The Bundahishn ("Creation"), or Knowledge from the Zand

Translated by E. W. West, from Sacred Books of the East, volume 5, Oxford University Press, 1897.

CHAPTER 7.

1.

The second conflict was waged with the water, because, as the star Tishtar was in Cancer, the water which is in the subdivision they call Avrak was pouring, on the same day when the destroyer rushed in, and came again into notice for mischief (avarak) in the direction of the west. 2. For every single month is the owner of one constellation; the month Tir is the fourth month of the year, and Cancer the fourth constellation from Aries, so it is the owner of Cancer, into which Tishtar sprang, and displayed the characteristics of a producer of rain; and he brought on the water aloft by the strength of the wind. 3. Co-operators wlth Tishtar were Vohuman and the angel Hom, with the assistance of the angel Burj and the righteous guardian spirits in orderly arrangement.

4.

Tishtar was converted into three forms, the form of a man and the form of a horse and the form of a bull; thirty days and nights he was distinguished in brilliance, and in each form he produced rain ten days and nights; as the astrologers say that every constellation has three forms. 5. Every single drop of that rain became as big as a bowl, and the water stood the height of a man over the whole of this earth; and the noxious creatures on the earth being all killed by the rain, went into the holes of the earth.

6.

And, afterwards, the wind spirit, so that it may not be contaminated (gumikht), stirs up the wind and atmosphere as the life stirs in the body; and the water was all swept away by it, and was brought out to the borders of the earth, and the wide-formed ocean arose therefrom. 7. The noxious creatures remained dead within the earth, and their venom and stench were mingled with the earth, and in order to carry that poison away from the earth Tishtar went down into the ocean in the form of a white horse with long hoofs.

8.

And Apaosh, the demon, came meeting him in the likeness of a black horse with clumsy (kund) hoofs; a mile (parasang) away from him fled Tishtar, through the fright which drove him away. 9. And Tishtar begged for success from Ohrmazd, and Ohrmazd gave him strength and power, as it is said, that unto Tishtar was brought at once the strength of ten vigorous horses, ten vigorous camels, ten vigorous bulls, ten mountains, and ten rivers. 10. A mile away from him fled Apaosh, the demon, through fright at his strength; on account of this they speak of an arrow-shot with Tishtar's strength in the sense of a mile.

11.

Afterwards, with a cloud for a jar (khumb) -- thus they call the measure which was a means of the work -- he seized upon the water and made it rain most prodigiously, in drops like bull's heads and men's heads, pouring in handfuls and pouring in armfuls, both great and small. 12. On the production of that rain the demons Aspenjargak and Apaosh contended with it, and the fire Vazisht turned its club over; and owing to the blow of the club Aspenjargak made a very grievous noise, as even now, in a conflict with the producer of rain, a groaning and raging are manifest. 13. And ten nights and days rain was produced by him in that manner, and the poison and venom of the noxious creatures which were in the earth were all mixed up in the water, and the water became quite salt, because there remained in the earth some of those germs which noxious creatures ever collect.

14.

Afterwards, the wind, in the same manner as before, restrained the water, at the end of three days, on various sides of the earth; and the three great seas and twenty-three small seas arose therefrom, and two fountains (chashmak) of the sea thereby became manifest, one the Chechast lake, and one the Sovbar, whose sources are connected with the fountain of the sea. 15. And at its north side two rivers flowed out, and went one to the east and one to the west; they are the Arag river and the Veh river; as it is said thus: 'Through those finger-breadth tricklings do thou pour and draw forth two such waters, O Ohrmazd!' 16. Both those rivers wind about through all the extremities of the earth, and intermingle again with the water of the wide-formed ocean. 17. As those two rivers flowed out, and from the same place of origin as theirs, eighteen navigable rivers flowed out, and after the other waters have flowed out from those navigable streams they all flow back to the Arag river and Veh river, whose fertilization (khvapardarih) of the world arises therefrom.

CHAPTER 8.

0.

On the conflict which the evil spirit waged with the earth.

1.

