The Zend Avesta, Part I (SBE04), James Darmesteter, tr. [1880], at sacred-texts.com
I a (1-11). Description of the place for cleansing the unclean (the Barashnûm-gâh).
I b (12-36). Description of the cleansing.
II (37-44). Fees of the cleanser.
III (47-57). The false cleanser; his punishment.
§§ 45, 46 belong better to the following Fargard.
The ceremony described in this Fargard is known among the Parsis as Barashnûm nû shaba, or 'nine nights’ Barashnûm,' because it lasts for nine nights (see § 35) 2. It is the great purification, the most efficacious of all; it not only makes the defiled man clean, but it opens to him the heavens (see Farg. XIX, 33; cf. Introd. V, 16). So, although it was formerly intended only for the man defiled by the dead, it became, during the Parsi period, a pious work which might be performed without any corpse having been touched; nay, its performance was prescribed, once at least, at the time of the Nû zûdî (at the age of fifteen, when the young Parsi becomes a member of the community), in order to wash away the natural uncleanness that has been contracted in the maternal womb (Saddar 36, Hyde 40) 3.
1. Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O most
beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How shall they manage here below; who want to cleanse the body of one defiled by the dead?'
2 (4). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘A godly man, O Spitama Zarathustra! who speaks truth, who learns the Holy Word, and who knows best the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda 1, such a man shall fell the trees off the surface of the ground on a space of nine Vîbâzus 2 square.
3 (9). 'It should be the part of the ground where there is least water and where there are fewest trees, the part which is the cleanest and driest, and the least passed through by sheep and oxen, and by Fire, the son of Ahura Mazda, by the consecrated bundles of baresma, and by the faithful.'
4 (11). How far from the fire? How far from the water? How far from the consecrated bundles of baresma? How far from the faithful?
5 (12). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Thirty paces from the fire, thirty paces from the water, thirty paces from the consecrated bundles of baresma, three paces from the faithful.
6 (13). ‘Then thou shalt dig a hole, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come 3.
7 (14). ‘Thou shalt dig a second hole, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come.
‘Thou shalt dig a third hole, two fingers deep if
the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come.
‘Thou shalt dig a fourth hole, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come.
‘Thou shalt dig a fifth hole, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come.
'Thou shalt dig a sixth hole 1, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come.'
8 (14). How far from one another?
'One pace.'
How much is the pace?
‘As much as three feet.
9 (16). 'Then thou shalt dig three holes more 2, two fingers deep if the summer has come, four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come.'
How far from the former six?
'Three paces.'
What sort of paces?
'Such as are taken in walking.'
How much are those (three) paces?
‘As much as nine feet.
10 (22). 'Then thou shalt draw a furrow all around with a metal knife.'
How far from the holes?
'Three paces.'
What sort of paces?
'Such as are taken in walking.'
How much are those (three) paces?
‘As much as nine feet.
11 (24). 'Thou shalt draw twelve furrows 1; three of which thou shalt draw around (the first) three holes; three thou shalt draw around (the first) six holes; three thou shalt draw around the nine holes; three thou shalt draw around the three holes, outside the six holes 2. At each of the three times nine feet 3, thou shalt place stones as steps to the holes; or potsherds, or stumps, or clods, or any hard matter 4.'
12 (31). 'Then the unclean one shall walk to the holes; thou, O Zarathustra! shalt stand outside by the furrow, and thou shalt recite, Nemaskâ yâ
ârmaitis îzâkâ 1; and the unclean one shall repeat, Nemaskâ yâ ârmaitis îzâkâ.
13 (35). ‘The Drug becomes weaker and weaker at every one of those words which are to smite the fiend Angra Mainyu, to smite Aêshma of the bloody spear 2, to smite the Mâzainya fiends 3, to smite all the fiends.
14 (40). ‘Then thou shalt sprinkle him with gômêz from a spoon of brass or of lead; thou shalt take a stick with nine knots 4, O Spitama Zarathustra! and thou shalt fasten the leaden spoon to the upper part of the stick.
15 (43). ‘They shall wash his hands first. If his hands be not washed first, he makes his whole body unclean. When he has washed his hands three times, after his hands have been washed, thou shalt sprinkle the forepart of his skull; then the Drug Nasu rushes in front, between his brows 5.
