III. THE MEANING OF KHVŹTŪK-DAS OR KHVŹTŪDĀD.
THAT the term Khvźtūk-das is applied to marriages between
kinsfolk is admitted by the Parsis, but they consider that such
marriages were never contracted by their ancestors within the first
degree of relationship, because they are not so permitted among
themselves at the present day. Any statements of Greek, or other
foreign, writers, regarding the marriage of Persians with their
mothers, sisters, or daughters, they believe to be simply calumnies
due to ignorance, which it is discreditable to Europeans to quote
1. Such statements,
they consider, may have referred to the practices of certain heretical
sects, but never to those of the orthodox faith.
The Parsis are, no doubt, fully justified in receiving the
statements of foreign writers, regarding the customs of their
ancestors, with proper caution; a caution which is quite as necessary
when the statements are agreeable as when they are disagreeable to
present notions. The Greeks, especially, had such a thorough contempt
for all foreign customs that differed from their own, that they must
have found it quite as difficult to obtain correct information, or to
form an impartial opinion, about oriental habits as the average
European finds it at the present time. On the other hand, the Parsis
have to consider that the ancient Greek writers, whose statements they
repudiate, were neither priests nor zealots, whose accounts of
religious customs
p. 390
might be distorted by religious prejudices, but historians
accustomed to describe facts as impartially as their information and
nationality would permit. It is quite possible that these writers may
have assumed that such marriages were common among the Persians,
merely because they had sometimes occurred among the Persian rulers;
but such an assumption would be as erroneous as supposing that the
marriage practices of the Israelites were similar to those of their
most famous kings, David and Solomon, forgetting that an oriental
sovereign is usually considered to be above the law and not subject to
it.
Rejecting all statements of foreigners, as liable to suspicion,
unless confirmed by better evidence, it seems desirable to ascertain
what information can be obtained, on this subject, from the religious
books of the Parsis themselves. This matter has hitherto been too much
neglected by those best acquainted with the original texts, and must
be considered as only partially exhausted in the following pages.
The term Khvźtūk-das 1
is a Pahlavi transcription of the Avesta word hvaźtvadatha, 'a giving
of, to, or by, one's own,' and is sometimes partially translated into
the form Khvźtūk-das, or Khvźtūk-dad, in which the syllable dād,
'what is given, a gift,' is merely a translation of the syllable das
(Av. datha).
The Avesta word hvaźtvadatha is not found in any of the Gāthas,
or sacred hymns, that are still extant and are usually considered the
oldest portion
p. 391
of the Avesta. But its former component, hvaźtu, occurs several
times therein, with the meaning 'one's own, or kinsman,' as
distinguished from 'friends' and 'slaves.'
The earliest occurrence of the complete word is probably in Yas.
XIII, 28 1, where it
is mentioned as follows:--'I praise . . . . the righteous Hvaźtvadatha,
which is the greatest and best and most excellent of things that exist
and will exist, which is Ahurian and Zarathustrian.' This merely
implies that Hvaźtvadatha was a good work of much importance, which
is also shown by Visp. III, 18, Gāh IV, 8, and Vistāsp Yt. 17, where
the Hvaźtvadatha (meaning the man who has accomplished that good
work) is associated with youths who are specially righteous for other
reasons. But there is nothing in any of these passages to indicate the
nature of the good work.
In Vend. VIII, 35, 36 we are told that those who carry the dead
must afterwards wash their hair and bodies with the urine 'of cattle
or draught oxen, not of men or women, except the two who are Hvaźtvadatha
and Hvaźtvadathi,' that is, male and female performers of Hvaźtvadatha.
This passage, therefore, proves that the good work might be
accomplished by both men and women, but it does not absolutely imply
that it had any connection with marriage.
Turning to the Pahlavi translations of these passages we find the
transcription Khvźtūk-das, Khvźtūk-dat, or Khvźtūk-dasīh, with
explanations which add very little to our knowledge of the nature of
p. 392
the good work. Thus, Pahl. Yas. XI II, 28 merely states that it is
'declared about it that it is requisite to do it;' Pahl. Vistāsp Yt.
17 1 asserts that
'the duty of Khvźtūk-das is said to be the greatest good work in the
religion, that, owing to it, Aharman, the demon of demons, is becoming
hopeless, so that the dissolution of Khvźtūk-das is worthy of
death;' and Pahl. Vend. VIII, 36 speaks of 'the two who are a Khvźtūk-dat
man and woman 2,
that is, it is done by them.'
