Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE 24) · 36 of 187

Chapter XXXI

1. The sage asked the spirit of wisdom (2) thus: 'What is the business of the priests, warriors, and husbandmen, each separately?'

3. The spirit of wisdom answered (4) thus: 'The business of the priests is to maintain the religion properly; (5) and to perform the ceremonial and invocation of the sacred beings well and with attention, (6) and the decrees, decisions, custom, and control, as revealed by the pure, good religion of the Mazda-worshippers. 7. To make people aware of the goodness of good works; (8) and to show the way to heaven, and the danger and avoidance of hell.

9. 'The business of the warriors is to defeat the enemy; (10) and to keep their own country and land (bûm) unalarmed and tranquil.

11. 'And the business of the husbandmen is to perform tillage and cultivation; (12) and, to the extent of their ability, to keep the world invigorated and populous.'

67:5 The three classes which are often mentioned in the Avesta as constituting the Mazda-worshipping community. For their vices, see Chap. LIX.

68:1 L19 inserts 'to keep true.'

68:2 K43 has dâd dâdistân, 'decisions of the law;' but the repetition of the syllable dâd is probably a clerical blunder.

68:3 L19 omits va band, 'and control.'

68:4 L19 has 'aware of good works and sin.'

68:5 L19 has vîmand, 'frontier.'