16 (50). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle him in front between the brows; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the back part of the skull.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the back part of the skull; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the jaws.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the jaws; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right ear.
17 (56). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right ear; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left ear.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left ear; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right shoulder.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right shoulder; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left shoulder.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left shoulder; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right arm-pit.
18 (64). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right armpit; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left arm-pit.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left arm-pit; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the chest.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the chest; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the back.
19 (70). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the back; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right nipple.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right nipple; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left nipple.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left nipple; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right rib.
20 (76). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right rib; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left rib.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left rib; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right hip.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right hip; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left hip.
21 (82). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left hip; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the sexual parts.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the sexual parts. If the unclean one be a man, thou shalt sprinkle him first behind, then before; if the unclean one be a woman, thou shalt sprinkle her first before, then behind; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right thigh.
22 (88). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right thigh; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left thigh.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left thigh; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right knee.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right knee; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left knee.
23 (94). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left knee; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right leg.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right leg; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left leg.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left leg; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right ankle.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right ankle; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left ankle.
24 (102). ‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left ankle; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right instep.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the right instep; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left instep.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left instep; then the Drug Nasu is driven to the sole of the foot, where what is seen of her is like the wing of a fly.
25 (108). ‘He shall press his toes upon the ground and shall raise up his heels; thou shalt sprinkle his right sole; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left sole.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left sole; then the Drug Nasu is driven to the toes, where what is seen of her is like the wing of a fly.
26 (113). ‘He shall press his heels upon the ground And shall raise up his toes; thou shalt sprinkle his right toe; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left toe.
‘Thou shalt sprinkle the left toe; then the Drug Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, in the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, all stained with stains, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras.
27 (118). ‘And thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--
‘“Yathâ ahû vairyô:--The will of the Lord is the law of holiness; the riches of Vohu-manô shall be given to him who works in this world for Mazda, and wields according to the will of Ahura the power he gave to him to relieve the poor.
‘“Kem nâ mazdâ:--Whom hast thou placed to protect me, O Mazda! while the hate of the fiend is grasping me? Whom, but thy Âtar and Vohu-manô, by whose work the holy world goes on? Reveal to me the rules of thy law!
‘“Ke verethrem gâ:--Who is he who will smite the fiend in order to maintain thy ordinances.? Teach me clearly thy rules for this world and for the next, that Sraosha may come with Vohu-manô and help whomsoever thou pleasest.
‘"Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Ârmaiti Spenta! Perish, O fiendish Drug! Perish, O brood of the fiend! Perish, O world of the fiend! Perish away, O Drug! Rush away, O Drug! Perish away, O Drug! Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of the holy spirit 1!"
28 (119). ‘At the first hole the man becomes freer from the Nasu; then thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--"Yathâ ahû vairyô," &c. 2
‘At the second hole he becomes freer from the Nasu; then thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--"Yathâ ahû vairyô," &c.
‘At the third hole he becomes freer from the Nasu; then thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--"Yathâ ahû vairyô," &c.
‘At the fourth hole he becomes freer from the Nasu; then thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--"Yathâ ahû vairyô," &c.
‘At the fifth hole he becomes freer from the Nasu; then thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--"Yathâ ahû vairyô," &c.
‘At the sixth hole he becomes freer from the Nasu; then thou shalt say those fiend-smiting and most-healing words:--"Yathâ ahû vairyô," &c.
29 (120). ‘Afterwards the unclean one shall sit down, inside the furrows 1, outside the furrows of the six holes, four fingers from those furrows. There he shall cleanse his body with thick handfuls of dust.
30 (123). ‘Fifteen times shall they take up dust from the ground for him to rub his body, and they shall wait there until he is dry even to the last hair on his head.
31 (125). ‘When his body is dry, then he shall step over the holes (containing water). At the first hole he shall wash his body once with water; at the second hole he shall wash his body twice with water; at the third hole he shall wash his body thrice with water.
32 (130). ‘Then he shall perfume (his body) 2 with perfumes from Urvâsna, or Vohu-gaona, or Vohu-kereti, or Hadhâ-naêpata, or from any sweet-smelling
plant; then he shall put on his clothes, and shall go back to his house.
33 (133). ‘He shall sit down there in the place of infirmity 1, inside the house, apart from the other worshippers of Mazda. He shall not go near the fire, nor near the water, nor near the earth, nor near the cow, nor near the trees, nor near the faithful, either man or woman. Thus shall he continue until three nights have passed. When three nights have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with gômêz and water to make them clean.