Another reference to Khvźtūk-das in the Pahlavi translations of
the Avesta occurs in Pahl. Yas. XLIV, 4, as follows:--'Thus I proclaim
in the world that [which he who is Aūharmazd made his own] best [Khvźtūk-das] 3.
By aid of righteousness Aūharmazd is aware, who created this one 4
[to perform
p. 393
[paragraph continues] Khvźtūk-das]. And through fatherhood Vohūman 1
was cultivated by him, [that is, for the sake of the proper nurture of
the creatures Khvźtūk-das was performed by him.] So she who is his
daughter is acting well, [who is the fully-mindful] Spendarmad 2,
[that is, she did not shrink from the act of Khvźtūk-das.] She 3
was not deceived, [that is, she did not shrink from the act of Khvźtūk-das,
because she is] an observer of everything [as regards that which is] Aūharmazd's,
[that is, through the religion of Aūharmazd she attains to all duty
and law.]' The allusions to Khvźtūk-das in this passage are mere
interpolations introduced by the Pahlavi translators, for the sake of
recommending the practice; they have no existence in the Avesta text,
but they show that the Pahlavi translators understood Khvźtūk-das to
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refer to such relationship as that of father and daughter, as will
appear more clearly from further allusions to the same circumstances
in passages to be quoted hereafter 1.
Regarding the age of the Pahlavi translation of the Yasna we only know
for certain that it existed in its present form a thousand years ago,
because a passage is quoted from it by Zād-sparam, brother of the
author of the Dādistān-ī Dīnīk and Epistles of Mānūskīhar, in
his Selections 2,
and we know that he was living in A.D. 881 3.
But it was probably revised for the last time as early as the reign of
Khūsrō Nōshirvān (A.D. 531-579), when the Pahlavi Vendidād was
also finally revised 4.
The Pahlavi versions of the lost Nasks must have been nearly of the
same age as those of the extant Avesta, but of the contents of these
versions we possess only certain statements of later writers.
According to some of the modern Persian statements the Dūbāsrūged
Nask contained many details about Khvźtūk-das, but this is
contradicted by the long account of its contents given in the eighth
book of the Dīnkard, which was written more than a thousand years ago 5,
and in which Khvźtūk-das is not once noticed. The practice is,
however, mentioned several times in the Dīnkard, as an important good
work noticed in the Nasks, but no details are given, except in the
following passages from the ninth book:--
First, regarding the latter part of the eighteenth fargard of the
Varastmānsar Nask:--'And this, too,
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that thereupon they shall excite a brother and sister with mutual
desire, so that they shall perform Khvźtūk-das with unanimity, and
before midday are generated a radiance which is sublime, centred in
the face, and peeping glances (vźnīkŏ Mils); and they make the
radiance, which is openly manifest, grow up in altitude the height of
three spears of a length of three reeds each 1;
and after midday they have learned expulsion (rānakīh 2),
and shall renounce the fiend who is before the destroyer.' This is
clearly an allusion to the Khvźtūk-das of brother and sister, as it
can hardly be considered as merely referring to the arrangement of
marriages between their children.
Second, regarding the earlier part of the fourteenth fargard of the
Bakō N ask:--'And this, too, that the performance of whatever would
be a causer of procreation for the doers of actions is extolled as the
perfect custom of the first Khvźtūk-das; because causing the
procreation of the doers of actions is the fatherhood of mankind, the
proper fatherhood of mankind is through the proper production of
progeny, the proper production of progeny is the cultivation of
progeny in one's own with the inclinations (khīmīhā) of a first
wish 3, and the
cultivation of progeny in one's own is Khvźtūk-das. And he who
extols the fatherhood of mankind, when it is a causer of the
procreation of the doers of actions, has also extolled Khvźtūk-das.
And this, too, that the proper nurture for the creatures, by him whose
wish is for
p. 396
virtue, has taught him to perform Khvźtūk-das. Virtue is its
virtue even for this reason, because, for the sake of maintaining a
creature with propriety, he reckons upon the proper disposition of the
multitude, that which is generated in the race by innumerable Khvźtūk-dases 1.
And this, too, that Spendarmad is taught as being in daughterhood to Aūharmazd
by him whose wisdom consists in complete mindfulness. Even on this
account, because wisdom and complete mindfulness 2
are within the limits of Aūharmazd and Spendarmad; wisdom is that
which is Aūharmazd's, complete mindfulness is that which is
Spendarmad's, and complete mindfulness is the progeny of wisdom, just
as Spendarmad is of Aūharmazd. And from this is expressly the
announcement that, by him who has connected complete mindfulness with
wisdom, Spendarmad is taught as being in daughterhood to Aūharmazd.
