Chapter XXIV

Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE24), E.W. West, tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER XXIV.

1. The sage asked the spirit of wisdom (2) thus: On account of the begging of favours, and the practice and worthiness of good works, do the sacred beings also grant anything to men otherwise ², or not?'

3. The spirit of wisdom answered (4) thus: 'They grant; (5) for there are such as they call thus: "Destiny and divine providence." 6. Destiny is that which is ordained from the beginning, (7) and divine providence is that which they also grant otherwise. 8. But the sacred beings provide and manifest in the spiritual existence little of that grant, on this account, because Aharman, the wicked ³, through the power of the seven planets extorts wealth, and also every other benefit of the worldly existence, from the good and worthy, and grants them more fully to the bad and unworthy.'

Footnotes

55:2 That is, otherwise than by destiny, as mentioned in the previous chapter, and in consequence of prayer and merit.

55:3 TD2 inserts 'through that cause.'