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Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE24), E.W. West, tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com
1. The sixty-second subject is this, that it is necessary to take early to the speaking of truth and doing of justice, and to maintain oneself therein, for nothing whatever is better among mankind than truth.
2. Owing to truth Hôrmazd created this world and that other world, and truth has remained on the spot, and on account of truth it becomes pure. 3. And the accursed Aharman, being devoid of anything good, does not issue from that which is owing to truth. 4. It is requisite to occasion the resurrection owing to truth; and, as to every place where truth is not taken up, the glory in that place has found a way out, and as to every household where much of this resides, it is on account of truth, and Aharman does not find a way into that place.
5. It is said in revelation that one truthful man is better than a whole world (’hâlam) speaking falsehood; and Gâvah of Ispahân 2—when he kept his stand upon the truth, and was speaking words with truth until the time when Dahâk 3, who possessed the
whole realm, and the whole of the demons and mankind have been afraid of him, through the truth of the words spoken—was bold with them in every speech, and became victorious (muthaffar) over them, by reason of the true words that he was speaking.
6. The accursed Aharman, when he perceived the spirit of truth, had fallen senseless three thousand years 1. 7. From fear of truth he never managed to hold up his head, and from fear of truth he did not manage to come into this world 2. 8. And everything that thou settest thy gaze (nathar) upon therein, that has remained on the spot when thou seekest again an examination of it, has remained through truth. 9. And the interpretation of the Ashen-vohû 3 is in truth, and, for that reason, they recite the Ashem-vohû frequently.
323:2 B29 adds 'he was a blacksmith.' His revolt against Dahâk is detailed in the Shâhnâmah.
323:3 See Mkh. VIII, 29 n.
324:1 See Bd. I, 22. The spirit of truth was his opposite, the spentô mainyus or 'bountiful spirit' of Hôrmazd.
324:2 See Bd. III, 1-5.
324:3 See Chap. VII, 1 n.