Dînâ-î Maînôg-î Khirad: Chapter XXXI

1. The sage asked the spirit of wisdom (2) thus: 'What is the business of the priests, warriors, and husbandmen 5, each separately?' 3. The spirit of wisdom answered (4) thus: 'The business of the priests is to maintain the religion properly; (5) and to perform the ceremonial and invocation of the sacred beings well and with attention, p. 68 [paragraph continues] (6) and 1 the decrees, decisions 2, custom, and control 3, as revealed by the pure, good religion of the Mazda-worshippers. 7. To make people aware of the goodness of good works 4; (8) and to show the way to heaven, and the danger and avoidance of hell. 9. 'The business of the warriors is to defeat the enemy; (10) and to keep their own country and land (bûm) 5 unalarmed and tranquil. 11. 'And the business of the husbandmen is to perform tillage and cultivation; (12) and, to the extent of their ability, to keep the world invigorated and populous.' 67:5 The three classes which are often mentioned in the Avesta as constituting the Mazda-worshipping community. For their vices, see Chap. LIX. 68:1 L19 inserts 'to keep true.' 68:2 K43 has dâd dâdistân, 'decisions of the law;' but the repetition of the syllable dâd is probably a clerical blunder. 68:3 L19 omits va band, 'and control.' 68:4 L19 has 'aware of good works and sin.' 68:5 L19 has vîmand, 'frontier.'