Chapter LII

Pahlavi Texts, Part IV (SBE37), E.W. West, tr. [1892], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER LII.

Bakŏ Nask.

1. The sixth fargard, Ad-tâ-vakhshyâ ³, is this, that by him who is a wise upholder of the dignity

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of a priest's leadership, the priestly assembly ¹ wanted for performing religious rites (dênô) is enlarged; for this reason, because the nature of the person, whose resources are bounty for the needy, eagerly becomes a causer of exertion for the teaching (âmûkŏ) of accomplishments. 2. This, too, that by him whose habits are virtuous the glorification of Aûharmazd ² is accomplished and taught; even on this account, for the sake of whatever advantage and pleasure are due to virtue, they, indeed, whose habits are virtuous, glorify him, moreover, who is the creator of those virtuous habits, who is Aûharmazd himself. 3. This, too, that by him who speaks virtuous words the performance even of the worship of Vohûman ² is also taught; even on this account, because of the comeliness and desirableness of virtue, the good make it an example and speak virtuous words, and virtuous speaking is the worship of Vohûman. 4. This, too, that the ceremonial which he whose way is virtuous shall accomplish becomes greater ³ thereby; even for this reason, because the sacred beings come more particularly to the ceremonial of those of pure dispositions and virtuous ways, and accept it.

5. This, too, that he who is a producer of benefit for promoters of good works becomes an extender ⁴ of the teaching of religion; even for this reason, because from producing benefit for promoters of good works arises an increase of good works, from an increase of good works arises further progress of the will of the sacred beings, from further progress of the will of the sacred beings arises more progress

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of the good religion, and from more progress of the good religion arises an extension of the teaching of the good religion in the world. 6. This, too, that by him who possesses authority through virtue, discrimination ¹ as to the regulation of duties is taught to mankind; even for this reason, because the possessor of authority through virtue is a man who becomes a decider and ruler, and mankind learn and practise to exercise the disposition, habits, and custom of rulers.

7. This, too, that he who is a giver of the needful to his own needy ones has given himself to Zaratûst; even for this reason, because the needful being given to one's own needy ones is the existence of true liberality, which is a compendium of the religion of Zaratûst; by him who is thereby ennobled (vâspûharakânî-aîtŏ) the religion of Zaratûst is then put on, and whoever has put on the religion of Zaratûst [has given himself to Zaratûst. 8. This, too, that by him who] ² gives the leadership [to him who is suitable for the leadership] ² even the wisdom of that man is increased; for this reason, because even the wisdom of the suitable, through which they accomplish that leadership, when the leadership comes to them, grows further with the glory of that duty.

9. This, too, that he who has to select the better of two ways, which are good and bad ³, is assisted

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to do so by the benefiters’ ordeal of fire and ore; even for this reason, because that is discrimination by the eye of wisdom, which is the way of good intention, and the benefiters are decisive declarers of acquittal and incrimination through fire and metal, the two good discriminators; and when the business is of a different kind, even then both are associates in discriminating, and are powerful connections of one another. 10. This, too, that he who shall do that thing from which advantage of the sacred beings arises, is empowered to discriminate truly that which is sagacious ¹ in thought, word, and deed; even for this reason, because from doing anything for the advantage of the sacred beings arises the reign of the will of the sacred beings in the world, from the reign of the will of the sacred beings in the world arises the freedom from danger of the temporal existence of the world, and the freedom from danger of the temporal existence of the world contributes also to the power of him who is sagacious in discriminating truly as to thought, word, and deed.

11. This, too, that by him who thinks of the affairs of Aûharmazd the eternity (hamâyîkîh) of Aûharmazd ² and also the consideration of his own eternity by Aûharmazd are thought of; even on this account, because mankind mind and serve Aûharmazd for the sake of even the hope ² of eternal benefit from him; and they who think of him, through the eternal benefit due to him, are themselves increasing that benefit which is eternal, and it is thought eternal by him that thinks of that eternal thing his own eternity. 12. This, too, that

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he who restrains a person from reverence of the demons, has diverted him from making the world sickly; even for this reason, because whoever has restrained a person from reverence of the demons, has diverted a demon from making the world anarchical and from making the world sickly. 13. This, too, that by him who shall practise liberality benefit for the sun is caused, and by him who shall cause benefit for the sun benefit is caused also for the nature of the body of mankind; even for this reason, because it is declared that the sun has progressed through the radiance and glory of the liberal, and the nature of the body of mankind is preserved by the sun.

14. This, too, that by him whose desire is for anything virtuous, and who possesses authority through virtue, mankind are controlled to persist (mânînîdanŏ) in virtue for receiving a reward ¹; even for this reason, because he whose desire is virtuous seeks happiness for every one—a pre-eminent desire for the happiness of human existence being the desire of mankind for virtue—and by him who requires that, and strives for it fully, so far as possible for him, any one whatever is brought to persist in virtue and to constrain the spirit for reward; and by him who possesses authority through virtue the continuance of mankind in authority and their persistence and instruction in virtue are attached to good works and are brought to reward. 15. This, too, that by him who possesses happiness through appropriation of the sacred beings mankind are attached to the sacred beings for receiving a reward ²; even for this reason, because, on account of the possession of

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happiness through appropriation of the sacred beings, he possesses it through the assistance and gratification of the good, and mankind shall therefore make him an example; it also becomes a good work for them, and they adhere to the sacred beings for receiving a reward.

16. This, too, that by him who produces the benediction of him that is a conductor of investigation and a righteous judge, and who shall also occasion the reverence of the good, the teaching of the advantage of the righteous ¹ is likewise performed; even for this reason, because the essentials (mâdîgân) of the advantage of the world are two—one owing to justice, and one owing to generosity—and it is declared that the advantage of him who possesses the blessings of the judges is owing to the justice of the judges, and the advantage of him who is reverent to the good is owing to the generosity of the good in developing the world, and the righteous teach about it.

17. Righteousness is perfect excellence.

Footnotes

322:3 See Chap. VII, 1 n; it is here written at-takhshê in Pahlavi.

323:1 See Pahl. Yas. XXX, 1 a.

323:2 Ibid. 1 b.

323:3 Ibid. 1 c.

323:4 Ibid. 2 a.

324:1 See Pahl. Yas. XXX, 2 b.

324:2 The words in brackets are the translation of a passage that was inserted in the MS. at the time the folios were patched. The original copyist of the MS. has evidently omitted a passage, but whether the repairer has made the insertion merely by guessing from the context (which is quite possible), or by referring to some other MS., is uncertain.

324:3 See Pahl. Yas. XXX, 3 b.

325:1 See Pahl. Yas. XXX, 3 c.

325:2 Ibid. 4 c.

326:1 See Pahl. Yas. XXX, 10 b.

326:2 Ibid. 10 c.

327:1 See Pahl. Yas. XXX, 11 c.