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Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE24), E.W. West, tr. [1885], at sacred-texts.com
1. The fourth subject is this, that it is not desirable for any one that he should become hopeless of the pity (ra‘hmat) and forgiveness of Hôrmazd, and fix his heart outwardly 6 on this, that our sin is excessive and it is not possible to arrive in heaven. 2. Because it happens that a small quantity of duty and good work is performed, and it may be that for that
quantity Hôrmazd, the good and propitious, may have pity on him and may make him arrive in heaven.
3. For it is declared in revelation 1, that one time when Zaratust was in conversation with the sacred being, the most high, he saw a man whose whole 2 body was in hell, and one foot—the right one 3—was outside of hell. 4. Zaratust enquired of the sacred being, the most high 4, thus: 'What person has this man been?' 5. Hôrmazd, the good and propitious, gave a reply (gavâb) thus: 'He has been a king, and possessed the sovereignty of thirty-three towns, and was conducting that sovereignty many years. 6. And he never did any virtuous action, but was committing much oppression, lawlessness, and violence (thulṁ) . 7. By chance (qaʓ̣ârâ) he was one day going on the chase, and arrived out at a place (maûʓ̣a’h) and saw a goat that was tied. 8. A morsel of hay was placed very far off, and that goat was hungry. 9. Owing to this the goat was trying to eat the hay, but did not reach the hay. 10. This the king saw, and kicked his foot at that hay and cast it in front of the goat. 11. Now, in recompense for that, that one foot of his is outside of hell, and the remaining (bâqî) limbs 5 are in hell.'
12. Therefore, although a sin has happened to any one, it is not necessary for him 6 to become hopeless. 13. And whoever has the power (tâqat)
is to endeavour to perform good works, so that there may be an atonement for the sin thereby; because the sacred being, the good and propitious, is kind to every one.
260:6 Lp, B29 omit 'outwardly.'
261:1 The Spend Nask (see Sls. XII, 29). The story is also told in AV. XXXII.
261:2 Lp, B29 omit 'whole.'
261:3 Lp, B29 have 'and his right foot.'
261:4 Lp, B29 omit this epithet.
261:5 Lp has 'the rest,' and B29 has 'the whole body.'
261:6 Lp, B29 have 'for the same.'