Feb 1966

' . T '¦. >1 L J CO o new medium for old wisdom I I lj W'- ¦• 1 iV »r. HOMI BHABHA KSt, BiA.» Ph. D. (Cantab) EL^raoNic * ’ «. c _ * « E.E.e.(Kj. *• Mw. T«b. B.7uTr“*' ¦¦ S-A.) (lodbK . Courtesy-jam-e-.iaraahoS J •¦ i' A f II No. 4 FEBRUARY 1966 ¦) • Contents: EDITORIAL Page 3 Dr. Homi Bhabha 1 5 « ¦'4 Ancient Iranian Civilization —by P. B. Warden .. The Significance of the ' Sudrah-Kusti ’—by Mahiyar Byramji Patel Mr. F. C. Cooper ... ... ... Genesis of the Word * Hindu ’—by Behrrm D. Pithavala ... The Custom of ‘Sagdeed ’ and the Bimgalows at Doongerwadi Khshnoom—by P. N. Tavaria Rays of Knowledge—by M. V. A. Wasil Managing Editor: P. B. WARDEN, M.S. ( Bom.), D.P.M. (Bom.) ADVISORY EDITORIAL BOARD Dasturji Navroz Minocher-Homji, M.A., B.Ed. Dr. R. N. Cooper, M.S. ( London ), F.R.C.S. ( Eng.) Mrs. Cool K. Savakshah Mrs. Shera N. Vazifdar, M.Com. Dr. R. C. Cooper, M.Com., Ph.D. (Econ.), F.C.A. Mr. Jehangir F. Shroff Prof. Nadir Ardeshir Mody, M.A., LUB. 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; 11 16 17 19 21 27 * Pubialud and edited by Editor-Propr^tor P. B. Warden from 378, Grant Road, Bombay 7 and ftfinted by him at Godrej Memorial Printing Press, Gamadia Colony, Tardeo, Bombay 7. 8* tai al Dr. Homi Bhabha looms large in the minds of everybody and in the newsprints all over in the country and abroad. A genius cannot be immitated but the way'a genius lives, moves and has his being can be a real lesson to life. To a genius “Aram haram' hai ” (sloth is sin) not because that is his conviction but that is his way of life. He cannot help being active. He can see more in a rook than we can see in the mountain. He sees in dreams. He works in dreamland until his dream comes true. This continuity and constancy in genius is described as “nine-tenths perspiration and one-tenth inspiration ”, that builds up a new world for himself and all others. Our younger generation of Parsi youths will do remarkably well if they will just perspire without inspiration for five-tenths the time they actually work. Potentiality is latent not of genius but of talent and work will make it shine against any competitors. Let us take a lesson from the life of Dr. Bhabha. You, my beautifuls and handsomes just get up early in the morning a little before sun-rise. The rest of the course of life will be lighted up by the morning glory of the glow from the skies. This is all the treatment our community needs. This is Adlerian technique of psychotherapy of Individual Psychology with his dogma of psychical compensation. Early rising, is a psychical compensation , against the fear of lack of time to live because “life is short, art is long, opportunity fleeting, experiment uncertain and judgment difficult. ” ' NOTE: As Editor of Parsiana 1 have received several telephone calls both from subscribers and non-subscribers asking my advice whether they should pay moneys to Mr. M, V. H. Vasil (whose article incidentally appears in this issue), which he asks for as collection of funds for publications or deposits refundable after sales of publica ­ tions on Zoroastrianism. My reply is it is your money and your decision. I shall only state facts as I know them personally. I;:*' * Over six months back Mr. Vasil invited me and several others to attend a meeting for forming a committee to be called 3 1^1^ the residence of Mr. Dinshaw S. Zoroastrian Revivalist Book Committee with some ^“deoM tiUe to it This meeting was held at the residence of Mr. Dinshaw Cambatta Eros Theatre Building. Those present were Mr. Cambatta at home, Mr. Vasil proposer and myself. Others did not atten . Proceedings work started I told Mr. Vasil to drop his of the University where he (1) Before any self-styled professorship or give the name of the University wnere ne WAS XrXsor and the subject he was teaching. His reply was that he was Professor by reason of the fact that he was teaching gradua es And ^st-Sates Avasta - Alphabet in 10 lessons charging Rs. 10 and post-graaudicb f Ha. is Mister or Janab I am concerned he is Mister or Janab to them. I told him so far as if it pleases him. be collected to form a fund for (2) Moneys were to printing his books. I did not think much of that. Publications ; as reorints or excerpts on Zoroastrianism were then considered, ^e erandeose scheme had no list of books or any manuscripts to show to the meeting. His method of writing Avasta Letters in six lines had akeady^^n printed by him (not by us) as a show-piece. Sorne Parsi ^and Parsiana had given it publicity. It was by then a spent papers force. (3) Deposit Scheme: He proposed that he was to the amounts advanced by .moneys on promise (verbal) to repay the aniounts aayanceu oy people on recovery of amounts from sale of books. I ¦ '.'T. Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was Tricho- tomous, i.e. describable in threes. He was the Secretary to the Department of Atomic Energy, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Director of the Atomic Energy Establishment at Trom- bay. Next he was the promoter of advanced Physics as Founder of the Fundamental Research Institute, a connoiseur of Art and appreciator of music. In his third triad he was a friend of the budding sdentists, a philosopher to their love of theoretical sciences and a guide — a guiding star to their line of research. destructive weapon. India is so thickly populated that there is no room where to explode it with safety to nearby inhabi ­ tants. Humane considerations were given their due place. Dr. Bhabha could look at development of atomic energy as a striking weapon for power-hungry nations on one hand and as an absolute necessity for developing countries on the other. At Geneva in 1955 Dr. Bhabha presided over first International Conference of Atom-for-Peace. There he forecast con­ trolled fusion and need of fuel and electri­ city to new extensive industries in deve­ loping countries in which nuclear energy would be used with greater facility at first and at lesser cost in course of time. . He gave direction to India ’s Nuclear, For this augury he has proved himself a Space and Electronic developments and real prophet by refuting other opinions put India on the World Map of Nuclear which saw no use of atomic energy for Physics. He could do all these and mana- nations who had not reached certain high ge them all so well because he was him- level in technology. Nuclear power can self an outstanding scientist. He was well- now be /produced at baif tbe rate it cost versed in the know-how of all these scien- five years ago (5 paise per unit of KW- ces and gave them moral and social trend hour then) and may successfully compete by being one in the forefront of Atom for with traditional power and fuel sources Peace Movement. He concurred with the in course of time. Nuclear power plants • opinion of our advanced political thinkers are multiplying rapidly all over because in not undertaking manufacture of atom of their great utility, which? the foresight bomb, though its potentialities were of his dynamic personality envisaged, within his grasp and in his opinion one • • could be produced by India with necessa- - ¦ ry research, not requiring more than eighteen months to do so and at cost not without immediate purpose for utility Science is understood as theoretical science or pure science for its own sake prohibitive to our national purse. How- and as applied science where immediate ^er, one more consideration weighed purpose is solving a practical difficulty, heavily against manufacture of such a Theoretical science considers the broad 5Modern version is the fast-breeding 1 i bases of knowledge under inquiry and pursues it for its own sake and enlighten- reactor which produces fuel as fast as itl ment. Tata Institute of Fundamental consumes and generates necessary heat at| Research belongs to this category of pursuit .of knowledge. Dr. Bhabha had established his high reputation in theore­ tical science. In 1942 he was awarded Adam ’s Pri2e at Cambridge University. This is a rare honour as uptil now it is rewarded only to 15 persons during the last hundred years. At the age of 31 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society the cost of setting up the plant would be where election is by selection on basis of high merit. the same time. 1 Foundations were laid for modem j Power Plants at Tarapore in Gujarat and i Kotah in Rajesthan by E>r. Bhabha and I they would be completed in a couple of | years. Kotah power plant is necessitated 1 by frequent failure of rains in catchment areas supplying water to local hydro- j electric stations. Dr. Rao estimates that j high initially about Rr. 37 crores, but the j cost of power from it will be very low. A | third Power Plant project was also fina- ) Used for South India by Dr. Bhabha and j win be launched in due course of time, j In conformity with his policy of Atom I Prof. Dandavate, Head of the Depart ­ ment of Physics, Siddhart College, said that “the Cascade Theory of electronic showers, in the field of Cosmic rays, pro- for Peace he did not go in for Uranium-1 pounded by Dr. Bhabha in collaboration 235 separation plant. Uranium-235 is al with Prof, neither is a significant land- special type of processed uranium needed! mark in the theoretical research in for manufacture of bomb because of its| physics” and so is also “his work of tra- easier fission or separation of its atoms.