style="font-size:15px;"> "They are six in number, O holy 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 Nabânazdistas 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 Nabânazdistas 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 Nabânazdistas 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 Nabânazdistas 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 Nabânazdistas 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 Nabânazdistas 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 Aspahê-astra, three hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Aspahê-astra, six hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Aspahê-astra, seven hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Aspahê-astra, eight hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Aspahê-astra, nine hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Aspahê-astra, a thousand stripes with the Sraoshô-karana."
If a man rise up with a weapon in his hand, it is an Âgerepta. 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 Peshôtanu.
O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! He that committeth an Âgerepta, what penalty shall he pay?
Ahura Mazda answered:—
"Five stripes with the Aspahê-astra, five stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the second Âgerepta, ten stripes with the Aspahê-astra, ten stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the third, fifteen stripes with the Aspahê-astra, fifteen stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the fourth, thirty stripes with the Aspahê-astra, thirty stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the fifth, fifty stripes with the Aspahê-astra, fifty stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the sixth, sixty stripes with the Aspahê-astra, sixty stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the seventh, ninety stripes with the Aspahê-astra, ninety stripes with the Sraoshô-karana."
If a man commit an Âgerepta for the eighth time, without having atoned for the preceding, what penalty shall he pay?
Ahura Mazda answered:—
"He is a Peshôtanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, two hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-karana."
If a man commit an Âgerepta, and refuse to atone for it, what penalty shall he pay?
Ahura Mazda answered:—
"He is a Peshôtanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, two hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Aspahê-astra, ten stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the second Avaoirista, fifteen stripes with the Aspahê-astra, fifteen stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the third, thirty stripes with the Aspahê-astra, thirty stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the fourth, fifty stripes with the Aspahê-astra, fifty stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the fifth, seventy stripes with the Aspahê-astra, seventy stripes with the Sraoshô-karana; on the sixth, ninety stripes with the Aspahê-astra, ninety stripes with the Sraoshô-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 Peshôtanu: two hundred stripes with the Aspahê-astra, two hundred stripes with the Sraoshô-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
