Denkard 7.07 - Vishtasp and the Holy War
Denkard Book 7, Chapter 7 Translated by E.W. West (Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 47, 1897)
CHAPTER 7. Further events till end of Sasanian monarchy
1
About the marvellousness which is manifested after the time of Vishtasp until the collapse (hangaftano) of the sovereignty of Iran.
2
There is marvellousness which is manifested after Vishtasp until the collapse of the sovereignty of Iran, apart from the blessedness of ordeal, the accomplishment of other Avestic rites, the great power over the sacred fires, and many other religious observances which were connected with the disciples of Zartosht.
3
Even after the devastation which happened owing to Alexander, those who were rulers after him brought back much to the collection from a scattered state; and there are some who have ordered the keeping of it in the treasury of Shapan.
4
Likewise there is to be brought forward what there is concerning the names of rulers and high-priests, such as arrive for it at times and period which are each consecutive, as organizers of the religion and the world; also of the tyrant or apostate, who is manifest at various periods, for the disturbance of the religion and monarchy and the penance of the world, with the coming of the penitential one.
5
Such as Vohuman, son of Spend-dad, of the rulers, about whom it says even this in the Avesta, that he is Vohuman, the just, who is the most efficient of the assembly of Mazda-worshippers.
6
And Senov of the high-priests, as about him it says even this: ’ The religion becomes a hundred years old when Senov is born, and two hundred years when he passes away; he was also the first Mazda-worshipper with a life of a hundred years, and who walks forth upon this earth with a hundred disciples.‘
7
Also Alexander of the devastators, as it says even this of him in revelation, that in those three winters, which are of like purpose (ham-ayazako), that Aeshm would set up a deadly king in the impenitent world, who is the evil-destined Alexander.
8
And of the high-priests are Arezvak, the interpretation of whose name is ‘the pure word; Srutvok-spadak, the interpretation of whose name is ‘the propitious recitation;’ Zrayang,hau, the interpretation of whose name is ‘the ocean existence;’ and Spento-khratvau, the interpretation of whose name is ‘the propitious wisdom.’ 9. Because it says even this about them, namely: ‘I mention thy manifestation, and also the tokens of its publicity when this religion of thy Mazda-worshippers becomes four hundred years old; in this law benightedness (lelyaih) arises, and the embodied existences see the manifestation through calculation of the planets and also the stars; and whoever, too, are mine are so for a century, through the average opinion of thirty medium winters for a man; and the righteous Arezvak and those three others are they of the most righteous existences, over whom they are the most masterly and most authoritative in that time.’ 10. And this, too, that they who glorify the religion of the Mazda-worshippers in the fifth and sixth centuries are they; and no persons save their souls, except those who remain for the arrival of the four interpretations that arise through the authority of these four individuals, Arezvak, Sruto-spadhau, Zrayang,hau, and Spento-khratvau who, all four of them, seek their thoughts, words, and deeds in the sacred text (mansar).
11
Also Rashn-resh is the apostate of that time, as some one says unto Rashn, one of the sacred beings, and about many besides this one, thus: ‘All who are creatures of the beneficent spirit are distressed by their persecution, but put trust in those men, Arezvak and those three others.‘
12
And of the organizers of the period is Artakhshatar, son of Papak, as it says even this about him, namely: ‘Which is that ruler who is powerful, more striving than the Kayans, and mighty, an embodiment of the sacred commandments and awfully armed; in whose abode Aharisvang, the virtuous and radiant, walks forth in maiden form, beneficent and very strong, well-formed, high-girded, and truthful, of illustrious race and noble? 13. Whoever it is that, on the occurrence of strife, seeks prosperity for himself with his own arm; whoever it is that, on the occurrence of strife, encounters the enemies with his own arm.‘
14
Tanvasar is also for his assistance, as it says this, too, about them: ‘Zartosht asked again thus: “Who is he who is the most salutary for a country, which the demons have exhausted of everything virtuous, over which his authority is brought and which is wicked and teaching falsehood?” 15. Ohrmazd spoke thus: “An autocrat (sastar), to cure a country, who has not gone mad (that is, he does not annoy the good) and is well-directing (that is, he gives virtuous commands), who is also of noble race, and likewise a priest who is acquainted with war, of a famous province, and righteous, are most salutary for that country. 16. And I tell thee this, that the apostasy of destruction is just like the four-legged wolf which the world gives up to running astray (vardah-takhshishnih) (that is, owing to its action they are leading it off as astray; which is so that even he who is not opulent is rendered sickly, that they (the apostates) may take away his things by the hand of the assassin (khunyan); and they shall lead the world, the dwelling for his residence, into wandering. 