Sep 1965

% V * September 3, 1965 % Jehangir R. Paymaster 71, Bank Street Suite 502 Ottawa 4, Canada. PARSIS IN NORTH AMERICA Dear Mr. Editor : Parsis everywhere like to meet other Parsis. In Ottawa I stayed for one full year before I ran into a Parsi — a lady wearing a nice Parsi style sari — and wished her SAHIABJI. She was thrilled to meet a Parsi and so was I. She introduced me to the Parsis in Ottawa — five families in all. Now I am glad to have so many evenings of a nice noisy boisterpus kind exchanging the same old gossip that is normalk dpne in Bombay:. R ^jg^^reat fun and everyone looks forward and enjoys tne evenings. ' Mine is not an isolated instance. There is a Parsi gentleman now residing in Vancouver who was in Toronto for two years and did not meet any Parsi there. Though there are 22 families in Toronto. A Parsi family of Toronto went to Vancouver for a vacation and spent five days looking for a Parsi family but were not able to find one. And there are nine families in Vancouver. The problem is that we do not have a central place or association where Parsis can register their names and addresses or get the names of Parsis in other towns. This is now being corrected. From the Parsis here and there we have prepared a list of about 50 Parsi families. I am sure there are three to four times as many. So far we have listed about 9 families in Vancouver — 22 families in Toronto area — 10 families in Montreal area — five families each in Ottawa, San Francisco and New York and 2 in Los Angeles. There must be still many more. The reason I am writing this is that I feel every Parsi in North America is in contact with somebody in India and it is to your reader that I would like to say “Please write to your friend—relative in the USA Canada to give me his name and address so that I can include it in the new list of Parsis which will be ready bv Oct. 15.” Newcomers and Businessmen coming to the USA-Canada : If you are in any town here please look up the PARSEE ASSOCIATION in the te’ephore book or check with the INFORMATION. Telephone numbers of the resident Parsis will be listed there and that will be a good starting point to meet them. I am sure they will be very glad to meet you. This kind of listing is just being started so it will be a few months before it is printed in the next telephone directory. I am sure when I say this that Parsis here will be pleased and also will greatly appreciate it if your readers will write to their friends in North America. Yours sincerely, Jehangir R. Paymaster. «VOL 1 No. 11 SEPTEMBER 1965 Contents : Page ¦ft EDITORIAL Lady Navajbai Ratan Tata—by P. B. Warden Zoroastrianism and The Babylonian Captivity —by Homi Burjor Dhalla Why is ' Tarra ’ Sacred ? Ratufriti—by Behram D. Pithawala Astuitish (Dedication ) The Voice of Righteousness Zoroastrianism Its Antiquity ‘Z’ Series No. 1 —by L. K. Nalbansingh Khshnoom —by P. N. Tavaria On The Derivation of The Word Shikhand —Prof. A.H.A. Baakza Letters —by Saranjamm Managing Editor : P. B. WARDEN. M.S. ( Bom. ), D.P.M. (Bom. ) ADVISORY EDITORIAL BOARD Dasturji Navroz Minocher-Homji, M.A., B.Ed. Ervad Dr. M. D. Karkhanavala, M.Sc,, Ph.D. Dr. R. N. Cooper, M.S. ( London ), F.R.C.S. ( Eng.) Mrs. Gool K. Savakshah Mrs. Shera N. Vazifdar, M.Com . Dr. R. C. Cooper, M.Com., Ph.O. (Econ.), F.C.A. Mr. Jehangir F. Shroff Prof. Nadir Ardeshir Mody, M.A., LL.B. Dr, Sohrab H. Batliwala, Ph.D. Mr. Bejon N. Desai, M.A., B.Ed. Single Copy: 75 paise. Yearly subscription for 12 issues Rs. 6. Inland, Sh. 15 for U.K. and 2 dollars for U.S.A, Office Address: C/o Warden’s (Mysore) Pvt Ltd., 378, Grant Road, BOMBAY 7. 5 9 13 17 19 21 25 27 B ? ? 2 3 and edited by Editor-Proprietor P. B. Warden from 378, Grant Road, Bombay 7. and printed by him at Godrej Memorial Printing Press, Gamadia Colony, Tardeo, Bombay 7. '.'¦iLa I We deeply regret the passing away of a magnanimous soul. Lady Navajhai Ratan Tata, whose short life-sketch begins this issue of Parsiana. In this issue Mr. Homi B. Dhalla, a young earnest scholar of Avesta and Zoroastrian religion and history makes his debut prior to his departure for Harvard University for advance studies in our religion. We wish him well and expect more of his learned contributions to follow. Mr. Behram Pithawalla raises an important issue in his article Ratufriti. According to his calculations shown therein Zarathushtra must have been born on Hormuzd Roj and Fravardin Mah and not on Khordad Roj as is accepted by us so far. The article on “Tarra” comes to us through Major Sorab Bamji for a reprint from Parsi Sansar of Karachi. Once casually talking on this subject Dr. F. D. Bharucha D.Sc. (Paris) had spoken - to me that “Tarra” remains sterile because of Bacteriophage develop ­ ing therein. It is something that eats aiway bacteria Prior to Antibiotics Bacteriophage therapy was for some time in vogue in onedicine and had met with partial success. I have requested Dr. Bharucha to enlighten our readers on the subject. Jotindra Mohan Chatterjee is an exceptional individual in the sense that he is a self-taught student of Avesta-Pahelvi and Gujarati, which studies he undertook all by himself without a teacher, for the love of knowing and understanding the Gathas in their original. His labour of love is summarised in the article Astuitish by his ardent admirer. We open a new feature —Letters between father and soui — expressing the viewpoints of two generations of Par sis. This is not for deviation but for proper evaluation of contrasts and determining the threshold. Prof. Baakza M.A. admires Parsiana. In his article he is throwing interesting light on the sweet things of life with which our happy days are spent.’3b I J .. t Lady Navajbai Ratan Tata A Life Sketch of dedication by P. B. WARDEN From a study of the lives of dedication horse- ride, when Navajbai was just over we visualise a vast gap that separates a one year old. Members of the Sheth common person — rich or poor — from Khandan were devout Zoroastrians and the Life of WHOMiWELOVE. Assimila- the task that devolved upon Navajbai ’s tion and visualisation of knowledge so mother of rearing and training Navajbai acquired constitutes human wisdom. It though difficult was straightforward r ?¦ on life with diligence in action and wider vision of all things around. <- In 1892 she married Mr. Ratan Jamshedji Tata, second son of Jamshedji Nassarwanji Tata. Due to her good inherent intelligence (Asnide Kherad) well-directed in life, she gave genuine companionship to her husband, whom she understood with the intuition of a woman of superior calibre and became a life helper in his multiferious activities. Her love of learning enabled her to gather knowledge from wherever she could tap brings out in bold relief that contrast namely, to bring up a child after the between the life that just runs and the life pattern of Zoroastrian life of the times, that matters. Every life that matters is a This she did. And did it well, and Navaj- drama well-directed and well-acted —It bai turned out to be an exampl ary young is the play of personality. Such was the lady of the family who showed her grip life of Lady Navajbai Tata. Coming from a well-bred family of Seth Khandan she left her mark of good breeding at every stage in her life and held on to lofty ideals of life with sincere compassion for and earnest desire to be helpful to the struggling humanity around within the limitations of an individual. She did not just give away money; she gave her life to any cause dear to her heart until the fulfilment of the task she tooik on herself. That is what made her life a dedication. To grow to lofty heights in life nothing it and made interesting and highly is so necessary as parental love and sense readable contributions to “Stri-mitra”, a of security with parental protection. A magazine run on contributions of articles father-mother unit is an ideal combina- by women only, tion for promoting material, moral and spiritual welfare of a developing persona- a*" Navajbai had travelled widely with her lity. In the case of Lady Tata the combi- husband. They had visited China, Japan, nation was cut off at an early age of one and the whole of Europe several times In ¦ ; and the whole of Europe several times In year when her father Mr. Ardeshir England they purchased the famous castle Mehrwanji Sheth died prematurely at the “ *------------- Mehrwanji Sheth died prematurely at the “Yofk House ” from the Duke of. Orleans age of 36 in 1878, after a fall from a and that place later became the most 3the The the Mediter- Sea but both of them were saved In 1916 Navajbai was going with her husband to England in P. & O. Boat S. S. Arabia, ship was torpedoed in ranean to reach England and later in 1916 to get Knighthood for Mr. Ratan Tata for his large sums generous charities already 1 Rs. 2,500,000 by then. From now onwards the couple became Sir Ratan and Lady Tata and deservedly secured the honour. But this elevation in society did not last long and in 1917 popular place for all visitors from India Ratan had unique ideas. He contributed and other places in Europe who were big