| ciiig the existence of a new elementary This decision of his has earned him al particle called the Meson. He also annou- place of honour in the Internationall need his discovery of cosmic particles Atomic Energy Agency of which he is anj with over 100 times greater energy than any known before. ” Amongst his practical achievements Aspsara, the first atomic reactor in Asia, and the fifth in the world started work on 4th August 1956, which made available to the country nuclear energy for experimental purposes. It was a slow-breeder reactor. It broke down in 1958 and all its repairs with new and daily described “Dr. Bhabha as ’a scienti- improved designs were done first time in fic diplomat and emissary international Asia under guidance of Dr. Bhabha. active member of its scientific advisor^ committee from its beginnig. Agency deeply touched by the fact that he di^| on way to attending its meeting i| Vienna. J The Observer said “that India had lost a prophet and a guide who set the nation^ sights on highest peaks of technology”. Editorial in The Guardian, a British His was a voice which never expressed’ 68? bitterness and never deviated from a determined belief. He single-handedly put India on the nuclear map of the 'world. He built up a battalion of scien­ tists and engineers who began to share his inspiration and embrace his vision of new India. Amongst them are young men like H. N. Sethna who designed the plu ­ tonium plant at Trombay and who might well assume leadership ” — “Five years loss of Homi Bhabha would have been an irreparable disaster for India ’s technology. To-day the loss is immeasur ­ able. Yet it can be seen that with charac ­ teristic foresight Dr. Bhabha provided for the eventuality ”. If he lived five years more we do not have his foresight to en­ visage how much more he would have seen things completed and how much more he would have launched of new projects. Dr. Bhabha had also amongst other things set up the Radiation Medicine Centre in connection with Indian Cancer Research Centre at Tata Memorial Hos­ pital and also a similar Radiation Medi­ cine Centre at Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy • Hospital in Bombay for testing effects of various isotopes on diseases. ' One thing that struck the minds of F ’ people in Bombay was that the total complement of 8000 strong of the Atomic r' Energy Department worked as usual after t . receiving the sad news. Dr. Bhabha dep- leeated the practice of stopping work A ’ *when any one passed away. Respecting ISiS wishes all offices of the Department on Tuesday as usual and met in a gathering wherein all Atomic Ener­ I gy Establishment employees pledged to live up to Df. Bhabha ’s ideals by unani ­ mously passing a resolution to that effect and agreeing to dedicate themselves to his ideals. All eyes are now focussed on three outstanding persons, Dr. Vikaram Amba- lal Sarabhai, Dr. JRao and Mr. Homi Nasser wan ji Sethna to pick up the thread. Dr. Bhabha was a generous patron of arts. He visited Art Galleries wherever he was. He had an eye to spot genuine art. Mr. Adi M. Davierwalla writing about him in the correspondence column of the Times of India states, “His grasp of art forms, old and new, was intuitive, his judgment clear and unbiassed, his pur ­ chases magnanimous.. ........his collection ranks amongst the finest in the country and maintained in perfect condition. He scrutinised every art work before he purchased it and saw to it that copy-right was not infringed. The collection was always open to the public. He never over­ looked the artists ’ self-respect. ” “This fine collection is bereft of its ’ patron but stands today as the legacy of a genius who was a prince amongst men. Without him art is orphaned ”. He also possessed oustanding musical talent and had also composed some pieces.. May his soul listen to his music and the music of the rhythm! of the Uni­ verse in Garodman (The House of Songs) where Zoroastrian soul enjoys the bliss of Heaven. 1 • -'S 4 (1) Ancient Iranian Civilization pro f . RICHARD N. FRYE (Continued) miscellany (SELECTIONS FROM HIS LECTURES) by P. B. WARDEN the world. Arabic was too hard i and Arab - did not like Farsi. However, Ruda- wont Id mixed up Persian with Arabic made it (Arabic) florid. In the Sassaman period Dari got written with Arabic in it language in the making all over and too harsh for Iranians number of true happenings Ulmasux^ Ambic and ‘ are ''.ven*: vi nn Persaan with Arabic anu — in absence of There are a in the world history which we to dispose of as Legends ¦ and Arab lO Uispuav Vix --------o---------- corroborating evidence in support of their actual happenings c. _ - nected with them being abstruse and di­ fficult to fathom. That is a faulty attitude, power w^ We must try to 1-— - - ~ arose and though in all cases we may not ,____________ trace their source a wide range of Imguis- ^oroastrian but he had no Zoroastrian tic interest arises therefrom. Language - - - • * itself has its legends as well as and as good as its developmental history. Ancient Persian had Gilaki as a dialect, Pahlavi was an off-written language and Dari was an off-spoken speech. Arabic had Ghallian (or Gherri) dialect. genes ot lajeKisiau, , — Persian unadorned. It was spoken y Kurdistan spoke Dari. The Persians and Arabs and Iranian converts - ” ---------- to Arab tribes. These converts came prin- West Iran. Arabic did not popular therefore the Arabs had ^y others it is consider, the first fusion of (a spoken 1—Though political 1 Arabic linguistic and icultural find out why such legend impetus was blamic but Persian, and though in all cases we may not or the language con- This was a written language. w©U as and as Rudaki was a Mohamedan but at heart i ¦ '-'1] priests "to help him. Rudaki was a great j exponent of Dari and made it the court, language and Dakiki was a great expo- nent of Pahlevi. Islam had not spread] internationally until Sufi conceptfrt^ Iran made it so enticing. Dari spoke wine. Arabic spoke of Rasuls. The abon^ of Dari and made it tihe court and Dakiki was a great expo­ of Tajeikistan, Afghanistan, Fa distorted Dari so that Islams cannof understand it. This distortion i| cipally from West Iran, ftimw — considered natural by some students become popular therefore the Arabs naa others it is considered to learn some common language and tney . Distortion was more of syw went over to Dari which was spoken so , - - • ¦ — • extensively. overlapping frequently and it therefori cities and dialect in villages as is the case West Iran. Arabic did not common language and they Dari which was spoken so understand it. distortion thetic type with words of double origin type with economy of words. In a ci 8«• A . 