Features of the text Pazand Bandesh

Khodaad, Hamed; Amouzegar, Jaleh; Goshtasb, Farzaneh

doi:10.22034/api.2026.2092230.1822

Features of the text Pazand Bandesh

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hamed Khodaad ¹

Jaleh Amouzegar ²

Farzaneh Goshtasb ³

¹ PhD student in Ancient Iranian Culture and Languages, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² Professor of ancient languages, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³ Professor, Department of Ancient Culture and Languages, Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/api.2026.2092230.1822

Abstract

Objective: The present article aims to provide a detailed examination of the linguistic, orthographic, and transliterative features of the Pazand version of the Bundahishn, a significant text within the Middle Persian tradition. This version was edited and published in 1909 by Ervad Edalji Kersaspji Antia on the basis of Indian manuscripts of the Bundahishn. The study seeks to clarify the distinctive characteristics and textual position of this version in comparison with the Pahlavi recensions of the Bundahishn.
Method: The present study adopts a descriptive analytical approach. In this regard, the Pazand text of the Bundahishn has been examined with respect to its transliteration method, the use of Den-dabireh (Avestan) characters, and its orthographic features, and subsequently compared with the Pahlavi versions of the Bundahishn. In addition, the characters employed in the text have been identified and analyzed, and its chapter divisions have been comparatively studied alongside those of other recensions.
Results: The findings indicate that, despite considerable differences from the Pahlavi manuscripts, the Pazand Bundahishn generally follows traditional transliteration practices. Nevertheless, the text contains instances of transliteration errors, graphemic transpositions, omissions or alterations of words, and the simultaneous use of both Pahlavi and Den-dabireh characters. Furthermore, the study identifies and analyzes 47 out of the 53 characters of the Den-dabireh script employed in the text and explains the systematic distinctions in their usage. The comparison also reveals differences in chapter divisions between the Pazand version and the Pahlavi recensions of the Bundahishn.
Conclusions: The results suggest that, although the Pazand Bundahishn does not achieve the degree of transliterative precision found in the texts transliterated by Neryosang, it nevertheless remains a valuable source for comparative linguistic studies and for the investigation of Iranian religion and culture during the Middle Persian period. The text also represents a noteworthy example of the longstanding interaction between the Pahlavi scribal tradition and later linguistic developments within Zoroastrian communities.

Keywords

Pazand, Bundahi&‌scaron

n, Pahlavi texts, Dīn Dabireh, Avestan script, Transcription, Zoroastrian texts, Sasanian culture

Subjects

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