sums to the London School of Econo ­ treated there right royally by the couple. mics and Social Sciences for Research into the Causes of Poverty with a view to remedy this sore on human society. Sir Ratan left over Rs. 20,000,000 and appointed Lady Tata as the Executrix of his Will and Testament. Lady Tata con ­ tinued to donate in right causes and give [ in charities from what Sir totalling Ratan left. Aggregate donations and charities by Lady Tata amount to Rs. 19,300,000. One monumental work of social utility built up and left by her is the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute which gives death," the leveller claimed the honourable employment to 300 women of the commu- life and the generous soul of Sir Ratan at the age of 47, but by that time his foot- 5. ? .'S 1 nity. Its services are made use of by all communities who patronise it because it prints were already on the sands of time, gives full satisfaction in quality of its His generosity and magnanimity were 1 Big people play their big part with humility — unnoticed. Lady Tata — big as she was had the humility of the big, His generosity and magnanimity were products. It is an institute copied on continued after the passing of this worthy small scale by others and serve a very man by his better half. Though maimed useful social purpose, and sad, she parried the blow of the hand of fate and with faith supreme took her seat as the first Lady Trustee of the Parsi Panchayat a worthy honour was so easily approachable for any to a worthy woman. good cause. She made everybody feel at ' What Sir Ratan had done or begun in ease when in her presence. She listened his lifetime Lady Tata continued and to all, some with sympathy and some completed — Schools, Dispensaries, Con- with attention as the case may need and valescent Homes, Hospitals all with penetrating insight formed the received generous donations according judgment that rarely went wrong. She to their immediate needs and at times gave because giving was good and so was provision for their maintenance. But Sir she — A Lady; ,(» •1^ » » Hospitals 4Zoroastrianism And The Babylonian Captivity by HOMI BURJOR DHALLA M A. I “We might hardly conceive what human belief would be now, had Zoroaster never existed. ” 4 4 Frances Power Cobbe. When Zarathushtra died, all thought, that that was the end of Him — but there was never a greater mistake in the history of the world. That was only the beginning of Him. In this essay, I shall endeavour to point out that, Zarathushtra the Father of Prophets, was responsible not only for laying the foundation of Zoroas- 5 t r trianism, but His teachings have deeply Judaism, in a nutshell. In or about B.C. influenced the fundamental principles of the other great religions of the world, and thereby influenced the entire human race. All the great religions of the world belong to two groups, viz., the Aryan and the Semitic. Of these the Aryan group consists of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianis m. The Semitic group consists of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is interesting to know if there has been any borrowing between these two groups, and if the reply is in the affirmative, we need to know which group it is that has borrowed and to what extent. Zoroastrianism being a very ancient religion has influenced all the above religions, and more especially the Semitic group of religions.. I would like to discuss here whether Zoroastrianism exercised any influence on Judaism, and Christianity with both of which it came in close contact. The question ultimately reduces itself to the influence of Zoroastrianism on Judaism alone, for Christianity is related to Juda­ ism much as a child is to a parent. Jesus and his apostles were born Jews and they remained such all their life. To understand this important question it is imperative that we review a few important facts about the historical con- nection between Zoroastrianism and 600, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Baby­ lon, led an expedition against Jerusalem, and took 3000 men of high rank with him as prisoners. After a few months, the King sent another army to besiege Jerusalem, and this time about 10,832 men were captured. As the King of Jeru­ salem was seeking the help of the Egyptians to fight Babylon, the King of Babylon once more led an expedition against Jerusalem and laid seige to it for eighteen months. The city was ultimately taken, and the Babylonian King ordered the city to be razed to the ground, and the people to be prisoned. In course of time Babylon itself came to be conquered by the Persians, and the Persians made that great city their capital. King Cyrus was very kind to the Jews, and thought of giving freedom to them and of rebuilding Jerusalem includ­ ing their great Temple. The good work 5 EXILE, and how deeply Zoroastrianism influenced Judaism and through Judaism the other Semitic religions. I shall now enumerate the interesting opinions of Non-Zoroastrian Scholars, who have spent years studying our great religion, which would help us to open our eyes to these facts, of which we seem so ignorant. “The Chief doctrines which the Jews are supposed to have bo rrowed from the followers of Zoroaster are a belief in the resurrection of the body, a belief in the immortality of the Soul, and a belief in o i:*" started by Cyrus, , was continued by the next important King, Darius, who came to the throne in B.C. 520; Xerses the son of Darius who succeeded to the throne of Persia, was a very pious man. Now that the great Temple was rebuilt. King Xerses provided Esdras, a Jewish priest all the facilities to take his men who desired to go back to Jerusalem — but only a few responded to this call. This shows how they enjoyed their stay in the new country, where they must have been treated well. Xerses passed away in the year 464 B.C. and his Son Cyrus married a Jewish girl. The above account shows that the Jews future reward and punishment. It is well were very intimately connected with their known that these doctrines were entirely conquerors,, both socially and culturally or almost entirely, absent from the oldest for a period extending over two hundred phase of religion among the Jews, so that years. In the long and varied history of their presence in some of the Psalms and the Jewish race, from the time when they the Prophets has often been used as an were slaves to the Pharaohs of Egypt argument in support of the later date until very recently when they were being now assigned to the compositions. ” hounded out from so many European (Theosophy or Psychological Religion, Countries, no people have treated them Muller, K.M. (P. 47) so well as the Persians. It is doubtful if at “However obvious the similarity any time in the whole human history a between the God of Israel conquered people have been treated so well by the conquerors as the Jews were by the Persians. What the Persians did for the Jews is unique in the annals of mankind. A treatment of this kind would all the more lead the Jews to study the institutions, laws and the religion of their conquerors. by F. Max Muller, K.M. (P. 47) “However and the God of the Mazdyasna may be, still I reject entirely the assumption that the Avesta people have borrowed from the Jews. ” (Civilization of the Eastern Iranians in Ancient Times, by Dr. Wilhelm Geiger, translated from the German, by Darab Dastur Peshotan Sanjana. Vol. Introduction) I., “The idea of a future life, and the It is absolutely necessary for every Zoroastrian to know and be proud of immortality of the soul, is expressed very this period in history which is know as distinctly already in the Gathas, and the BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY or the pervades the whole of the later Avesta 6(Avesta and the Genesis, 95 literature......... There is not the slightest trace of its being borrowed from a foreign source. ” (Essays on the Sacred Language, Writings and Religion of the Parsis by Dr. Martin Haug. (P. 313) “Few Christians will be disposed to admit that they owe their ideas of the resurrection and the future would, to the of Zoroaster. by Dr. FR. SPIEGEL) “If the history of human thought is of any importance the Avesta claims a very prominent position in that history. It not only affords one of the oldest, if not the oldest, monuments of Aryan speculation; but in view of its enormous influence t traditions of the Mazdayasnian religion upon later Jewish and Christian theology, and yet they will find it difficult to i - it must justly claim a decisive place in the disprove it. Let those who doubt this fact, development of religion and so even in ascertain how many decided references to the resurrection and future life, they can find in the earlier scriptures c. — Jews, written before they came in contact with the Assyrians and Persians; and then by highly enlightened comparisons, _t^ compare them with the more frequent ^be fundamental doctrines of Christianity are none other than the dogmas in the Zend-Avesta, transmitted down to St. John and to us by an uninterrupted line of initiated writers ....... . Now let us admit that Christian dogmas spring from Central Asia, and that their plainly recognised formulas are contained in the books of Zoroaster. ” (The Science of Religions, by Emille Burnouf, translated the moulding and destiny of the human soul. ” (The Five Zoroastrian Gathas, by of the L. H. Mills, Introduction.) “Be Bunsen has been enabled to show. “In a word Christianity, as it has become more reasonable, more pure, and more elevated, has approximated more and more to Zoroastrianism, and for practical purposes modern Christians are, to a great extent, without Knowing it, worshippers or Ormuzd, with Christ for their Ormuzd” — Samuel Laing. “Persia, from Cyrus onward to the w references to the same subjects in the later Psalms and Prophets, the book of Job, and the new testament, all written after the Jews had become acquainted with Persian tradition s. In fact, the book of Job has some appearance of being a translation, or adaptation, from a Per­ sian, or Assyrian text.” (Introduction to Mainyo-i-Khard, by Dr. E. W. West) “The Hebrews had borrowed views by Julie Liebe, P. 136) from the Avesta, for the acquaintance of that people with the Iranian ideas shows itself to have begun only since the com ­ mencement of the Achaemenian supre ­ macy.......... What seems to me to argue further, however, within the Iranian religious system itself, in proof of the close contact with the Semites, is parti­ cularly the position which Zoroaster gets. The position of no other founder or reli­ gion resembles so much the genuine battle of Marathon, was the greatest and Semitic conceptions of a prophet, as that most civilized and powerful nation on 7•a earth. Rome was yet in her infancy. Modern Europe was not yet born. Greece was not a unit, her people were divided, and only the terror of Persian arms, for a brief period, held them together. Persia gave law and religion at that time to the world, and that religion was the gospel of Zoroaster. Jesus afterwards, whether God or man, followed it, preached it, empha­ sized it in every possible way ; and was finally nailed to the cross for it. With all due honour to him who could die for opinion’s sake how was it, or how could it be possible for Jesus to announce a better or purer doctrine than that so often repeated by Zoroaster, his prede­ cessor ? viz; “Good thoughts, good words Do not those three ; “The Avesta is the ray of light, the column of fire, that guides the historian through the wilderness of Iranian History, illuminates the scanty documents preser ­ ved from the Achaemenian times, and Sasanian period, and gives a meaning to the vague and obscure accounts of foreign writers, Greeks, Latin, Chinese and Jew. And even the Author of the Koran, how often did he not borrow from that book which his successors wanted to tear to pieces ! ..........A great religion never dies; even when annihilated by sword and tire, it still lives on, unknown and unrecognised in many hearts that ignore it: Persia could burn WOLU. IWIW VMV AKv/x ---------* of Zoroaster and Ormuizd for the of Mahomet and Allah; still the soul of the popular religion ...You see how to be its natural field extends the action of your Sacred Book. No scholar who wants to know and understand the Persia of Islam can in History by Prof. James Darmesteter) I am grateful to Ahura Mazda, that I r <¦ the Avesta, recite the Koran, forget the name xi- name and good deeds.” Do not those three inner things embrace all there is, or can be, in remained unchanged.... any religion Can the most devout saint far beyond^ wl^at seems add anything to them?” (“Zoroaster ” by Loren Harper Whitney. P. 170) “He gave a new religion to ancient ignore that Book. ” (Parsi-i^ : Its place Iran, to Media, and to the surrounding tribes and nations. Good thoughts, good _ ____________________ words, and good deeds, were the prime bon? in the Zoroastrian fold, which factors in his teachings. Can any religion makes me proud of my Excellent Reli- strike deeper at the root of evil than this? gion. Though we are only a handful of Did the gentle teachings of the Man Zoroastrians, let us be proud of the fact of Galilee reach M„„d these three that Zoroastnan^mb^ rs cardinal points ? They surely did not, jj^ing other religions. Our noble Thus it appears that of our community through the centuries. Zoroastrians, let us be proud of the fact that Zoroastrianism' is Religion, as it has been responsible in * ’ * -1-1 because they could not AU beyond this paith has undoubtedly been the backbone is exegesis. Thus it appears that of our community through the centuries, Zoroaster, many centuries before Jesus and an indispensable force in the lives of . was born, announced the very beginning, -- < Uo;,. and end. of every religion. Jt wa^ '"“S5d 1^ a^flame If sophy, logic and reason, all compressed spirit for further research in our into one pithy sentence. The most great religion. ignorant and the most stupid could follow the reasoning to the end. The very pillars of heaven can find nothing better. Astronomer, Philosopher, and the Beacon or beyond this, to rest upon.” (Ibid P. 25) Light to the Souls of men. 8 our worthy ancestors. I sincerely hope . • 1 "r 1 succeeded in kindling a flame of love ? All Glory to Zarathushtra — Our Immortal Father, the Master Scientist,WHY IS ‘TARRA’ (nn) SACRED? REPLY TO A YOUNG ZOROASTRIAN’S QUERY * 4^ f Right at the outset I wish to maintain is to reject everything that is in contra- that Maizdayesna as taught by Holy diction with or in conflict with the spirit Zarathushtra has absolutely nothing to of the Gathas. All such surviving scrip- do with the use of nirangdin and that tures as are in conformity with the spirit there has been real good sense in the use of the Gathas should be unhesitatingly of “terro ” and it is not a superstition, nor accepted as Mazdayesna. Yet, there still a senseless performance. Let us see these can be practices or teachings which may two assertions. not be in conflict with the Gathas, and also not in conformity with the Gathas. The miracle of all times is that though Such should be permitted to be accepted in the days of Holy Zarathushtra the by those who like, and discarded by gathas were not written down, and were those who do not like. I find it difficult simply learnt by heart by the believers of to put the “terro ” in any of these three Mazdayesna, yet these have come down discriminations. Yet I am of the opinion to us in their spiritual simplicity and that the same kind of tolerance should pristine purity during these eight thous- be shown towards the use of “terro. ” and years. To get this conviction one must read the unalloyed translation by Rev. Dr. Mills. Rev. Dr. Mills himself must have been inspired to render these in English as to show how appropriately simple was the language 'and how intense ­ ly spiritual was the emotional urge in that immortal personality known to us as Holy Zarathushtra. Nowhere, in his divine hymns the “gathas ”, is anything said that can be even in a very far­ fetched way be wangled into suggesting the use of “terro. ” Most of our scriptures got destroyed when the famous Persepolis library was burnt down by the orders of Alexander. It is possible that some of it might have been as much original part of Mazdayasna as t--------------- --------- -- ._________ it will not be wise to discard everything religions and their varying cults, Mithra- that is not in the Gathas. Wisest course ism evolved its own rituals. These rituals 9 Paoriotekeshan, based on the second absolute truth that “nothing exists . without God ” has the corollary that God exists in everything i.e. God is Omni­ present. Consequent upon this is the inclination to worship God through everything or anything, as long as the worshipper always keeps in his mind, that he is Worshipping God and not the object that is used for concentration i.e. the symbol. Sun was the most powerful and the most impressive creation of God ­ in those ancient days and even now. So a few thousand years after Holy Zarathu­ shtra, the most prevalent form of Mazda- was Mithraism, worship of Meher- the immortal Gathas. So yezda, sun-worship. As happens to allof Mithra-worsihip were called Mithraica was a fanatical monotheist he ordered and in the Iranian province of Chaldea the breaking of idols that came in his they evolved the Chaldian Oracles. We path of victory. His soldiers and generals find that in Mithraica, one ritual is of did the same in the chief town of Egypt offering to Mithros. The prescribed where they entered as conquerors. When articles in this ritual of those days, were the generals and soldiers came to the find that in Mithraica, one ritual is of did the same in the chief town of Egypt offering to Mithros. The prescribed where they entered as conquerors. When articles in this ritual of those days, were the generals and soldiers came to the exactly the same as we have now in some Apis bull, — the Egyptian sacred bull, of our such rituals, particularly “ejusni. ” the Egyptian priests very earnestly except one. In Mithraica they used to put beseeched and strongly protested against wolf ’s blood in a goblet. As time went on it became more and more difficult to get wolf ’s blood, which having been the most difficult offering to give, — gave the ritual all the greater importance. Some- of our such rituals, particularly “ejusni. 