And this, too, the existence of the formation of that daughterhood, is
taught by him whose righteousness consists in complete mindfulness.'
This quotation merely shows that Khvźtūk-das referred to connections
between near relations, but whether the subsequent allusions to the
daughterhood of Spendarmad had reference to the Khvźtūk-das of
father and daughter is less certain than in the case of Pahl. Yas.
XLIV, 4, previously quoted 3.
Third, regarding the middle of the twenty-first
p. 397
fargard of the Bakō Nask:--'And this, too, that a daughter is
given in marriage (nźsmanīh) to a father, even so as a woman to
another man, by him who teaches the daughter and the other woman the
reverence due unto father and husband.' The reference here to the
marriage of father and daughter is too clear to admit of mistake,
though the term Khvźtūk-das is not mentioned.
Next in age to the Pahlavi versions of the Avesta we ought perhaps
to place the Book of Ardā-Vīrāf, because we are told (AV. I, 35),
regarding Vīrāf, that 'there are some who call him by the name of
Nikhshahpūr,' and this may have been the celebrated commentator of
that name, who was a councillor of king Khūsrō Nōshirvān 1,
so that we cannot safely assume that this book was written earlier
than the end of the sixth century. It gives an account of heaven and
hell, which Ardā-Vīrāf is supposed to have visited during the
period of a week, while he seemed to be in a trance. In the second
grade of heaven, counting upwards, he found the souls of those who had
'performed no ceremonies, chanted no sacred hymns, and practised no
Khvźtūk-das,' but had come there 'through other good works;' and it
may be noted that the two upper grades of heaven appear to have been
reserved for good sovereigns, chieftains, high-priests, and others
specially famous. In hell, also, he saw the soul of a woman suffering
grievous punishment because she had 'violated Khvźtūk-das;' but this
passage occurs in one MS. only. We are also told (AV. II, 1-3, 7-10)
that 'Vīrāf had seven sisters, and all 2
those seven sisters
p. 398
were as wives of Vīrāf; revelation, also, was easy to them, and
the ritual had been performed . . . . they stood up and bowed, and
spoke thus: "Do not this thing, ye Mazda-worshippers! for we are
seven sisters, and he is an only brother, and we are, all seven
sisters, as wives 1
of that brother."' This passage, supposing that it really refers
to marriage, seems to attribute an exaggerated form of the Khvźtūk-das
of brother and sister to Vīrāf, as a proof of his extraordinary
sanctity; but it can hardly be considered as a literal statement of
facts, any more than the supposed case of a woman having married seven
brothers successively, mentioned in Mark xii. 20-22. Luke xx. 29-32.
In another Pahlavi book of about the same age, which is best known
by its Pāzand name, Mainyō-i Khard 2,
we find Khvźtūk-das placed second among
p. 399
seven classes of good works (Mkh. IV, 4), and ninth among
thirty-three classes of the same (Mkh. XXXVII, 12); and the
dissolution of Khvźtūk-das is mentioned as the fourth in point of
heinousness among thirty classes of sin (Mkh. XXXVI, 7).
In the Bahman Yast, which may have existed in its original Pahlavi
form before the Muhammadan conquest of Persia 1,
it is stated that, even in the perplexing time of foreign conquest,
the righteous man 'continues the religious practice of Khvźtūk-das
in his family 2.'
The third book of the Dīnkard, which appears to have been compiled
by the last editor 3
of that work, contains a long defence of the practice of Khvźtūk-das,
forming its eighty-second 4
chapter, which may be translated as follows:--
'On a grave attack (hū-girāyisnŏ) of a Jew upon
p. 400
a priest, which was owing to asking the reason of the custom (āhankŏ)
as to Khvźtūk-das; and the reply of the priest to him from the
exposition of the Mazda-worshipping religion.
'That is, as one complaining about wounds, damage, and distress
comes on, it is lawful to dispute with him in defence begirt with
legal opinion (dādistānŏ parvand), and the consummation of the
accusation of an innocent man is averted; so of the creatures, the
invisible connection of their own power to fellow-creations and their
own race, through the propitiousness of the protection and preserving
influence of the sacred beings, is a girdle, and the consummation of
the mutual assistance of men is Khvźtūk-das. The name is Khvźtūk-das,
which is used when it is "a giving of one's own" (khvźs-dahisnīh),
and its office (gās) is a strong connection with one's own race and
fellow-creations, through the protection and preserving influence of
the sacred beings, which is, according to the treatises, the union of
males and females of mankind of one's own race in preparation for, and
connection with, the renovation of the universe. That union, for the
sake of proceeding incalculably more correctly, is, among the
innumerable similar races of mankind, that with near kinsfolk (nabānazdistānŏ),
and, among near kinsfolk, that with those next of kin (nazd-padvandānŏ);
and the mutual connection of the three kinds of nearest of kin (nazd-padvandtar)--which
are father and daughter, so and she who bore him 1,
and brother and sister--is the most complete (avīrtar) that I have
considered.
