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409
LIFE AFTER DEATH

ferent in his devotions to the Lord is distressed when death approaches and thinks of him the more.[1]

Srosh's help indispensable for the disembodied souls. At death the soul shakes off the fetters of the body. This severance of the soul from the body is fraught with momentous difficulties for the former. As an infant that is just born in this world requires care from a midwife and others, so does a soul that has just emerged from the body require help and protection against evil influences. It is said that the righteous Srosh acts at this juncture as a midwife to the righteous soul in its bewilderment, and does not let it go into the clutches of Ahriman.[2] It is therefore deemed advisable to secure the services of this angel even in advance by propitiating him with rituals during the lifetime of the individual. But if that has not been the case, his relatives should never fail to offer sacrifices in his honour immediately after death and continue them for the three days and three nights that the soul stays in this world after death.[3] Besides watching and protecting the soul at this critical period, Srosh is also one of the judges who will then take account of the soul. It is indispensable, therefore, to order ceremonies to be performed for Srosh during the time that the soul tarries in this world before embarking on its celestial journey.[4]

The souls visualize the good or bad deeds of the lives they have just completed. In conformity with the statement of the Avestan texts, the Pahlavists also depict the human souls as hovering about the head of the dead for three nights after death, experiencing joy or grief, according as they have lived in righteousness or wickedness.[5] It is stated that during the first night satisfaction from their good thoughts comes to the souls and vexation from their evil thoughts, during the second night satisfaction from their good words and vexation from their evil words, and during the third night satisfaction from their good deeds and vexation from their evil deeds.[6] The demon Vizarsh struggles with the souls during this period.[7] The souls experi-

  1. ↑ Dk., vol. 5, p. 279.
  2. ↑ Sd. 58. 7.
  3. ↑ Dd. 28. 5; SLS 17. 3; Sd. 58. 5, 6, 8, 9.
  4. ↑ Dd. 28. 6.
  5. ↑ Bd. Modi, An untranslated chapter of the Bundehesh, 2; Mkh. 2. 114, 156–160; Dd. 20. 2; 24 2; 25. 2; AV 4. 9–14; 17. 2–9; Hn. 2. 2–5; 3. 2–5.
  6. ↑ Dd. 24. 4; 25. 4.
  7. ↑ Bd. 28. 18; Modi, op. cit., 2.
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