9^ the Egyptian priests very earnestly killing the Sacred Bull. Strangely enough these hard-hearted soldiers and generals who had been destroying idols for years hesitated. The priests warned them that if they killed the sacred bull, they would ---------------misfortunes and their victory would turn into disaster. When Cambyses was told that by his generals, he got very angry and went personally and with his own dagger and hands 'killed the Sacred Bull. This dejected the The bull Egyptians. The defeated Egyptian soldiers and demented Egyptian priests suddenly turned into most valiant fighters and defeated the army of Caimbyses, and Cambyses had to make a hasty retreat. i i thing had to replace wolf blood. It had enormous to be something that could not just easily be got at once, and yet such as could be available whenever required. In Mithrai- ca the bull (ox) was given some reverence. Then came the question could bull’s blood replace wolf ’s blood ? '— — that was revered could neither be injured to get his blood, nor could he be killed. If so, why not ? Right from ancient times the bull has But misfortune did not stop here. On his been revered in Egypt — the legendary way back he suffered humiliating defeats “Apis ” bull. From equally remote times from even small tribes and with difficulty the “Nandi” bull has been revered by the he reached Iran alive. This has been a Hindus. There are ancient rock and wall great problem in psychological history of sculptures showing The A ¦ J from even small tribes and with difficulty the “Nandi” bull has been revered by the he reached Iran alive. This has been a a disk held between humanity. Could the Egyptian priests ’ the two horns of the bull. These make us warning of disaster, have unnerved an believe that the bull was probably consi- < . . - - - •. entire army ? Anyhow the Iranians d^’thevehicle of Mithros or Sun, the returned with some reverence and some same as Gredks pictured “Aurora ” with fear about hurting a bull. So replacing seven horses coming at every dawn. Yet the wolf ’s blood with bull’s blood was before the times of Cambyses, no out of question. If there was so much reverence in Iran was given to a bull, reverence for the Sacred Bull froim the even if it was spotlessly white like the Nandi. Cambyses had his victorious seven horses coming at every dawn. Yet the wolf ’s blood tudth bull’s blood was before the times of Cambyses, no < shores of the Mediterranean to the shores of ancient Hind, and as bull could not be march right into ancient Egypt. As he bled what else from such a bull can be 10soma juice could make a medium in <1^ After the destruction of Persepolis library, it was desired by Ardeshir that those who knew anything of the lost scriptures, should get together and put together whatever they remembered for which the Council of clergy was called, and they put together what is come down to us as the “Khordeh Avesta ” i.e. the lesser avesta. As many prayers were learnt by heart, it seems some commen ­ taries were also learnt by heart. Thus the prayers are not in one language; the same prayer is repeated in two different langu­ ages e.g. “Kemana-mazada’ and “Hur- muzda-khuda ”. Avanyesht is a commen ­ tary. Similarly various rituals have also come down to us, and most of these are of the later day’s cults like Mithra- worship etc. So far the theoretical and historical consideration of “terro ”. What about its practical use ? There is little doubt that “nirang” has been in some ways a disinfectant, and in other ways even germicidal. That it can be so, may be understood as it has uric acid and some alcoholic ingredient of the P soma juice. The ecstacy that the rishis - had after drinking soma juice (our “homnoo-pani ”) could be due to some used to replace wolf ’s blood. The answer found out, or just believed, that terro and was “terro ”. Yet in Mithraica or even today “terro ” is not used just as it comes which vibrations could be absorbed. out, but to make it into nirang some homa juice is added. The use of Homa i.e. in Sanscrit Soma was very ancient and probably existed before the bifurca­ tion of the Aryas i.e. those who remained in Iran and those who came down to India and became Hindus. The ancient Hindu rishis drank soma-juice to get ecstacy. The Chaldeans had discovered that some effects could be produced by repetition of certain vocal sounds. In the Chaldean Oracles the chief operation was to produce these sounds but they used only vowels and no consonants. From this, Mithraica starts Mithravani, “math- ravani ” as we know to-day, and “man- trevani ” as is known in Hindu practical supernatural rituals . On this appropriate mixture of “terro ” and hom-water (soma ­ juice) certain mathravani were said with concentration of thought, and compact of vocal noises, not necessary with any meaning, to produce the “nirang” to replace the wolf ’s blood. Till the last century the possibility of fixing vibrations was not believed, nor considered possible, and the Chaldean Oracles or the use of mathravani was considered as mere fiction. Then came the phonographic such exhilerating ingredient. In ayurvedic records that proved that not only sound medicines, which have survived the test could be fixed, but even reproduced of time for at least two thousand years, when wanted. The problem was to find we find that in preparation of quite a few out a medium and a method to fix the cows’ urine is used. sound and that was done and a gramo- Only a few weeks back in the “Parsee phone was invented. It seems that the Sansar ” was mentioned the experience of Chaldeans Mithra-worship priest either .a lady who had a very bad kind of qcz &- IKS' 11 !Si / ma on her .body, and had tried all sorts those who bry the experiment for at least of medicines which did not cure her, and a week and let me know the results, was reccmirended Io rub cow’s urine, Young people of about sixteen who suffer and behold she was cured ! Our Medians from pimples on the face should also try of medicines which did not cure her, and a week and let me know the results. and Chaldeans were far more scientific nirang before going to bed. Drinking it than we believe, and it is possible that also does not do harm. I was a very they had found out that “nirang” had fanatic child and at my “navjote ” time to drink, I nirang .99 nirang before going to bed. Drinking it ----------- J was a very such germicidal properties, and that was when I was given “nirang ____ , 7"'- "7” ’7’ " 7^ bodies of the drank so much that the priest cried out i.e. .99 why they used it < deceased so that the diseases would not spread from the dead bodies to others. To those young people who are of inquiring minds and like to make experi­ ments, I suggest they apply nirang on their hands and feet when they go to that is certain, sleep without mosquito nets, in places where there are mosquitoes. If they find that their hands and feet do not get mosquito bites, they can give the credit to the “nirang”. I will be very grateful to “Buss boocha buss ” i.e. “enough child enough. ” It does not seem to have done me harm, as it is now sixty-eight years that I have survived after an over-dose of nirang. It is repulsive but not harmful — o 12 Received through Major Sohrab R. Bamji. Courtesy: Parsi Sansar and Lok Sevak (Karachi). WARDENS and Warden ’s (Mysore) Pvt. Ltd. having given you best Sandalwood for 40 years Associates of Warden ’s (Mysore) Pvt. Ltd. Presented: Exhibition of Oil Paintings of Life and Teachings of Prophet Zoroaster. It was opened at the Jehangir Art Gallery by Cowasji Jehangir Bart. It attracted attention and drew large crowds. NOW They are giving You Pais (ana 9 * <• f v f « !