17. But that wicked (avaruno) strife descended upon that country, besides that wicked demon-worship, besides that wicked slander; and not even that wicked strife, nor that wicked demon-worship, nor that wicked slander, is dissipated from that country until the time when they attach the grant of approval to him, the spiritual leader, the eloquent (pur-guftar), truthful-speaking, and righteous Tanvasar. 18. And it is when they grant approval to the spiritual leader, the truthful speaker of eloquence, the righteous Tanvasar, that those of the country obtain redress (beshazaganih) when they seek it, and no deviation (anayuinakoih) from the religion of Zartosht.“‘
19
As to the nature of the questions and statements of the organizer of the religion, Aturpad son of Maraspend, about the connection of the glory with the race, it also says this, that ‘though righteousness may arise from the statements and prosperity of the Turanians when extracted by questions, it is said that its acceptance occurs there through complete mindfulness; they benefit the embodied world of righteousness, and produce distress for the fiend; in like manner, they rely upon Vohuman, and Zartosht is their delight through the report of the birth of Zartosht from us who are archangels.
20
This liberality for thee is from us who are archangels, and Aturpad, the very best well-destined man arose; and this, too, do thou say about him, that it is the steel age in which that man, the organizer of development and organizer of righteousness, Aturpad son of Maraspend, of the convocation, begets Avarethrabau.‘
21
This Avarethrabau, too, is an organizer whose righteous guardian spirit we reverence, and in memory of Manuschihar, the well-destined, and a progenitor of Aturpad, it says that ‘only from him comes Avarethrabau;’ and then also arises this one of the adversaries of the religion, the apostate of apostates, whom they have even called the Mazdak-like (Mazdagig-ich). 22. As it says this, too, about them, namely: ‘This religion of mine thou dost survey with thoughts of spiritual life, thou dost very thoroughly inspect it, O Zartosht! when many, aware of apostates, call the performance of righteousness and even the priesthood innocence, and few are frank and practising it.’ 23. In the revelation of the Mazda-worshippers is this, namely: ‘Thoroughly look into revelation, and seek a remedy for them and any whatever of them who have become disturbing in the embodied existence, and uncaptivated by the orthodox (ayin-aumond) righteousness which is owing to the perfect existences; and so they divide the religion of the Mazda-worshippers through division of race, they speak regarding the action of their own followers, and give the endowment to their own. 24. They grant supplies of food, so that they may say the food is proportional to the hunger; they speak of procreation, and say that they say lineage is through the mothers; and they approve of wolfishness, so that they would act something like wolves in the performance of gratifying their desires, like that of the wolf’s progeny behind the mother. 25. Moreover, they form their lineage through the mothers; buying their women as sheep, they shall carry off for profit even that son or brother who is the progeny, those that we have produced for your companionship; you are not predominant, but have remained in companionship; you do not even believe them, but you do not establish an ordeal, although it is evident that you will be acquitted; they lie even to their children, so that the advance of the promise-breaker is through them, and even in their own persons.‘
26
Here it speaks about the organization of the religion by the glorified Khosraw, son of Kayad, thus: ‘Upon their lingering behind, a man is produced who is righteous, the Glorified one, an approver (khenidar) of speech who is wise, whom the convocation, on hearing the words that he utters, speaks of as a high-priest; that is when he gives out penance (sroshigih), so that he may effect the punishment of sinners. 27. The constant outpouring of perplexity (pech sharidan) by the perverters is the fear of that hero, as regards that convocation, when he casts them forth by expulsion from the vicinity, so that he may make them extinguished very quickly; owing to that, they, whose producer is even he who is a person destroying the righteous man, become gloomy on account of the Glorified one, through his smiting the spiritual life of apostasy; just as now, when he who is gloomy, and of scattered intellect, is gloomy owing to you of the Spitamas.’ 28. This, too, it states, namely: ‘In every way, I tell thee, O Zartosht of the Spitamas! that their time is mistrustful (avavar) as to him who is an open friend, and most deceitful both to the wicked and the righteous; the Glorified one is a controller (ayukhtar) exalting the creatures, and whoever is possessing the creatures of the righteous ones, so that he remains again at work in the doings of the Glorified one, is he who is a combiner of the actions and an utterer of the true replies of that Glorified one.‘
