These are the fore-races of Brahma: Gons, Shone, Gamma, This, Ram, Zerl, Mex, Shriv, Vat, Eun and Delta, each a thousand years. Of Gamma and Delta, in the upper country (Wa-wa-o-gan), were born Gu-sem and Hagu by Gamma; and by Delta: Yots, Rammus, Borgl, Otesiv and Riv. Gamma was of the fourth descent of Git-ow; and Delta the third descent of E‘wangga, I‘hins from the land of Jaffeth.
The ascending caste of light in the lower country (Ho-jon-da-tivi) was by Ram, first; then Zerl, I‘hin migrants from the land of Ham; then Shriv, then Vat, then Gons and Eun, the half-breed druks; then Shone, and then This.
Jehovih, Who was called Ormazd by the Brahmans, sent His light to the earth world once for every hundred generations. And the light fell upon His Sons, prepared from before their births by the angels of Ormazd. In the times before the submersion of Pan, each cycle was called one man, and the length of his life three thousand years.
But for the times after the flood, Ormazd commanded the nations of the earth to be rated as a man, and it was so. Ormazd said: So that man will not be confounded, you shall count Osiris with the generations that do not believe, except in the sun; but of the Zarathustrians, their number shall be those who survived in the darkness of his cycle.
Which were: Zarathustra from the races of Shone and This; and of Zarathustra, Haman; of Haman, Wonchakaka, who begot Zoar, who begot Theo, who begot Andassah, who begot Mur, who begot Romsat; these were tribes of the Zarathustrian order, who rejected idols, Lords, Gods, Saviors, kings, queens, and all other rulers on the earth or in the heavens above the earth, except Ormazd, the Creator. And had faith in Him that to do righteously, and practice good works, made the best, nearest perfect man.
The Light by the Voice was lost in the sixth hundredth year after Zarathustra, but regained in Romsat by the I‘hins, from whom came the tribe Lo-jon, who begot Thonegala-hogreif, who begot Subinij, and from him to Wowthutchi-subinij, which were forty-four generations, in which the Voice always came to the chief rab‘bah.
In Chusa-king the Voice was lost, but again restored by the I‘hins, whose heirs were called Wah-sin-chung, who begot Avar, who begot Irigavagna, who begot Ben-haoma, from whom was descended thirty generations, the chief rab‘bah of whom could hear the Voice.
Ben-haoma counted the Faithists of his day including men, women and children, and there were four thousand of them, and all other nations and tribes in Vind‘yu were idolaters.
Through the descendants of Romsat the Voice was again regained via the I‘hins, through a tribe called Shriviyata, who begot Them-saga, who begot Friavamargalum, who bred with the I‘hins and begot Thace, who begot with the I‘hins, Anu, who begot with the I‘hins, Maha, who begot with the I‘hins, Brah, who had both voice and power from the Father. And he was called Brahma because of his great wisdom.
The angels of Ormazd had prophesied, saying: Out of your seed shall come one called BRAHMA, who shall have su‘is with power. Things that were revealed in Zarathustra have been lost, but shall be recovered in Brahma.
Romsat had prophesied, moreover: With the coming of Brahma will come the end of the I‘hin race in Shem (Vind‘yu).
God spoke in kosmon, saying: Let no man say: The beginning of the doctrine of One Spirit began with Brahma, Abram, Po or Eawahtah. For since man walked upright on the earth, behold, I have said to him: You shall have only one God, even the Creator. And in the cycles of my times I have raised up many who have comprehended my words, but others constantly put away the I AM, and raise up idols instead.
But let all men understand who, and what, is meant by the terms, Po, Abram, Brahma and Eawahtah, which is, that though I walked the earth with these men, teaching and speaking through them, yet none of them was idolized by men. For the nations of the earth, in the time of these four men, comprehended that they were not Gods, but men through whom, and to whom, I, God, had spoken. ||
Brahma said: Do all men have stars? Behold, since my childhood, I have had a star above my forehead.
No man could answer Brahma. They said: Brahma is foolish, even with all his wisdom.
Brahma asked the star: Who are you?
God said: I am your star; I am the light of the second heavens.
Brahma asked: What is your name, O star, you mysterious light?
God said: Call me Ormazd; I am the same light that spoke to Zarathustra in his time.
Brahma asked: Who are you, O Ormazd, you voice of light?
God said: You shall commune with one only, even your Creator; you shall worship one only, even He Who made you alive.
Brahma said: Why have you taken up your abode above my head?
God said: Attain to be one with your Creator, in wisdom, goodness and purity, and you shall answer your own questions.
Then Brahma applied to the rab‘bah, the Zarathustrian priests, and he learned abnegation of self, and the rites and ceremonies of the ancients.
When Brahma was grown up, God said to him: Arise tomorrow, my son, and I will lead you into another country, where you shall marry, and settle down for a long season.
Brahma said: Peaceful have been my slumbers, and joyous my wakeful hours all my life. I have made labor a pleasure, and I give all I have to the poor, doing Your commandments with all my wisdom and strength.
From my youth up I have not killed any living creature of Yours that goes on the earth, or swims in the waters, or flies in the air. Nor have I eaten anything that had ever breathed the breath of life; and I have been most abstemious in plain food and water only, according to the Zarathustrian law. Hear me, O Ormazd; for I will open my soul to You, and hold nothing back. || Ormazd said: It is well.
