- (First Book of God 14:9-19) Through the descendants of Romsat
the Voice was again regained by the I'hins, through a tribe called Shriviyata, who begat Them-saga, who begat Friavamargalum, who bred
with the I'hins and begat Thace, who begat with the I'hins Anu, who
begat the I'hins Maha, who begat with the I'hins Brah, who had both
voice and power from the Father. And he was called Brahma because of
his great wisdom.
10. The angels of Ormazd had prophesied, saying: Out of thy seed shall
come one called Brahma, who shall have su'is with power. Things that
were revealed to Zarathustra have been lost, but shall be recovered in
Brahma.
11. Romsat had prophesied, moreover: With the coming of Brahma is the
end of the I'hin race in Shem (Vind'yu).
12. God spake in kosmon, saying: Let no man say: With Brahma, or with
Abram, or with Po, or with Eawahtah, was the beginning of the doctrine
of One Spirit. For since man walked upright on the earth, behold, I
have said unto him: Thou shalt have but 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.
13. But let all men understand who and what, is meant by the terms,
Po, and Abram, and Brahma, and Eawahtah, which is, that though I
walked the earth with these, teaching and speaking through them, yet
none of these were 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, even God, had spoken.
14. Brahma said: Have all men stars? Behold, since my childhood up, I
have had a star above my forehead.
15. No man could answer Brahma. They said: Brahma is foolish, with all
his wisdom.
16. Brahma asked the star: Who art thou?
17. God said: I am thy star; I am the light of the second heavens.
18. Brahma asked: What is thy name, O star, thou mysterious light?
19. God said: Call me Ormazd; I am the same light that spoke to
Zarathustra in the olden time.
- (First Book of God 14:24-27) Then Brahma applied to the rab'bah,
the Zarathustrian priests, and he learned abnegation of self, and the
rites and ceremonies of the ancients.
25. When Brahma was grown up, God said to him: Arise on the morrow, my
son, and I will lead thee into another country, where thou shalt
marry, and settle down for a long season.
26. 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 Thy commandments with all my wisdom and strength.
27. From my youth up I have killed not any living creature of Thine
that goeth on the earth, or swimmeth in the waters, or flieth in the
air. Neither ate I of 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 Thou me, O Ormazd; for I will
break my soul unto Thee, and hold nothing back.
Ormazd said: It is well. (First Book of God 14:33-40) 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.
34. When Brahma came to Au'watcha, he halted to inquire the way to the
high priest's house, that he might be absolved for twenty days in
Tyama's kingdom, according to law, paying the price as apportioned for
strangers.
35. 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 thither, and
shall delight to lead thee to the place. So Brahma went with Yu-tiv,
and when they were gone a little way she said unto him: Whence camest
thou, and what is thy mission? Peradventure, I may serve thee. Behold,
I see a star above thy head!
36. Brahma said: Seest thou a star? Now I say unto thee, there is an
old legend that the pure in heart, looking upward, oft see their own
paroda, and think it belongeth to another. Yu-tiv reassured Brahma
that she saw the star, whereupon Brahma took heart and said:
37. Yea, I have a star, and the Voice of Ormazd cometh to me at times.
For some years I strove to be a priest, for I saw the wickedness of
the world, and, moreover, the tyranny and tortures of the church (ha'oke),
and my soul cried out for the oppressed who had faith in the Great
Spirit more than in the priests. And Ormazd came to me and said:
Brahma, my son, forsake thy studies, and take thy broad-axe, and go
and hew logs. Behold, I will come to thee some time, and thou shalt
bless the earth.
38. 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 with all my strength to purge myself of all earthly thoughts. So I
grew, as thou beholdest, to be a large man of great strength. But,
alas, evil overtook me; my soul desired a woman. And I cried out unto
Ormazd, saying: Why hast Thou put this matter upon thy son? Lo, I
strove to be wedded to thee only; I shut my eyes to all the earth, but
thou hast suffered me to fall. Rescue thou me, I pray.
