Dinka<I>r</I><I>d</I>. Book III, Chapter VII

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

p. 406

DÎNKARD.—BOOK III.

CHAPTER VII ¹.

The ninth question.

1. Another apostate enquired thus: 'When there is Mãthra that is said to be all in the words of Aûharmazd to Zaratûst, whether it be in the words of Frashôstar and Gâmâsp ², or be in the words of Vohûman ³ and the sacred beings, or be in words of theirs published before the time of Zaratûst, or even after that of Sênô ⁴, is it to be considered by us, as to that which is relating to us, that what is the utterance of Aûharmazd to Zaratûst is only the Gâthic, and the rest is composed by Zaratûst and his disciples from the world, even statements due to a good inclination for conversion (vastakîh)?'

2. The reply is that the other Mãthra which is separate from the Gâthas, if it be apart from the Gâthas, is still owing to the composition of the Yathâ-ahû-vairyô ⁵; and the same separate Mãthra, which is from a witness about it, is the evidence with Aûharmazd himself in vigorous omniscience and composition, and not owing to the knowledge of mankind, which shall not attain even to an atom of the atoms thereof. 3. The arising of the Mãthra, through the speaking of many voices, is not all the speaking of Aûharmazd to Zaratûst through those

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voices, but the speaking of several separately, through which the speaking of the voice would be evidently that of Aûharmazd; that is this Mãthra. 4. And just as the speaking forth of Zaratûst and other good men, as well as evil ones, likewise of those who are demons, even as far as the evil spirit, is stated by Aûharmazd in public, that statement would become even that of the evil spirit and demons, and the Mãthra and Law against the demons would likewise become spoken by the demons. 5. And the Mãthra is all confided by Aûharmazd to Zaratûst through many voices, being an avowal of Aûharmazd to Zaratûst, and an existence which is not inconsistent (han-bêshin); just as the Gâthas, which even you admit to be, as a whole, confided by Aûharmazd to Zaratûst, are spoken through the voice of Zaratûst, be they through the voices of the archangels, be they through the voice of Gôs-aûrvan ¹, or be they through the voices of other sacred beings, to all they are spoken by Aûharmazd to Zaratûst, and are not inconsistent. 6. But owing to the disposition of an apostate there is a longing scrutiny about his own statements, and evil-thinking scrutiny about the statements protecting the spiritual lord.

Footnotes

406:1 According to Peshotan's notation; the text followed is that of the MS. B, written A.D. 1659.

406:2 See Dk. VIII, Chap. XXXVIII, 68.

406:3 This seems a more likely reading than 'Hôm' for the imperfect word .

406:4 See Chap. CXCVII, 6 n.

406:5 See Dk. VIII, Chap. I, 7 n.

407:1 See Dk. IX, Chap. XV, 3.