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Contracts And Outrages

Books: Sacred Books Of The East

"He that does not restore a loan to the man who lent it, steals the

thing and robs the man. This he doeth every day, every night, as long as

he keep in his house his neighbor's property, as though it were his

own."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! How many in number are thy

contracts, O Ahura Mazda?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"They are six in number, O ho
y Zarathustra. The first is the

word-contract; the second is the hand-contract; the third is the

contract to the amount of a sheep; the fourth is the contract to the

amount of an ox; the fifth is the contract to the amount of a man; the

sixth is the contract to the amount of a field, a field in good land, a

fruitful one, in good bearing. The word-contract is fulfilled by words

of mouth. It is cancelled by the hand-contract; he shall give as damages

the amount of the hand-contract. The hand-contract is cancelled by the

sheep-contract; he shall give as damages the amount of the

sheep-contract. The sheep-contract is cancelled by the ox-contract; he

shall give as damages the amount of the ox-contract. The ox-contract is

cancelled by the man-contract; he shall give as damages the amount of

the man-contract. The man-contract is cancelled by the field-contract;

he shall give as damages the amount of the field-contract."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

word-contract, how many are involved in his sin?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"His sin makes his Nabanazdistas answerable for three hundred years."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

hand-contract, how many are involved in his sin?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"His sin makes his Nabanazdistas answerable for six hundred years."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

sheep-contract, how many are involved in his sin?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"His sin makes his Nabanazdistas answerable for seven hundred years."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

ox-contract, how many are involved in his sin?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"His sin makes his Nabanazdistas answerable for eight hundred years."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

man-contract, how many are involved in his sin?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"His sin makes his Nabanazdistas answerable for nine hundred years."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

field-contract, how many are involved in his sin?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"His sin makes his Nabanazdistas answerable for a thousand years."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

word-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Three hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, three hundred stripes with

the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

hand-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Six hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, six hundred stripes with the

Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

sheep-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Seven hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, seven hundred stripes with

the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

ox-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Eight hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, eight hundred stripes with

the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the



man-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Nine hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, nine hundred stripes with

the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man break the

field-contract, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"A thousand stripes with the Aspahe-astra, a thousand stripes with the

Sraosho-karana."



If a man rise up with a weapon in his hand, it is an Agerepta. If he

brandish it, it is an Avaoirista. If he actually smite a man with

malicious aforethought, it is an Aredus. Upon the fifth Aredus he

becomes a Peshotanu.



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! He that committeth an

Agerepta, what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Five stripes with the Aspahe-astra, five stripes with the

Sraosho-karana; on the second Agerepta, ten stripes with the

Aspahe-astra, ten stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the third, fifteen

stripes with the Aspahe-astra, fifteen stripes with the Sraosho-karana;

on the fourth, thirty stripes with the Aspahe-astra, thirty stripes with

the Sraosho-karana; on the fifth, fifty stripes with the Aspahe-astra,

fifty stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the sixth, sixty stripes with

the Aspahe-astra, sixty stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the seventh,

ninety stripes with the Aspahe-astra, ninety stripes with the

Sraosho-karana."



If a man commit an Agerepta for the eighth time, without having atoned

for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



If a man commit an Agerepta, and refuse to atone for it, what penalty

shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man commit an

Avaoirista, what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Ten stripes with the Aspahe-astra, ten stripes with the Sraosho-karana;

on the second Avaoirista, fifteen stripes with the Aspahe-astra, fifteen

stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the third, thirty stripes with the

Aspahe-astra, thirty stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the fourth,

fifty stripes with the Aspahe-astra, fifty stripes with the

Sraosho-karana; on the fifth, seventy stripes with the Aspahe-astra,

seventy stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the sixth, ninety stripes

with the Aspahe-astra, ninety stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man commit an

Avaoirista for the seventh time, without having atoned for the

preceding, what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man commit an

Avaoirista, and refuse to atone for it, what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man commit an Aredus,

what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Fifteen stripes with the Aspahe-astra, fifteen stripes with the

Sraosho-karana.