p. 401
'On the same subject the exposition of the obscure statements of
the good religion, by a wise high-priest of the religion, is
this:--"I assert that God (yźdatŏ) is the being, as regards
the creatures, who created any of the creatures there are which are
male, and any there are which are female; and that which is male is a
son, and, similarly, a daughter is that which is female. The daughter
of himself, the father of all, was Spendarmad 1,
the earth, a female being of the creation; and from her he created the
male Gāyōmard 2,
which is explained as the name for him who was specially the first
man, since it is Gāyōmard living who is speaking and mortal, a
limitation which was specially his, because of these three
words--which are 'living, speaking, and mortal'--two of the
limitations, which are 'living and speaking,' were through the
provision of his father, the creator, and one, which is 'mortal,' was
proceeding from the destroyer; the same limitation is upon all
mankind, who are connected with that man's lineage, until the
renovation of the universe. And now I say, if the aid of the father
has produced a male from the daughter, it is named a Khvźtūk-das of
father and daughter 3."
'This, too, is from the exposition of the religion, that the semen
of Gāyōmard--which is called seed--when he passed away, fell to
Spendarmad 4, the
earth, which was his own mother; and, from its being united
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therewith, Mashya and Mashīyōī 1
were the son and daughter of Gāyōmard and Spendarmad, and it is
named the Khvźtūk-das of son and mother. And Mashya and Mashīyōī,
as male and female, practised the quest of offspring, one with the
other, and it is named the Khvźtūk-das of brother and sister. And
many couples were begotten by them, and the couples became continually 2
wife and husband 3;
and all men, who have been, are, and will be, are from origin the seed
of Khvźtūk-das. And this is the reason which is essential for its
fulfilment by law, that where its contemplation (andāgisnŏ)
exists it is manifest from the increase of the people of all regions,
'And I assert that the demons are enemies of man, and a
non-existence of desire for them consists in striving for it when Khvźtūk-das
is practised; it then becomes their 4
reminder of that original practice of contemplation which is the
complete gratitude of men, and has become his 5
who is inimical to them. Grievous fear, distress, and anguish also
come upon them, their power diminishes, and they less understand the
purpose of causing the disturbance and ruin of men. And it is certain
that making the demons distressed, suffering, frightened, and weakened
is thus a good work, and this way of having reward and of recompense
is the property of the practisers of such good works.
'And I assert that the goodness of appearance and growth of body,
the display of wisdom, temper,
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and modesty, the excellence of skill and strength, and also the
other qualities of children are so much the more as they are nearer to
the original race of the begetter, and they shall receive them more
perfectly and more gladly. An example is seen in those who spring from
a religious woman who is gentle, believing the spiritual existence,
acting modestly, of scanty strength, who is a forgiver and
reverential, and from a mail-clad (gapar) warrior of worldly religion,
who is large-bodied and possessing strength which is stimulating (āgār)
his stout heart while he begets. They 1
are not completely for war--which is a continuance of lamentation (nās-ravandīh)--and
not for carefulness and affection for the soul; as from the dog and
wolf--and not the ruin (seg) of the sheep--arises the fox, like the
wolf, but not with the strength of the wolf like the dog, and it does
not even possess its perfect shape, nor that of the dog. And they are
like those which are born from a swift Arab horse and a native dam,
and are not galloping like the Arab, and not kicking (padāyak) like
the native. And they have not even the same perfect characteristics
2, just as the mule
that springs from, the horse and the ass, which is not like unto
either' of them, and even its seed is cut off thereby, and its lineage
is not propagated forwards.
'And this is the advantage from the pure preservation of race. I
assert that there are three 3
species
p. 404
[paragraph continues] (vāg) and kinds of affection of sister and
brother for that which shall be born of them:--one is this, where it
is the offspring of brother and brother; one is this, where the
offspring is that of 1
brothers 2 and their
sister; and one is this, where it is the offspring of sisters 3.
And as to the one of these where the offspring is that of 4
a brother, and for the same reason as applies to all three 5
species of them, the love, desire, and effort, which arise for the
nurture of offspring of the three species, are in hope of benefit. And
equally adapted are the offspring to the procreators; and this is the
way of the increasing love of children, through the good nurture which
is very hopeful.