29
And about the occurrence of a symptom of the devastators of the sovereignty and religion of the country of Iran one wonder, which is associated with the religion, is even this which it mentions thus: ‘Thereupon, when the first symptom of a ravager of the country occurs, O righteous Zartosht! then the more aggressive and more unmerciful in malice becomes the tyrant of the country, and through him, too, they ravage (reshend) the house, through him the village, through him the community, through him the province, and through him even the whole of that manifestation in the country of any teaching whatever that occurs through the ravager of the country; and so the country should keep a man who is observant and learned on the watch, because information is in his mind. 30. Thereupon, when the second symptom of a ravager of the country occurs, &c… … … . . 31. Thereupon, when the third symptom of a ravager of the country occurs, the priestly people are disturbing the tradition, so that they speak nothing wisely; it is even on this account they do not accept them, and it is not when one speaks truly that the ravager of the country believes them, and through him, too, they ravage the house, through him the village, through him the community, through him the province, and through him even the whole of that manifestation in the country of any teaching whatever that occurs through the ravager of the country; and so, too, the country should keep a man who is observant and learned on the watch, because information is in his mind. 32. Thereupon, when the fourth symptom of a ravager of the country occurs, it upsets the replenishment of the fires, and upsets those men of the righteous, so that they shall not undertake the care of them; and thus they shall not convey the holy-water to him who is a priestly authority, so that they may not produce the seizing upon the stipend of the priestly authorities by him who is the ravager of the country; through him, too, they ravage the house, through him the village, through him the community, through him the province, and through him even the whole of that manifestation in the country of any teaching whatever that occurs through the ravager of the country; and so, too, the country should keep a man who is observant and learned on the watch, because information is in his mind,‘
33
About the collapse of the sovereignty of Iran, it also states this, namely: ‘That very villain (mar), O Zartosht! brings those provinces on to running astray, so that he may make those quite dissevered which constitute the existence of that powerful sovereignty; and then he is a thorough assailant of the righteous, then he is an assailant of the righteous with eagerness. 34. That same deadly one (mar), O Zartosht! does not continue living long afterwards; moreover his offspring disappear (that is, they perish utterly); but his soul falls to the bottom of the gloomy existence which is horrible hell, and upon their bodies every kind of unseemly unhappiness comes from themselves, owing to their own actions when they give approval to the imprisonment of a guardian of spiritual affairs who is eloquent, true-speaking, and righteous. 35. Against that deadly one he contends, O Zartosht! for the spiritual lordship and priestly authority that I approve as good for the whole embodied existence; also against the preparation of a decree to produce evil decisions, and against the dismissal of litigants, whether heterodox or orthodox, who are of a family of serfs of a far-situated village and are making petitions.‘
36
‘And as to the land, too, over which he wanders, the evil spirit utterly devastates their country through pestilence and other misery; and, moreover, strife which is tormenting falls upon that country, besides demon-worship which is iniquitous, and besides slander which is iniquitous. 37. And the strife which is iniquitous is not to be dissipated (apasi-aitano) from that country, nor the demon-worshippers who are iniquitous, nor the slander which is iniquitous, before the time when they give approval to him, to the priest who is a guardian of spiritual affairs, who is eloquent, true-speaking, and righteous; and it is when they give him approval, that they obtain healthfulness for their country when they pray for it, and not irregularly from him, O Zartosht!‘
38
And this which is recounted is a statement that is execrated (nafrig-aito) by many, details from the Avesta as to occurrences that will arise after Vishtasp until the dispersion (angavishno) of the sovereignty of Iran from the country of Iran; it is also declared that this which is written happened to the knowledge of those of the world. 39. This, too, is about the evidence of the above:- ‘And if this which is declared from the Avesta, as to what happens after Kay Vishtasp until the end of the sovereignty of Iran, should not have happened, and it being the pre-eminence of the Avesta which really became this present treasure, it thereby ensues, owing to its position in that former, and the manifest absence of the destruction of those rulers and high-priests from Vishtasp onwards in this latter, that it could not be connected with us.’