>RATUFRITl by Behram D. Pithawala 4 Ratufriti, the Concept of “proper time” refers to appropriate Ritu or season for performance of religious duties, as hinted at in the Holy Gathas: * % j I Day and night are caused by solar motion. The solar vibrations vary in nature at different times of the day in consonance with the specific angle of the downpouring sunrays in relation to earth. Knowledge of this scientific fact must have led the ancient Iranians to divide the day into five unequal parts according to the solar angles. Thus, (1) Havan, at sunrise, when the sun is on the horizon (zero degree angle); (2) Rapithwin at high noon (90 degree angle); (3) Uziran at 3 PM (135 degree angle); (4) Aiwisru ­ threm, at sunset (180 degree angle); and (5) Ushahin, at 12 midnight (again, 90 degree angle). It will thus be seen that the times of commencement of the five Geh periods have not been fixed arbitrarily but are in consonance with solar angles, and solar vibrations. The whole system of Manthraspenta (Mantra-shashtra) is ‘based on this theory of sound vibrations being more effective at appropriate times. The theory of the various Hindu music Ragas follow the same laws of sound vibrations, and the Rag Deepaik will not kindle light if reci­ ted in the morning. ¥ ENOlNEERt a.i.e.m.e-(u.k,) A. I. E. E: E. (U. S. A,> A. 1. Mar. Tech. (India). Radio Officer- Ea^ Geli has a different overlord or Pati and an angelic representative who are remembered during that Geh only. Certain prayer-formulas have been devised for different Gehs; cf. Khurshid Niyaesh where for Havan Geh the for ­ mula begins with the words “Vohu uikshia manangha” and the devotee is then reminded to apply his thoughts on the purification and improvement of his body with the help of Asha, Xathra, etc. The earliest reference to this theory of prayer at the change of Geh is, by the Grace of God, preserved in Gatha Ush- tavaiti, stanza 5, in the following words; “Ke ya Ushao Arem-Pithwa Xapa-chaa Yao manaothreesh chazdonghwantem Areshahyaa. — Yasna 44.S. =(This do I aslk Thee, tell me truly, O A hura—) Who (is it) through whom (have arisen) Dawn (Ushahin), Mid-day (Ra- pithwin) and Night (Aiwisruthrem) which (periods of day) remind the priest (or wise iman) of his duties (then). This idea is beautifully developed in Dirikard where it is declared that at the commencement of each Geh period the Angelic Hosts hold assembly in every fire-temple and hence that is a very pro­ pitious time of the day to ask their favours — in other words, it is a time of special importance to aspirants to higher life for meditation. 13 1- “Thus says the scripture : the Adver- By analogy, each day and each The rel^ous year is as oW as flie month, too, is said to be ruled over by an universe: angel. Special Yashts are prescribed for recitation on the days or during the sa^y entered the earth, in the month of months ruled over by those yazatas. pravardin, day of Ormazd, at noon. Thus came into being a religious calen- when day and night were equal.......... . dar for the purpose of the performance Aries was in the midheaven (zenith), the of religious duties . Just as it is importan t was disposed in it to recite the prescribed prayers during teenth degree of the sign Cancer appropriate Geh periods, it is likewise rising in the East ”. —Zand Akasih. Qibligatory to perform the religious cere­ monies according to the true religious calendar, based on solar motion. the nine- was - s 4) To sum up: It would be as improper to observe the period of Rapithwin during winter months as it would be improper to recite Havan Geh when ' it is rtark night ! This refers to the birth of humanity on the day of Navroze. “The Persians believe that the begin­ ning of their year was fixed by the creation of the first man, and that this took place on the day Hormazd of Era- vardin Mah, whilst the Sun stood in the point of the Vernal Equinox in the middle of heaven. This occurred at the rp , , ‘ -x. beginning of the seventh millenium of True calendar a religious necessity: .® „ ® . . . Libra. — The Chronology of Ancient ^^Kadha Airyao daingliavo hooyair- Nations by Al-Biruni, Chap. V, pa^e 55, yao bawaonti? — Tir Yasht, para 36. i.e. i.e. When will the Aryan countries become followers of a true calendar .? Dr. Sachau’s translation. Fasal is not a modern fad A whole chapter, XXV, is devoted to the siibjeot of “Saal-i-Dini” or. Religious Year, in Irani Bundahishn or Zand Akasih. The rule is this not perform them (i.e. the five ceremo ­ nies*), when the time is manifest to him, and when he sets them aside *0 perform them .out of proper time, they shall go to the (Chinvat) Bridge as an”— Shayast La-^Shayast, Chapter XII. Divine insOtution of the Reli^us year: year, starts when the Sun enters the first “Ez Ahunavar minuy saial fraaz but”, i.e. the spiritual (or religious) year arose U-Ulillg Lii-v uuuaiv Wi from the Word of God (Ahunavar) (at Aries, Taurus and Gemini' the time of creation). Zend Akat^h - when one does Dini Saal — its scheme It is divided into four seasons begin­ ning with Spring. (a) “Spring, the first season of the degree of Aries. This happens on March 21 every year, and lasts for three (months during the transit of the Sun through Bundahishn. 14s' i 1 Chun in ctahar hangam-i-sBal •band’ Fravardin Hormazd= ” 1 o ravashn-i-khurslud pa ekhtaraain”, i.e. ’ — - - mdays = 40 days : see Zatspa^am ’s Zara- up with the passage of the Sun through the signs of the zodiac. — Dinkard. maedem, is the Feast o/vemar^ukiox turough the signs of the zodiac: “No-jaa i salaan mahaan i _ qwar i akhtaraan”, i.e. the new^posi- of Gatha (last Gahamfear) -_ ! years, Vernal Equinox. — Abul Hasan months and days are based on the bor- (about 1058 A.D.). i.e. u rojaan i tfons (commencement) of the 4 * ---=age at His passing away is 77 years and one month + 10 thoshtnameh. (d) The last Gahaimbar, Hamaspath- as its name clearly indicates. It was a custom of the Iranians to keep > near ders of the signs. — Dinkard . Gamas were always kept m the season For every single month is the owner Spring. Gafaambairs were festivals of one constellation ; the month Tir is the fourth month of the year, and Can­ cer the fourth constellation from Aries, so it is the owner of Cancer”. —Bundar connected with seasons. (e) During the last Gahaimibar day and night were of equal duration : hishn, Chapter VII. " Hamespamadayem, Ih^'t is, the five supplementary days at “Cancer became a zodiacal constella- l^e month Spendarmad, the ¦ tion; it is the fourth constellation of the night are again equal. —Bunda­ wdiac for this reason, (because the month hishn. Chap. XXV, para 6. year. Tir is the fourth month of the Zatsparam, Chap. VI, para 2. (c) Gahambars are festivals ted with seasons : “It is thus declared, that on the lapse of thirty years onwards from his appear­ ance (i.e. birth), on the day Aneran of Zarathushtra) had proceeded in that the first degree of Aries and the 55 “bwadaseng faaathrem asti ayaray”. — Avesta Fragment in Zend connec- Pehlavi Dictionary. “in agrem It says that year the day is twelve hours long. ” Thus, the religious year should begin the month of SpendarmadC He (Lord Vernal Equinox, when the Sun Zarathushtra) had proceeded in that the first degree of Aries and the direction in which there occurred the night are equal. This can happen - festival of Spring called ‘Jashno-i-Vahar ’ (Maidyozarem Gahambar), f - days beyond the new year day (‘No-roz ’). This clearly indicates that Lord Zara- world on or about March 18. li^^shtra was born on Roz Hormaizd, Mah Fravardin, and not on Roz Khur- jad. Thus, Ardibeheshta Khurshid less the 'beginning of the forty-five once, and once only, on or about March 21 every year. Vernal Equinox happens throughout Length of C^tain days in the religious year and their relation to the two impor­ tant Gahambars and the New Year day, 15as given in Bundafaasbn: On the (periods for) observance of religious duties (kar-i-Din) it says in revelation thus of Medokshem, which is the day Khur of the vahizki month Tir, to the season of Mediyarem, which is the day Behram of the vahizkik month Dae — the short ­ est day — the night increases ; and from the season of Mediyarem to the season of Medokshem the night decreases and the day increases. The sumimer day is as much as two of the shortest winter days .......... The summer day is twelve Hasars, A Hasar being - Bundahishn, •And from the season day of the second Gahambar, M'aidyo- shem. This Gahambar occurs 100 days after the New Year day. So, counting 100 days backward from June 29 (the longest day) we come to March 21, as equivalent to the New Year day of the ancient Iranians. Thus : Fravardin 29 (balance) Ardiibehesht 30 Kburdad Tir 30 11 W 29 31 30 the night six Hasars ..... a measure of time.” Chap. XXV, paras 3-5. This could happen only at or about North Latitude 50 where the longest day happens to be twice, as long as the winter night. After the Deluge (9,564 BX?.) referred to in the Vendidad the Iraiimiis left their original Homeland in the Arctic regions and came down southwards and must have at one time settled near about this Latitude. At this Latitude, the longest day (16 hrs. 20 mts.) occurs on June 29 and the shortest day (8 hrs. 14 mts.) on January 4. Now, as the above quotation from Bundahishn testifies, in ancient Iran the longest day happened to be Roz Khurshid, Mah Tir, which was the first 16 * M June May April March 10 (bal.) Again, in ancient Iran the shortest day fell on the last day of Maidyarem Gaha­ mbar, viz. on Roz Behram, Mah Dae. 76 days thereafter fell the New Year day. Therefore, if the shortest day there happens to be January 4, Navroze must fall 76 days after January 4, which, again, brings us to March 21 ! hus : Dae Bdasun Gathaa Fravardin 1 ’76 10 (balance) January 27 (bal.) 30 5 February 28 Harch 21 76 This fool-proof evidence, for the first time discovered by this humble writer last year, once and for all times clinches this whole controversy and proves with ­ out any doubt that in ancient Iran the New Year day was observed on a day corresponding to our present March 21. But there are none so blind as those who would not see !