'And so, also, are those who are born of father and daughter, or
son and mother. Light flashed forth (gastŏ) or unflashed (aparvākhtŏ)
is always seen at the time when it is much exposed, and pleased is he
who has a child of his child, even when it is from some one of a
different race and different
p. 405
country. That, too, has then become much delight (vāyag) which is
expedient, that pleasure, sweet ness, and joy which are owing to a son
that a man begets from a daughter of his own, who is also a brother of
that same mother; and he who is born of a son and mother is also a
brother of that same father; this is a way of much pleasure, which is
a blessing of the joy, and no harm is therein ordained that is more
than the advantage, and no vice that is more than the well-doing (khūp
gār). And if it be said that it is of evil appearance, it should be
observed that when 1
a wound occurs in the sexual part of a mother, or sister, or daughter,
and she flees (fravźd) from a medical man, and there is no
opportunity for him to apply a seton (palītŏ), and her father,
or son, or brother is instructed in similar surgery, which is more
evil in appearance, when they touch the part with the hand, and apply
a seton, or when a strange man does so?
'And, when it is desirable to effect their union, which is the less
remarkable (kam hū-zanākhīktar) in evil appearance, when they are
united (hamdvādī-hźnd) by them in secret, such as when the hearing
of their written contract (nipistŏ) of wifehood and husbandhood 2
is accomplished in the background (dar pūstŏ), or when the sound
of drums and trumpets acquaints the whole district, where
p. 406
these people are renowned, that such an Arūman 1
intends to effect such a purpose with the daughter, sister, or mother
of such a Pārsī man?
'On this account of less evil appearance is even the good
appearance which is to be mutually practised; and after the mode is
seen, even the advantageousness in the accomplishment of the daily
duty of concealing disgrace, the mutual desire, the mutual advantage
and harm, and the contentment which arise as to whatever has happened
are also mutual assistance. Some, with a husband and
faint-heartedness, have a disposition (sānŏ) of incapability,
and the diligence which is in their reverence of the husband, who is
ruler of the family (būnag shah), is due even to the supremacy which
he would set over them through the severity of a husband. Very many
others, too, who are strange women, are not content with a custom (vag)
of this description; for they demand even ornaments to cover and
clothe the bold and active ones, and slaves, dyes, perfumes, extensive
preparations, and many other things of house-mistresses which are
according to their desire, though it is not possible they should
receive them. And, if it be not possible, they would not accept
retrenchment; and, if they should not accept retrenchment, it hurries
on brawling, abuse, and ugly words about this, and even uninterrupted
falsehood (avisistak-ik zūr) is diffused as regards it; of the
secrets, moreover, which they conceal they preserve night and day a
bad representation, and unobservantly. They shall take the bad wife to
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the house of her father and mother, the husband is dragged to the
judges, and they shall form a district assembly (shatrō angźzŏ)
about it. And lest he should speak thus: "I will release her from
wifehood with me 1,"
vice and fraud of many kinds and the misery of deformity are the
faults which are also secretly attributed to him.
'A wife of those three classes 2
is to be provided, since they would not do even one of these things 3;
on which account, even through advantageousness, virtuous living,
precious abundance, dignity, and innocence, mutual labour is
manifestly mighty and strong.
'And if it be said that, "with all this which you explain,
there is also, afterwards, a depravity (darvakh) which is
hideous," it should be understood in the mind that hideousness
and beauteousness are specially those things which do not exist in
themselves, but through some one's habit of taking up an opinion and
belief. The hideous children of many are in the ideas of procreation
exceedingly handsome, and the handsome forms of many are in the ideas
of a housekeeper (khānŏpānŏ) exceedingly ugly. We consider
him also as one of our enemies when any one walks naked in the
country, which you consider hideous; but the naked skins of
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the country call him handsome whose garments, which seem to them
hideous, have fallen off. And we are they in whose ideas a nose level
with the face is ugly, but they who account a prominent nose ugly, and
say it is a walling that reaches between the two eyes, remain
selecting a handsome one 1.
And concerning handsomeness and ugliness in themselves, which are only
through having taken up an opinion and belief, there is a change even
through time and place; for any one of the ancients whose head was
shaved was as it were ugly, and it was so settled by law that it was a
sin worthy of death for them 2;
then its habits (sānŏ) did not direct the customs of the country
to shave the head of a man, but now there is a sage who has considered
it as handsome and even a good work. Whoever is not clear that it is
hideous is to think, about something threatening (girāī), that it is
even so not in itself, but through what is taken into themselves they
consider that it is hideous.
