The book of Mardānfarrox ends with this chapter devoted to Manichaeism which contains, according to Franz Cumont, “un exposé très remarquable dans sa concision de la doctrine manichéenne, qu’il combat.” (60) The text has been translated and or commented many times –we can name West (1887), Saleman (1904), Jackson (1932), Henning (1934), Hedayat (1943), Menasce (1945), Zaehner (A937-39, 1955), Shakiba (2001), Sundermann (2001), and Taillieu (2003). However, some technical terms of Mardānfarrox’s exposition of Mani’s cosmology remained “undeciphered”, for example the Pazand kunī.

1-3. Furthermore, is here written about the errors of Mani, one [error only] of a thousand and ten thousand. For, I am unable to write more complete [about] the errors, (insane) speech, and deceit of Mani and the Manichaeans, much pain and long life would be necessary for me therein .

4-7. Now, you, Mazdayasnians of Zaraθuštra, should know that the initial discourse of Mani was about the unlimitedness of the principles; and the middle one about [their] mingling; and the final one about the separation of the light [principle] from the dark [one] – that which is much more like a non-separation.

8-9. Further : This world is the corporeal body of Aŋra Mainyu ; every corporeal being is a creation of Aŋra Mainyu.

10-27. In detail : The sky is from the skin, the earth from the flesh, the mountains from the bones, and the plants from the hair of the Flayed Demons. The rain is the sperm of the Giant Demons who are bound on the celestial sphere. Mankind are two-legged demons, and cattle four-legged. The Flayed [demons] are the commanders-in-chief of Aŋra Mainyu, who, in the beginning, in the first battle robbed the light from the god Ohrmazd (= the First Man) and swallowed it. In the second battle, [the sons of light] captured the Flayed Demons (the sons of darkness) together with many demons, and bound some [of those] to the celestial sphere; and slew the Flayed demons, and maintained and made from them this Great Creature (= macrocosm); and placed the sun and moon outside the sky [of stars], in the highest, so that, little by little, the light which the demons swallowed, be, raised and purified through the leading up and purification by the sun and the moon. Afterwards Aŋra Mainyu, through foresight, knew that that light, through the leading up by the sun and the moon, would be purified and separated. He quickly arranged, this Little World (= microcosm) – that is, man and cattle and other animals – like a copy and an example of the Great World, with the other corporeal creation, so that the light might not be separated from the dark; he bound and imprisoned the soul and light in the body, so that that light which ascends to the sun and the moon, shall again be restrained through the copulation and birth of living beings, and the separation shall be postponed.

28-37. The rain was the semen of the Giant Demons, for the reason that when the Giant Demons were fastened to the sphere they who had swallowed the light, in order to separate the light from them, by a new manner, skill and art of Zurvān, they show the twelve First-born Daughters of Zurvān before the male Giant Demons, so that the lust of the Giant Demons is aroused from seeing them, and semen is separated from them; the light which is within the semen is poured upon the earth; plants, trees and grain are grown therefrom; the light which is within the Giant Demons is separated through the semen; [the light] which [falls] on the earth, is separated from the earth by means of the plants.

38-41. Furthermore, about the difference of substance of soul and body [they state] thus: Soul is bound and imprisoned within the body. Since the creator and maintainer of all corporeal and material beings is Aŋra Mainyu, for this reason it ought not to procreate and propagate lineage, because the maintaining of man and cattle means collaboration with Aŋra Mainyu and the retaining of soul and light into bodies;– nor even to cultivate plants and grain.

42-45. Furthermore, they inconsistently state thus: The destroyer of creatures is likewise Aŋra Mainyu, for this reason, it ought not to kill any creature whatsoever, because it is a work of Aŋra Mainyu.

46-50. Furthermore: Whereas Aŋra Mainyu maintained the world, god is finally victorious, through the separation of souls from bodies.  This world will be destroyed in the end, a new [one] will not be arranged, nor will there be the resurrection and the Last Body.

51-52. Furthermore: The two principles coexist perpetually and contiguously just as sunshine and shadow, and not any width and open space exist between them.

53-55. Now I shall first speak about the impossibility of any existent thing being unlimited, except only the Space and Time, which I call unlimited. The existent things which are within locality and temporality are seen to be limited.

56-65. This also: If one says unity or duality about them, whereas unity does not exist except through the total comprising of a thing, for the one is that which is not two, and the two is the original one and the separation of this one from the other which is not called two; if the one be not conceivable except through the total comprising of unity, and duality cannot occur except through the separation of unit from unit, the one is that which is one in unity, and steadfast in unity; one and two are in the seed of  quantity and numerality; quantity, numerality, totality, and separability, as I have said, cannot occur except [through] limitation. This is clear even to those with moderate science.

66-76. Furthermore: The unlimited is that which is not comprised by the science. If it be not possible to be comprised in any science, then it is inevitably not possible to be comprised in the science of god. Thus the essence of god and that of the Dark principle are not totally comprised within the science of god. If his own essence is not comprised within his own science, then to call him all-good and all-seeing is untrue. For, “all” means totality. A totality, because it comprises on all sides, is called “totality”. The limitedness of that which is comprised on all sides is inevitable. A god who is aware that he is comprised on all sides, ought to be considered limited. If he be unlimited, he is unaware [of it]. The first knowledge of a knowing one concerning himself is the indispensable knowledge of his own essence, quality, and quantity. If one who be unaware of his total essence, quality, and quantity, then to state that he is knowing concerning the [essence,] quality, and quantity of others, is untrue.

77-78. This also: Since an unlimited [being] which is not comprised, is not comprised by the science, then it is unaware whether its total essence is wise or ignorant, light or dark, alive or dead.

79-85. Further: Whether the light and the soul which we find out hither, are a particle from that same [essence of] Zurvān or not. If they be a particle from the essence of Zurvān, then we should point them out that: a thing from which a part can be divided, can be itself divisible. That which is divisible cannot but be composed. That which is composed cannot be without a composer by which it is composed. Since a divided part is visibly limited, so also the origin from which the part is made is undoubtedly limited, in accordance with the statement that has been put forward that every result and part bears witness of its origin. Since we find the divided part limited, so also the origin from which [derive] the division [to parts] and the composition of parts, cannot but be limited.

86-93. This also: The unlimited is not divided. For the part is divided from the totality. Totality bears witness of limitation. As I have demonstrated above: We cannot find out the existence and quality of the origin except by comparison and analogy with the result. Whatever is found out in the result, must certainly, in like manner, apply to the origin. When the division and limitation are found out in the result, it may undoubtedly be deduced that the origin from which the result derives is also limited.

94-101. Further: The unlimited is that which is endless in space, and boundless in essence; there is no other place or width that is devoid of it. If it be said that the two principles are unlimited and boundless in essence, then the heavens and earths together with all corporeal beings, spirits, souls, lights, gods, elements, and the numerous abodes – whose different names are owing to the difference of one from the other – cannot be bounded. Then in what, and where, were all these things created? If the two principles were always endless in space, how is that possible unless their unlimited essence be made limited, and the place of all that is and was and will be? If it be possible that an ever-unlimited substance become limited, it is certainly possible that it may also become non-existent. What they say about the unchangeableness of substance is untrue.

102-111. You should know that: the unlimited is that which does let nothing be devoid of it. Nothing can exist without it, or separate from it. Apart from the limit (/ definition) of the unlimitedness [nothing] is known. Or, he (Mani) discusses and contends, about the thing of which he does not know what it is, for deluding and misleading the immature and those of immature knowledge. If he foolishly asserts that: its essence is unlimited, and its science is unlimited, it knows, through its unlimited science, that it is unlimited, that is untrue and doubly untrue. First, science is about the things which are found out by science, and comprised within science. Nothing can be perfectly known except that which is totally comprised within science and found out by it. Science of a thing is [obtained] by the total knowledge of it; the total knowledge of a thing is [obtained] by the total comprehension of it within science.