Chapter XXXVIII

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

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

1. The sage asked the spirit of wisdom (2) thus: 'Wherefore is it when they do not allot the happiness

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of the worldly existence according to worthiness, and they make the soul a seizer upon the spiritual existences by worthiness of action?'

3. The spirit of wisdom answered (4) thus: 'On account of the compassion of Aûharmazd, the lord, as regards the creatures, he allots all happiness alike among the good and alike among the bad. 5. But when it does not always come upon them, it is on account of the oppression of Aharman and the demons, and the extortion of those seven planets ¹.

6. 'And they make one ² a seizer upon the spiritual existences, by worthiness of action, on this account, because the wickedness of any ³ one arises through the performance of his own actions.'

Footnotes

76:1 Which are supposed to be agents of Aharman for causing misfortune to the creatures (see Chaps. VIII, 19, 20; XII, 7-10).

76:2 L19 has 'the soul.'

76:3 L19 has 'every.'