'Then for us the good work of that thing 3,
of which it is cognizable that it is so ordained by the creator, has
its recompense; it is the protector of the race, and the family is
more perfect; its nature
p. 409
is without vexation (apīzār) and gathering affection, an
advantage to the child--the lineage being exalted--gathering (avarkūn)
hope, offspring, and pleasure it is sweetness to the procreator, and
the joy is most complete; less is the harm and more the advantage,
little the pretence and much the skill of the graceful blandishments (nāzānŏ)
which are apparent, aiding and procuring assistance (bangisnŏ),
averting disaster, and conducting affairs; less is the fear, through
itself is itself illustrious, and the steadfast shall abandon crime (kam).
And all our fathers and grandfathers, by whom the same practice was
lawfully cherished, maintained it handsomely in their homes; and to
think of mankind only as regards some assistance is the enlightenment
of the steadfast, a reason which is exhibiting the evidence of wisdom,
that no practice of it 1
is not expedient.
'And if it be said that the law 2
has afterwards commanded as regards that custom thus: "Ye shall
not practise it!" every one who is cognizant of that command is
to consider it current; but we are not cognizant of that command, and
by an intelligent person (khapārvārakŏ) this should also be
seen minutely, through correct observation, that all the knowledge of
men has arisen from Khvźtūk-das. For knowledge is generated by the
union of instinctive wisdom and acquired wisdom 3;
instinctive wisdom is the female, and acquired wisdom the male; and on
this account, since both are an achievement by the creator, they are
sister and brother. And
p. 410
also of everything worldly the existence, maturing, and arrangement
are due to union in proportion; water, which is female, and fire,
which is male 1, are
accounted sister and brother in combination, and they seem as though
one restrains them from Khvźtūk-das, unless, through being
dissipated themselves 2,
seed--which is progeny--arises therefrom; and owing to a mutual
proportionableness of water and fire is the power in the brain, for if
the water be more it rots it away, and if the fire be more it burns it
away.'
This elaborate defence of Khvźtūk-das shows clearly that, at the
time it was written (about a thousand years ago), that custom was
understood to include actual marriages between the nearest relatives,
although those between first cousins appear to be also referred to.
In the 195th 3
chapter of the third book of the Dīnkard we are told that the eighth
of the ten admonitions, delivered to mankind by Zaratūst, was
this:--'For the sake of much terrifying of the demons, and much
lodgment of the blessing of the holy 4
in one's body, Khvźtūk-das is to be practised.'
And the following chapter informs us, that 'opposed to that
admonition of the righteous Zaratūst, of practising Khvźtūk-das for
the sake of much terrifying
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of the demons from the body of man, and the lodgment of the
blessing of the holy in the body, the wicked wizard Akhtŏ 1,
the enemy of the good man on account of the perplexing living which
would arise from his practising Khvźtūk-das, preferred not
practising Khvźtūk-das.'
The practice is also mentioned in the 287th chapter of the same
book, in the following passage:--'The welfare of the aggregate of
one's own limb-formations--those which exist through no labour of
one's own, and have not come to the aid of those not possessing them (anafsmanān)
owing to their own want of gratitude--even one of a previous formation
has to eulogize suitably; and this which has come, completely
establishing (spōr-nih) the Avesta, one calls equally splendid, by
the most modestly comprehensive appellation of Khvźtūk-das.'
In the sixth book of the Dīnkard, which professes to be a summary
of the opinions of those of the primitive faith 2,
we are told that, 'when the good work of Khvźtūk-das shall diminish,
darkness will increase and light will diminish.'
In the seventh book of the Dīnkard, which relates the marvels of
the Mazda-worshipping religion, we are informed that it was 'recounted
how--Gāyōmard 3
having passed away--it was declared secondly, as regards worldly
beings, to Masyź and Masyāōź 4,
the first progeny of Gāyōmard, by the word of Aūharmazd--that is,
he spoke to them when they
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were produced by him--thus: "You are the men I produce, you
are the parents of all bodily life, and so you men shall not worship
the demons, for the possession of complete mindfulness 1
has been perfectly supplied to you by me, so that you may quite
full-mindfully observe duty and decrees." And the creativeness of
Aūharmazd was extolled by them, and they advanced in diligence; they
also performed the will of the creator, they carved (parkāvīnīdŏ)
advantage out of the many duties of the world, and practised Khvźtūk-das
through procreation and the union and complete progress of the
creations in the world, which are the best good works of mankind.'
