Page:History of Zoroastrianism.djvu/445

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412
LIFE AFTER DEATH

middle of the world in Iranvej, and is of the height of a hundred men. The two extremities of the bridge rest on the northern and southern ridges of Mount Alburz.[1]

The bridge provides a wide passage to the pious souls, but confronts the wicked with its sharp edge. The bridge is guarded by the angels and the spiritual dogs.[2] It is broad as a beam and has many sides. Some of these are twenty-seven reeds in width or nine spears or nine javelins or even a league in width, whereas the others are as sharp as the edge of a razor.[3] The bridge is so arranged that it presents its broad side when a righteous soul passes over it, and gives it an easy passage, but puts forward its thin edge when a wicked soul attempts to cross it.[4] According to Mohammedanism all souls have to cross the Bridge as-Sirat which lies across heaven and hell. It is finer than a hair and sharper than the edge of a sword. It gives an easy passage to the righteous souls, but the souls of the wicked cannot cross it and fall headlong into hell. The pious soul is helped by Srosh, Atar, and by its own conscience to cross the bridge and go to its destination, but the impious one falls headlong into hell.[5] A passage adds that the fire Frabag smites the darkness and enables a pious soul to pass over the narrow edge in the form of fire.[6] Furthermore, Vae, the angel of wind, takes such a soul by its hand and escorts it to its proper place.[7] Of all the wicked souls the one of a malicious man finds it most difficult to cross the bridge, for malice is a sin which does not affect the sinner only, but generally abides in a lineage.[8] The wicked soul complains that it would prefer being cut by a sharp knife or pierced by an arrow to its being obliged to cross the terrible bridge.[9]

Insane persons and children are not accountable for their own deeds, but their parents are responsible. All those that are mentally unsound and also children are not held responsible for their deeds, but are considered eligible for paradise.[10] We

  1. ↑ Phl. Vd. 19. 30; Bd. 12. 7; cf. Modi, op. cit., 1; Dd. 21. 2.
  2. ↑ Bd. Modi, op. cit., 1.
  3. ↑ Bd. Modi, op. cit., 1; Dd. 21. 3, 5; Mkh. 2. 123; AV. 5. 1.
  4. ↑ Bd. Modi, op. cit., 10; Dd. 21. 5, 7; 85. 7.
  5. ↑ Bd. Modi, op. cit., 10, 11, 13; Dd. 20. 4; 21. 7; 25. 6; 34. 3, 4; Mkh. 2. 124; AnKhK. 5.
  6. ↑ Bd. Modi, op. cit., 9.
  7. ↑ Ib., 11.
  8. ↑ Mkh. 21. 19.
  9. ↑ Bd. Modi, op. cit., 14.
  10. ↑ Dk., vol. 2, p. 89, 90; vol. 3, p. 144; vol. 4, p. 189, 190.
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