Jul 1967

i; I L VOL. 1 H No. 9 . Price JULY 1967 neii' medium for old wisdom 75 Paise 's,' » MINOCHEHR Seventh King of Pcshdadian Dynastya . j. e . K) A.) I i f f 1 i I I « 5 A>1 ».v VOL. Ill No. 9 J U L Y 1967 Contents: EDITORIAL Page 2 Rahnuma-e-Daen Baaj-Rojgar «-by Dasturji Khurshed Daboo Manthra Spenta: the Beneficent Divine Message —by Mahyat Byramjee Patel ... Khshnoom-’-by P. N. Tavaria ... ... Salute to him, v\>ho had many Firsts—Framji Kavasji Banaji Cori^dspohdence ... ... ... Ashem Vohu —by Mrs. Gool Savaksha ... ... Some Noble Thoughts in Atash ni Neyayesh—by J. N. Ranina Minoche^ ... 5 ; 11 16 21 24 25 27 29 f a K^haging Editor: P. B. WARDEN, M.& ( Bom.), D.P.M. (Bom.) ADVISORY BOARD : ¦' ¦¦ 'JIH.I 'i jW'i ! " " ¦ 'I ) . D^ttr|izMi^r«x Minocbor-H^wnjL M.A., B.Ed. W^»<^Althein; in rpeek submisstQn, The result, Sion phenomenon. We do and we li^ten,to Jhe, same thing iter hipve TO is imaginations in poems; and what we say A very shallow assumption. Say rather all literature" is yet to be badly need new authors, new look and renewed Zest to make us hear the music of the Universe and understand The .nationality in the wisdom of the ancients. Wcf 1 ounde red for two. centturiesover gram - ‘ hiar and syntax of ancient languages swd eked out some precious • little, which is frittered away because doctors, do not agree, ,WhewlthPin; in nieek submission. The result is 1'8 narrow, rigid track and all the activity is a sort of repetjtipn pnrppwj- day. Prayer, rit^t p^^r^tandii^, ,^nse 4hd siguifi^aiY^e alj. the same journey next day. The beauty of this daily to But nature^ dPPS .npt -fojrgivgtjjg ift^b^. duHedi,ourj to the wealth of our groping in the dark for a way out and do not see -ahy oecaus e or our fixed habit of repetition compulsion. How shdiJ We Jctt ourselVeft>|pom'tlhesc fette¥s? tWe i retain•onUilflOroingbiMid) re.4ex>tu UoindivjjduaUy? and^exclusively own way. We must push in whatever pre6iftus4ittlofwe.baveH>f learning and it will come out pp^t jj igs unconscious. ' and point to MONOTONY as Journey ’s End. We return the same journey next day. The beauty of this daily to an____ __ that we do not sense the repetition and chuckle over our forbearance. 2nd II must our our our must take to a refreshing process. The young i^WS^f^ortr^jj^jpi^re of IS* matujpjgne^ 4>ooks , J’l?'S .u I if they will give up the fetish of loj to pray for an open sesame. Us tai y-j i “pir .unconscious dsino? -iQ to go to the cave . and go .. >ahib iSJiramsSafi^is^a i^oduct id Sahib Bfehran of this pTbcess Who with* htlle learning bias brought out pcofouind wisdom and narrated it ^Uhis«d\^ why. flfere ’his stadnch follower Mr. Phiroz T^^ria gives us a-»very rational composite picture*'of the; Khshnoomic exposition of “FrasphWWfdra, Nida-snaithish, Khaet- .bx. 1 ---- L) fo.i <\ i .1 4' i i,' T Dear Dr. Peshotan, This is for your own information (1) Faridoon lived centu ­ ries before even the Gathic AvestJter Period (2) The prevailing langu ­ age of the time must have been ancient Pre-Gathic Aryan (3) To say that he composed “Afsoon ” in modern Persian (mixed with Semitic Arabic) words is to commit the error of Anachronism (4) The recital may be very efficacious in Faith Cure or spiritual healing, but you can’t call Faridoon the composer thereof. feeal Manthras are mostly Avestan. Pazand Niraags are by thousand of years later. Perhaps- H^way be attributed to h|n as some paraphra e of some lost original. Can you see the point ;i<- f later Daturs. F^idoon cannot use a medium yet to bi in vogue '*!?^ 9 YoursiKhurshid NOTE: state tha fes With apol(^ to Dastujji Sahib I I ivas aware of the anachronism I was creat^^ I took it i; for grant id that n^y readers were aware of the distant pa^ in which lived ahd I restricted myself to description otAjsoon l: '.t is availaW in Gujar^i and Persian scripts for use of all. My eulogy on AfsoJ is for'the appreciation of it as a conapositibn o| prayer. Faridoo: lived mid I ^restricted myself to description of A|soon as it a is for'the appreciation of it as a conapositibn of prayer. ana^?thankful to Dasturji Sahib as 1 such reminders are healthy ^d^^ill help me out in future from ^y slip-shod ’writing. I habitl ’a^ to acknowledging my mistakes and do sb l^re openly conviction that it is the right attitude in all circum- Snflt wtaks of life. It is childish for any one to crave for am because stances ai , being right every time. }Mi i f .