4- tot words are simple, purely des- form). The Almighty in human form is .criptive and limited in their range of inter- something conceivable even now in an pretation and application. In an advanced age when a number of abstract ideas are f language more and more words become afloat in the world. In ancient times an complex in their nature, connote more abstract Alniighty would be a futile effort than they denote and encompass a wider for masses to conceive of. Iranian politi- *, - range of applicability — in short each cal unification was surface-deep and such word becomes a conceptual short- flimsy. True unification occured with hand. Islam under Zoroastrian teachings and ancient influences with overthrow of Aryan Pantheon of many Gods. In Achaeminian period Iranians had tv (2) PAN-IRANIANISM Pan-Iranianism is a vast concept not restricted only to politics and administra ­ tion but represents a way of life common close and friendly relations with the Jews, to a conglomeration of people of Iran Both were in their formative years and proper and its contiguous countries. His- Jews were extensively employed by the torical relationship of their contact result- Persians. Later Palestine came more and ed in a general resemblance of ideas as of more under influence of Greece and messiah, angels, Chinvat bridge and Israi- Rome and other areas came under influ- lite bridge etc. ence of Persia. Darius and Alexander offered to divide the lands. Darius was Achaemenians were keenly aware of to retain Mesopotamia, which was the being Aryans and that they were descen- centre for contacts. Alexander was to get dants of Babylonians and Assyrians and Syria, Palestine and Mediterranian areas, therefore they held them in respect and but Mesopotamia was a non-Iranian land exercised much mutual tolerance. All and the problem could not be solved. Aryan races had deep set religious strain. During this period there was much Iranians therefore brought in the name of exchange of. Iranian and Judaic influen- Ahura Mazda in their government and ces. Dead Sea Scroll mentions therein administration for unification of their many sects in the Jews and likewise in the Empire to imply that all contiguous Iranians. Christian, Judaic, Buddhist and nations were united as Iranians not by Manichaean influences were vieing with reason of conquest but by the Will of each other and with Zoroastrianism. In God. The human figures on top of large the third century A.D. there existed the columns of the Palace of Persepolis were Milad system, which is the true predeces- of Ahura Mazda. Wings were later added sor of the Modern Sectarian concept. In ' to those figures, which now depict Faro- it religion was under its own heads and bars. In earlier years the concept of Ahura the state did not interfere therein. Most ^a was not abstract but it was of the Republics of the world are now tnropomorphic (of human shape and Sectarian and so is India. But Sectarian- 9King of Kings then ruling. It meant ti| ism of India differs a little from Sectaria ­ nism of European countries in the sense killing and ending of the previous yed that in Europe state and Church are and the beginning of the new one- Simil entirely separate with no interference by larly it was a symbol of accession of th| and the beginning of the new one- Simfl state. In Indian Sectarianism though there new king to the throne — symbolic q is no active interference state does retain “The King is dead, long live the King iq some powers religions. (3) PERSEPOLIS Sanctity and Holiness attach to the Palace of Persepolis. Local people not versed in history when asked about the history of the palace describe it as coming down from Adam. They say it has existed from the beginning of time, meaning history began at Persepolis. Prof. Frye showed his Kodachrome slides of Perse­ polis and indicated locations of various trianism but it is strange that Zarathush- important parts of the palace almost mentioned in any of the inscrip^ all of them in ruins. From the Hall of a Hundred Columns all the columns have collapsed. Some columns and stones are ignored on purpose. Modern concept o taken away to be built elsewhere or j-eligion was not admitted in ancien taken away by foreigners. Several rock- times and reverence for abstract idealisfl cuts are noticed. They are pieces of- Iran- understood and therefore no ian sculpture now in museums of other reflected by mention of the Prophet. Ti to influence regulation of Great Britain. King killing a lion is alsJ symbolic likewise. Some sculptures reveal the ancient manner of greetings. The arisi tocrats greeted one another by putting al finger over the lips and the commonersl greeted the kings and the aristocrats byj lying flat on the ground. Nakshe-RustomI is the real sanctuary of Persepolis. May! be the kings were buried here as a placej isolated for storing bones is discovered! here. I Religion of Achaeminians was Zoroas-? tions. Gibbon explains this away by say ­ ing that either He was not known or was countries. Several types of sculpture modern mind Truth is the greater repeat themselves in this palace, e.g. convergence with greatest simplicity.'ll —- ---------------------------- ----------- I the ancient mind revelation was mystici carved columns and Medean and Iranian guards, Lion-Bull (Leo-Taurus) motifs, gjjj ^nd was responded to by sacrificiJ horses back to back, king killing a lion rather than by gratitude for receiving the gist of another ’s revelation. | There is reference in an inscriptiol about the payments to sculptors. “F« your sculpture on stone or wood bulls are bestowed on you. ” | History lays blame on Alexander horses back to back, king killing a lion etc. Persepolis was more a ceremonial centre than an administrative office. It was built by Darius but he never occu ­ pied it. Leo-Taurus (lion-bull) motif in which lion kills the bull is either an astro ­ nomical presentation or sculpture symbo- the destruction of Persepolis under influ-s lie of Navroz when it was a gift to the ence of wine and woman. ? 10The Sigaificance of the ‘Sudrah*Kusti' by :ij.j Mahiyar Byramji Patel *He who rises from prayers a better man. His prayers have been answered!'* “Nemo V6hfi, Vahishtem, Zarathushtra Gaethabyo! ” “0/ Zarathushtra, Prayers are good, prayers are excellent, for the people of the mundane world!** Glory be to “HELLELUJAH ! AHURA-MAZDA ! Righteousness is good; it is the highest good; it is happiness ; Happiness to the one who is Righteous for the sake of the Highest Righteousness alone !” So we begin our daily prayers. A Religion based on utmost purity and simplicity could not have chosen a better form than the SUDRAH-KUSTI, with which we are invested at the time of the NAVJOTE-CEREMON Y, when we take the oath of allegiance to the Holy Daen brought for us by Zarathushtra, the Pro­ phet of Ahura-Mazda, and accept the Revelation he brought us as the only course to our salvation, with the future promise of ultimate Perfection and Immortality as the reward for those that tread the ‘Only Path of Righteousness ’. Tlie Sudreh: • It is made up of white cambric cloth, and symbolizes simplicity, purity and , stainlessness. The name itself is made up two-words, i.e., Sud, meaning good, .ejlttd Rah, meaning way. The white colour Jl^ymbolic of a pure life. It is formed into ? a shirt denoting protection, with a small w. podket on the front side, (known as the Girebhan, that is supposed to be the repository of all good thoughts, good words and good deeds. It has to be made up of two distinct pieces of cloth sewn together on the sides, which signify the past and the future related through the present. The past should remind us of our obligations to those who have already departed from this world, and the future to the duty we owe to the coming genera ­ tions. The Kusti : The Avesta word for Kusti is “Aiwya- onghana ”. Kusti is a Pahlavi rendering, denoting Boundary or Limit. It is made Up of a white lamb ’s wool, as a lamb is symbolic of innocence and gentility. The wool is combed and spun into a fine thread. Two such .threads are prepared separately and then knitted into one. Seventy-two of such threads, signifying the seventy-two sections of the Yasna are divided into six strands of twelve threads each, which are finally knitted into one Kusti. Finally the Kusti which is hollow, is turned inside out and the remaining unwoven parts of the threads are knitted & 11 X’ . ?