Brahma said: Woe is me, if my soul turns toward woman! Was I not wed to You, O Ormazd? Was I not Your Bridegroom from my youth up?
Why, then, do You not protect me to Yourself? Ormazd said: In times past I raised up many an iesu, and they were without flesh desires all their days.
Such men could not perpetuate the earth; they were good for their day. Zarathustra was an iesu. My Light is now for those who can perpetuate. All things are possible in My hands. Do not grieve, nor smother out any talent I created with the pure in flesh.
Brahma said: If I love a woman, O Ormazd, might I not lose my love for You? Ormazd said: By faith in Me you shall triumph by the road I marked out for you, since before you were born. Arise, then, O Brahma, and follow your star. I will lead you.
Brahma said: Can there be another way other than by celibacy? Can a married man serve Ormazd?
So Brahma traveled, and came into the country of Etchoyosin, where lay the mountains of Talavitcha, under King Tyama, who had enforced the Zarathustrian religion with sword and spear, and with chains and death, being himself sole interpreter.
When Brahma came to Au‘watcha, he stopped to inquire the way to the high priest‘s house, so that he could be absolved for twenty days in Tyama‘s kingdom, according to law, paying the price as apportioned for strangers.
In answer to his summons, there came to the gate, the damsel Yu-tiv, fairest of women, draped, also, to go before the priest for confession. Brahma inquired of her concerning the priest and the tax. Yu-tiv informed him, and, moreover, said: I am going there, and shall be delighted to lead you to the place. So Brahma went with Yu-tiv, and when they were gone a little way she said to him: Where did you come from, and what is your mission? Perhaps I may serve you. Behold, I see a star above your head!
Brahma said: Do you see a star? Now I say to you, there is an old legend that the pure in heart, looking upward, often see their own paroda [soul, or bird –Ed.], and think it belongs to another. ||
Yes, I have a star, and the Voice of Ormazd comes to me at times. For some years I strove to be a priest, for I saw the wickedness of the world, and, too, the tyranny and tortures of the church (ha‘oke), and my soul cried out for the oppressed who had more faith in the Great Spirit than in the priests. And Ormazd came to me and said: Brahma, My son, forsake your studies, and take your broad-axe, and go and hew logs. Behold, I will come to you sometime later, and you shall bless the earth.
So I gave up my studies and became a hewer of wood, living abstemiously day and night, and praying and striving with all my soul and strength to purge myself of all earthly thoughts. So I grew, as you see, to be a large man of great strength. But, alas, evil overtook me; my soul desired a woman. And I cried out to Ormazd, saying: Why have You put this matter upon Your son? Lo, I strove to be wedded to You only; I shut my eyes to all the earth, but You have allowed me to fall. Rescue me, I pray.
Then Ormazd spoke to me, saying: Behold, I have revealed My word through those who have no earth desires; but that time is past. I will now prove to the nations of the earth that I have power in directing the flesh, so that heirs can be born to Me. Arise, therefore, and go where I will lead you, for you shall take a wife and raise up seven sons, and I will deliver My edifice, to liberty.
So I rose up and followed the light of my star; I have come this far, but how much farther I must go I do not know; but I will go to the end of the earth if Ormazd requires it of me.
Yu-tiv said: I pity you, O man! One so holy should never wed with woman. To win such a man‘s love, the best of women would forget her God! To bear you one child, let alone seven, a woman would cleave the earth in two. It would be like peopling the world with Gods and Goddesses.
O promise me, stranger, you will turn from such unholy desires. I do not know what moves me past all modesty to speak to you like this, but I speak truly before Ormazd, Creator of heaven and earth, that before you came to my father‘s gate a voice spoke in my ear, saying: Quickly, put on your robes for confession, and hasten to the priest.
I tell you, O man, to save you, the angels of Ormazd came to me. It is true that two can see more than one.
Brahma said: Who are you, O woman? Yu-tiv said: A weaver of mats; no more. My father lives in that thatch over there; my mother‘s soul ascended to heaven, giving me birth. She was of the I‘hins. My father and I have been driven from place to place; all the ills of earth are written on my soul. And the rudeness of men; the lightheartedness of women! By day and by night my soul cries out for the miseries of the earth. O the sins of the earth! O the death of little infants! O the trials of the poor! O the suffering of the sick! O the anguish of the imprisoned! O stranger, stranger, stranger! Add no more people to this world!
Let us turn our souls upward; to Nirvania; to the regions of endless paradise! To the voices of angels and Gods! To wisdom that does not err; to music never discordant! To love that never separates! Never!
Brahma said: Now I beseech You, O Ormazd, that I may never marry! But because You have raised up here so fair a woman, and wise as well, give me leave so I may dwell near at hand!
Then out of the midst of the voices of their stars, Ormazd spoke, saying: Hold up your hand, O man! Hold up your hand, O woman! And they held up their hands, and Ormazd said: I am the Father, and you are My children. So that I may have joy, you may dwell near together.
Now after this, Brahma and Yu-tiv proceeded to the priest‘s house and made their sacrifices, and returned and came to Yu-tiv‘s father‘s house, and her father‘s name was Ali-egan-is, called Ali. And Yu-tiv told her father all that had happened, but Brahma said little. Ali said: What the All Light does is well done. My house is ample. Brahma shall stay as long as he desires.