¦1 ( f I In medical career diagnosis is notoriously slippery. As C.M.O. (now retired) of a large industrial unit with a junior doctor and four other assistants the work of a hundred patients daily had to be finished quickly. As C.M.O. I insisted that diagnosis must be put down in black and white in each and every case and did so myself. Mistakes were frequent and everybody including myself got accustom ­ ed to acknowledging them. The result was the formation of a healthy habit of acknowledging pit-falls all a fall we----------- . the unconscious for a fall and you will rise refreshed with some new look of an old Faith. It will be a rewarding dip. round life as in medicine. So did and do. The pleasure lies in getting up each time. Go to ? ? I ? ? I ? 1 ¦j ? >«>>»«?»»» initMtttf tin tn I im ¦«««**•*•>***??¦• • ' » • » < » <» ;: - ? T I ? i 4El? i RAHN UM A -E-DA E N BAAJ.ROJGAR I r. » t 1 w i L ; 7» V- ? ' 4^ e DASTORJI KHURSHID DABOO Baaj is a protean word carrying varied tire prayer is cited uniformly meaning according to the context which it is used. 1. (2) ( •MW ). 2. «4iU a I I 1 8% 5, > A,«wij shonW be taken so reverently = M^^thfe ’gift offered with ecstasy reach that it. may create in the house m t^nos- . je. of solemnity in which the presence I” Ein Khshnooman dahami yazad beresad in the house an s^os* the desired Yezat). Likewise baaj in re- pufere of solenmity in wnicn uic /____ J of the deceased is offered for gf the Farishtas and the noble departed Ider Yad baad anoshe ravan and baaj for ^eit. Hero-worship is natural to any pleasurable memory or incident of the living ones is offered for Zinde ravan (living soul). Sarosh Yez^t being the pro ­ tector of souls, of the living and also of those who have passed out is offered baaj c in the ceremony of tne coupiei-'^^'dj -i-- ixmagc ux v.... 5h) aft?r death of a spouse, Here baaj for Oasturs like Ardaviraf, Adarbad Mares- the deceased is coupled with Dhoop cere* Nairyosang Dhaval, Meherji Rana, mpny for the survivor. Dastur Peshotan and Shah Kaikhushri; Food, fruits, dry fruits and flowers may be reaching th^ etheric world in some re- novat^ form as also the Siyav may be cerned they must be used for feeding the starving acreptable'to ;We alrejii^ ; ,^y “ShaW refers to the Durbar of a have 1 called Dog ’s'Morsel leeding our [ for, other needy ones ? Performance of baaj ibrings with it the good of the world. World survives several direct and indirect; gaujis some form of exchange more advantage- pious devoted perjons pus to man 1 (he 1---------- iedgement of our jprophet, who gave membrance or incident of the man and good examples from past history could induce us to emulate them. We are -jiiamoured of the sants, sadhus and Pirs of other religions unmindful of our own the couple ('Mi 141 fsn- heritage of the great souls of Dajluran pand, Nairyosang Dhaval, Meherji Rana, Dastur and others to the great souls like Azar be'reaching the ethene world in some re- Kaiwan, Jamshed Mehta, Muncherji _ " "" Khareghat of the recent past wno but so far as this material world is con- in all its simplicity, cerned they must be used for feeding the starving and clothing the needy after the and friends had their share of .the , Siroja in lived Shahenbaaj is simply a baaj of , the L which all the Yazats are invoked eha^ni. Then onfy could any offering be simultaneously to seek their help. Origin­ zS the custom of setting aside gtyahensha and was ------- the Durbar to avert some danger to tne pet, why not give away baaj . participated whole heartedly and prayed fervently for ! on goodness of such fervent souls. Life ; makes blessings than hE) the Yazats. l^ajf Qn^^o deslen^n follow their actuated by ‘ just personal motives ^but ^reat example and make our life ’>better -^ere is <-------- -kind aaddhe universe. V than we have lived..