39. Then spake Ormazd to me, saying: Behold, I have revealed my word
through such as have no earth desires; but that time is past. I will
now prove unto the nations of the earth that I have power in directing
the flesh, that heirs may be born unto me. Arise, therefore, and go
whither I will lead thee, for thou shalt take a wife and raise up
seven sons, and I will deliver my edifice (church), unto liberty.
40. So I rose up and walked after the light of my star; thus far have
I come, but how much further I must go I know not; but I will go to
the end of the earth if Ormazd require it of me.
- (First Book of God 14:46-49) Brahma said: Now I beseech
Thee, O Ormazd, that I may never marry! But because Thou hast raised
up here so fair a woman, and withal so wise, give me leave that I may
dwell near at hand!
47. Then spake Ormazd, out of the midsts of the voices of their stars,
saying: Hold up thy hand, O man! Hold up thy hand, O woman! And they
held up their hands, and Ormazd said: I am the Father, and ye are My
children. That I may have joy, dwell ye near together.
48. Now after this, Brahma and she proceeded to the priest's house and
made their sacrifices, and returned and came to Yu-tiv's father's
house, and the father's name was Aliegan-is, called Ali. And Yu-tiv
told her father all that had happened, but Brahma said little. Ali
said: What the All Light doeth is well done. My house is ample. Brahma
shall sojourn so long as he desireth.
49. Brahma said: Of mine own accord I am not master of many words.
When it pleaseth Ormazd to speak with me, I will raise my voice. Then
Yu-tiv spread mats and provided food, and sat it before Brahma, and he
ate; and after that they said prayers according to the laws of the
king, and then retired to sleep. (First Book of God 15:3-7)
And all the while they neglected not their devotion to Ormazd; but
finally they sat up all night, sleeping not, save in each other's
arms.
4. Yu-tiv said: Since we sit up all night, it is wiser to sit on mats
than on stools. Brahma said: It is wiser. So they provided mats, half
raised and half spread down, for a season, and finally laid the mats
full length, and they laid down together. More than that, history
saith not.
5. But Brahma followed his trade in that country, and it came to pass
they had a son born to them, and his name was Whe-ish; and in time
another son, and his name was Vus, and then Git-un, and Vede, and Oos,
and Sa-it.
6. Now after they lived together as man and wife, the voice of Ormazd
came not to Brahma; though the angel of Ormazd remained, and at times
talked to both Brahma and Yu-tiv, his wife. Now during all the time,
until after the birth of the sixth son, Yu-tiv had faith in Ormazd,
and was a Faithist in her whole heart. But during all these years she
had only communion with the angels, and withal had suffered many
hardships in common with Brahma.
7. And their love abated not one jot or tittle, and Yu-tiv believed in
her husband, and encouraged his aspirations. He had said to her ten
thousand times: I know Ormazd will come; through me will He deliver
the Faithists out of bondage.
- (First Book of God 15:8-12) And she believed in him; and believed
these things would come to pass, and believed her sons would have the
Voice of the Creator with them also. But after the birth of the sixth
child, Yu-tiv lost faith in the Father! She said: All my life I have
been in error. There is no All Person. There is no Voice, save the
spirits of the dead. And they know little more of heaven than we. The
Creator is dumb, like the wind; His voice is like the wind, it
speaketh nothing.
9. And after that, she ceased to use the name Ormazd, or Father, but
said, Eolin, after the manner of the ancients. And Brahma ceased more
to speak in presence of Yu-tiv of the coming of Ormazd to himself; and
he also adopted the name Eolin, signifying, like the wind, void of
shape or person.
10. Whilst this state of unbelief was upon them, they had another
child born to them, and they called his name Hog, signifying, Fact, or
without inspiration; an animal that rooteth in the ground.
11. Yu-tiv weaned Hog when he was three years old, and, on the day
following, the voice of God came to Brahma, saying: Brahma! Brahma!
And Brahma said: Here am I, O Eolin. And the Father said: Be thou
faithful another eighteen years! I shall be with thee to the end!
12. Brahma was so delighted, he ran home and told Yu-tiv, but she
rejoiced not; she made no answer. Silently she looked upward for a
long while, and then she said: Eighteen years! Hog will be twenty-one.
And thou and I will be old.
- (First Book of God 16:1-6) For eighteen years more God spake not
to Brahma, but Brahma remained faithful, and Yu-tiv was full of hope.
