Tafsir Pagra
The Tafsir Pagra ("The Explanation of the Body") makes up Book 1, Part 2 of the 1012 Questions, a Mandaean text (Drower 1960).
Tafsir Pagra[edit | edit source]
- (216)
- ... And so, when food goes down and reacheth the inside, the lower belly;
- Šdum-Daiwa cometh and by his agency and strength he bringeth the excrements forth by way of Karafiun and 2 worlds so that they come and fall into
- Ṣihiun (Zion), a valley which is the dumping-ground of dung and urine in one place.
- It is the world below the ocean
- and the ocean is beneath the world of Ptahil.
- And the world of Ptahil is extended (ptian) beneath the earthly world,
- and the earthly world is beneath the world of Mšunia-Kušṭa
- and Mšunia-Kušṭa below the world of Abathur.
- And the world of Abathur is below the world of outflowing waters,
- and the world of outflowing waters below the world of the pure Yušamin.
- And the world of the pure Yušamin is beneath the world of Yukabar-Kušṭa-Kana
- and the world of Yukabar-Kušṭa-Kana below the world of Yawar-Ziwa;
- and the world of Yawar-Ziwa is below the world of Tarwan-Nhura.
- And the world of Tarwan-Nhura is beneath the world of Yawar-Rba
- and the world of Yawar-Rba beneath the world of Šahrat-Anana,
- And the world of Šahrat-Anana is below the world of Kanat-Rabtia
- and the world of Kanat-Rabtia below the world of Mara-d-Rabutha.
- And the world of Mara-d-Rabutha and the great mighty Mana,
- and the great Father of Glory,
- and Šišlam-Rba,
- Abathur-Rama
- and Sam-Mana-Smira —
- (yea even) the House of the Lofty Radiance —
- all of them constitute one Mšunia-Kušṭa.
- And to each of them their light is mutually visible, pleasing and displayed;
- and their rays are formed like one another,
- for they are all of light;
- all (form part) of a single Body,
- and each one of them that existeth in the Body is a world;
- when separated (taken separately) each one of them is a world.
- When (If) it happened that these worlds separated,
- it would be as if one of them divided:
- one is the Body and one the division.
- (217)
- The head is one world;
- one world the neck,
- one world the breast,
- and each leg is one world (even so),
- unto the liver,
- and spleen,
- bowels,
- stomach,
- liver (sic),
- the male organs
- and the womb
- and skin
- and hair
- and nails
- and back
- and viscera
- each one of them is a (separate) world.
- And when they converse together
- it is like (talk) between persons in whom there is no hatred, envy or dissension.
- And if, amongst all these (worlds),
- there be (one) superfluous or another lacking from the structure,
- (that is) in the Body,
- the whole Body is harmed,
- for they counterpoise one another,
- and the Soul dwelleth in their midst as they (dwell) with one another.
- And if they are not counterpoised,
- one corrupteth the other and they,
- together with Body and Soul,
- are not mutally established.
- (218)
- For when the Body was formed,
- a Soul (nišimta) was formed,
- and when the Soul took shape in the Body,
- the Body formed the Vital Spirit (ruha).
- And when both had taken shape,
- the Womb was formed.
- For the Womb is a great world,
- there is no (world) greater or more powerful than It.
- And the Blood that is within it is lovely Radiance (or Light),
- and the Blood that is in its Heart is precious and sublime Radiance,
- and the blood in its Liver is lovely and plenteous Radiance,
- that moveth in all the Body.
- And the blood that is in the Veins is flowing Radiance,
- These are the 4 Lights (Emanations of Light) which control the Body,
- if they had been (but) three,
- the Body would not be established.
- If the juices of the liver imbibe from them,
- 4 fluids intermingle,
- they are (become?) one:
- fluids which plasma deposits,
- and they are wholesome,
- (some) are gathered from the eyes;
- other fluids gathered from the ears;
- further, mingled fluids are gathered from the nostrils.
- (219)
- Moreover, these 4 humours resemble blood and water;
- each of which has its own (inherent) quality.
- From these, 4 qualities and 4 colours arise,
- and of these 4 humours
- one of them is red,
- one of them yellow,
- one of them white
- and one of them black.
- And from the black one evil impurities originate which injure spirit and soul,
- and they fear it and quake before it.
- (220)
- Then there are 4 other qualities which proceed from the watery humours by which the whole body is interpenetrated.
- The quality of one is wholesome and pleasing so that the soul (gladly)-sitteth in its company.
- And one of them is pungent mysteries of the body,
- and one of them is troublesome,
- bile is its name.