- « altruism directed towards man- 9K. Mm IiV Daham Afringan there is descfiption of arrival of Farohars , during inouy. Their advent is followed by “Asho- ish Baesheja”, the climate of purity which get from Him. It is man ’s supreme happi ­ ness when the Minoi guides become our guests and share our joy, make opr home J - - pure and while leaving leave blessings Almighty gets much less in the Our own Rhoreh simultaneously increases cere* “Paitishtataye’* power to ward off evil. (Dur own Rhoreh simultaneously increases and spreads serenity and calm all round. Inscription on the Tomb of Shah Akbar ^^“S^^er out to sell a certain number of reads as under: bargain. Sell off your things material and buy benedictions for the other world ”. Baaj is one such bargain. In expressing gratefulness. We acknowledge debtedriess to the Almighty for all that we bargain (next to nothing) from man and gives much more than we imagine. There is a story that a moti]^ sent her - K.XXUXX rxKuai ------------------------------------------------------------ I show you a profitable ^Ta fixed price. The daughter retur ­ ned home with Vess money and explained the deficit by stating that no account can be rerkfet^ed d^^ifigs sold to her lover. ’ bl bl HI ? 'Thank God ! God loves us. our gratefulness we erase the slur of un- our in- Free Translation —p.kw. J M f'lr DIANA CLEAfflNG PASTE” For Spotless Cl^tiing, Waging, Cooking Ut^sils, Crockery, Cutlery, Glaeawork, Knamelware, , Marble, TUes, Metal, Floors, etc. Free Delivery From COLABA To MAHIMl Ph^e ^ Ikop A CAm PACKINGS.— 25-00 Kgs. Tin OO Kgs. Tin DIAN,A SOAP CO. Sussex Road. Jlycnlla, BOMBAYra?. OEkf Phone : 3 7 3 7 . Also available at all bei. (Pi) LTD. BOMBA Y-IBE. '/ inf, S-00 Kgs. Tin 1-50 Kg. Tin ./u Distributors, VO% i * ! >• M ant hr a fhe Divine Spenta: Beneficent Message by MAHYAR BYRAMH PATEL Destroy that whiph/you do not under^taixd! ’, has forever been the cursed call of that unimaginaUye and puny creature called man, who, whilst wallowing in his own self-ri«h|ep^,arrogance, gives the greatest expression to his own insignificance, i^or^pce^d incompetence. All true.elevation and progress arises from effectively i .^ijippj ’essing and annihilating this outrage ous and ignoble Urge, and by reffiacing void thus createdjby a sape, heal^y and reverential regard for the apparently ^ips^iptable manifestations of the Great Cnkonwn in the working of the fascinat ­ ing (< i and wonder-filled worlds that lie bath about and beyond us all ! jjfaov.-' HVO ZI MANTHRA shyato , ye VIDUSHE MRAVAITI !” “Surely, he alone shall be happy, who shall=di^close Thy Beneficent Divine Message to the wisjB !” THE MANTHRA, in the Gathas, is the inspired utterance of Holy Zarathushtra. It is the sacred formula that works for the Good tnrmoil Ahura-Mazda replies that the jfuj'jtheranoe of Ahura-Mazda ’s best parts of the Manthra ^penta are the names of Ahura-Mazda and the Amesha- Speptas. thereafter, Ahura-Mazda pro ­ ceeds to enumerate a list of seventy-two most beneficent names for acquiring Di­ vine Help attd Guidance. Ahuramazda Advised Zarathushtra to worship Him by ^pgdom ot,,,^gl?^e^Supss and Bliss. ^Itlpjugh jt^' ^f^as jdo^no specify it, th^, Later Avesta does so un(^r the name la over which the special Yazata Mino day and-by night. He would be blessed Mahraspand presides. with the, Hdp throBgh the Good and Holy Sraosha, and also by the earthly and the J; In the Ahura-Mazda Yasht, Zarathush- Spiritual Waters of Life and by the Plants tpa ipiplores Ahura-Mazda to inform hipi immortality, and by the^ Frav^ashis of of the Manthra Spenta which is the most Righfeousy who are the prototypes of effecacious of all Tor the acquirement of the purest in creation. ^wer, success, glory, health, and for , _ , > . u » smiting the Evil. When Zarathushtra Elsewhere, we are provided with a list desires to knowiwhichipart of it is the ,qf, a Hundred-And-One Nai^, and most beiieficialifoh^thejpipds and souls ip these, together with Ahunavar (Hofipyar n ^Itlpjugh jt^ ’ pb^not specify it, the, Later Avesta does so un(^r the name of the Manthra Spenta, the Holy Formu- Ji, Hundred-And-One Names, and} F 1 i — Yatha Ahu