"On the second Aredus, thirty stripes with the Aspahe-astra, thirty

stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the third, fifty stripes with the

Aspahe-astra, fifty stripes with the Sraosho-karana; on the fourth,

seventy stripes with the Aspahe-astra, seventy stripes with the

Sraosho-karana; on the fifth, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-astra,

ninety stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man commit an Aredus

for the sixth time, without having atoned for the preceding, what

penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man commit an Aredus,

and refuse to atone for it, what penalty shall he pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another and

hurt him sorely, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Thirty stripes with the Aspahe-astra, thirty stripes with the

Sraosho-karana; the second time, fifty stripes with the Aspahe-astra,

fifty stripes with the Sraosho-karana; the third time, seventy stripes

with the Aspahe-astra, seventy stripes with the Sraosho-karana; the

fourth time, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-astra, ninety stripes with

the Sraosho-karana."



If a man commit that deed for the fifth time, without having atoned for

the preceding, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



If a man commit that deed and refuse to atone for it, what is the

penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another so

that the blood come, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Fifty stripes with the Aspahe-astra, fifty stripes with the

Sraosho-karana; the second time, seventy stripes with the Aspahe-astra,

seventy stripes with the Sraosho-karana; the third time, ninety stripes

with the Aspahe-astra, ninety stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



If he commit that deed for the fourth time, without having atoned for

the preceding, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another so

that the blood come, and if he refuse to atone for it, what is the

penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another so

that he break a bone, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Seventy stripes with the Aspahe-astra, seventy stripes with the

Sraosho-karana; the second time, ninety stripes with the Aspahe-astra,

ninety stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



If he commit that deed for the third time, without having atoned for the

preceding, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another so

that he break a bone, and if he refuse to atone for it, what is the

penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another so

that he give up the ghost, what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Ninety stripes with the Aspahe-astra, ninety stripes with the

Sraosho-karana."



If he commit that deed again, without having atoned for the preceding,

what is the penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! If a man smite another so

that he give up the ghost, and if he refuse to atone for it, what is the

penalty that he shall pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"He is a Peshotanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, two

hundred stripes with the Sraosho-karana.



"And they shall thenceforth in their doings walk after the way of

holiness, after the word of holiness, after the ordinance of holiness.



"If men of the same faith, either friends or brothers, come to an

agreement together, that one may obtain from the other either goods, or

a wife, or knowledge, let him who desires goods have them delivered to

him; let him who desires a wife receive and wed her; let him who desires

knowledge be taught the holy word, during the first part of the day and

the last, during the first part of the night and the last, that his mind

may be increased in intelligence and wax strong in holiness. So shall he

sit up, in devotion and prayers, that he may be increased in

intelligence: he shall rest during the middle part of the day, during

the middle part of the night, and thus shall he continue until he can

say all the words which former Aethra-paitis have said.



"Before the boiling water publicly prepared, O Spitama Zarathustra! let

no one make bold to deny having received from his neighbor the ox or the

garment in his possession.



"Verily I say it unto thee, O Spitama Zarathustra! the man who has a

wife is far above him who lives in continence; he who keeps a house is

far above him who has none; he who has children is far above the

childless man; he who has riches is far above him who has none. And of

two men, he who fills himself with meat receives in him Vohu Mano much

better than he who does not do so; the latter is all but dead; the

former is above him by the worth of an Asperena, by the worth of a

sheep, by the worth of an ox, by the worth of a man. This man can strive

against the onsets of Asto-vidhotu; he can strive against the

well-darted arrow; he can strive against the winter fiend, with thinnest

garment on; he can strive against the wicked tyrant and smite him on the

head; he can strive against the ungodly fasting Ashemaogha.



"On the very first time when that deed has been done, without waiting

until it is done again, down there the pain for that deed shall be as

hard as any in this world: even as if one should cut off the limbs from

his perishable body with knives of brass, or still worse; down there the

pain for that deed shall be as hard as any in this world: even as if one

should nail his perishable body with nails of brass, or still worse;

down there the pain for that deed shall be as hard as any in this world:

even as if one should by force throw his perishable body headlong down a

precipice a hundred times the height of a man, or still worse; down

there the pain for that deed shall be as hard as any in this world: even

as if one should by force impale his perishable body, or still worse;

down there the pain for this deed shall be as hard as any in this world:

to-wit, the deed of a man, who, knowingly lying, confronts the

brimstoned, golden, truth-knowing water with an appeal unto Rashnu and a

lie unto Mithra."



O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! He who, knowingly lying,

confronts the brimstoned, golden, truth-knowing water with an appeal

unto Rashnu and a lie unto Mithra, what is the penalty that he shall

pay?



Ahura Mazda answered:--



"Seven hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, seven hundred stripes with

the Sraosho-karana."



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