Page:History of Zoroastrianism.djvu/431

The strongest and most triumphant of their weapons against man is deceit;^[1] they lead man to sin through it.^[2] Every demon is an instigator of some evil, on that account, man should always entertain an abhorrence for the demons. He should array himself on the side of the angels, and join in the fight against the demons, who always contemplate harm to man.^[3] When they have sway over man's doings, righteousness is arrested and wickedness thrives,^[4] for man becomes sinful and wicked in their company.^[5] They take up their abode in him when his innate wisdom forsakes him;^[6] whence once possessed by demons, he is possessed by evil knowledge.^[7] The demons seize upon and carry off one-third of the wisdom and glory of that man who eats in the dark without washing his hands.^[8] Procrastination on the part of man also helps the demons; for example, when a man is in the habit of postponing some good work from day to day, until he is overtaken by death, and the good deed remains unaccomplished, the demons are greatly rejoiced.^[9] Persons who associate with the wicked in this world get demons for their companions in the next.^[10] The fire of Ormazd chases the demons and puts them to flight; for, when a large number of them rushed to destroy the child Zoroaster at his birth, they could not harm him owing to the presence of the fire.^[11] Zoroaster brought them all to his feet, and forced them to rush headlong into the jaws of hell. Just as the sheep is terrified by the smell of the wolf, so do the demons tremble when they smell the soul of a righteous person.^[12] The demons will live so long as man will have something of the demon in him. When righteousness at last shall triumph in the world, and the world of humanity reach perfection at the final renovation, the demons will sink into their native darkness, and perish forever.^[13]