As the evil spirit rushed in, the earth shook, and the substance of mountains was created in the earth. 2. First, Mount Alburz arose; afterwards, the other ranges of mountains (kofaniha) of the middle of the earth; for as Alburz grew forth all the mountains remained in motion, for they have all grown forth from the root of Alburz. 3. At that time they came up from the earth, like a tree which has grown up to the clouds and its root to the bottom; and their root passed on that way from one to the other, and they are arranged in mutual connection. 4. Afterwards, about that wonderful shaking out from the earth, they say that a great mountain is the knot of lands; and the passage for the waters within the mountains is the root which is below the mountains; they forsake the upper parts so that they may flow into it, just as the roots of trees pass into the earth; a counterpart (anguni-aitak) of the blood in the arteries of men, which gives strength to the whole body. 5. In numbers, apart from Alburz, all the mountains grew up out of the earth in eighteen years, from which arises the perfection of men's advantage.

CHAPTER 9.

1.

The conflict waged with plants was that when they became quite dry. 2. Amerodad the archangel, as the vegetation was his own, pounded the plants small, and mixed them up with the water which Tishtar seized, and Tishtar made that water rain down upon the whole earth. 3. On the whole earth plants grew up like hair upon the heads of men. 4. Ten thousand of them grew forth of one special description, for keeping away the ten thousand species of disease which the evil spirit produced for the creatures; and from those ten thousand, the 100,000 species of plants have grown forth.

5.

From that same germ of plants the tree of all germs was given forth, and grew up in the wide-formed ocean, from which the germs of all species of plants ever increased. 6. And near to that tree of all germs the Gokard tree was produced, for keeping away deformed (dushpad) decrepitude; and the full perfection of the world arose therefrom.

CHAPTER 10.

0.

On the conflict waged with the primeval ox.

1.

As it passed away, owing to the vegetable principle (chiharak) proceeding from every limb of the ox, fifty and five species of grain and twelve species of medicinal plants grew forth from the earth, and their splendour and strength were the seminal energy (tokhmih) of the ox. 2. Delivered to the moon station, that seed was thoroughly purified by the light of the moon, fully prepared in every way, and produced life in a body. 3. Thence arose two oxen, one male and one female; and, afterwards, two hundred and eighty-two species of each kind became manifest upon the earth. 4. The dwelling (manist) of the birds is in the air, and the fish are in the midst of the water.

CHAPTER 11.

1.

On the nature of the earth it says in revelation, that there are thirty and three kinds of land. 2. On the day when Tishtar produced the rain, when its seas arose therefrom, the whole place, half taken up by water, was converted into seven portions; this portion, as much as one-half, is the middle, and six portions are around; those six portions are together as much as Khvaniras. 3. The name keshvar ('zone or region') is also applied to them, and they existed side by side (kash kash); as on the east side of this portion (Khvaniras) is the Savah region, on the west is the Arzah region; the two portions on the south side are the Fradadafsh and Vidadafsh regions, the two portions on the north side are the Vorubarsht and Vorujarsst regions, and that in the middle is Khvaniras. 4. And Khvaniras has the sea, for one part of the wide-formed ocean wound about around it; and from Vorubarsht and Vorujarsht a lofty mountain grew up; so that it is not possible for any one to go from region to region.

5.

And of these seven regions every benefit was created most in Khvaniras, and the evil spirit also produced most for Khvaniras, on account of the superiority (sarih) which he saw in it. 6. For the Kayanians and heroes were created in Khvaniras; and the good religion of the Mazdayasnians was created in Khvaniras, and afterwards conveyed to the other regions; Soshyans is born in Khvaniras, who makes the evil spirit impotent, and causes the resurrection and future existence.

CHAPTER 12.

1.

