Cleansing The Unclean

Books: Sacred Books Of The East

Zarathustra asked Ahura Mazda:--



O most beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! To

whom shall they apply here below, who want to cleanse their body defiled

by the dead?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"To a pious man, O Spitama Zarathustra! who knows how to speak, who

speaks truth, who has learned the Holy Word, who is pious, and knows

best the rites of cleansing according to the law of Mazda. That man

shall fell the trees off the surface of the ground on a space of nine

Vibazus square; in that 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 the fire

of Ahura Mazda, by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by the

faithful."



How far from the fire? How far from the water? How far from the

consecrated bundles of Baresma? How far from the faithful?



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.

Then thou shalt dig a hole, two fingers deep if the summer has come,

four fingers deep if the winter and ice have come." How far from one

another? "One pace." How much is the pace? "As much as three feet. Then

thou shalt dig three holes more, 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. Then

thou shalt draw a furrow all around with a metal knife. Then thou shalt

draw twelve furrows; three of which thou shalt draw to surround and

divide from the rest the first three holes; three thou shalt draw to

surround and divide the first six holes; three thou shalt draw to

surround and divide the nine holes; three thou shalt draw around the

three inferior holes, outside the six other holes. At each of the three

times nine feet, thou shalt place stones as steps to the holes; or

potsherds, or stumps, or clods, or any hard matter. Then the man defiled

shall walk to the holes; thou, O Zarathustra! shalt stand outside by the

furrow, and thou shalt recite, 'Nemaska ya armaitis izaka'; and the man

defiled shall repeat, 'Nemaska ya armaitis izaka.' The Drug becomes

weaker and weaker at every one of those words which are a weapon to

smite the fiend Angra Mainyu, to smite Aeshma of the murderous spear, to

smite the Mazainya fiends, to smite all the fiends. Then thou shalt take

for the gomez a spoon of brass or of lead. When thou takest a stick with

nine knots, O Spitama Zarathustra! to sprinkle the gomez from that

spoon, thou shalt fasten the spoon to the end of the stick. 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. 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. 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. Thou shalt sprinkle

the right arm-pit; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the left arm-pit. Thou

shalt sprinkle the left armpit; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the

chest. Thou shalt sprinkle the chest; then the Drug Nasu rushes upon the

back. 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 nippie; then

the Drug Nasu rushes upon the right rib. 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.

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. 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. 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.

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 turns round under the sole of the foot; it looks like the

wing of a fly. 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 turns round under the toes; it looks like the wing of a fly.

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, droning without end, and like unto the

foulest Khrafstras. And thou shalt say these victorious, most healing

words: 'The will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. The gifts of

Vohu-mano to deeds done in this world for Mazda. He who relieves the

poor makes Ahura king. What protector hadst thou given unto me, O Mazda!

while the hate of the wicked encompasses me? Whom, but thy Atar and

Vohu-mano, through whose work I keep on the world of Righteousness?

Reveal therefore to me thy Religion as thy rule! Who is the victorious

who will protect thy teaching? Make it clear that I am the guide for

both worlds. May Sraosha come with Vohu-mano and help whomsoever thou

pleasest, O Mazda! Keep us from our hater, O Mazda and Spenta Armaiti!

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 Righteousness.'



"Afterwards the man defiled shall sit down, inside the furrows, outside

the furrows of the six holes, four fingers from those furrows. There he

shall cleanse his body with thick handfuls of dust. 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. When

his body is dry with dust, 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. Then he shall perfume his body

with Urvasna, or Vohu-gaona, or Vohu-kereti, or Hadha-naepata, or any

other sweet-smelling plant; then he shall put on his clothes, and shall

go back to his house. He shall sit down there 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 three nights have passed. When three nights

have passed, he shall wash his body, he shall wash his clothes with

gomez and water to make them clean. 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 gomez and water to make them clean. 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 gomez and water to make them clean.

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.



"Thou shalt cleanse a priest for a blessing of the just. 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 of

high value. Thou shalt cleanse the lord of a borough for the value of a

bull of high value. Thou shalt cleanse the master of a house for the

value of a cow three years old. Thou shalt cleanse the wife of the

master of a house for the value of a ploughing cow. Thou shalt cleanse a

menial for the value of a draught cow. Thou shalt cleanse a young child

for the value of a lamb. These are the heads of cattle--flocks or

herds--that the worshippers of Mazda shall give to the man who has

cleansed them, if they can afford it; if they cannot afford it, they

shall give him any other value that may make him leave their houses well

pleased with them, and free from anger. For if the man who has cleansed

them leave their houses displeased with them, and full of anger, then

the Drug Nasu enters them from the nose of the dead, from the eyes, from

the tongue, from the jaws, from the sexual organs, from the hinder

parts. And the Drug Nasu rushes upon them even to the end of the nails,

and they are unclean thenceforth forever 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. That man delights them, O

Spitama Zarathustra! who cleanses from the Nasu the man defiled by the

dead; 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."



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

the man defiled by the dead?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"The welfare of Paradise thou canst promise to that man, for his reward

in the other world."



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?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Say aloud those words in the Gathas that are to be said twice. Say

aloud those words in the Gathas that are to be said thrice. Say aloud

those words in the Gathas that are to be said four times. And the Drug

shall fly away like the well-darted arrow, like the felt of last year,

like the annual garment of the earth."



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, 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?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Then, O Spitama Zarathustra! the Drug Nasu appears to wax stronger than

she was before. Stronger then are sickness and death and the working of

the fiend than they were before."



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 cut the head

off his neck, and they shall give over his corpse unto the greediest of

the corpse-eating creatures made by the beneficent Spirit, unto the

vultures, with these words: 'The man here has repented of all his evil

thoughts, words, and deeds. 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 forever and ever.'"



Who is he, O Ahura Mazda! who threatens to take away fulness and

increase from the world, and to bring in sickness and death?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"It is the ungodly Ashemaogha, O Spitama Zarathustra! who in this

material world cleanses the unclean without knowing the rites of

cleansing according to the law of Mazda. 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."



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?



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 smitten to death on the spot, and the holy Sraosha of that

place has been offered up a sacrifice for three days and three nights,

with fire blazing, with Baresma tied up, and with Haoma prepared. 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."