34 (137). ‘Then he shall sit down again in the place of infirmity, inside the house, apart from the other worshippers of Mazda. He shall not go near the fire, nor near the water, nor near the earth, nor near the cow, nor near the trees, nor near the faithful, either man or woman. Thus shall he continue until six nights have passed. When six nights have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with gômêz and water to make them clean.
35 (141). ‘Then he shall sit down again in the place of infirmity, inside the house, apart from the other worshippers of Mazda. He shall not go near the fire, nor near the water, nor near the earth, nor near the cow, nor near the trees, nor near the faithful, either man or woman. Thus shall he continue, until nine nights have passed. When nine nights have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with gômêz and water to make them clean.
36 (145). ‘He may thenceforth go near the fire, near the water, near the earth, near the cow, near
the trees, and near the faithful, either man or woman.
37 (146). ‘Thou shalt cleanse a priest for a holy blessing 2; thou shalt cleanse the lord of a province for the value of a camel of high value; thou shalt cleanse the lord of a town for the value of a stallion; thou shalt cleanse the lord of a borough for the value of a bull; thou shalt cleanse the master of a house for the value of a cow three years old.
38 (150). ‘Thou shalt cleanse the wife of the master of a house for the value of a ploughing 3 cow; thou shalt cleanse a menial for the value of a draught cow 4; thou shalt cleanse a young child for the value of a lamb.
39 (154). ‘These are the different cattle that the worshippers of Mazda shall give to him who has cleansed them, if they can afford it; if they cannot afford it, they shall give him any other reward that may make him leave their houses well-pleased with them, and free from anger.
40 (157). ‘For if the man who has cleansed them leave their houses displeased with them, and full of anger, then the Drug Nasu enters them by the nose, by the eyes, by the tongue, by the jaws, by the sexual organs, by the hinder parts.
41 (159). ‘And the Drug Nasu rushes upon them even to the end of the nails, and they are unclean thenceforth for ever and ever.
‘It grieves the sun indeed, O Spitama Zarathustra!
to shine upon a man defiled by the dead; it grieves the moon, it grieves the stars.
42 (162). 'That man delights them, O Spitama Zarathustra! who cleanses from the Nasu those whom she has defiled; he delights the fire, he delights the water, he delights the earth, he delights the cow, he delights the trees, he delights the faithful, both men and women.'
43 (164). Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! What shall be his reward, after his soul has parted from his body, who has cleansed from the Nasu any one defiled by her?'
44 (166). Ahura Mazda answered: 'The welfare of the blessed abode thou canst promise to that man, for his reward in the other world.'
45 1 (167). Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda: 'O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How shall I fight against that Drug who from the dead rushes upon the living? How shall I fight against that Nasu who from the dead defiles the living?'
46 (169). Ahura Mazda answered: 'Say aloud those words in the Gâthas that are to be said twice; say aloud those words in the Gâthas that are to be said thrice; say aloud those words in the Gâthas that are to be said four times; and the Drug shall fade away like the self-moving arrow 2, like the carpet of the earth 3 when the year is over like its garment 3 which lasts a season.'
47 (172). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man who does not know the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda, offers to cleanse the unclean, what shall the worshippers of Mazda do? How shall I then fight against that Drug who from the dead rushes upon the living? How shall I fight against that Drug who from the dead defiles the living?'
48 (175). Ahura Mazda answered: 'Then, O Spitama Zarathustra! the Drug Nasu waxes stronger than she was before. Stronger then are sickness and death and the working of the fiend than they were before.'
49 (177). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! What is the penalty that he shall pay?
Ahura Mazda answered: 'The worshippers of Mazda shall bind him; they shall bind his hands first; then they shall strip him of his clothes, they shall flay him alive, they shall cut off his head, and they shall give over his corpse unto the greediest of the birds of the beneficent spirit, unto the corpse-eating birds, unto the ravens, with these words 1:--
‘“The man here has repented of all his evil thoughts, words, and deeds.
50 (183). '"If he has committed any other evil
deed it is remitted by his repentance; if he has committed no other evil deed, he is absolved by his repentance for ever and ever 1."'
51 (18 7). Who is he, O Ahura Mazda! who threatens to take away fulness and increase from the world, and to bring in sickness and death?