On the nature of mountains it says in revelation, that, at first, the mountains have grown forth in eighteen years; and Alburz ever grew till the completion of eight hundred years; two hundred years up to the star station (payak), two hundred years to the moon station, two hundred years to the sun station, and two hundred years to the endless light. 2. While the other mountains have grown out of Alburz, in number 2244 mountains, and are Hugar the lofty, Terak of Alburz, Chakad-i Daitik, and the Arezur ridge, the Ausindom mountain, Mount Aparsen which they say is the mountain of Pars, Mount Zarid also which is Mount Manush, Mount Airach, Mount Kaf, Mount Vadges, Mount Aushdashtar, Mount Arezur-bum, Mount Royishn-homand, Mount Padashkhvargar which is the greatest in Khvarih, the mountain which they call Chino, Mount Revand, Mount Darspet the Bakyir mountain, Mount Kabed-shikaft, Mount Siyak-muimand, Mount Vafar-homand, Mount Spendyad and Kondrasp, Mount Asnavand and Kondras, Mount Sichidav, a mountain among those which are in Kangdez, of which they say that they are a comfort and delight of the good creator, the smaller hills.

3.

I will mention them also a second time; Alburz is around this earth and is connected with the sky. 4. The Terak of Alburz is that through which the stars, moon, and sun pass in, and through it they come back. 5. Hugar the lofty is that from which the water of Aredvivsur leaps down the height of a thousand men. 6. The Ausindom mountain is that which, being of ruby (khun-ahino), of the substance of the sky, is in the midst of the wide-formed oceanj so that its water, which is from Hugar, pours down into it (the ocean). 7. Chakad-i-Daitik ('the judicial peak') is that of the middle of the world, the height of a hundred men, on which the Cinwad bridge stands; and they take account of the soul at that place. 8. The Arezur ridge [of the Alburz mountain] is a summit at the gate of hell, where they always hold the concourse of the demons. 9. This also is said, that, excepting Alburz, the Aparsen mountain is the greatest; the Aparsen mountain they call the mountain of Pars, and its beginning is in Sagastan and its end in Khujistan. 10. Mount Manush is great; the mountain on which Manushchihar was born.

11.

The remaining mountains have chiefly grown from those; as it is said that the elevation (afsarih) of the districts had arisen most around those three mountains. 12. Mount Airach is in the middle from Hamadan to Khvarizem, and has grown from Mount Aparsen. 13. Mount [Chino], which is on its east, on the frontier of Turkistan, is connected also with Aparsen. 14. Mount Kaf has grown from the same Mount Aparsen. 15. Mount Aushdashtar is in Sagastan. 16. Mount Arezhur is that which is in the direction of Arum. 17. The Padash-khvargar mountain is that which is in Taparistan and the side of Gilan. 18. The Revand mountain is in Khurasan, on which the Burzin fire was established; and its name Revand means this, that it is glorious. 19. The Vadges mountain is that which is on the frontier of the Vadgesians; that quarter is full of timber and full of trees. 20. The Bakyir mountain is that which Frasiyav of Tur used as a stronghold, and he made his residence within it; and in the days of Yim a myriad towns and cities were erected on its pleasant and prosperous territory. 21. Mount Kabed-shikaft ('very rugged') is that in Pars, out of the same Mount Aparsen. 22. Mount Siyak-homand ('being black') and Mount Vafar-homand ('having snow'), as far as their Kavul borders, have grown out of it (Aparsen) towards the direction of Chino. 23. The Spendyad mountain is in the circuit (var) of Revand. 24. The Kondrasp mountain, on the summit of which is Lake Sovbar, is in the district (or by the town) of Tus. 25. The Kondras mountain is in Airan-vej. 26. The Asnavand 7 mountain is in Ataro-patakan. 27. The Royishn-homand ('having growth') mountain is that on which vegetation has grown.

28.

