Translation." (We do this) according to the commandments of God, according to the commandments of the Ameshâspentas or Archangels, according to the commandments of the holy Sraosha, according to the commandments of Adarbd Marespand, according to the commandments of the Dastur of the Age.'

In this recital Sraosha is the angel who (from çru to hear) hears the commandments of God and conveys them to Man on earth. Adarbâd was a famous High priest of Sassanian times. As to the "Dastur-i in Zamân," i.e., the commandments of the Dastur of the Age, the priest or the Nasasalârs of a town mention, after the words, the name of the Head priest of their town. For example, during the recital at Naosari, the head-quarters of the Parsee priesthood, they recite, at the end, the name of the present Dastur, as "Dasturi-i-Dastur Kaikobad Dastur Mâhyâr.” In Bombay, as there are two Dasturs or High priests, the practice is not the same everywhere, but generally, the recital has taken the same form as that of the Mahomedans in India in the case of a king. The recital ends with the words "Dastur-i in Zamân," i.e., "the Dastur of the Time or Age," corresponding to the Mahomedan expression "the Ruler of the Age." Some priests who originally belonged and still belong to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Naosari, recite, even in Bombay, the name of the Dastur of Naosari.

We thus see that the Dasturi among the Parsees corresponds, to some extent, to the Khutba among the Mahomedans.

The name of the Ruler of the Land.

We saw above that the Mahomedans in their Khutba pray for the king as follows: "O God! Bless the ruler of the age and make him kind and favourable to the people." The Parsees also have a recital, and that a special and long recital in their prayers, known as the Afringâns. That prayer forms the 60th chapter of the Yaçna. Whenever and wherever the Afringân is recited, whether in a house or in a fire-temple, in honour of the living or in commemoration of the dead, this prayer is

recited. It asks for the blessings of God upon the ruler of the land and prays that he may rule well to protect the righteous and punish the unrighteous. The prayer runs as follows 1:

"

O Ahura Mazda! I pray for great courage, grand victory and superb majestic sovereignty for my king.

I pray for his rule, for allegiance to his throne, for a long period of his reign, for his long life, and for strength to his body.

I pray that he may have powerful beautiful courage, Godgranted victory, and victorious superiority, that he may suppress those who are evil-minded, overpower the hostile, and quell the evil-disposed and quarrelsome.

I pray that our king may be victorious over all those who are revengeful enemies and malicious persons and who entertain evil thoughts, utter evil words and do evil actions.

I pray that our king may be victorious, through his good thoughts, good words and good actions. May he smite all the enemies, all the evil-doers. May he be gifted with all these boons in return for his good life. May that bring all glory to him and may all that enhance the piety of his soul.

O Ruler May you live long. May you live happy to help the righteous and to punish the unrighteous. May the best brilliant life of the righteous and pious be your lot (Afringân).

The ancient Persians always included their king in their prayers. Herodotus (Book I, 132) says: "He that sacrifices is not permitted to pray for blessings for himself alone; but he is obliged to offer prayers for the prosperity of all the Persians and the king, for he is himself included in the Persians." In his daily prayer, every Parsee prays for his king in his final benedictary prayer, known as the Tan-darusti. He first asks for God's blessings upon the king, then upon the Anjuman, i.e., the whole community, and then upon himself and his kith and kin.

1 Vide my Moral Extracts from Zoroastrian Books," pp. 8-9.

631

THE JOURNAL

OF THE

ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BOMBAY.

PROCEEDINGS OF MEETINGS.

Meeting of 26th July 1922. The Hon'ble Mr. C. A. Kincaid, C.V.O., I.C.S., in the Chair.

Self-resuscitation and the

L. Carter, Esq., I.C.S.

Paper read:

Magic of Cannibalism. By G. E

Meeting of 30th August 1922. The Hon'ble Mr. C. A. Kincaid, C.V.O., I.C.S., in the Chair. Messrs. A. W. Stonebridge, A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.M.E,. and S. V. Bhandarkar, B.A., were duly elected annual members. The following 15 gentlemen were elected life-members of the Society:

H. H. Nawab Hussein Yavarkhan of Cambay, the Chief Saheb of Sangli, H. H. the Maharajahdhiraj of Patiala, Rustomji Muncherji Kooka, Esq., Cawasji N. Chhoi, Esq., Dadyba H. Billimoria, Esq., Sir Hormusji Cawasji Dinshaw, M.V.O., O.B.E., Sirdar Khan Bahadur Adurji M. Dalal, Sohrab Framji Bharucha, Esq., the Hon'ble Mr. Justice Dinshaw Fardoonji Mulla, Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw, Esq., Khan Bahadur Burjorji D. Patel, C.I.E., O.B.E., D. M. Wadia, Esq., Sir Hormusji A. Wadia.

Papers read:

(1) Ptolemy's Geography of Sind. By G. E. L. Carter, Esq., I.C.S.

(2) Some Nursery-rhymes from the district of Chittagong in Eastern Bengal, Part I. By S. C. Mitra, Esq., M.A., B.L.

Meeting of 27th September 1922. The Hon'ble Mr. C. A. Kincaid, C.V.O., I.C.S., in the Chair. Messrs. John Munster and Nusserwanji D. Gharda were duly elected annual members. The following gentlemen were elected life-members of the Society :

Cawasji Jehangir, Esq., O.B.E., C.I.E., the Hon'ble Dr. R. P. Pranjpye, Merwanji N. Mehta, Esq., Cooverji Nanabhoy Banaji, Esq., Dossabhoy Hormusji Contractor, Esq., Dr. Dinshaw Bomonji P. Master, Esq., Mrs. Hamabai J. K. Mehta, Jehangir K. Mehta, Esq., Burjor S. J. Aga, Esq., Cawasjii Dorabji Panday. Esq, Vicaji A. Taraporewala, Esq., Framji R. Wadia, Esq., Rustomji E. Modi, Esq.,

Papers read:

(1) The Pilli Charm. A Study in Sinhalese Magic. By Dr. O. Pertold, Ph.D.

(2) Notes on a Flying Visit of Japan from an Anthropological point of view, Part I. By Dr. J. J., Modi, B.A., Ph.D., C.I.E.

Meeting of 25th October 1922. Rao Bahadur Dr. P. BJoshi in the Chair. Papers read:

(1) The Aghukhoh of Sema Nagas of the Assam Hills and the Chah of the Kabulis, according to the ShahNameh of Firdousi. By Dr. J. J. Modi, B.A., Ph.D., C.I.E.

(2) Notes on a Flying Visit of Japan from an Anthropological point of view, Part II. By Dr. J. J. Modi, B.A., Ph.D., C.I.E.

Meeting of 29th November 1922. Rao Bahadur Dr. P. B. Joshi in the Chair. Messrs. Daniel Levi, Consul of France

and Vico Manzini, Consul of Italy, were duly elected annual members of the Society. Papers read:

(1) A Strange Folklore of Kathiawad regarding a Ghost marrying a Living Bride. By S. S. Mehta, Esq., B.A.

(2) The Tea-cult of the Japanese. By Dr. J. J. Modi, B.A., Ph.D., C.I.E.

(3) The Khutbah of the Mahomedans and the Dasturi of the Parsis. By Dr. J. J. Modi, B.A., Ph.D., C.I.E.