Sacred Texts Zoroastrianism Index Previous Next
Buy this Book at Amazon.com
Pahlavi Texts, Part V: Marvels of Zoroastrianism (SBE47), E.W. West, tr. [1897], at sacred-texts.com
1. About the glory of Zaratûst becoming manifest even before his birth, it is thus declared, that forty-five years before the time when Zaratûst came out to his conference 2, when Frênŏ gave birth to the mother of Zaratûst 3, whom they called Dûkdak, it
came down from the endless light, in the manner of fire, and mingled with the fire which was before her; and from the fire it mingled with the mother of Zaratûst 1.
2. For three nights it was manifest, to all passers-by, as a species of fire in the direction of the house, and passers on the road always saw great radiance. 3. Also when she became fifteen years old, the radiance of that glory which was in her, was even such that, on the path she was walking along, its brightness was then shed by her 2.
4. About the combination of Zaratûst, whose guardian spirit is reverenced; that is, his guardian spirit, in the Hôm, and his glory are given the cow's milk, by his father and mother drinking it up 3, and his spiritual life (ahvô) came into the combination, as was proclaimed by his statements in the manuscript about the Guidance of the Ceremonial 4.
5. About the backward connection of Zaratûst with Aûharmazd, through the two who are Yim, the best of the worldly existences, and Nêryôsang of the spirits. 6. The enumeration of the lineage of Zaratûst is Zaratûst, son of Pôrûshaspô 5, of Purtarâspô,
of Ahûrvadâspô, of Hâêkadâspô, of Kîkhshnûs, of Paîtiraspô, of Aregadarsî*, of Kharedhar*, of Spîtâmân, of Vaêdîstô, of Ayazem, of Frîs, of Arig*; of Dûrasrôbô, of Mânûskîhar, of Mânûs-khûrnar, of Mânûs-khûrnâk, whom Nêryôsang the messenger of Aûharmazd brought, and whose mother was Vîzag, daughter of Aryag, of Srîtak, of Bîtak, of Frazûsak, of Zûsak, of Fragûzag, of Gûzag, daughter of Aîrîk, son of Frêdûn of the Âspîgâns to the total of ten Âspîgâns, of Yim, of the Vîvang,has, of the Ayang,has, of the Anang,has, of Hôshâng, of Fravâk, of Sîyâmak, of Masîyâ, of Gâyômard.
138:2 That is, forty-five years before he was thirty years old (see Chap. XXI, I-14).
138:3 It is necessary to translate in this manner, to agree with Dk. VII, ii, 3, but the text, which is ambiguous. runs as follows: 'amat Frênŏg (Frênŏ-î?) Zaratûst am, zyasân Dûkdakŏg karîtuntô, p. 139 zerkhûntô;' which might also be translated thus: 'when Frênŏ, the mother of Zaratûst, whom they called Dûkdak, was born.' This Frênŏ, whether mother or daughter, does not seem to correspond with any Freni mentioned in the Avesta.
139:1 See Dk. VII, ii, 2, 3.
139:2 Ibid. 7, S.
139:3 Ibid. 46, 47.
139:4 Not identified, but probably like the Nîrangistân.
139:5 This genealogy was, no doubt, derived originally from the same source as that in Dk. VII, ii, 70, but there are several variations, especially in orthography, which are here preserved, unless clearly copyist's blunders. The names marked with an asterisk are written in Pâzand.