Vairiyo), the Ashem Vohu, These Manthra Spenta prayers are invoked, grant us relief, protection Bitd the Yenghe Hatam and the Airyema Ishyo potent and efficacious, and when piously (Yasna Ha 54) prayers form the Manthra invoked, grant us relief, protection kitd Spenta supreme of the Zarathushtrians. succour in all our troubles. Whenever the In the Later Avesta, Manthra Spenta is heart is heayy with the worries of a cruel regarded as the embodimerit of the Holy world, whenever secret longings assail us. Spell. It is invoked by the devotee along and taunt us with our utter helplessness, with Daena — the Holy Law, which is the -whenever the soul languishes for dearth of genius of Vohu Mana’s Wisdom. Wisdom spiritual comfort, whenever remorse is the knowledge of the law. Manthra Spenta — the Beneficent Di­ vide Message shall save our souls and make them easily cross over the Chinavat Pool, the Bridge of Discrimination. Thorne Smith says :— “The world either cheats us with wealth, or numbs us with want !” It is the common lot of all mankind to experience suffering. In his “Essay On Man” Alexander Pope sums up the lot of man thus ; Created half to rise, and half to fall ; Great Lord of all things, yet a prey to all ; Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl ’d; The glory, jest and riddle of the world! ... It is under stresses and difficulties such as these, that man, feeling baffled, turns to a power greater than himself, and lift ­ ing up his hands, opens up his heart, and pours forth his complaints and his mis ­ givings to his God. The words that thus pour forth from his heart are tested on the touch-stone of sincerity, and when they are uttered from the sacred lips of some prophet, they acquire a dynamic potentiality that gathers strength with every repetition, and are henceforth re­ garded as Holy Spells — The Manthra Spenta! gnaws at us for our past misdeeds, in all * our pains and sorrows, troubles and disas ­ ters, sickness and poverties, fears and failures, we turn faithfully to the One True Light that always shines before us, brightly and magnificently, beckoning us and leading us to the Great Healer. The Holy Songs of Zarathushtra are the best of Manthra Spentas, for they are the spontaneous out-pourings of the first-ever mortal who broke all earthly-bounds, and in his sublime passion reached up to the very heart of his Maker, and finding Him, rejoiced in Him! The Gathas are the nec­ tar of the Avesta, and no Zarathushtrian should ever let a day pass by without reciting and trying to understand even a portion of these Divine Songs. He who recites the rest of the entire Avesta, whilst neglecting the Gathas has missed the Pre­ cious Cream of the Sacred Cow, whilst he who takes recourse to the Gathas has tasted the Elixir of Life, and has no real need of any other spiritual nourishment. This is not to suggest that the rest of the Avesta may be neglected but only that it is imperative that the Zarathushtrians should awaken to the true spiritual great ­ ness of their prophet, and become mindful of their true value and place in Life, and 55 12f ft ')/ t £ /A‘Z -¦•' v. f i POLSON COFFEE BUTTER ¦ TE> I PLK/I>^i Ni I I I I ¦ # I this is only possible by a deep and careful ‘all that alien Brood. They may have their study of the Songs that Zarathushtra place in the life of others. Zoroastrians himself sang. must know that food for the goose may be poison for the gander. The Later Avesta indicates that the The study of the Manthra Spentas and their regular repetitions would exorcize our co-religionists from the evil and perni- Hunthra Spentas are magical invocations, pious practice of running to those dubious They ward off all evil, exorcise those talisman, dispensors, who fleece the uri-’ possessed of demons, and heal the sick of Suspecting victims, and covertly re-intro- the ninety nine thousand, nine hundred duce among the members of bur cbmtnu- and ninety-nine diseases created by Angra nity the spirit of the discarded Daeva- Mainyu. These Holy Spells abound in the Yasni. Holy Zarathushtra always held up Yashts and the Vendidad. The mere reci- Ahura-Mazda alone as