*5. uniform. It would not be difficult realize how unhygienic it is, if one 'W^ore a l original white cap for only a few days & saw howl jvvuv.x. _ _ __ _ - dirty it became, and realisation would'l ix strands denote the six religious duties soon dawn at the utter foolishness of I Zarathushti. The twelve wearing a dark, iinwashable head-dressi for months on end, instead of the more I Lv uiv _ _ J_______ acceptable white colour in conformity | UsMLTymboiisrthesii 'G^^^^ with the rest of the uniform. It would j certainly be more Zarathushtrian m con- > together into three tassels of twenty-four threads each on each end. These twenty- four threads symbolize the < _ twenty-four sections of the Visparad. The six-------- of a true threads in each of these six strands deno­ te the twelve months of the year. The six dirty it became, and realisation would' hollow of the thread symbolizes the space between the two worlds, and the turning cept and practice, of the Kusti symbolizes the law of cause _______ and effect. The weaving of all these into would proceed with the contents of the one Kusti symbolizes the One Universal daily Kusti Prayers, and the significance Principle or Brotherhood. The Kusti must of the ritual. be consecrated by a priest. Since the earliest of times, before the , Aryans parted into the Indian and Iran- The Prayer Cap : Branches, there had always prevailed No Zarathushtrian is permitted to say amongst them the ritual of purifications. Prayers without his head properly cove- the Vedic and Avastic literature red. It has become customary amongst aj^o^nds in stories that tell us of the effi- the community to wear a dark coloured cap for the purpose. However it is hard to see why the head alone should be covered intrusions by any foreign elements.: with a dark material. Perhaps there might /Amongst the devotees of Ranna, the story^ have been some mistaken notion incorpo- helplessness of the wicked j rated, that started the vogue. Especially j<;avana to carry off Sita till as long as shril when we consider that the priest-class, remained within the spiritual wall ofl and the women-foik, in conformity with protection that Rama had built aboud the colour of the rest of the uniform, wear j-jer und it was only when she was trick© only white for the head-dress, it becomes Qf jjiig spiritual field, that shi^ difficult to understand how the men-folk oarried away to Lanka. S(i took to any other colour but white for familiar with the story connecfj the purpose. It might have been a secret gyr own Da^urji Meherji-RanaJ dread of resennbling the corpse-bearers, ,at the court of King Akbar success-j that developed the erroneous practice of repelled the power of the magician^ wearing a colour other than white for the performed the sacred ceremony frornj purpose, and the sooner we revert to within the magnetic field that he hai| wearing white for the purpose, the better created. He brought down the fake moo^ it would be, and more in conformity with set up by the black-magician, and exposed^ th© true Zarathushtrian standards of him before the king. difficult to understand how the men-folk 12 So much for the uniform. Now we cacies of creating ‘Pavis ’ or spiritual mag- j netic areas that nepelled any earterior J Zarathushtrian standards of him before the king. Si/sr- IK i -x * * .5^^" . Si's’" 1^ Would not be possible for t^ co^ pared for the Good Tfiought, Good Word m<|y man to build a magnetic area as the and the Good Deed. Furthermore, the i j; PaVi. The Kusti was the answer to it ! tying of the Kusti is significant of : (1) ¦ .. ' ' was a magnetiC'^eld created around hiin, that would leave him free to pursue his daily dirties, and at the, same time, wl^ properly performed, would keep him day-long within its protecting orbit, free from all evil and danger. In other - words, the pterfonnance of the Kusti is nofliSng short of btiildii^ a mobile *Pavi ’ around one ’s own person. At the same time it is also a ceremony with the other purpose of reminding us of our duties and obligations to both God and man. Man ’s girding himself in .preparedness for the service of Ahura-Mazda. (2) His acceptance with all hunfility the Wil of Ahura-Mazda, and (3) The division of the body into two parts, the higher and the lower, with the spiritual implication of keeping the lower passions under pro­ per control of the higher. Now for the incantations that accom ­ pany the untying and re-tying of the Kusti. We begin the prayer with the praise of Ahura-Mazda : “HALLELUJAH ! Glory ‘be to Ahura- Mazda 1 Righteousness is good; It is the highest good; It is happiness ; Happiness to the one who is Righteous for the sake of the Highest Righteosness alone !” Kem Nia Mazda : A part of this prayer is from^ the Gatha Ushtavaiti: Who, O Mazda ! shall protect me, a mere mortal, when the powers of the evil one threaten to overpower me ? Who, We are always to face the Light, when we perform the Kusti ceremony. Light has always represented the source and sustenance of all life, hence when we turn to the Light, we are actually turning to the source of all creation, and thereby offering our prayers to the One Who is represented by it namely, Ahura-Mazda. The Kusti itself is passed around the waist three times, with two knots, one in the front, and one at the back. The tying of these knots is symbolical of four vows. The first 'half of the first knot is to remind us that a true votary of the faith must have implicit faith and belief that Ahura- other than Thy Fire and the Good Mind Mazda exists, is holy and matchless. The that advance Thy Righteous Law, O second half of the first knot denotes the Ahura ! Tell me, so that I might spread ---------- -- ----------------------------- «XZ .MAAfc«.V A XXA.X^XXV > affirmation that the message of Zarathu- Thy Faith.. Shielded with Thy Words, I ainrmauon inai ine message oi zaratnu- iny Faith.. Shielded with Thy Words, 1^' shtra is the direct Revelation of Ahura- who shall smite our foes ? Reveal to 'me I Mazda. The first half of the second knot the Leader of both the physical and the is the reminder that Zarathushtra is spiritual life. Let Sraosha approach him the true prophet of Ahura^Mazda, with the Good-Mind, O Mazda ! whom finally the second half of the second Thou lovest. Be our protector O Mazda knot is the undertaking to always be pre- and Spenta Armaiti ! Perish thou O Druj 13 s?,') V' h Ay you PLEAS! POLSONS COFFEE¦BUTTER¦TEA PLEASE you and thy evil brood, thy followers and all evil thoughts, words and deeds that I nray| aim vxAj V* T AX w* - ---------------- --------- ----- - — evil. Vanish utterly and entirely into the have originated, that pertain to nay body? North, never to return to destroy the good creation. Homage unto Devotion worlds, and with sincere contrition] and Humility. Ahura-Mazda Khodae ; May Ahura-Mazda vanquish the evil or soul, pertaining to the material or spi renounce them all. Glory to Ahura-j Mazda, and contempt to the Evil One.’ Such is the uppermost wish of all thi Ahereman, and drive him to frustration Righteous Ones, and defeat. May Ahereman, the Daevas, yatha Ahu Vairyo : the liars, the evil-doers, the magicians, the false-ones who having eyes, do not see, i Just as the Will of the Lord is suprenx not, the so by virtue of his Righteousness, is thi tyrants, the sinners, the deluders, the Will of the Holy Spiritual Leader. Thi apostates, the foes, the faires, be all frus- Blessings of the Good-Mind are for thoa who work for the Will of Mazda. Divio Power comes to those that render succou trated and defeated for all time. May the wicked be destroyed, and the enemies be routed. O Ahura-Mazda ! I repent for my sins and turn badk. I repent for all the to the needy. 14 I(#•' * Asbnn Vohu : Righteousness is good; It is the highest Dm No Kalmo : - ' - In the name of God, the M^jviful, the good; It is happiness ; Happiness to the Forgiving and the Compassionate, do I one who is Righteous for the sake of the pray. The excellent Mazda-worshipping Highest Righteousness alone. Religion created by Mazda is the most > A 1. J upright and of Divine Knowledge. Zara- Jtasis-JVle Avanghe Mazda ; thushtra is the (messenger of this just and Come to my aid, O Mazda ! I am world by worshipper of the Mazdayasni Zarathu- shtrian Daen. I declare myself to be an ardent advocate of this Faith. I affirm good thoughts, good words, and good __ _ deeds to be my guides. I confess myself its simplicity. Pure "in its concept? Bfvine Ahura Mazda. Righteous Zaratbushtra is the bearer of the Revelation of Ahura Mazda. So ends the daily Kusti. Beautiful in >¦ 1. embraced to the good and pure Mazda- in its message. The performance of which yasni Religion that puts an end to all would surely elevate the mind of any leads to Righteousness. Of all the Reli- resolutions. ^^This indeecf is ^the noblest gions that are or shall be, I affirm that the best and noblest is the ,One of Ahura- Mazda, as revealed by Zarathushtra. * TT cyr K1 <>1 11 |i I **11VI (I Ahura-Mazda is the source of all good, by Holy Zarathushtra ever lead us strifes, teaches the true renunciation, and sincere devot^, and strengthen his noble heritage of the community. Let us be thankful for it, and for the strong protec­ tion it affords to the votary. May the ins­ pired Word of Ahura-Mazda, as revealed This is the dedication solemnly declared through all our trials and joys? until we by the Mazdayasni Faith. reach the Haven of the House of Songs ! •^- « HOMI & CO.! Charni Road Junction I o o o o A place for Quality and Precision for glasses. Eyes tested by qualified eye- I ? specialist on attendance i ? 