‘ < ASTWTISH (DEDICATION) We are compelled to record our admiration for the well-known Scholar tion, through his series of articles in the Shri Jotindra Mohon Chatterjee, who “Cherag”, to the Similarity existing has translated the ancient holy Gathas between the Gathic Spenta and Angre- of Zarathushtra into the Bengali langu- Mainyu with the corresponding Vedantic age, and published them in book form, Satwa and Tamas Gunas, and thereby thus adding fresh laurels to his past for the first time gave the final quietus to abundant achievements in the field of the stigma applied by some superfluous Gathic literature. This eminent scholar 'was born in a village called Sungar in the district of Dacca (now in East Paikistan) in the year 1888. He took his M.A. degree in Sanskrit from the Calcutta University in the year 1912, and entered Government Service in the year 1917, retiring from the post of D>eputy Collector 30 years later. During the period of 1924-29, he was posted at Berhampur in the district of Murshida- . bad, when somehow, he felt himself ““1“ mterpretations of he Amesa- Strangely drawn to study the message of Lord Zarathushtra in the original, and accordingly wrote to Mr. A. N. Billimo- ria, the editor of the “Cherag” at Navsari, requesting him to provide him with the necessary materials, with which to prose ­ cute his studies in Avestic Literature. Happily, Mr. Billimoria readily and the Gathic texts and translated them in abundantly responded with valuable their entirety, books and information on the subject. On going through these, it seemed to works in the English language:— him that the then current translations were not quite satisfactory, and that it would be desirable to interpret and present the Gathas from a new angle of vision, with comparative Vedantic expo ­ sitions. He was perhaps the first to draw atten- scholars, that the Parsees were worship ­ pers of more than One God, and conclu ­ sively proved for all time that the Parsees believed only in the One God “Ahura- Mazda” and that all else were but his divine attributes. These writings drew wide appreciations from the grateful Parsee Community, who acclaimed him as their most able interpreter, and encouraged him to further and deeper studies and expositions. He gave his own Spentas ” by the light of Vedanta, the great sister Aryan Philosophy, which appeared in the “Cherag” in serial form, and which were very popular and well received. He further applied the rules of the Great Sanskrit Grammatician Panini to So far, he has produced the following 1. 2. 3. 4. Ethical Conceptions of the Gathas (1931). Gathas (1932). Prisni — Gatha (1934). Ramachandra And Zarathusbtra (1935). 17 LOn the partition of Hindustan-Pakistan unfortunately Shri Chatterjee had to leave behind all his property and belong- the Devnagri i^gs in Pakistan, and returned to settle at Barasat, 15 miles to the north of Calcutta. ______ Here, he has established a small temple who have i^ his place of residence, which he chooses to call “Rudra Mandir”. Accord ­ ing to Rig Veda, he explains that Rudra was the God common to both the Deva worshippers and the Asura (Ahura) worshippers. In this temple he has kept and recently two of his articles made their appearances in the “Parsiana ”. Now, for the first time, he has presen ­ ted the holy Gathas in I Script, which has won the acclaim of famous Scholars like Dr. Bhagwan Das of Benaras and others, ’— ----- showered unstinted praise on the eminent author, upon his unprecedented work. At present, Shri Chattetrjee, who is 77 years of age, is yet occupied with preparing a new Edition of the Gathas in______ the English language, drawing on fresh pictures of Holy Zarathushtra,Sim materials in the light of recent discover- Ramchandra and Shri Krishna, and ies, delving deeper than ever before, to there, daily recites from the Gathas of produce unequalled gems to embellish Zarathushtra, the Prisni of Shri Ram- the spirit, mind^ and body of man, and chandra and the Gita of Shri Krishna, which hold him spellbound at the unique beautiful and ennobling is this and unrivalled position attained and synthesis ! held by Lord Zarathushtra, the first Prophet of mankind, whose resplendant He believes that the beautiful Sufi lustre shines as brilliantly to-day, as it doctrine owes its origin to the Gathas of did thousands of years ago, when he first Zarathushtra alone, and has attempted to appeared on the scene, to raise mankind prove his points in the book under to the loftiest position he can elevate publication. himself to. This last masterpiece of Shri Chatter­ jee is bound to be most fascinating, and will serve all grades of students most admirably. All those that are interested may apply to Shri Rustom T. Saklath of 9, Grant’s Lane, Calcutta-12, who has Bombay, 20th August 1965. undertaken to have it published. “Atha Jamyat Yatha Afrinami” (May it be so as I pray). Mahyar Byramji Patel. Xi" "18The Voice of Righteousness Zoroastrianism Its Antiquity Series No. I MONTHLY BULLETIN by POONA I JUNE 1965 L. K. NALBANSINGH Mazda. The Book of Ezra in the Old Testament clarifies that the writings of the religious books of the children of The ethics of Zoroastrianism which are ed himself in the dream of the King of still honoured, respected and professed Persia who was himself a strict mono- by the 'microscopic community of theist believing in the Deity -of Ahura Parsees, the only survival in our land where almost all the religions of the world have been thriving to the full­ blown dignity without destroying each other in view of the generosity and Israel were re-organized and the sacred tolerance of the Hinduism which tries to altar was installed when some of the understand the essence of every religion Avestan ideologies were transplanted in of the globe and improvises its own phi- writings of the children of Israel in losophy keeping the main structure of there cannot be two creators of the Universe, in spite of the various conflicting tribal gods in the study of ancient literature of the middle east. The spirit of God is the same and God has no boundaries of any territorial We cannot deny the fact that there recognition, was a time, when God Yaweh of the Old Testament could not find out a single person to bring out the children of Israel and recognised by the Magis who were from the bondage of the Babylonian of the Zoroastrian faith and were fully domination, the same God of the Bible aware of the birth of a great Messiah ordered Cyrus, the King of Persia to the various writings of the prophe- invade Babylon and release the children books and the Magis were great Vedantism intact. In short the religion of Zoroaster has been able to construct a coUosal Chinvat bridge between the Semi­ tic group of religions and the indestructi ­ bility of the Vedantic philosophy. of Israel. The Book of Ezra is very clear in its writings that one-third of the treasury of the Persian Government was Christ Himself was greatly honoured learned scholars in Medicine, magic, occult science, astronomy and astrology. spent in order to re-establish the temple Christianity cannot ignore the visit of the of Jerusalem so that the God of the Magis to Bethelehem, when the Gospel Zoroaster and the God of the Bible cannot writers have included this great homage be tw'o separate personalities when we to the Baby Jesus during the reign of can know the God of the Bible manifest- August Caesar of Rome. 19i The Book of Esther is another glaring proof of the dominating power of the and touching the po wer of the of the families ”. From these writings we can know that Zarathushtra must have written some of these verses Himself. Whatever the chronological order may be, the scholars have arrived at approxi- Zoroastrian ruler over the entire territory of the middle east and touching the Indian borders^^in the Gathas ranging from of the middle east religion must race in many ways on that Esther became the Crowned Queen of the Iranian King Ahasuerus. Hermippos, a philosopher of Smyrna lived in the 3rd century B.C. According to Pliny, this philosopher studied all the Zoroastrian T------ millions of verses and gave the contents of each book separately. Alexander had ruthlessly destroyed some of these books, Godly power and the Satanic and Hermippos came in the century after Alexander, so the original writings in existence h----- n'v. ~ There is a possibility that Avesta must co-equal and co-eternal modes. Are have been written at different times and the assumption 6200 to 550 B.C. The most important theory of Good and Evil has been dealt with in the Avestan writings when Angro Mainyu who created death and opposition to the books comprising t w o power i were before 3rd century B.C. of the Almighty God Ahura Mazda. The duality of Good and Evil are the greatest factors to be studied in power, to understand in our inner mind the mode of Good and Evil and how these two powers are working in the form Gathas ate accounted older thm r^t ™ one another ? "Xe“t?e”“s ^re Le of these doubts have b.n studied where said to be the work of Spitma by the modern thinkers so that a new these two powers another or superior to Some where said to be the work Zarathushtra Himself, he is distinctly generation may come out to love every and expressly mentioned in the Srosh us and wipe out the idea of hate Yasht as the author of these ancient and yhe Bible has recorded the sacred songs. In the other of decision in the Heaven. ‘Behold! the Zend Aveeta Zamthu^tm Ss sptten o m the third person, and even oocassionally Man has become as o , invoked as a divine being; in the Gattias Good and Evil . e wor^ , passing from age to age under the contin ­ uous struggle of Good and Evil and it ---------- , would be a great success to understand be studied : “What reward grantest thou, Asha, to the praying Zarathushtra^ me who worship you with praises, Mazda Poona - 1st June 1965. ____ Ahura ? In the Vendidad we read repeat­ edly “Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda Zarathushtra, the first published decision in the Heaven. (Kcassionally Man has become as one he speaks of himself hi the first person. Some of the interesting passages may ‘I urge, I who am These series on will be continued and 1st of each month. 