

61He shall press his toes upon the ground and shall raise up his heels; thou shalt sprinkle his right sole; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left sole.

62Thou shalt sprinkle the left sole; then the Drug Nasu turns round under the toes; it looks like the wing of a fly.

63He shall press his heels upon the ground and shall raise up his toes; thou shalt sprinkle his right toe; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left toe.

64Thou shalt sprinkle the left toe; then the Drug Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, in the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, droning without end, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.

65And thou shalt say these victorious, most healing words: 'The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness.

66The gifts of Vohu-manô to deeds done in this world for Mazda.

67He who relieves the poor makes Ahura king.

68What protector hadst thou given unto me, O Mazda!

69while the hate of the wicked encompasses me?

70Whom, but thy Âtar and Vohu-manô, through whose work I keep on the world of Righteousness?

71Reveal therefore to me thy Religion as thy rule!

72Who is the victorious who will protect thy teaching?

73Make it clear that I am the guide for both worlds.

74May Sraosha come with Vohu-manô and help whomsoever thou pleasest, O Mazda!

75Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Spenta Ârmaiti!

76Perish, O fiendish Drug!

77Perish, O brood of the fiend!

78Perish, O world of the fiend!

79Perish away, O Drug!

80Rush away, O Drug!

81Perish away, O Drug!

82Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of Righteousness.'

83"Afterwards the man defiled shall sit down, inside the furrows, outside the furrows of the six holes, four fingers from those furrows.

84There he shall cleanse his body with thick handfuls of dust.

85Fifteen times shall they take up dust from the ground for him to rub his body, and they shall wait there until he is dry even to the last hair on his head.

86When his body is dry with dust, then he shall step over the holes containing water.

87At the first hole he shall wash his body once with water; at the second hole he shall wash his body twice with water; at the third hole he shall wash his body thrice with water.

88Then he shall perfume his body with Urvâsna, or Vohû-gaona, or Vohû-kereti, or Hadhâ-naêpata, or any other sweet-smelling plant; then he shall put on his clothes, and shall go back to his house.

89He shall sit down there in the place of infirmity, inside the house, apart from the other worshippers of Mazda.

90He shall not go near the fire, nor near the water, nor near the earth, nor near the cow, nor near the trees, nor near the faithful, either man or woman.

91Thus shall he continue until three nights have passed.

92When three nights have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with gômêz and water to make them clean.

93Then he shall sit down again in the place of infirmity, inside the house, apart from the other worshippers of Mazda.

94He shall not go near the fire, nor near the water, nor near the earth, nor near the cow, nor near the trees, nor near the faithful, either man or woman.

95Thus shall he continue until six nights have passed.

96When six nights have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with gômêz and water to make them clean.

97Then he shall sit down again in the place of infirmity, inside the house, apart from the other worshippers of Mazda.

98He shall not go near the fire, nor near the water, nor near the earth, nor near the cow, nor near the trees, nor near the faithful, either man or woman.

99Thus shall he continue, until nine nights have passed.

100When nine nights have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with gômêz and water to make them clean.

101He may thenceforth go near the fire, near the water, near the earth, near the cow, near the trees, and near the faithful, either man or woman.

102"Thou shalt cleanse a priest for a blessing of the just.

103Thou shalt cleanse the lord of a province for the value of a camel of high value.

104Thou shalt cleanse the lord of a town for the value of a stallion of high value.

105Thou shalt cleanse the lord of a borough for the value of a bull of high value.

106Thou shalt cleanse the master of a house for the value of a cow three years old.

107Thou shalt cleanse the wife of the master of a house for the value of a ploughing cow.

108Thou shalt cleanse a menial for the value of a draught cow.

109Thou shalt cleanse a young child for the value of a lamb.

110These are the heads of cattle—flocks or herds—that the worshippers of Mazda shall give to the man who has cleansed them, if they can afford it; if they cannot afford it, they shall give him any other value that may make him leave their houses well pleased with them, and free from anger.

111For if the man who has cleansed them leave their houses displeased with them, and full of anger, then the Drug Nasu enters them from the nose of the dead, from the eyes, from the tongue, from the jaws, from the sexual organs, from the hinder parts.

112And the Drug Nasu rushes upon them even to the end of the nails, and they are unclean thenceforth forever and ever.

113It grieves the sun indeed, O Spitama Zarathustra!

114to shine upon a man defiled by the dead; it grieves the moon, it grieves the stars.

115That man delights them, O Spitama Zarathustra!

116who cleanses from the Nasu the man defiled by the dead; he delights the fire, he delights the water, he delights the earth, he delights the cow, he delights the trees, he delights the faithful, both men and women."

117Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda:—

118O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

119What shall be his reward, after his soul has parted from his body, who has cleansed from the Nasu the man defiled by the dead?

120Ahura Mazda answered:—

121"The welfare of Paradise thou canst promise to that man, for his reward in the other world."

122Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda:—

123O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

124How shall I fight against that Drug who from the dead rushes upon the living?

125How shall I fight against that Nasu who from the dead defiles the living?

126Ahura Mazda answered:—

127"Say aloud those words in the Gâthas that are to be said twice.

128Say aloud those words in the Gâthas that are to be said thrice.

129Say aloud those words in the Gâthas that are to be said four times.

130And the Drug shall fly away like the well-darted arrow, like the felt of last year, like the annual garment of the earth."

131O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

132If a man who does not know the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda, offers to cleanse the unclean, how shall I then fight against that Drug who from the dead rushes upon the living?

133How shall I fight against that Drug who from the dead defiles the living?

134Ahura Mazda answered:—

135"Then, O Spitama Zarathustra!

136the Drug Nasu appears to wax stronger than she was before.

137Stronger then are sickness and death and the working of the fiend than they were before."

138O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

139What is the penalty that he shall pay?

140Ahura Mazda answered:—

141"The worshippers of Mazda shall bind him; they shall bind his hands first; then they shall strip him of his clothes, they shall cut the head off his neck, and they shall give over his corpse unto the greediest of the corpse-eating creatures made by the beneficent Spirit, unto the vultures, with these words: 'The man here has repented of all his evil thoughts, words, and deeds.

142If he has committed any other evil deed, it is remitted by his repentance; if he has committed no other evil deed, he is absolved by his repentance forever and ever.'"

143Who is he, O Ahura Mazda!

144who threatens to take away fulness and increase from the world, and to bring in sickness and death?

145Ahura Mazda answered:—

146"It is the ungodly Ashemaogha, O Spitama Zarathustra!

147who in this material world cleanses the unclean without knowing the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda.

148For until then, O Spitama Zarathustra!

149sweetness and fatness would flow out from that land and from those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass."

150O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!

151When are sweetness and fatness to come back again to that land and to those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass?

152Ahura Mazda answered:—

153"Sweetness and fatness will never come back again to that land and to those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass, until that ungodly Ashemaogha has been smitten to death on the spot, and the holy Sraosha of that place has been offered up a sacrifice for three days and three nights, with fire blazing, with Baresma tied up, and with Haoma prepared.

154Then sweetness and fatness will come back again to that land and to those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass."