“An idea about the Pahlavi word « viraf » in Ardāvīrāfnāme: Nīlāp:incinerater wet firewood”

Introduction
Today the word "Pahlavi" is used for Zoroastrian middle Persian works in "Pahlavi Transcript" (Tafazoli, 1888, p.12). The result of polyphony of some signs of Pahlavi script and the similarity of some other signs is that one word can be read and understood in different ways. The name "ائجثفل" v‌īrāf/vīrāz in Ardāvīrāfnāmeh is like such a word. Because the word "فل" in Pahlavi has the same sign as the letters "P/F" as well as the letter "Z" , and adding the letter  ز (ح) after  (غ) آ can be written like "ثفل". Therefore "ثفل" shows the forms āp/ āz/ āf (and in new manner of reading is: āb/water) (Vatanmehr, 2016). Another letter which causes duality in reading this name is "ج"  with two phones "r"  and  "l" which results in two types of reading, i.e., " nīrāp/ nīlāp" .
2. Methodology
In studying Ardāvīrāfnāmeh, considering the similarity of the names "ائجثفل" (vīrāf) and (اج : ثفل /var ī āp = water lake) in writing and reference to  سصدغ : ز‌ل‌ا‌ت /āp ‌‌ī kabōd= Dark blu) brought the question is that is there any connection between this name and the combinations? In order to find the answer, the researcher has started collecting data through  library research and for researching the meaning of this name,  morphology method was used .
3. Discussion
Two names, in the first chapter, paragraph 19 of Ardāvīrāfnāmeh, are introduced: Ardāvīrāf and vēh šāpōhr. In Eliade point of view  Ardāvīrāf is related to Shamanism. In Shamanism the ghost of Shaman, in rapture of tender custom or life renewal, has left his body  and rises to the sky or to the depth of the lowest world ( Eliade,2014).
By considering the mentioned connection between Ardāvīrāf and Shamnism custom , we investigate the name of Ardāvīrāf. This name is composed of two parts: Ardā and Vīrāf. Based on Zhinio's belief, the term ahlav/ardā (Avesta:ašavan) relates to the other world (Gignoux, 2015, p.17-18). The second part of this name is "ائجثفل" (vīrāf/vīrāz), which because of ambiguity in Pahlavi transcript, there is no agreement on the way of its reading .( same, 14 to 16).
As mentioned before, in Pahlavi transcript, some words can be read in different manners because  some phonemes are  polyphonic. The word ائجثفل is the same as these words, which can be read in the following forms: nīlāp/nīrāp and vīrāp/vīlāp. Martin Huge also has used this word as virāja, virāya, virāzh (Huge, 1978, p.219). In chapter 10, Ardāvīrāfnāmeh mentions itself as gradient and uses some similes which have delicate ambiguity. In this chapter, Viraf is addressed as follows :
 ائً ا# جی  ل‌اثفل اسغئش گز اج : ثفل : چ‌ثب‌غ  : وصدت ه‌‌ا شئش ^ا#  ج وثفدت‌ا‌ت
(I̕ ll show you that lake of wet wood which is on me) (Gignoux,2015, p.190)
  اشا‌ت ا‌ج: ا‌چ‌اجئ سصدغ : ز‌ل‌ا‌ت ا ئا‌ل‌ت ئا‌ه ؤ ثفل غصدت ه‌ا ؤ چ‌ثب‌غ ب‌ا‌غ  ت‌چ‌صدت : جی  شئش ^ا#  ج  وثفدت‌‌اا‌ثفد‌ت.
(and showed a great water lake from dark blue and said: there is water that going from the wood that you set up on me) (Gignoux, 2015, p.56)
In this section, three points have been mentioned: first: Fire annoyed from water, second: dark blue water lake, and third: burning wet wood .
So, the name ائجثفل can be read in three ways: 1) Where there is a mention of annoyed fire from water, it can be read as "nīrāp". and be considered as NYRA+āp  combination: (ائج  fire +  ثفل water)[ائجصقث]= NYRỷ: fire (Mashkour, 1967, p.35)
2-There dark blue (Kabod) water ( سصدثث‌‌ : ی‌لات): This name can be read "nīlāp" (ائج  dark blue+  ثفل water) [nīl: a plant material and blue or azure color. Middle Persian(Farsi) nīlis results from main Indian . In Sanskrit nīla, is blue, azure ,black .(Hassandost, 2014)
3-Where there is a mention of annoyed wet wood from fire , it can be read as nīlāp/nīrāp/vīrāp. By considering the first part of the word vīra/nīra/nīla and their meanings relation with wood some samples have been provided from dictionaries:
A) Vīra: [vrāsakan: sandalwood: Av: variša- wood(Baghbidi, 1390)]; in rotation beginning v to b˃Hassandoust§141: [barsam: branch tree˃ burz- ˃cover(Hassandoust,1393)]; in rotation r to l˃same§222: [bālāl:column of mansiom˃op: bārādār-(same,1393)]; in rotation beginning vi to g˃same§85:[ gurz: wooden or ferrous weapen, in Armenian˃ varz:hand stick (ibid.).
B) nīra/ nīla: [nard: the tree trunk˃ op: nartā-/ Farsi: nardebān, ladder apparently from nard-(same,1393)]; in rotation rd to l˃ same, §223:[ nāl: say nay; Farsi: ney˃op: nādi-/ apparently from indigenous: nār: wheat field, Straw, Straw(ibid.).
 Frequent revisions, numerous translations, and different forms in describing the story of vīrāf', show the significant position of this work and this character. How  could a  name with such an importance have no example in its literature and culture except Viraz, whereas, a name like nīāp remained even on geographical places and the name of Send River "Send" and the other name of "Jondi Shapor" were nīāp (Dehkhoda, 1995). Here, It can be found that both  vēhšāpōhr and nīāp originally address one thing. Although vīrāz has been mentioned in Avesta, this name is used in combination of names such as vīrāzdōxt, vīrāzbande, etc., were it is put at the first part of the name, but in Ardāvīrāf, it has been placed in the second part of the name.
3. Conclusion
1- Ardāvīrāf travel is related to Shamanism customs.
2-By considering the 10th chapter of the book, we can relate ائجثفل with annoyed fire from water (nirāp) , azure water lake (nīāp) and wood (vīrāp/nīlāp/ nīrāp), among these three, (nīāp) as  wet wood burners is considered  more correct .
3- nīlāp is used in geographical names too.