4> b*; (COURTESY and FAIR-DEAL) 15 r ( B*5 -' ¦> L- Mr. F C. Cooper DIED 18-1-66 Aged 58 We regret to record the death of a had thus earned the love and respect oi useful, dutiful and able gentleman Mr. F. everybody in the Bank wherein he passet C. Cooper, B.A., LLB., Fellow of the through various stages of promotions Institute of Chartered Accounts of India Internal Auditor, Chief Agent, Organis^ and Fellow of the Institute of Incorpora- '------------------- and Fellow of the Institute of Incorpora- of Branches until in 1946 he was raised t| ted Accounts and Auditors of London, the position of Secretary of the Ba. He joined the Central Bank of India on 1st November 1932. It was his first job and he served it to the last gradually got proper recognition as Deputy Mam & Here he made his mark as a responsib] senior officer until 1955 when his abilitw passing through various departments as ger. On the retirement of Mr. M. their able head until finally promoted to Karanjia the Bank had ready a fullj the position of the General Manager of experienced and fully trained person i| that bank on retirement of his predecessor Mr. F. C. Cooper to fiU that post of hig| Mr. M. K. Karanjia in October 1963. responsibility ¦ as its General Managei Mr. Cooper filled this post with admi^ able success to his credit until his deatl His was a heart clean and conscious of snatched away a gentleman from Bankinj great sense of duty to the Institution and Circle, from Rotary Club and from Fred to his colleagues and subordinates. He masonry. May his soul rest in peace, - j 1 t 165 h-' i. K- &1- -iS • 7 GENESIS OF THE WORD HINDU’ BEHRAM D. PITHAVALA The following letter was sent to the Times of India for publication in reply to the erroneous statement made in an article appearing in that newspaper in its issue dated the 15th August 1965, to the effect that the name “Hindu ” originated with the Arabs. Since this letter has not yet been published by the Editor of the Times of India, it is published in this Magazine as it contains some interesting facts on the subject. In his otherwise enlightening article one Shri K. A. Hamied has in its first (part thereof (vide Sunday Times of 115-8-1965) made a statement to the effect that the Arabs who established their rule in Sind in 712 A.D. changed “Sind” into (“Hind” and that is why our country came to be known by that name. With all respect to the learned writer, I submit that the aforesaid statement is not only anachronistic but absurd on the (face of it, as can be seen from the follow ­ ing scriptural and palaeographic evidence ' and records:—- ^^5 I (I) In the Vendidad, one of the oldest books comprising the Zoroastrian scripture, names of sixteen good countries that Lord Ahura Mazda created are mentioned. The fiftteen- th country is named as “Hapta Hendu ”: Panchadasen asangham- cha ftiadwaresem .... yo HAP- TA HENDU” (1:19). I may add that in those hoary days there were Seven rivers flowing in what is now the Punjab. This is evidenced by the Hindu scriptures where, also this region is referred to as of the “Seven rivers” (Sapta Sindhavah ). Later, two rivers are said to have disappeared. From the Iranian ex­ pression “Hapta iHendu ” the names of our country and its inhabitants were clearly derived. The Greeks’ omitted the aspirate ‘H’ and called our country “Indus ” and from it the present ‘India ’ originated. The age of Lord Zarathushtra ranges between the seventh century B.C. (according to the Western scholars) and 6,400 B.C. (according to the testimony of the Greek writers of such eminence as Plato, Diogenes and others. In view of the fact that many of the close con­ temporaries of Lord Zarathushtra are actually referred to by names in the Rigveda, the Greek estimate appears to be correct. Thus, the word “Hindu ” comes down to us from almost sixty centuries 'before Christ, and, in any event, since long before the time when the two rivers disappeared from the Punjab region. t7 4>r' (2) - III * a',Z^0astrian litany, Sraosha ' Angel Sraosha is ’ depicted as visiting the earth several times a day to protect us from the evil forces. It is stated therein that that Angel moves swiftly in His Divine Chariot from India in the East to the Western countries (Yatchit /ushastaire HINDVO age- urvayeiti yatchit jdaosataire Nigne). Here India is clearly referred to as “Hindvo”. Some scholars have translated the word “Nigne” in the above quo ­ tation as the ancient City of Nini- veh: From Hindvo in the East to Niniveh in the (West. Now, the City of Niniveh was destroyed by the Babylonians in 612 B.C. This proves without any doubt whatsoever that India was known as “Hindvo” cen­ turies before the destruction of Ni­ niveh in 612 B.C. (3) In yet another litany addressed to Angel Tir (Star Sirius) a mountain is named as Us Hindava ” from which its present name ‘Hinduk-Us ’ has been derived. Passing from the Zoroastrian scriptures- to the rock records of the ancient Kings of Iran, we again find India referred to by the name of “Hindus ” : countries ” (4) In the inscription of King Darius, the Great (521-486 B.C.) at a place called Nakshe Rustom in Iran, the King records that by the Grace of Ahura Mazda “I have conquered these countries ” and names “HI(N)DUS” as one of them (Ima dahyavah tya adam agarbay am .... HI(N)DUS). (5) In his inscriptions at Persepolis in Iran the following phrase occurs : “Hacha HINDAUV amata yata a • Sparda ”, i.e. “(the countries) from Hindauv (India), and thence to Sardis (which Ahura Mazda has bestowed upon me)”. It will thus be seen that it was the Persian Iranians, the forefathers of the Parsis of India, who put India on the world map and gave it a name to conjure with, centuries before the Arabs. Arab scholarship began only after the fall of Iran in the seventh century A.D. They got Iranian books on science translated into Arabic and destroyed the original. This is history and I need hot elaborate the point. It would have been pertinent if Shri K. A. Hamied had informed us of the rule of Arabic Grammar by which Sans ­ krit ‘S’ becomes ‘H’ in the Arabic langu ­ age. However, such a rule exists whereby Sanskrit ‘S’ is often equivalent to Avesta ‘H’, and accordingly Sk. Sindhu i.e. river, is called “Hendu ” in Avesta. 18 * ¦?t 1 ? ?—SR—* * I * ?THE CUSTOM OF SAGDEED’ AND > L •• 1^- ? t i T k —. Sagdeed is a compound word in Persian. “Sag ” means a dog and “Deed” is derived from “deedan ” to see; hence Sagdeed is the custom of exposing a corpse Ito the sight of a dog. The practice of .Sagdeed is commonly witnessed during funeral rites in following junctures. (1) Immediately following Sachkar i.e. after ablution and purification of a corpse when it is dressed up by relatives and . handed over to the nasasalars (a special set of men handling corpses). (2) On change of every Geh (five periods' into which a day is divided for prayers) until the funeral. (3) Prior to the start of Gehsarna (during which a pair of Zoroastrian priests recite the most important prayers. It is practically Ahunavaiti Gatha with very little modification). (4) While depositing ithe corpse by the nasasalars into a gehan (corpse bearing carrier). This occurs halfway during Gehsarna. (5) On completion of Gehsarna. (6) The dog follows the funeral and finally casts his sight on the corpse when it is carried for disposal. Underneath the Sagdeed custom is the belief in some magnetic force projecting from eyes of a dog which dispel all unclean and unhealthy forces arising around a lifeless corpse, itself now unable to fight them out. Clarifications by Dasturji Khurshed S. Dabu. (Jame-Jamshed) A booklet in the English language is distributed to some Parsis in which Criticisms are levelled against the custom of ‘SAGDEED’, and the name of Dastur ­ ji is implicated therein. Dasturji ’s explanation : In all my writings, I have always given four different view-points, in this connec- A.) R.E.