Pahlavi Texts, Part II: The Dâdistân-î Dînîk and the Epistles of Mânûskîhar

Introduction — General Remarks: Discusses Mânûskîhar’s identity, family, priestly authority, historical date, manuscript sources, translation method, and difficulties of Pahlavi interpretation. The Dâdistân-î Dînîk: Explains the nature of the work as a set of religious questions and answers concerning Zoroastrian doctrine, ritual, ethics, death, the soul, heaven, hell, resurrection, priests, ceremonies, inheritance, adoption, commerce, cosmology, and sin. The Epistles of Mânûskîhar: Presents the background of the epistles, especially the dispute with Zaḍ-sparam over purification ceremonies, the authority of tradition, and the enforcement of orthodox ritual practice. The Appendix: Introduces supplementary translations and explanations related to Keresasp, the Nirang-i Kustî, Khvetuk-das, the Bareshnum ceremony, and purification after finding a corpse. Dâdistân-î Dînîk: Contains religious decisions on righteous conduct, creation, good works, sin, death, corpse exposure, the soul’s journey, the Činvat bridge, heaven, hell, resurrection, ritual duties, priesthood, commerce, inheritance, adoption, cosmology, and moral transgression. Epistles of Mânûskîhar: Includes three epistles: the first to the people of Sirkān, the second to his brother Zaḍ-sparam, and the third to all Zoroastrians in Iran, forbidding the substitution of a fifteenfold washing for the Bareshnum ceremony.