the One-True- tai of the Manthra Spentas have mysteri- pght, Who Alone was the Creator, ous powers and produce marvellous Nourisher and Re-Fashioner of both the effects. He who heals by means of these Material as well as the Spiritual Worlds. Manthra Spenta is the best of healers. He We Mazda-Yasni Zarathushtrians should heals by the very soul of Ahura-Mazda. turn our faces away from the worship of The knowledge of the Manthra Spentas Bavas, Avatars, Icons, Idols, Durghas, is to be zealously guarded, and may be Mausoleums, Altars, Spirits, Genii, Fai- imparted to the select few of a chosen ries. Sprites,^ M«gicians, Sorcerors, Matas, circle. The ones thus previleged to recite Charms, Charmers, Witch-Doctors, and these Holy Spells are called the Manth- 13* iO 1 ? I I ! I ! I I fl]ls4afho.^e lutept pn_ „ i ¦ 4 I > J rans. Those pious sc seeking wisdom muBWta^gM S|l^as^ii|^ l^erful Holy Spells, thra Spentas. Thein^wfeneyfes^eMBS imil vOulst trust their their careful and accurate recitations, intelligence, the Manthra Spentas have a without any omissions,, and i wdlh dainhsdeept and powerful message. dEt serves adherence to fixed and rigid rules, for equally well, whether one pursues the purposes of chanting. Teaching the Man- path of Action, Knowledge or Devotion, thra Spentas to non-believers or p| |t serves no purpose to ridicule without rrmentatioji the potency of the Man- k times iipiriemoirial, and shall survive , us SJjfhQ, •'pr tlu^ go Iw Faith, the Maiithra ^as^nf^ ]^rerful Holy Spells, list te>thi^ villQlwould trust their tas without any omissiorfe,i and * with Johsdeepr and powerful messsigo. It purposes of chanting. Teaching the Man- path of Action, Knowledge or Devotion. „ ... .. - shaky faith is a grievous sin. It is a waste but there is danger of wrong type thra Spentas. They have b^n there since of-persons nwi^usihg the;potent weapons. In the Gathas, Zarathushtra < shall eyer lead the ignorant ones _ ___________„„„„ hdve"g6rie astray, bacR'‘a'ntt>dhe!Es0eIfent prayers that we have learned toJisp ’at our Path by means of these Holy Words,,the mother ’s knees have served us well, and Manthra. May it .be Your Will, 0! Ahi|ra- have stood by us faithfhlly'wheii'alt our Mazda, that, we, your devoted servants aggressive self-confidence' had floundered, may carry out Your Word through the For when the night is darkest, and hope Divine Power that is-¥bursJ O! Ahura, is .dimmest, it is the short Ashem Vohu Thou’ Who art /one with Rectitude have that restores cohfidehce in uis, ’ ‘arid’ naishag irtterod/4h^ The Best shall dpubur liredi eyes hopefully points to us in h^s wisdom .shall spread tJ^ way to the (distant star , for. those t|iat message, which i5‘W‘’Hbly Word. pray,. . For those that , still can tte rhis^md^d dries'Shall long fofT ^’the pj-^y there is a hidden reservoir ;of im- Message T bnng and’pine (for ,(the ,(holy , - xi Jv . u n cn ' soflgs I sing.. He alone, shgU be haopy, strength that shal( fill ,us up once who 'shail declare the ^l^ ’W^Vd YcFthe more, and ;we shall never doubly the pofen- Wise !” ¦ • cy of the hianthra Spehta, ever again/¦ long after we have passed away. The declaryj^ : ignorant call it mumbo-jumbo, blit those ones who that have deeper insight know better. The pr^, there is a hidden i^eseryoir pf. im ­ mense strength that shall fill us up once cy of the Kianthra Sperita, ever again,' '/ ¦ ...Hi m!/; ‘ L I ..... ................ ? > Vj '"’^1 7 , > --Ji ? i.' : . I-.- « « ^7od(. jfH J-C/: '¦'¦ i:;)! ( fCiO-- ' /!: !.'f 'f'f -7f‘ ¦f vHi u; .lf> € ? «¦ ? ¦' • /« HOMf&XiQII Chari^ Rbiidl Juti^ibh ¦¦ • 'i! ¦'¦ // ,•¦¦!>./¦H’/- fig plaice foriQuaKity aiui - i| Precishm fdi' ' ’ ¦' ¦ ( ¦ - /.or i Mr )1 I ,.' '¦'"i 78 EjTjes tested ^by / ciualifiod,^ye-- ? , j . f speciaJiatfOp , J U.-J-VOU, {¦; ? 1 ? ? ? i'fiti t-.troi(OOURTESY and FAIR-DEAL) ’luHi 15 v'U: 1! : 1 "j''. < *

