“The mariner and the...”

In "The mariner and the medico” (Parsiana, August 7, 2011), which is the story of Paurva, on page 88 the last paragraph in the third column, the sentence should have read: "In the Aban Yasht (Yt.V.61-66)” — and not the Ardibehesht, as erroneously referenced.

In my book review titled "Memorial to Mirza” (Books, Parsiana, September 7, 2011), in the bit on Albert de Jong’s contribution, some sentences were inadvertently omitted. These are:

"‘Purity and Responsibility: A different case...’ contributed by Albert de Jong of Leiden University deals with the knotty question placed before the famed 9th century hudenan peshobay Adarfarr­bay i Farrokhzadan on an inadvertent cause of pollution and the barashnum. The specific case is expertly discussed and merits close study, despite the undersigned’s reservation on the de Jong general comment on scholars’ views that ‘The individual is fully autonomous. This is, to put it simply, not the case.’ His simplification has obliterated the standpoint of early Zoroastrianism — again generally — on the rational individual’s accountability and responsibility for conscious thoughts, speech and works.”

FARROKH VAJIFDAR

London

f.vajifdar@btinternet.com