Whatever mountains are those which are in every place of the various districts and various countries, and cause the tillage and prosperity therein, are many in name and many in number, and have grown from these same mountains. 29. As Mount Ganavad, Mount Asparog, Mount Pahargar, Mount Dimavand, Mount Ravak, Mount Zarin, Mount Gesbakht, Mount Davad, Mount Mijin, and Mount Marak, which have all grown from Mount Aparsen, of which the other mountains are enumerated. 30. For the Davad mountain has grown into Khujistan likewise from the Aparsen mountain. 31. The Dimavand mountain is that in which Bevarasp is bound. 32. From the same Padashkh-vargar mountain unto Mount Kumish, which they call Mount Madofryad ('Come-to-help') -- that in which Vistasp routed Arjasp -- is Mount Miyan-i-dast ('mid-plain'), and was broken off from that mountain there. 33. They say, in the war of the religion, when there was confusion among the Iranians it broke off from that mountain, and slid down into the middle of the plain; the Iranians were saved by it, and it was called 'Come-to-help' by them. 34. The Ganavad mountain is likewise there, on the Ridge of Vishtasp (pusht-i Vishtaspan) at the abode of the Burzin-Mitro fire, nine leagues (parasang) to the west. 35. Ravak Bishan is in Zravakad; this place, some say, is Zravad, some call it Bishan, some Kalak; from this the road of two sides of the mountain is down the middle of a fortress; for this reason, that is, because it is there formed, they call Kalak a fortress; this place they also call within the land of Sarak. 36. Mount Asparog is established from the country of Lake Chechast unto Pars. 37. Pahargar ('the Pahar range') is in Khurasan. 38. Mount Marak is in Laran. 39. Mount Zarin is in Turkistan. 40. Mount Bakht-tan is in Spahan.

41.

The rest, apart from this enumeration, which they reckon as fostering hills of the country in the religion of the Mazdayasnians, are the small hills, those which have grown piecemeal in places.

CHAPTER 13.

1.

On the nature of seas it says in revelation, that the wide-formed ocean keeps one-third of this earth on the south side of the border of Alburz, and so wide-formed is the ocean that the water of a thousand lakes is held by it, such as the source Aredvivsur, which some say is the fountain lake. 2. Every particular lake is of a particular kind, some are great, and some are small; some are so large that a man with a horse might compass them around in forty days, which is 1700 leagues (parasang) in extent.

3.

Through the warmth and clearness of the water, purifying more than other waters, everything continually flows from the source Aredvivsur. 4. At the south of Mount Alburz a hundred thousand golden channels are there formed, and that water goes with warmth and clearness, tkrough the channels, on to Hugar the lofty; on the summit of that mountain is a lake; into that lake it flows, becomes quite purified, and comes back through a different golden channel. 5. At the height of a thousand men an open golden branch from that channel is. connected with Mount Ausindom amid the wide-formed ocean; from there one portion flows forth to the ocean for the purification of the sea, and one portion drizzles in moisture upon the whole of this earth, and all the creations of Ohrmazd acquire health from it, and it dispels the dryness of the atmosphere.

6.

Of the salt seas three are principal, and twenty-three are small. 7. Of the three which are principal, one is the Putik, one the Kamrud, and one the Shahi-bun. 8. Of all three the Putik is the largest, in which is a flow and ebb, on the same side as the wide-formed ocean, and it is joined to the wide-formed ocean. 9. Amid this wide-formed ocean, on the Putik side, it has a sea which they call the Gulf (var) of Sataves. 10. Thick and salt the stench wishes to go from the sea Putik to the wide-formed ocean with a mighty high wind therefrom, the Gulf of Sataves drives away whatever is stench, and whatever is pure and clean goes into the wide-formed ocean and the source Aredvivsur; and that flows back a second time to Putik. 11. The control of this sea (the Putik) is connected with the moon and wind; it comes again and goes down, in increase and decrease, because of her revolving. 12. The control also of the Gulf of Sataves is attached to the constellation Sataves; in whose protection are the seas of the southern quarter, just as those on the northern side are in the protection of Haptoring. 13. Concerning the flow and ebb it is said, that everywhere from the presence of the moon two winds continually blow, whose abode is in the Gulf of Sataves, one they call the down-draught, and one the up-draught; when the up-draught blows it is the flow, and when the down-draught blows it is the ebb. 14. In the other seas there is nothing of the nature of a revolution of the moon therein, and there are no flow and ebb. 15. The sea of Kamrud is that which they pass by, in the north, in Taparistan; that of Shahi-bun is in Arum.

16.

Of the small seas that which was most wholesome was the sea Kyansih, such as is in Sagastan; at first, noxious creatures, snakes, and lizards (vazagh) were not in it, and the water was sweeter than in any of the other seas; later (dadigar) it became salt; at the closest, on account of the stench, it is not possible to go so near as one league, so very great are the stench and saltness through the violence of the hot wind. 17. When the renovation of the universe occurs it will again become sweet.