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Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE24), E.W. West, tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com
1. The thirty-seventh subject is this, that, when the days of the guardian spirits 1 come on, it is necessary that all persons, among their own food and devotion, should order and provide the sacred cakes and ceremonial, the sacred feast and benedictions (âfrîngân). 2. For these ten days it is incumbent on every one; and those are better which they prepare in their own houses, because the souls 2 go every one to its own house. 3. And they should have an ear for them 3, so that they may prepare the sacred cakes and feast and benedictions.
4. Those ten days any one of all the souls—that are in this way 4 in every house where they provide the feast more abundantly—proclaims, as to that master of the house 5, that family, and the whole who are in that house, and the year's affairs of every kind, that they are very good, and their entry (da‘hl) and coming in are very good. 5. And every single
good work, on account of which we have spoken of the souls of the departed, becomes just like those we have done for our own souls. 6. And, when they pass away from this worldly existence, those souls come again, meeting them, and cause gladness, maintain 1 their courage, and also render them honour in the presence of the creator Hôrmazd, and speak thus: 'These righteous souls did not put us away from remembrance while they were in the world, and we have been satisfied with them; now we are unanimous that thou shouldest provide them equal shares of those good works of ours, and make their souls attain to the position of the righteous.' 7. They utter these words, and give those souls confidence, while they make out their account. 8. Afterwards, with them, they make the passage of the Kinvad bridge, till they arrive at their own position, and then they return.
9. Therefore it is necessary to make an effort, so that they may maintain the guardian spirits properly, and the souls of their fathers and mothers and relations may exist with honour from them. 10. For if they retire with dissatisfaction they utter a curse, and, as the soul departs from this world, they administer reproaches to it, and speak thus: 'Thou thinkest that they wish continually to make a way 2 for thee to that place, but it is not necessary for thee to come into this world 3. 11. Now, hadst thou performed duty and good works on our behalf, and hadst thou recollected us, we would also have come to thy assistance, and would have released thee from
this fearful position.' 12. And that soul experiences much repentance, and has no advantage whatever from it.
298:1 See Mkh. LVII, 13 n.
298:2 Which are supposed to revisit the earth during those days.
298:3 Or 'or these words,' as the Gugarâti translator assumes.
298:4 Lp, B29 have 'those ten days all the souls are in this worldly existence.'
298:5 Lp omits these five words, and B29 adds 'the mistress of the house.'
299:1 Lp, B29 have 'restore.'
299:2 Lp, B29 have 'an escape.'
299:3 That is, into heaven. Compare Chap. XIII, 6, 8.