52 (188). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘It is the ungodly Ashemaogha 2, O Spitama Zarathustra! who in this material world cleanses the unclean without knowing the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda.
53 (190). 'For until then, O Spitama Zarathustra! sweetness and fatness would flow out from that land and from those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass 3.'
54 (191). O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! When are sweetness and fatness to come back again to that land and to those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass?
55, 56 (192, 193). Ahura Mazda answered: ‘Sweetness and fatness will never come back again to that land and to those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass, until that ungodly Ashemaogha has been put to death, and the holy Sraosha has been in that place, offered up a sacrifice 4, for three
days and three nights, with fire blazing, with baresma tied up, and with Haoma uplifted.
57 (196). 'Then sweetness and fatness will come back again to that land and to those fields, with health and healing, with fulness and increase and growth, and a growing of corn and grass.'
119:2 As to the word Barashnûm, it seems not to refer to the ceremony itself, and to be nothing more than the Zend word bareshnûm, 'the top of the head, the skull,' the part of the body that is first to be washed (§ 15).
119:3 For the plan of the Barashnûm-gâh, see Anquetil II, p. 450.
120:1 A priest.
120:2 The Vîbâzu seems to have been as much as ten paces.
120:3 See Introd. V, 16.
121:1 These six holes contain gômêz. 'The holes must be dug from the north to the south' (Comm.)
121:2 The three holes to contain water.
122:1 'The furrows must be drawn during the day; they must be drawn with a knife; they must be drawn with recitation of spells. While drawing the furrows the cleanser recites three Ashem-vohus ("holiness is the best of all good," &c.), the Fravarânê ("I declare myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathustra, a foe of the fiend," &c.), the Khshnûman of Serosh, and the Bâg of Serosh; they must be drawn from the north' (Comm. ad § 32). The furrow, or kesh, plays a greater part in the Mazdean liturgy than in any other. By means of the furrow, drawn with proper spells, and according to the laws of spiritual war, man either besieges the fiend or intrenches himself against him (cf. Farg. XVII, 5). In the present case the Drug, being shut up inside the kesh and thus excluded from the world outside, and being driven back, step by step, by the strength of the holy water and spells, finds at last no place of refuge but hell, and the world is freed from her presence.
122:2 'The three holes for water, the six holes for gômêz' (Comm.)
122:3 The nine feet between the holes containing gômêz and those containing water, the nine feet between the first holes and the furrows, and the nine feet between the last hole and the furrows.
122:4 That the foot of the unclean one may not touch the earth (see Introd. V, 10).
123:1 Yasna XLIX, 10.
123:2 See Introd. IV, 22.
123:3 See Introd. IV, 23.
123:4 So long that the cleanser may take gômêz or water from the holes, and sprinkle the unclean one, without touching him and without going inside the furrows.
123:5 Cf. Farg. VIII, 40-71.
126:1 Cf. Farg. VIII, 19-21.
126:2 As in preceding clause.
127:1 Between the furrows of the six holes containing gômêz and the furrows of the holes containing water.
127:2 Or, possibly, 'his clothes' (see Farg. XIX, 24).
128:1 The Armêst-gâh (see Introd. V, 15).
129:1 Cf. the tariff for the fees of physicians, Farg. VII, 41-43.
129:2 See Farg. VII, 41, note.
129:3 Doubtful.
129:4 Doubtful.
130:1 This clause and the following one as far as 'and the Drug' are further developed in the following Fargard.
130:2 See Introd. IV, 26.
130:3 The grass.
131:1 'The cleanser who has not performed the cleansing according to the rites, shall be taken to a desert place; there they shall nail him with four nails, they shall take off the skin from his body, and cut off his head. If he has performed Patet for his sin, he shall be holy (that is, he shall go to paradise); if he has not performed Patet, he shall stay in hell till the day of resurrection' (Fraser Ravaet, p. 398). Cf. Farg. III, 20 seq.
132:1 See Farg. III, 20 seq., and Introd. V.
132:2 See Introd. IV.
132:3 Cf. XIII, 52 seq.
132:4 The so-called zanda ravân, 'the sacrifice that makes the soul living,' that is to say, that makes it enter heaven. It is probably to be performed only in case the sinner has performed the Patet (see the note to § 49).