first three terms enigmatically relate to the lofty emanciisT (3) Khaetva-datham Of these the f express i— ted conditions of an They are not i and (4) Ashaonim. — (the Faith which of (inner) conflict; Thi co^ict is within the body between the forces of good and the evrt d^u^, Tewishi. TewisW “mes from Jo gr^ and Is, wish or desire ; (Ysn.^5 U forces ate the two ran .. „ /Ven 519); whose Ranoibya (Vsn. ^i,^ • the umbilicus, tne ^^^on^above, the evil lower dou^ NMa-snattMshem-(the Faith that ts) the liberator from the instrument ; Here this ‘instrument ’ ts not m sense of any steel physical body, which is the tool of the soul on earth. Ktaetva-daftam - (the Faith ofi ’giving "XTf up’ or self-surrender of soul to Xiy after both » - relative rauntetparts have |«ssed tM stages of terminating the interna co Yaokhedra, and of literatm, their respective souls of physical 1^. (Snath instrTftnen^^ It will be uiwSerstood and evil desire testants J------ ‘Rana’, arena is at liberator sense of any (the Faith that is) the is not in the is the tool of the 2_ t erstwhile sinful soul, understood properly by of the knowledge of philological scholars, due to the complete pmiuiug _ knowledge of background behind these terms. irrelevantly by Dr. Mills^m Books of the East. Vol. XXI as (the Faith which) has “no faltering utterances ”, (the Faith that) “wields the felling halbart ”, and absence in philology spiritual L _ Hence they are and L Sacred (1) rendered quite incorrectly The (2) 16 of terminating instrWtW that Fraspayaokhedram shem apply to saintly while snath ’, th from the abov and Nidasnaith individual emancipate ¦ L- ’ Khaetvadatha applies to the tv .J an soul, whether mate or femali. r r t I ¦ I s; I /' concerned. 1 « a; . » emancipated counterparts When a soul attains saintly condition, the internal conflict — Yaokhedra — ceases, and that holy Wsoh ghiHs control over the five senses, to which worldly people are more or less slaves in varied degrees. The goal of the Zorwtriah religion is to exalt the soul by rendering it evil-free, and to lead it to its ‘Frasho-kereti ’, (Re­ novation), effort after effort to the final state of parity; of the soul. This is possible only after a soul crosses the Chinvat Bridge and becoming ‘Ashim-ashai ’, holy for the s.ake of holiness. Thus the excellence of the Zoroastrian religion doss not consist in ‘non-faltering When by the power and effect of the exrcises of Baj rites and other Zoroastrian laws of purity the evil desires are trans ­ muted into good, the soul of that practi ­ tioner of Ashoi, holiness, succeeds in crossing the Chinvat Bridge as promised by the holy prophet in Yasaa ; 46,10. Such an Ashavan, saintly soul does not take birth again for his own salvation. This material world is the world of decep­ tions Druj (literally deceiver), and is called Drujo-Deman (Ysn. 46,11). An Ashavan, however, may visit the earth to help other human beings in their spiritual progress. religion does not consist in ‘non-faltering » wW "W be understood that the claim utterance ’, nor in the' ‘wielding of the <» excellence of the ZoroasUian rehgion felling halbert ’, nor in the performance of —.................. - 7 is not based on sentimental or ethno- kindred marTlage ’ as incongruously and “ntric grounds, but on genuine sublimity irrelevantly rendered by a scholar highly of laws and practices leading to purity, illustrious, yet innocent of the lofty theme behind those three terms. Of course what' that the Zoroastrian religion, on account applies to Dr. Mills applies to the whole of its most rigorous laws of spiritual puri- philological school. Dr. Mills in the absence of knowledge of the above true and lofty significance of Fraspa-yaokiM|dram has imaginarily cha ­ nged the ori^nal spelling of the term, and puts the following footnote (in S.B.E. Vol. XXXI); “Fraspavaokhedram ; (‘y ’ for ‘v’). Fra seems ‘speech without falling or hesitation ’, and renders the term (Fraspa-Vaokhed- ,ram) as ‘no faltering utterance ’, which is incorrect. In his innocence of the lofty significance of the term. Dr. Mills imagi nes ‘y ’ miswritten for ‘v’, and corrupts the down Snath, the instrument ’. This instru- original orthography of the term to suit fnent is not a steel weapon, as is errone- his misconceived idols of the mind. ously rendered in philology, but is the The term Fraspa-yaokhedram implies miswritten to be prohibitive ty, is the ‘terminator