The following passage also occurs in the same book:--'Then Zaratūst,
on becoming exalted, called out unto the material world of
righteousness to extol righteousness and downcast are the demons; and,
"homage being the Mazda-worship of Zaratūst, the ceremonial and
praise of the archangels are the best for you, I assert; and, as to
deprecation (ayazisnīh) of the demons, Khvźtūk-das is even the best
intimation, so that, from the information which is given as to the
trustworthiness of a good work, the greatest is the most intimate of
them, those of father and daughter, son and she who bore him 2,
and brother and sister."It is declared that, upon those words,
innumerable demon-worshipping Kīks and Karaps 3
disputed (sārisidŏ) with Zaratūst and strove for his death,
just like this which revelation states:--"It is then the
multitude clamoured (mar barā vīrād) who are in the vicinity of the
seat of Tūr, the
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well-afflicting 1
holder of decision; and the shame of the brother of Tūr arose, like
that of a man whose shame was that they spoke of his Khvźtūk-das so
that he might perform it. This Tūr was Tūr-ī Aūrvāītā-sang 2,
the little-giving, who was like a great sovereign of that quarter; and
he maintained many troops and much power. And the multitude told him
they would seize the great one from him who is little 3.
But Tūr-ī Aūrvāītā-sang, the little-giving and well-afflicting,
spoke thus:--'Should I thereupon smite him, this great one who mingles
together those propitious words for us--where we are thus without
doubt as to one thing therein, such as Khvźtūk-das, that it is not
necessary to perform it--it would make us ever doubtful that it might
be necessary to perform it.' . . . . And Zaratūst spoke to him thus:
'I am not always that reserved speaker, by whom that I have mentioned
is the most propitious thing to be obtained; and inward speaking and
managing the temper are a Khvźtūk-das 4,
and the high-priest who has performed it is to perform the
ceremonial.'"' This passage attributes to Zaratūst himself the
enforcement of next-of-kin marriage, but it is hardly necessary to
point out that the Dīnkard only records a tradition to that effect;
which
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record may be quoted as evidence of the former existence of such a
tradition, but not as testimony for its truth. It is also worthy of
notice that this tradition clearly shows that such marriages were
distasteful to the people in general but this might naturally be
inferred from the efforts made by religious writers to assert the
extraordinary merit of Khvźtūk-das, because customs which are
popular and universal require no such special recommendation from the
priesthood.
In the Dādistān-ī Dīnīk (XXXVII, 82, LXIV, 6, LXV, 2, LXXVII,
4, 5) allusions are made to the Khvźtūdād 1
of brother and sister, formed by the progenitors of mankind. We are
also told that Khvźtūdād is to be practised till the end of the
world, and that to occasion it among others is an effectual atonement
for heinous sin 2
(Dd. LXXVII, 6, 7, LXXVIII, 19); but it is not certain that the term
is applied in these latter passages to marriages between the nearest
relatives.
For later particulars about Khvźtūk-das we have to descend to the
darkest ages of Mazda-worship, those in which the Rivāyats, or
records of religious legends, customs, and decisions, began to be
compiled. Of the earlier Rivāyats, such as the Shāyast Lā-shāyast
and Vigirkard-ī Dīnīk, which were written in Pahlavi, few remain
extant; but the later ones, written in Persian, are more numerous and
very voluminous.
A Pahlavi Rivāyat, which precedes the Dādistān-ī Dīnīk in
many MSS. of that work, devotes several
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pages to the subject of Khvźtūdād, which fully confirm the
statements of the defender of the practice, quoted above from the Dīnkard
(III, lxxxii). The age of this Pahlavi Rivāyat is quite uncertain; it
is found in MSS. written in the sixteenth century, but, as it does not
mention the marriage of first cousins, it was probably compiled at a
much earlier period, more especially as it is written in fairly
grammatical Pahlavi. The following extracts will be sufficient to show
how far it confirms the statements of the Dīnkard:--
'Of the good works of an infidel this is the greatest, when he
comes out from the habit of infidelity into the good religion; and of
one of the good religion, remaining backward (akhar-mān) at the time
when his ritual is performed, this is a great good work, when he
performs a Khvźtūdād; for through that Khvźtūdād, which is so
valuable a token of Mazda-worship, is the destruction of demons. And
of Aūharmazd it is declared, as regards the performance of Khvźtūdād,
that, when Zaratūst sat before Aūharmazd 1,
and Vohūman, Ardavahist, Shatvaīrō, Horvadad, Amerōdad, and
Spendarmad 2 sat
around Aūharmazd, and Spendarmad sat by his side, she had also laid a
hand on his neck, and Zaratūst asked Aūharmazd about it thus:
"Who is this that sits beside thee, and thou wouldst be such a
friend to her, and she also would be such a friend to thee? Thou, who
art Aūharmazd, turnest not thy eyes away from her, and she turns not
away
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from thee; thou, who art Aūharmazd, dost not release her from thy
hand, and she does not release thee from her hand 1."
