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the demon of carrion, the greatest polluter of Ahura Mazdā’s world. NASU- (Av. nasao- f., nasuš- n.; MPers. nas; nasuš; nasrušt), the demon of carrion, the greatest polluter of Ahura Mazdā’s world. The most evil manifestation of the demons is the Nasu-/Nasuš, which attacks the body when it comes into contact with dead matter, especially human and animal dead bodies, with bleeding, notably menstruation, and in connection with the trimming of hair and nails. The affliction of corpses by Nasu-/Nasuš provided the basis for the Zoroastrian abhorrence of everything that is dead.…

a collection of 59 questions and answers in Avestan and Middle Persian relating to matters of Zoroastrian religion PURSIŠNĪHĀ (Questions), a collection of 59 questions and answers in Avestan and Middle Persian relating to matters of Zoroastrian religion. In support of the answers, the text includes fragmentary Avestan quotations, which are the main claim to fame of these questions. The title Pursišnīhā comes from the first word of the superscription in manuscript TD2. As in the case of many other Zoroastrian texts, there is no mention of the names of the …

a mythological figure in the Šāh-nāma and in the Bundahišn. In the Šāh-nāma, Katāyun is the daughter of the emperor of Rum who marries Goštāsp while he is in exile. A version of this article is available in print Volume XVI, Fascicle 2, pp. 121-122 KATĀYUN, a mythological figure in the Šāh-nāma of Ferdowsi and in the Bundahišn. In the Šāh-nāma (pp. 19-24), Katāyun is the daughter of the emperor of Rum, who marries Goštāsp while he is in exile. In the Bundahišn it is mentioned as the name of Ferēdun’s brother (TD₁, fol. 98r; Anklesaria, 35.10, p. 294). In the Bahman-nāma of Irānšāh, Katāyun/Kasā…

a demon in Zoroastrian literature; in the Avesta, Sraoša or Ātar is implored to cast it into hell; in Middle Persian books, it is the steed of the sorcerers. KUNDA(G) “drunkenness; delirium; sorcery” in Younger Avestan: kunda-; Middle Persian Kunda(g); Pāzand Kunī(d); Manichean Middle Persian Kūnī; and Sanskrit Kūnī-(deva). In Zoroastrian literature Kunda(g) is identified as a distinct demon ( dēw, q.v.). In the Avesta, Sraoša ( Vd. 19.41) or Ātar ( Vištāsp Yašt 26, Darmesteter, II, p. 672) is implored to cast the demon Kunda(g) into hell. In Middle Persian Zoroastrian books, Kunda…

a short Avestan text with Pahlavi translation; each Avestan sentence is followed by its Pahlavi translation and sometimes with additional explanatory glosses. VAEΘĀ , a short Avestan text with Pahlavi translation; each Avestan sentence is followed by its Pahlavi translation and sometimes with additional explanatory glosses. VaeΘā took its name from the first words of the text: vaeΘā daēniiå māzdaiiasnōiš ahurahē mazda mraōt̰ “the knowledge of the Mazdayasnian religion, Ahura Mazdā said.” The text represents a fragment of the Nikātom Nask (one of the dādīg “law-related” nasks; f…

a Pahlavi treatise of wisdom-literature genre; the story of an orphan of a priestly family who presents himself to the king of kings, Ḵosrow I or Ḵosrow II. ḴUSRAW Ī KAWĀDĀN UD RĒDAK-ĒW (Ḵosrow son of Kavād and the Page), a Pahlavi treatise of wisdom-literature genre. Contents. The treatise of Ḵusraw ī Kawādān ud rēdak-ēw is the story of an orphan of a priestly family who presents himself to the king of kings (Ḵosrow I, r. 531-579, or more probably Ḵosrow II, r. 590-628; see Monchi-Zadeh, 1982, p. 63). He first describes his lineage and his educati…

Bahrām Farahvaši was born into a family with a long tradition of literary and scholarly pursuits. His father, ʿAli Moḥammad Farahvaši (1875-1968), was one of the pioneers of education reform in the early 20th century and established modern schools in Tehran, Zanjan, and Azerbaijan. FARAHVAŠI, Bahrām (b. Urmia, Iran, 30 March 1925; d. San Jose, U.S.A., 29 May 1992; Figure 1), scholar and professor of ancient Iranian languages at the University of Tehran. Bahrām Farahvaši was born into a family with a long tradition of literary and scholarly pursuits. His father, ʿAli …

(The duty of children), a Pahlavi manual for Zoroastrian children regarding correct behavior. XWĒŠKĀRĪH Ī RĒDAGĀN (The duty of children), a Pahlavi manual for Zoroastrian children regarding correct behavior. Xwēškārīh ī rēdagān is a short text of wisdom literature genre (see Andarz and andarz literature in pre-Islamic Iran) and probably post-Sasanian in date. The text, which is only extant in a Pāzand version (E. K. Antia, Pâzend Texts, pp. 73-74), contains code of behavior and duties for children and schoolboys. The manuscript, written in the second part of th…