Chapter XIX

Pahlavi Texts, Part V: Marvels of Zoroastrianism (SBE47), E.W. West, tr. [1897], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER XIX.

1. About his interfering talk (andarg-gôbisnŏîh) with the iniquitous, this also is declared, that one

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day Dûrêsrôbô ¹ the Karap, as it were from the same five brethren, came out to the house of Pôrûshaspô; and Pôrûshaspô placed a bowl (gamakŏ) of mare's milk before him, and spoke to him thus: 'Consecrate it.'

2. Zaratûst expostulated with Pôrûshaspô thus: 'I will consecrate it.' 3. Pôrûshaspô spoke thus: 'He should consecrate, and the grace is to be offered up by you ²;' and as many as three times they mutually disputed.

4. Then up stood Zaratûst, and his right foot struck at the bowl and emptied it, and he spoke thus: 'I reverence righteousness, I reverence the righteous and the poor, men and women; do thou, O Pôrûshaspô! prepare a portion for him in whom there is worthiness.'

5. And Dûrêsrôbô spoke unto Zaratûst thus: 'As some of my portion of daily food was first thrown away by thee, it is I who will bring it on both thy lives, and will utterly destroy thee.' 6. Zaratûst spoke interruptingly ³ thus: 'With complete mindfulness I will look upon thee with both eyes, and will utterly destroy thee.'

7. And, for a long time, they constantly looked, one at the other, with unshrinking gaze; but the divine nature of Zaratûst is victorious over the witchcraft of that wizard, and Dûrêsrôbô is further disturbed; he also asked for his horse and spoke thus: 'On account of this boy, it is impossible for me to stay.'

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8. He sat upon the horse, and when he had gone a little way, he fell off from the horse, through severe distress, and died; and the children of his children's children have died upon the same spot ¹.

Footnotes

150:1 So spelt in Zs., but Dûrâsrôbô in Dk.; also the former has always Pôrûshaspô, but the latter Pôrûshâspô. Compare the same legend in Dk. VII, iii, 34-45.

150:2 Pahl. 'valâ aê yazêdŏ, afêd vâg dahisnŏ.'

150:3 Or 'inwardly'

151:1 Probably meaning that he died childless.