20 Jf J- The world was in existence long before the advent of Zarathushtra. For ages and ages people lived simple and innocent life and Prophet was not needed but there intervened an era when Ahreman was over-active and in a way dominated the situation to the detriment of the simple and the innocent. This era was of 3000 years, not representing the period numerically but numerologically in which 3 of three thousand indicated the three stages through which Human Reforma ­ tion was to pass and the three Zeros represented a stage each. Zero one stood for Creation Zero two stood for Reformation Zero three stood for repatriation to the immortal world (Haste) of the reformed humans, which is the final destiny of all according to Zoroastrianism. When the last 30 years of the above ­ said total period of 3000 years of domi ­ nation of Ahreman, remained Vohumano and Ashavahisto descended to the mortal world (Niste) for emancipation of huma­ nity from evil. The following description is adapted from Vol. VII —Chapter I— paragraphs 24 to 28 and subsequent ones of Dinkard translated into English from Pahlevi by Dastur Darab Dastur Peshotan Sanjana. When Vohumane and Ashavahisto descended to the mortal world they found two souls seated in meditation longing for emancipation from evil in which they I^HSHNOOM Advent of Zarathushtra Part 11 by P. N. TAVARIA were snared. These two souls were GeuSh Urva and Geush Tashan. They addressed the visitors thus : “Our saluta ­ tions to you. We wish to have that Haoma, the fruit of blissfulness by the Advent of Zarathushtra. ” Identification and description of Geush Urvan, Geush Tashan and Geush-aevo-daityavo are given in the preceding part I of the Advent of Zarathushtra in August issue of Parsiana and need not be repeated here. Geush Tashan is stationed in Upairi Dalkhyu (Yt. 10-144), the fourth region of space, which is Nature’s Laboratory where Nature works on some four basic factors — each fractitionalised into 16 subsidiary factors — for synthesis of human Kehrp (the astral replica of human body) by the permutations and combinations of these sixty-four elements into one human unit. Haoma is the concentrate of these 64 elements and is therefore a potent weapon of transform ­ ation from the evil of the material world to the bliss of the divine and the sacred, - which is the final goal of Zoroastrianism, by the inception of the Fravashi of Zara­ thushtra with the spread of the Mazda- yasni Law of Infoldment, which crack and break evil propensities to a great extent though not completely. Comple ­ tion is to be achieved by personal effort of highly evolved souls. 21In the essential process of supplanting the divine element into Zarathushtra Haoma was engrafted on a tree for its local growth. Bahman When Pourushaspo was wedded to Dogdo, Bahman and Ardibehesht together came upto the grazing ground for the cattle of the Spitamas, where they spread Hom brought by them. The bliss ­ ful currents of Asha Chithra (the seeds of purity) and Vaha Chithra (the seeds of Goodness) flowed into and turned the then Iran into a veritable paradise. Here on a spot stood Pourushaspo ’s house. That spot is ‘Dareji-Zabar’ in Iran-vej (Airyana Vaeja). Iran-vej was the mother­ land of all people of righteousness. This Iran-vej was in Thrishva in the Arctic region at the top of which was Har- Barez, the Mount Alborz. Here flowed from the immortal worlds the currents (depicted as flowing of river Dareji) bearing the blissful seeds of Asha Chithra and Vaha Chithra. Towards the West was a city called ‘Rae’, in which ‘Dareji- Zabar was a talismanic place consecrated and impenetrable to evil where Pouru ­ shaspo lived. Here flowed holy currents from immortal worlds (Hasti) and it was the good fortune of Pourushaspo to attract those currents to the town of ‘Rae’, under a grand design in nature for betterment of Humanity. Exposition of allegorical Crossing of the Waters of the River Daitya A holy Athravan (priest) is endowed with 16 different spiritual powers. Pou- rushaspo possessed all these 16 powers in entirety and so he could listen to the Divine Music, and could perform the holy ceremony, expressed in type of posture, art of meditation, pitch of incantation, intonation of voice, and such practices whereby one could listen to the divine music of Ahunavar. All these holy practices are allegorically expressed as crossings of the waters of the river Daitya, (ibid. 29-30). By performance of the ceremony essences of divinity were attracted to the earth. At that time the breaths of Poru- shaspo and Dugdaub were attuned to the Divine Music of Ahunavar. (ibid. 32-33). When Ahura Mazda had completed the material of Zarathushtra, essence for Zarathushtra fled from the neighbour ­ hood of Ahura Mazda to that prepared material, thence to Khordad and Amer- dad. By those powers Zarathusbtra could assume physical body on the earth or rarefy it at will. It rotated to holy clouds (Hu-avra) and thence to the earth and back over and over again and finally as rain-water that caused the plants to flourish. The essence percolated into Zarathushtra ’s body from waters of those plants, (ibid. 36-38). In par. 39 six white cows of yellow ears are mentioned. Yellow allegorically indi­ cates divine self-intelligence. These cows belonged to Pourushaspo whose sublime cerebral plexuses were enlightened (in the case of ordinary human beings they are dormant). These cows possessed particles of the same soul as of Pourushaspo and their Rae (self-intelligence) being elevated they were able to recognise the parent soul in Pourushaspo. Dugdaub milked those two cows which were not impreg- it 22 Ao Before the birth of Zarathushtra, Frasiyav, the sorcerer, thrice sought the glory of Zarathushtra (Yt.. 19, 82) for which he supplicated to Ardvi Sura (Yt. 5, 41) for wresting the glory of Zarathu­ shtra and the fame, prosperity and good qualities of the people of Iran, with a view to crush them all. He went to the six super-ethereal Kcshvars (Yt. 10, 15) and Zareh Vourukasha (Ysn. 42, 4) and also to the holy terrestrial Keshvar Khanirath Bami. But since that glory was attainable only by the righteous and the great holy souls, Avan Ardvisura did not grant him the boon. Here it may be noted that Zareh 1 nat^ and- gave that milk bearing Zara- thushtra ’s essence of body, to Pourusha ­ spo for mixing it with Haoma. When the Haoma and the milk were mingled together Pourushaspo and Ehigdaub drank it. Thus were the glory, fravahar and the material essence of Zarathushtra secured in the two parents, (ibid. 47). After Zarathushtra was conceived, the demons made dire attempts to cause Zarathushtra ’s death in his mother ’s womb, and caused her to suffer from acute pain, so that she wished to consult the wizard physicians for a remedy. A miracle occured. She heard a Divine voice which warned her to desist from consulting the wizard, for that would cause destruction, and advised her to perform the sacred ablution and bring and Caspian Sea both mean ‘wide-shored ’.* But the two have nothing in common except for their meaning ‘wide shored ’. Zareh Vourukasha is the inconceivable huge and wide super- w dry fuel with her hands and put it on the fire, and in time she would be cured. Dugdaub obeyed the divine instructions and was cured. For three days before Zarathushtra ethereal expanse, allegorically called sea was born, the village became all-lighted, getting super-ethereal waves, on the top At first, people fled in confusion fearing the Space, while Caspian Sea on the that the whole village would be ablaze. Because there were flames in every nook and corner, but afterwards they returned yg contains the genealogy of Zarathushtra which we have already given in part I in August issue of Parsiana. * Zareh (Sea) — vouru (wide) — Kasha (shore) = wide shored sea. Caspian = Kasha (shore) — paen (wide) = wide shored sea. North of Iran is only a wide earthly lake which can be measured. !: 5. p saying the village of Pourushaspo will not at all be destroyed for in his house is born the glorious 'man-child, (ibid 56-58). “In the golden age of the world king Yima (Jamshed) had forewarned the demons of their destined defeat and over ­ throw at the birth of the glorious man­ child.” (Prof. Jackson). v ¦ 4. 