- For the blend of mysteries are held together by stability,
- (each one) with all its brethren.
- 4 winds are kept within it.
- And of these 4 qualities,
- each one of them has 4 attributes: thus there are 16 attributes,
- and each of these 16 (have) 32 characteristics,
- and of those 32 characteristics 64 qualities (tendencies) characterise the Body:
- heating, drying and consuming;
- hence they are called 64 sins.
- Every man whose soul is delivered from these cities (?),
- 64 sins, namely these, shall be loosed from him...
- (221)
- In the name of the Great Life!...
- So, when she (the soul) reacheth the 7 mysteries,
- a servant of the 7 went forth towards her and came and embraced her and said to her
- "Whence comest thou and whither goest thou?"
- I will say to him
- "I come from the Body the name of which is ‘earth’ and I journey towards the Good Kimṣa."
- And the servant said (will say?) to her (the soul)
- "Who art thou and of whom art thou called a messenger?"
- I will say to him
- "I am the servant of the beloved Kimṣa and the messenger of Ayar-Sagia."
- Then they bless and praise her and say to her:
- "Every man who knoweth this saying will rise towards the good Kimṣa because he seeketh to control the mysteries of the body."
- And they question her
- and then she riseth up towards the good Kimṣa.
- Finis.
Commentary[edit | edit source]
- (222)
- This is a secret mystery and explanation of the Body,
- that is esoteric and not revealed,
- which I have copied who am poor, lowly, striving and child-like,
- a slave who is all sin.
- I am Zakia-Zihrun....
- (223)
- The earth is a Body and air (ayar) is the soul therein.
- And its burgeoningsforth are its bones and the rivers are its veins;
- its blood is the ocean and its womb...
- The copper earth is the legs upon which the body is supported,
- and its supporting columns are in the earth...
- the Body and its size,
- its convexity and its extent...
- and the hair of the head,
- the eyebrows and eyelashes,
- hair beneath the buttocks and breasts,
- and the hair of the whole body.
- Moreover, each extremity is the (end of) one world.
- The right is a world and the left a world;
- the breasts are 2 worlds and the 2 feet 2 worlds,
- and the 2 shanks 2 worlds and the knees 2 worlds.
- The 2 thighs are 2 worlds and the whole trunk is 2 worlds.
- (224)
- And the male organ is vigorous in its strength and imperial majesty:
- the body, the earth and heavens and the worlds of light and darkness,
- are equipped therewith.
- It is a strong implement,
- and kingliness resembleth it,
- for the whole Body and the kings are safeguarded thereby
- and no trees, birds, animals, cattle or running waters can escape its compulsion.
- For 7 kings are incorporated therein standing in 7 garments and written with 7 letters namely,
- GABARUT(A) (virility) — their name.
- For it (the male organ) is the channel of mysteries,
- it is a wellspring and hair cometh out from it;
- thereby the senses are held.
- For it is a great mystery to those who perform (its function);
- who erect it in purity and not to excess.
- (As for) those who deprave it,
- they are cast from the height down to the uttermost limit of the worlds.
- The eye is not opened which beholdeth all worlds;
- their eyes are dazzled and they behold them not!
- (225)
- So, when thou releasest seed and hast been orderly in (the act) and its fount fell upon the mystery of the womb within her,
- which is alight at it (responsive to it) seed and blood love one another and seek their vehicle;
- a soul, a body and a vital spirit.
- And by them kings and regents,
- (yea) and the whole world, are created.
- And so, when they approach one another,
- soul and spirit rejoice at that mystery.
- As it (the male seed) neared the mystery of the womb,
- the soul rejoiced and addressed a hymn to it and said:—
- (226)
- In the Name of the Great Life!
- On the day the Radiance became manifest.
- And emerged from the Inner Radiance,
- The counterpart of the Jordan formed itself in its mirror.
- Its counterpart was formed in a jordan that was its mirror,
- And in the Ether water was produced.
- A jordan issued in radiancy
- And water in the Ether was shed abroad;
- Shed abroad were the waters in the Ether-air,
- And the power of Light divulged itself;
- It expressed itself,
- increased and multiplied.
- And the Crown was established,
- and the Wreath twined;
- Twined was the Wreath and the leaves of myrtle flourished,
- They flourished,
- the leaves of the myrtle,
- And trees bore their burden (of fruit).
- Nasirutha spoke in them and twined their purities on kings
- From the beginning unto the end.
- Finis.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- Drower, Ethel S. (1960). The Thousand and Twelve Questions: A Mandaean Text (Alf Trisar Šuialia). Berlin: Akademie Verlag.