But when the time was fulfilled in Ormazd's own way, He came with
renewed light, which was on the twenty-first birthday of Hog.
2. Whilst Brahma and his family were seated on mats, eating breakfast
at sunrise, lo, a light, as of a sun, came within the hut, and passed
over Brahma's head, and then disappeared. And out of the void, in the
space above their heads, came these words, to wit: From this time
forth the twenty-first birthday shall be the time of maturity for man.
Be ye watchful for the voice of Ormazd; He is Ever Present!
3. And all of them saw the light and heard the words, save Hog, and
Hog, having been begotten in unbelief, neither saw the light nor heard
the voice. And when they all had exclaimed: Behold the light! Hear
that voice!--Hog thus spake before them:
4. For many a year ye have prophesied this should come to pass when I
should reach my twenty-first birthday. For the love ye all bear me, I
know ye would not put a joke upon me; but I am seriously grieved that
ye say: Behold the light, and hear the voice! For I say unto you,
these things are not in reason, and cannot be so. But in much hope and
faith and belief, all of which ye have cultivated for years, ye suffer
your imaginings to stand for realities.
5. Now whilst Hog thus spake, the light came again and stood over
Brahma's head whilst one might count twenty; and the Voice said:
Blessed art thou, O Brahma; blessed thou, O Yu-tiv! These things had
to be fulfilled. I preach not by reason alone, but provide living
examples! (In his old age Brahma had atained iesu!)
6. Again all of them saw and heard the manifestation of Ormazd, save
Hog, and he saw not, and heard not what came of the Spirit. Hog said:
Have I not eyes good as the best? Show me a hair that I cannot see;
let fall a mite that I cannot hear. Then Whe-ish, the first-born,
answered him, saying:
- (First Book of God 16:23-25) Now I declare unto you who are
assembled, the time is at hand, and ye are all so many parts in My
work. Even through My angels named ye these sons; according to their
names, so will I establish My kingdom.
24. Suffer, therefore, Vede to write down the words I have spoken, for
lo, he hath learning and memory provided to that end. Be ye watchful,
when I come again!
25. Jehovih (Ormazd) ceased, and Brahma woke as from a trance, though
he had heard all that was said. So Vede remembered the spoken words,
every one, and he wrote them down on cloth prepared for that purpose.
And this was the beginning of a new name of a people on the earth,
though they were Faithists in fact, and nothing but Faithists; but
they were called by their neighbors sometimes Vedans and sometimes
Brahmins.
- (First Book of God 20:1-3) On the next morning, at sunrise, Ormazd
spake again through Brahma, and Vede wrote down the words; and on the
succeeding morning, in like manner; and so continued for forty days;
and in forty days, behold, the Veda was completed; the holy words of
Brahma were written.
2. God said to Brahma: Go now, and preach my gospel unto whosoever
will hear; proclaiming liberty to all who will follow thee. I will be
with thee to the end. And thou shalt take Yu-tiv, thy wife, and all
thy sons with thee, even Hog, the youngest born.
3. So Brahma went forth preaching by day, and exhibiting the spirits
of the dead by night. But to the chosen he spake at dawn, in the early
morning, the time the All Light was upon him. And his sons also
preached and explained; and Yu-tiv explained to all women how it was
with her when pregnant with her sons. Only Hog preached not; neither
opened he his mouth before the populace as to his unbelief. In his
soul he said: These things may be true, and if they be true, it is
well. If they be not true, still the believing of them, by the
populace, worketh righteousness and goodness. With all my philosophy,
I cannot move the multitude to righteousness. But my father maketh
them as a flock of sheep; they cease from evil, and they practice good
fellowship. Therefore, I will stand by my father to the end. (First
Book of God 20:22) So Syaythaha joined Brahma's hosts; and with
Syaythaha came his brothers and their sons and daughters. And, those
that came, cast into a heap, whatsoever goods or moneys they had, and
the head fathers of the families divided and distributed the same
according to their best wisdom. And Brahma's people, by commandment of
Brahma, called themselves not Brahmins, but Vedans; that is,
Truth-followers.
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