231^ d? p On The Derivation of The Word Shilchand ¦S PROF. A. H. A. BAAKZA I How wonderful that we care less to know of the word which we daily use and go more after rare and obsolete words to enquire into their etymological meaning ! Apt is the remark of John Ruskin in this connexion that ‘there are masked words abroad, I say, which nobody understands, but which every ­ body uses. ’ One of such eluding words is “Shikhand ” (1^^) What an enjoyable dish and how very welcome ! But, the word is much more known in its denota ­ tion than by its connotation. ? I The word wears a deceptive mask. And without looking into its credentials, popular fancy jumped to the conclusion that it is of native birth and straightway raised it to the peerage of Sanskrit words. A word so mongrel in breed, of Perso- Arabic mixed origin and uncertain of its distant pedigree, has found a shaky place to be of the co-ordinate rank with the ‘Samaras ’ of the Devas. The plain shikhan became the sonorous- sounding Shrikhand. A little consideration will immediately show that the very word ‘Shrikhand ’ signifying the dish, is an awkward Sans- kritism, that no corresponding combine of two words has ever been in vogue in the Mother tongue. Shrikhand as a one- piece word meaning Sandalwood in Sanslkritic. But here “Shree” means something excellent and good and Khand — whole or a piece. It may, however, be which originally argued as suited to the purpose, that Shrikhand which originally meant Sandalwood came by a natural decline to mean the dish in our Indian languages. Such a euphamistic import of the mean'* ing is justifiable in many cases, we admit, and particularly in this instance as the Sandalwood paste partly resembles the creamy delicacy in form and flavour. But when we remember that a host of words are coined in a Perso-Arabic way to specify eatables and drinkables, it seems unreasonable to propose that a ¦^single word of its genere and that too, of unwarranted usage in that specific con ­ notation in its parent stock, should win its way to the confectionery. The fact is the word “Shikhan ” is born of the Perso- Arabic stock like so many of its sweet compeers viz. Jalebi, Mosuf, Khwaja, Barfi, etc. We recognise in Shikhand an easy modification of Sheer-quand which means milk or curdled milk and sugar. We have other analogues in the same genere like Gul-qand, and Sheer-imal (bread made with milk), which supports our view. We have to clear our position from one more objection. It is said that the word ‘Sheer-quand’ is not found in any Persian dictionary. But that way, you will not find the names of any of the viands named above. Because, these deli­ cacies are of India and of India origin. The names alone are Persian. 25 L. i. iKsheer Again, the components of the word “Sheer” and “Qand” may be traced back to Ksheer and Khand and Khand evolved seperately into Seer and Qand, and then naturalised as a Persian compound became current in our Indian languages. There are so many words of the Sanskrit origin or other ­ wise which we have adopted in their Persianised forms and which are not used as such in Persian itself as Aurat (Woman), Taja Kalam (Post Script) etc. In the light of these remarks, to know the word Shikhand, in its present form, as derived from shree Khand, which was merely its popular sanction, and which obviously makes no sense, should have to be given up. To find an analogue of Shikhand in the Shree Khand is against all the rules of linguistics. 1 W' BC6.^ ARTIFICIAL By Appointment to H. E. Shri Sri Prakash, Ex-Governor of Maharashtra ____ Suppliers to High Class Hotels, Air Lines. WeU-known Clubs, Stevedores to Shipp^g Compaiiies, Oaks’ Products Must be Good. J 1 •ILETTERS by SARA'NJAMM F' Father’s letter to his son My dearest son. » Day after tomorrow is the thirtieth anniversary of the death of your grand­ father of revered memory. So on that day you should rise with the crow of the cock, and after taking your bath go to the fire-temple. But do not forget to take the big prayer-book along with you. This book would enable you to follow the prayers recited by our family priest, and to take note whether he recites the prayers fully or omits long passages from them, and winds up two hours ’ wofik in only thirty minutes. 4 SS L I I I I I I, I . ¦ t Then when you receive from the priest ‘damn’ and consecrated fruits you may eat something, and yourself take the ‘papri-malida’ and remaining fruits to my old friend Behliba’s place. On no account send the ‘chasni ’ with your Christian boy; because according to our unique and exclusive religion which is the most occult and mystical of all other organised religions it is a heinous and unpardona ­ ble sin to permit a non-Zoroastrian, however pure and pious he be, to touch the holy ‘chasni ’ not to speak of gulping it down his throat. Again, do not allow your sister to eat it if she be ‘sick ’. l am sure you understand what I mean. If, however, you do not receive ‘chapta- papri’ in sufficient quantity, you should eat as 'm'uch as you like and divide the non-Zoroastrian, rest of the dainty and tasty food between some cow passing on the road and our dog ; but on no account give it to a non- Zoroastrian, even if he be dying of starvation. This sort of action is forbid ­ den by our religion, according to our pious priests. Again, day after tomorrow being ‘Behram Roj ’ — a meatless day — you should on no account taste meat on this "day. When you were a student you were diligently attending one of the ‘dharma gyan’ classes conducted by our priests who are worthy of all respect. Therefore, you would, I am sure, scrupulously carry out all my instructions. Your loving Father. Son ’s answer to this letter My dear Father, I cannot help saying that the contents of your letter have greatly puzzled and pained me. No I did not eat meat on ‘Behram Roz ’; not because it is a meatless day, but the reason is that I honestly believe that the pure and pristine religion of Zoroaster does not favour the slaughter of harmless and innocent animals to please the palate of gluttonous Zoroastri ­ ans. I do not touch flesh food for I do not derive happiness from the misery and death of sentient creatures, so near aikin to myself. 21The priest <^ly sent me the consecrated “Look round our world ; behold the chain of Love combining all below and fruits and ‘papri^malida’; but the fruits all above. ” were sour and ‘malida’ was hard as stone, Father dear, you advise me to rise despite the sacred prayers. Therefore, with the cock, but as I prefer to consume instead of offering them to the dog and - Z _* ! instead of offering them to the dog and the electric unit up to a late hour in the niaking it ill, I threw away the whole night it is not possible for me to follow blessed thing. In this connectiton the your admonition. Not the clamour of the \ realise their utter irrationality. They assuredly lower the greatness of Zoroas ­ trianism and dim the light of its noble and generous Prophet. You observe that our religion is -} your admonition. Not the clamour of the statements you make are so absurd and morning-time but the silence of night cruel that I wonder how you cannot enables me to produce my best work. Despite your injunction I did not attend the fire-temple on the death anni­ versary of my grandfather whom I had never seen in my life, as he had chosen to leave the world long before my grand unique; but my dear dad, the followers of entrance into it. You yourself enjoin all other organised religions say the same upon me to note that the hired priest thing about their religions. A Christian who takes full payment for prayers does forcefully and vehemently asserts that not “wind up two hours ’ work in only his religion cannot be classed with other half an hour. ” When this is your idea of religions; for while the prophets of other our average priest, how can you reason- religions are mere men born of ordinary ably believe that the prayers of such a women, the founder of his religion is the priest or even those of a devout clergy- Son of God born of an extraordinary man can in the least benefit a soul that woman, an unmarried pure woman, has passed beyond the sphere of this Therefore a Roman Catholic is a devoted world? Zoroastrianism, not learnt by worshipper of Virgin Mary. Just as you have freely expressed your is no such thing as ‘vicarious salvation-, vkws, similarly I have done so. There- As he sows, so shall he reap, is the eternal truth taught by Prophet Zoroaster in his sublime Gathas. “From David ’s lips this word did roll, ’Tis true and living yet: No man can save his brother ’s soul. Nor pay his brother ’s debt.” me in the ‘dharma gyan’ class, >ut studied independently teaches that there fdre I believe you will have the goodness to appreciate my candour and even praise me for listening to the still simall voice of my conscience and acting thereon. Your affectionate Son (In the next issue the Father will give a rejoinder to the Son). 28