(u .K) THE BUNGALOWS tion. (a) Whenever a dead body was exposed on the top. of a hill, on open ground, it was devoured by wild .wolves, dogs and also birds, as has been declared in the Vandidad. It is quite possible, that perhaps a dog was made to follow the corpse, (b) From the same source we find that a dog with ‘four eyes ’ was used for the purpose of this ‘Sagdeed ’. This dog might well have been sort of a blood­ hound, with intuitive sense of perception and the detective type of training. Such a dog was probably capable of finding out whether life was really extinct, or was merely dormant, (c) In the Hadokht Nasik, it has been declared that the presi­ ding angel that helps lead the newly de­ parted soul over the Chinvad-Bridge, is known as ‘the one accompanied by a dog’. It is possible that the dog might have been employed to follow the funerals with this idea in mind but, (d) Most pro­ bably real reason for this, as given in the Vendidad and the Pahlavi books is that the mere sight of this dbg is capable of driving away the onsetting demon-of- putrefaction (druj nasho), at least tempo­ rarily. As a proof of this, it is contended that the presence of the dog supresses the activities of ghosts and evil-spirits. Simi­ larly, spirits refuse to put in an appear ­ ance in the presence of a dog. The writer of the English booklet has only presented one view-point and thus created confu ­ sion. Behind the reason of ‘bringing a dog in the presence of a corpse, and denying a member of another community access thereto’, there is the sanction of ancient custom. Sezda, (as performed in Navsari), is only the last respect paid to the body, whose face has been carefully covered from general-view ! In confor ­ mity with this ancient usage, even the Governors and other high dignitaries used to give preference to the customs of the Parsee community, and were wont to wait out-side the premises where the 19dead body was kept, from where they paid it their last respects. There is no sa ­ tisfaction to be gained by insisting on seeing the face of the corpse, in opposi­ tion to ancient custom and usage. Long standing custom and usage are also acce ­ pted as part of religion — all over the world in all religions. (2) Someone else has had some hand ­ bills distributed to the effect that I an) solely responsible for the practice of the Doongerwadi Bunglis cleaned after the four days ’ funeral rites, by members of other communities The Trustees of the Parsee Punchayet do not ever act on the advice of just one Dastur, but always consult many Dasturs on all matters before finally framing any rules of giving sanctions. Nevertheless, when a corpse is removed from any private homes or bunglis it is customary to allow members of all the communities to enter the room after the four days of ceremonies are over. The Doongerwadi BungH is not a consecraited place of worship. When vacant, it is not in any way different from any Other ordinary private residen­ ce, inasmuchas there is no difference between the private and public bunglis. The same custom prevails in other parts of the country, and elsewhere. In Calcut ­ ta, residents dwell on the upper stories of these bunglis. (The same conditions pre­ vail in the various bungalows of Bombay) No one has ever inquired of me- as to who does or should do the cleaning of the utensils. Intentionally and slanderously, I have been dubbed ‘a so-called Dastur ’. How­ ever, I am in no way responsible for the false allegations by irresponsible people. WARDENS and Warden ’s (Mysore) Pvt. Ltd. have given you best Sandalwood for 40 years NOW RECOMMEND BEST READING MATTER i Works of Dr. Irach J. S. Taraporewalla Ph. D. The Religion of Zarathushtra Rs. 6 Daily Prayer Book Rs. 3 Parsiana Rs. 6 (Yearly) Available at all our shops. ¦igza^ia0Saes2gQgZ2gZ3gzagzagZ3gZ2gZ2giagzagsagzjgZ3gZ3gZ3gzagsagZ3gzagZ30QgZ3gzagZ3gZ3gZ3esaezsigisies3iez^\ 20t KISONOON ! i . by '^ P. N. TAVARIA » IV^ked period during major cydi of Mirs Venusind merciif^'' Safturn ' 12,800 years Duration of , We eked Period 2 000 years 9 000 and 13.000 years f THE WICKED MILLENNIA With regard to the distant ages in the current Zarvane . daregho khadat (of 81,QfX) years) this known material world will thrice pass through extremely wicked millenniums shown in 3 columns below, during which mankind will be more beastly than human, and the duration of -hfe and man ’s height will be stunted. After how many 1 2,000 A. P. 3,000 years (Hoshedar bami) 50,000 years (Hoshedar mah) 64,000 years (Soshyos). On the expiration of each of the above three respective millennia shown in the lai$t Column, this known material world will witness glbrious periods in which the three Saviours, Hoshedar-bami, Hoshe- dar-mah and Soshyos, marked against each will manifest themselves. 1.100 ., ? b . I > t Significance of 99,999 Fravashis ' In Farvardin Yt. 62 it i® stated that 99,999 Fravashis watclr over ‘Khshudra ’ the seed of the Holy Zarathushtra. According to Zoroastrian numerology, 9 j^icates pertoion or excellence; it (9) js expres^d 5 times, because 5 stands for perfect divine knowledge and divine Wisdom. A^banntom FKavnshis who possess per ­ fection of divine Knowledge and Wisdom. Hence this figure group is not to be ren­ dered as ‘many myriads ’ as done by So 99,999 Fravashis mean learned Dr, Mills in hi® book “Our own Religion in Ancient Persia ” (p. 20 foot ­ note). It is true that in the case of worldly sinful men, their -Khshudra, seed (semen) represents the essence or virility. But this seed in the case of the Holy Prophet has no such meaning. His (Prophet’s) seed i.e. essence — Khshudra —consisted of 21 Nasks or volumes of the Avesta. Dr. Mills does not understand this alle ­ gorical term‘K'hshudra ’. He does not know why the Gathic style differs from the other Avesta. Altegorioal Refexiencies to “Mia£den Bathing in Lake Kansava ’ In footnote to his translation of Yt- 13, '62 Prof . Darmesteter states : “A maid Eredat-fedhri, bathing in L^e will conceive by that seed and bring forth the Saviour Saoshyant ; his two forerunnnerslUkhshyat-ereta andUfch- • shyat-nemah will be born in the same way of Srutat-fedhri and Vanghu- fedhri (Yt. XIII, 141, 142). Then in footnote below the name Srutat-fedhri (whose Fravashi is worship­ ped) in par. 141 (ibid.) “Ukhshyat-ereta ’s mother ........ states that bathing in lake Kansava, she will become pregnant from the seed of Za ­ rathushtra, that is preserved there...... and she will bring forth a son, Oshe- dar-bami ”. I I i I 21Lake Kansava is referred to in Avesta Still again, according to calculations of (Yt 19 66) as Zrayo Kansum, technically the heavens, after about 51,000 years ¦ ’ • . n __________ill _______ milArchi-n 1« from now will commence the rulership in the heavens of 15,000 years of the king or called ‘Zareh Kyanse ’ explained in this book under ‘Cosmography of the Space ’. Zareh literally means a sea which signifies major cycle of Saturn (the seventh and expanse of salt water. Kyanse is called the last within the current Zarvane dare- Zareh, because Iflce sea it is a vast expan- gho khadat of 81,000 years whiclvbe se, but ethereal. Thus normally, it is the terminated by the next World Deluge), ethereal interlink between the four lower After a lapse of 12,778 years of dire ethereal planes (Dakhyusj Yt. 10, 144) in '------------- Space. So it will be understood Zrayo cycle of the Moon of 329 years. Kansu or Kyansai is not “the present Zareh or Human Sea in Seistan ” as erro­ neously conjectured by Pro. Darmesteter mentioned wicked and the glorious peri­ in philology. In the above quotations it third potentiality or maiden will also signifies the interlink between the contact with the third ‘seed’ termination of the wicked ages and the (KjjshuJra) of Holy Zarathushtra, result ­ emergence of the pure. So on the arrival exalted Saviour, Saoshyant of the interlink period (referred to as ' - ‘lake Kansava ’), the maiden, i.e., the potentiality Srutat-fedhri, will go for bathing, which