And Aūharmazd said: "This is Spendarmad, who is my daughter, the
house-mistress of my heaven, and mother of the creatures 2."
Zaratūst spoke thus: "When they say, in the world, this is a
very perplexing thing, how is it proclaimed by thee--thee who art Aūharmazd--for
thee thyself?" Aūharmazd spoke thus: "O Zaratūst! this
should have become the best-enjoyed thing of mankind. When, since my
original creation, Māharīyā and Māharīyāōīh 3
had performed it, you, also, should have performed it; because
although mankind have turned away from that thing 4,
yet they should not have turned away. Just as Māharīyā and Māharīyāōīh
had performed Khvźtūdād, mankind should have performed it, and all
mankind would have known their own lineage and race, and a brother
would never be deserted by the affection of his brother, nor a sister
by that of her sister. For all nothingness, emptiness 5,
and drought have come unto mankind from the deadly one (mar), when men
have come to them from a different country, from a different town, or
from a different district, and have married their women; and when they
shall have carried away their women, and they have
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wailed together about this, thus: 'They will always carry our
daughters into perversion 1.'"
'This, too, is said, that Khvźtūdād is so miraculous that it is
the preservation of the most grievous sin--such as witchcraft and that
worthy of death--from hell. And the want of protection (avīpāharīh)
from hell of one unprotected from Aharman and the demons arises at
that time when, owing to what occurs when he is begged by some one to
exercise witchcraft, he is made worthy of death. And when they shall
perform Khvźtūdād, when the Khvźtūdād is owing to him 2,
the unprotected one is preserved from the prison of hell, from Aharman
and the demons; so miraculous is Khvźtūdād.
'In a passage it is declared, that Aūharmazd spoke unto Zaratūst
thus: "These are the best four things: the ceremonial worship of
Aūharmazd, the lord; presenting firewood, incense, and holy-water to
the fire; propitiating a righteous man 3;
and one who performs Khvźtūdād with her who bore him, or a
daughter, or with a sister. And of all those he is the greatest, best,
and most perfect who shall perform Khvźtūdād. . . . When Sōshāns
comes 4 all mankind
will perform Khvźtūdād, and every fiend will perish through the
miracle and power of Khvźtūdād.'
It is then explained why the several merits of the
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three classes of Khvźtūdād are considered to stand in the same
order as that in which the classes are mentioned in the preceding
paragraph; also that the third class includes the case of half
brothers and sisters, and the second that of an illegitimate daughter.
After this we find the following legend:--
And Khvźtūdād is so miraculous, that it is declared, regarding
Yim 1, that, when
the glory of his sovereignty had departed from him, he went out to the
precincts (var) of the ocean with Yimak, his sister, in order to flee
from the people, demons, and witches of the assembly of Dahāk 2.
And they were sought by them in hell and not seen; and others sought
them among mankind, water, earth, and cattle, among trees, in the
mountains, and in the towns, but they were not seen by them. Then
Aharman shouted thus: "I think thus, that Yim is travelling in
the precincts of the ocean." And a demon and a witch, who stood
among them, spoke thus: "We will go and seek Yim." And they
rushed off and went; and when they came unto those precincts where Yim
was--the precincts where the water of Tīr 3
was--Yim spoke thus: "Who are
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you?" And they spoke thus: "We are those who are just
like thee, who had to flee from the hands of the demons; we, too, have
fled away from the demons, and we are alone. Do thou give this sister
in marriage to me, while I also give this one unto thee!" And Yim,
therefore, when the demons were not recognised by him from mankind,
made the witch his own wife, and gave his sister unto the demon as
wife. From Yim and that witch were born the bear, the ape, Gandarep 1,
and Gŏsūbar 2;
and from Yimak and that demon were born the tortoise (gasaf), the cat,
the hawk (gaving), the frog, the weevil (dīvakŏ), and also as
many more noxious creatures, until Yimak saw that that demon was evil,
and it was necessary to demand a divorce (zan-takā) from him. And one
day, when Yim and that demon had become drunk with wine, she exchanged
her own position and clothing with those of the witch; and when Yim
came he was drunk, and unwittingly lay with Yimak, who was his sister,
and they came to a decision as to the good work of Khvźtūdād; many
demons were quite crushed and died, and they rushed |
