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Pahlavi Texts, Part II (SBE18), E.W. West, tr. [1882], at sacred-texts.com
1. As to the eighty-fifth question and reply, that which you ask is thus: What is possible to become the harm of a gift that is reduced?
2. The reply is this, that since those things are to be properly given which are for the religious rites of the ceremonial 1, and are the consideration of the undertakers of all the religious rites, and are also the stipend of some solemnizers, both 2 are living comfortably by the ceremonial. 3. The sons of the disciples who wanted approval for the words prayed, become so much the more to be ordered and to be accepted; and the ceremonial of all the religious rites becomes more progressive.
4. So, moreover, when they go to undertake the well-operating activity of the ceremonial for a diminution of remuneration and gift, and owing to undertaking and ordering again 3, by way of routine (pavan dôr râs), they do not request so much stipend, it is as though they should buy my linen and should sell it again for their own payment (dâdanŏ). 5. As to the performers of the ceremonial, likewise, who have to acquire approval with much trouble and words prayed, and obtain a remuneration which, for the soul even, is as little for the ceremonial as though one were annoyed--whereby
living is difficult--they become sorry for enduring the trouble, owing to lukewarmness (afsurdŏ-minisnîh) in the same profession. 6. And even the sons of the disciples shall sell linen for wages, and they rejoice that it is possible to learn other callings with less pains; and thus they make them become lukewarm and meditating retreat (avâzâhang) from the words of fresh paragraphs continually prayed 1, from the approval requested of the learned (âzân), and from all the religious rites they should undertake for the contented.
7. As to those, moreover, who, through fervent-minded undertaking of what is ordered, request less for all the religious rites, and have not obtained 2 even that which is due to them, it is not even as though they ordered of them for the fiends 3. 8. And the disgrace, too, of the orderers of good works of lukewarmness is the exaltation of the profession of the disciples; and its deficient progress becomes the paralysation of the ceremonial of the sacred beings for saving the souls of the good from the deadly one (mar).
248:1 M14 has merely 'since the proper donation for the ceremonial.'
248:2 That is, both the undertakers and solemnizers, the chief priest and his assistants.
248:3 Referring to a priest who undertakes ceremonies and then directs inferiors to perform them (see Chaps LXVI, 4, 6).
249:1 Literally 'prayed and prayed.'
249:2 Reading ayâft, instead of the unintelligible ayâdt, as d has, no doubt, been written for f.
249:3 Meaning that the orderers would act more liberally if they wanted a ceremony even in honour of the fiends.