means she will be purified. At this propitious stage she will come in holy contact with the seed (Khshudra) of Zarathushtra protected by Ashaunam Fravashis mentioned above. As the result of this contact Hoshedar-bami, the first of the three prophetic place-'takers and Sa ­ viours will manifest himself after 3,000 years as shown in the tabulation above, and the pure j-------------- the 21 Nasks (volumes) will spread in all their glory. Similarly, Vanghu-fedhri will come in human souls and other creatures he will holy contact with the second seed of carry to safety on the indestructible Zarathushtra (some 40,000 years hence) heights of Airy ana Vaeja on Mt. Alborz _____ _ _________ ' . ¦ » at the North Pole, where the climate will result Hoshedar-mah will manifest then be habitable and pleasant. The all their saved from the waters of the Deluge are called Maabadians. ethereal planes (Dakhyus; Yt. 10, 144) in as gho khadat of 81,000 years which will be wickedness will follow the placid minor Manifestation of Soshyos In the interlink between the above named Soshyos (Av. Astavat-ereta). In this connection it is stated in Farvardin Yt. 142, as under : “We worship the Fravashi of the holy maid Eredat-fedhri, who is called Vispa-taurvairi. She is Vispa-taurvairi (the all destroying) because she will bring him forth (i.e. Saoshyant), who will destroy the malice of Daevas and men. Soshyos possesses the potentiality of good souls of all religions, as well as a pair of every kind of species of animals, vegetables and minerals. These selected Zoroastrian Teachings of “Yim” with 5® pair of every kind of species of animals. preserved by Ashaunam Fravashi, and as himwl?and the holy teachings of 21 ted human souls and Nasks will again flourish in glory. 22* 5 {/ In later ages after the time of Sosh- yos, a horrible period of wickedness will follow again culminating in the next World Deluge, which is dealt with under the head “Un-fettering of Azhi-Dahaka ” in Supplement No. 10. In conclusion, it must be emphasised that the nine entities designated as three wives, three sons and three daughters are none but the nine fully developed spiri­ tual divisions, for explaining the func ­ tions of which the analogies of wives and their offspring have been employed, for as shown already. Holy Zarathushtra, though born of holy parents, was an angel on earth. Miraculous Passing Away of t I * Zarathusfitra At the outset it must be distinctly understood that Zarathushtra had no worldly death, i.e., his body had not fallen on the ground as in the case of human beings. In Sanjana Dinkard (Vol. XIV, Ch. IV) we are informed that “the passing away (Vikhiz) of Zarathushtra of the revered Fravahar to the best abode (Pahlum Ahwan) took place when he attained the age of 77, i.e., 47 years onwards from conference (with Ahura Mazda) and 37 years onwards from the acceptance by Vishtaspa of the Religion.” With regard to the Prophet’s passing away, the parable in Pahlavi states : “While Zarathushtra was offering his prayers in an Atash Behram, he was killed by a Tur who pierced a dagger in his back, but Zarathushtra threw his rosary on the Tur which killed the assailant ”. It is explained further on, how inconsis­ tent this statement would be if taken , literally, because according to Khshnoom, the ‘rosary ’ mentioned there was not a material one of beads, but was the lust ­ rous ring of the Prophet’s halo. Zarathushtna ’s Passing Away by Lightening or la Flame from Heaven In Greek and Latin accounts cited by Prof. Jackson, there is reference to lightening or some such luminous pheno­ menon connected with the passing away of Zarathushtra. Since such occurrences are normally impossible and incredible in the case of worldly people, they, are mentioned as ‘fabulous ’ by the illustrious scholar (Jackson). He gives them in his book “Zoroaster, the Prophet of Ancient Iran ” as under : “From the fate of Empedocles we are not surprised to find a miracu ­ lous departure attributed to a great sage; and the Greek and Latin patris ­ tic writers give a fabulous account of the passing of Zoroaster. His is no ordinary end; he perishes by lighten­ ing or a flame from heaven, which recalls the descent of the fiery chariot and the whirlwind in the apotheosis of Elijah. For such a description our principal source is the Pseudo- Clementine RECOGNITIONES and the spurious Clementine HOMILIES whose statements are followed by later writers. All these passages are given in Appendix V, so they are simply summarized here. 1 23Zarathushtra is not literally true, but is only an enigmatical and allegorical state ­ ment which modern scholars have not understood. From the above accounts of ¦patristic writers, one ; (Footnote L The best material bn this subject from the classical side, is to be found in Windischmann, ZO- ROASTRISCHE STUDIEN pp. 306 -309 (accessible now in translation, Darab D. P. Sanjana, “Zarathushtra in the Gathas ” pp. 131-135;) (a) 'A passage in the “Glementinae Recognitiones” (dating about A. D. second century, and existing in the Latin translation of Rufinus) identi­ fies Zoroaster with Ham or Mesraim of the family of Noah, and anathe ­ matizes him as a magician and astro ­ loger. To deceive the people, it is said, he was wont to conjure the stars until finally the guardian spirit or presiding genius of a certain star became angry at his control and emitted a stream of fire in vengeance and slew the arch-magician. (k) The later Persian Dabistan (beginning of 17th century A.D.) ......A Turk named Turbaratur, or Turbaraturhash (i.e. Tur-i-BrUtur- Vakhsh) having entered Zardusht ’s oratory, the Prophet received mar ­ tyrdom by his sword. Zardusht, how­ ever, having thrown at him the rosary (Shumar Afin or Yad Afroz) which he held in his hand, there pro­ ceeded from it such an effulgent splendour that its fire fell on Turba ­ ratur and consumed him.”3 (Footnote 3—Dabistan pp. 371-372). When we put together the above acco ­ unts by non-Iranian writers, who were not necessarily eulogistic of the Iranians or their faith, one thing becomes evident that the Pahlavi tradition of a Tur killing for “Tur-bara-Tur , the Satan. thing that comes uppermost is that the passing away of the Prophet had connection with lightning or some such luminous phenomenon wh,ich those (patristic) writers did not know in its genuineness, and consequently ; pxe- sented it mixed with their own erron^pus conjectures. At the same time, it .41so proves that the Prophet was not killed by the pierdrig of a dagger by the Tur (or Turk). Demons oould iiq< Zamfhuslitra It will be understood from the follow ­ ing arguments adduced by Ervad S. M. Bhadha in his book “Amar Jyoti Zara ­ thushtra ” (pp. 45 seq.) that the Pahlavi statement mentioned in the beginriing would be quite inconsistent if taken liter­ ally. In Tir Yasht 44, it is distinctly stated: “Neither Ahriman (the Satan), nor sorcerers nor witches nor all the demons collectively can strike or dare to strike Prophet Zarathushtra. ” When we put the above Avestan passage and the traditional Pahlavi statement side by side, we can understand that the latter has some allegorical meaning because Avesta are the most authentic. It must be stated that the Prophet’s passing away is related as a simple para ­ ble. Here Tur or Turk does not signify member of the Turkish race, but stands 24i « r 1 F *- » I If i' Tur-bara ’Tur represents the invisible, monstrously inflated, gigantic cloud of the Dark side, which was the veritable body of Darkness that rained dire havoc on the earth with plague, cholera, lusts, famines, floods, earthquakes, warfares, robberies, sorcery, murders etc. during some 4000 years prior to the advent of Zarathushtra on this material world. These gave cause to Geush Urva to raise her appeal for deliverance from all those catastrophes. Geush Urva is the blissful phantom, arisen out of the White side of the totality of souls of human beings of the earth, appointed for their protection. r I The above terrific condition had reach ­ ed such limitless proportions that just as water overflows during floods in rivers, so had Druji, i.e. Evil crossed all bounds. This overflow of Evil i.e. the dire inflation of the Body of Daikness is allegorically called Tur-bara-Tur. Zarathushtra alone possessed the power of shattering this body of Darkness with the aid of the divine Aoj power of holiness which he, Zarathushtra, possessed in common with Ameshaspends and Yazads. ? Zaratbushtra Shatters Tur-bam-Tur ’s ? 4 Body of Darkness When Zarathushtra completed the work of spreading the divine mission, he undertook the task of smashing the Body of Darkness and so he darted the ring of his halo full of lustre to the sky towards the above Tur-bara-Tur ’s body of Dark ­ ness. This agrees with the note in Dabis- tan above referred to, where it is stated that “there proceeded from it such an effulgent splendour that its fire fell on and consumed him”, Tur-bara-Tur '(though actually it did not consume bub shattered it to pieces and reduced it to its normalcy). From the Tir Yasht passage cited above, we find that no demons with all their witch-craft powers could kill Zara ­ thushtra. Hence it is easy to understand that it was quite impossible for a Turk to have murdered him. In the Avestan pas ­ sage cited above, it is also stated that Tir Yazad is appointed as the guardian of the stars, and Zarathushtra as the chief and protector of human beings. Thus holy Zarathushtra was not an ordinary human being, whom a Turk could have killed by piercing a dagger, but was the deputy of Sarosh Yazad and of the potentiality called ‘Gatha ’ (which is distinct from the Gath a prayers in the Avesta). Zlarathushtna Master Astrologer The holy Prophet was sent to this world endowed with great powers and authorities. He was 'Master-Astrologer who could predict the events from dead past to the dim future, and as such he possessed the knowledge of all ages. So is it possible that he could not have fore ­ seen his own death by a Turk ? Ahura Mazda and Ameshaspends constantly rendered him succour and saved him on all occasions during which the demons left no stone unturned to kill him by their great powers of sorcery. Would those holy divine Intelligences not have saved him at such a critical juncture of attack on him ? This proves that a Tur was not a man, but represents Tur-bara-Tur the Satan, 25 FAjngdic powers of Zarathushtra Zarathusbtra had unique and limitless powers. Nobody could approach him. Owing to the talismanic currents flowing through his body it gave a shock when touched, which has been testified by Pliny also. His body composed as it was of solid aura, was lustrous and transparent. No implement of any kind had any effect on his body. In fine, his body was not composed of flesh and bones. If we reme­ mber all the extraordinary facts about his angelic powers and the composition of his body, we would realize that the Pro­ phet could not have undergone ordinary worldly death, because it is utterly impos­ sible that a human being Tur could have killed him when all the combined powers of the demons did not succeed in effecting his death by the dreadful sorcery. No Mausoleum of Zarathushtra Had Zarathushtra been killed by a human being as alleged, the great Iranian empire would have erected in his memory lofty (mausoleum and we would have had atleast the ruins of that monument, just as we have various ruins existing to this day like those of Persepolis. Nay, such place and the monument would have become the holy centre for pilgrimage. Moreover, the narrations of the events of -a- ? 1 ? 26 his death, the atetndance of the King and the courtiers in the funeral and speeches delivered by them would have been pre­ served in Avesta-Pahlavi writings and such books in the form of Nusk or Nusks would have been referred to with great reverence by the community. But, as we know, nothing of this sort has happened. On the contrary, we find indirect proofs of his becoming invisible. The Greatest Ordeal As stated before, Zarathushtra darted his lustrous ring of halo towards the Tur- bara-Tur ’s body of Darkness with his divine Aoj power and shattered it to pieces, and voluntarily drew its rebound shook on his purity-perfect body whereby on the one hand, the Prophet’s luminous body elements were dispersed and drawn back to their respective ethereal regions above, and on the other, reduced the power of Darkness, i.e. Satan, to its nor­ malcy. So dire was this shock, that had Zarathushtra not drawn it upon his body but allowed it to strike against the earth. it( earth) would have been pulvarized. Thus Zarahushtra did not have a worldly death, but his passing away (Vikhiz) was the spiritual ordeal of the highest degree.I I J ¦« ? I “The Original language of the Parsi Scriptures is (known as Avesta. “Zend- Avesta ” is used as a general term for these scriptures. Whenever the word “Zend” is used alone, it is applied to the Pahlavi translation, commentary or gloss. The term “Pazend ” denotes a further explanation of the Zend. The word ‘Zend’ is derived from Avesta Zan, to know, and signifies “explanation ”; and the word “Pazend ” is derived from Avesta paiti- zanti, with the meaning “re-explanation ”, Pahlavi and Pazend “The term Pahlevi, in its widest extent, is applied to all the varied forms of the medieval Persian language, from the time when the grammatical inflexions of anci ­ ent Persian were dropped till the period when the modern alphabet was invented and the language became corrupted into modern Persian by the adoption of nume ­ rous Arabic words and phrases. Strictly speaking, the medieval Persian language is only called Pahlavi when it is written in one of the characters used before the adoption of the modern Persian alphabet, and in the peculiarly enigmatical mode adopted in Pahlavi writings. Whenever it is transcribed, either in Avesta characters or in those of the modern Persian alpha ­ bet, and freed from this peculiarity, it is called Pazend. ” The Ancient Country of the Parsis “The ancient Greeks spoke of the ancient country of the Parsis as Persis 55 Rays of Knowledge Compiled by M. V. A. WASIL and of the people of Persoi. This country was bounded on the north by Media, on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, on the east by Carmania (Kerman), and on the north-east by Susi- ana (Khujistan). In length it was 450 miles and in breadth 250 — about equal in area to Italy and about 10,000 sq. m. larger than Great Britain. It is this coun ­ try which produced such eminent Persian rulers as Cyrus and Darius the Great of undying fame. ” The Ancient Persian Empire “From 506 to 479 B.C., when the Per­ sian empire was at its zenith, its bounda ­ ries were as follows :—in the north, the Jaxartes, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountain, the Euxine, and the Danube; in the south, the Indian Ocean, the Per­ sian Gulf, Arabia and the Nunian Desert in Africa; in the east, the Indus and the Sutlej, and the forests of Tibet; in the west, the Sirtis in the north of Tripoli in Africa, the Aegean sea, and the province of Macedonia and Paoinia to the west of the Strymon. Its area extended over twenty-two million square miles, that is, more than half of the extent of modern Europe. It exceeded the area of any other ancient empire.” The Modem Kingdom of Iran “Bounded on the north by the Caspian Sea, on the north-east by Turkestan, on the east by Afghanistan and Baluchistan, on the south by the Persian Gulf, and on 21* “ * > I the west and north-west by Iraq, Turkey and Russia. Areas: Greatest length about 800 miles and greatest width about the same. Total area about 600,000 square miles. Popu ­ lation: about 12,000,000 ” The Mazday asnan Religi on “The faith or religion of the Iranians at the time of Zoroaster ’s appearance was that known as Paoryo-tkaeshi, literally, “the religion of previous faith. ” It was a form of Mazdayasnism, i.e. a religion acknowledging Mazda as the One God.” V 28 dd MIC 99 “The great Mazdayasnan Teachers or Reformers, known as SAOSHYANTS (Benefitters of Humanity), who from time to time had arisen in Iran previous to Zoroaster were eight in number : Kaio- mars, Hoshang, Tehmurasp, Haoma, Jamshid, Feridun, Kai Kaus and Kai Khusrau. ” “The follower of the Zoroastrian creed called himself “vidaevo Ahur-tikaesho ”, that is, “of the faith of Ahura Mazda and opposed to demonism”.” . I- t- ?? 95 99 3XSBBCB&S PRODUCTS Kamal Bldg., adjoining Radio Club Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, ’ Bombay 5. Manufacturers of OAKS BRAND Squashes Crushes Syrups squash QUALITY SYRUP W ARTIFICIAL By Appointment to H. E. 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