of inner conflict ’ between good and evil. Desires and forces — Tewishi — within the body when brought under restraint finally assume full control over the five senses leading to the final goal of liberation of an individual (masculine or feminine soul) from the physical body referred to as Nida-snaith- ishem dealt with below. Nida-snaiflys, Liberator From The Instrument, (The Physical Body). Nidasnaitish is compounded of Nida- and snaithish, literally meaning ‘laying 17I 0 r 1 I’ f 4 physical body, in which the soul is en­ caged for its Reformation on this earth. Hence it will be understood this Snath or instrument is not the ‘felling halbert ’ as imagined by Dr. Mills, but the physical body. Even in English the word ‘instru ­ ment ’ has the meaning of ‘thing or person utilized for any purpose. A man is often made a tool of .......... Here the physical body is utilized for presenting the soul on earth. There is a reference to striking by means of a weapon (‘Snath ’), Yasna; 31,18 whereby Dr. Mills is misguided, and may own Gao, good constituent by a loan from their own to help the soul in transmuting the Druj or evil into goodness. For this purpose a Zoroastrian must maintain the physical body on a certain high level of purity. Covering the body with the pres ­ cribed type of Sudreh-Kusti (holy shirt and thread-girdle), covering the head and wearing shoes are all necessary adjuncts to attaining the height of purity. Only a pure body can harbour a pure soul. Ac­ cording to Prof. Zaehner : “The struggle of the Lie is with man ’s essence which is have rendered Nida-snaithishem as (the his soul, and with the soul ’s weapon and Faith that) ‘wields the felling halbert. But garment which is the body. ” (“Dawn and such rendering is unsuitable and strange Twilight... by Pro. Zaehner.) in the context. This erroneous rendering may have arisen from a Sanskrit equiva ­ lent, in which Neryosangh has rendered “Bhava-tchhedam ” as the cutter or cur- tailer of re-incama.tions. s 1 The physical body composed, as it is, of permutations and combinations of the four elements, each sub-divided into six ­ teen parts, is not alien to the soul, but is drawn from the mixture of the good and evil constituents of the soul itself with the elements of Yazads (angels) Payu and Thworeshtsr (tsfl.U7,2). The formation so brought into an organic whole is the body called in Avesta ‘Tanu’ (Ysn. 55,1) derived from Tan, to draw. Gao, the good or blissful side of the soul, which displays It is through the physical body that Nature contrives to present a soul on this earth in accordance with Mazda-data,.the deified law of infoldment of Spirit (i.e. of the soul) into Matter. As long as there is preponderance of Druj, evil, the soul is unable to cross the Chinvat Bridge, and so there is need of the physical body in order to effect transmutation of that Druj, evil, through retributive sufferings during repeated re-births called Thwasha Kha- data (Vandidad 19,13), which is self- created shuttling between the s3cy and the earth and vice versa. Bht when the devotee observes the laws of Baj-rites and other practices of Ashoi, purity, enjoined in the Zoroastrian religion, such a devotee be­ comes an Ashavan, holy person, whose J conics aU AalUIVilllj UUlj pi^iavMj nuuav philanthropic characteristics as of the kiB^ physical body undergoes great transform- is supplied by Payu, while the soul ’s Druj atj^ns. Its grossness is gradually ratified or Drvao, the evil or dark side, resulting (q transmutation of its evil into good, from the deficiency of divine knowledge, and consequently that Ashavan, holy and showing destructive or harmful ch^- person, is able after death to cross Var-i- racteristics, is supplied by Thworeshtar. Jam-kard, the top sub-region of the Chin- The Yazads (angels) augment the soul ’s vat Bridge. From the time a person chan- 19J t p 1 ges the path of life from evil to good, it is freed from the operation of the law of Mazda-data mentioned above, and is go­ verned by Ahura-data, the deified law of Un-foldment of the soul from Matter. After crossing the top region of the Chinvat Bridge the soul of the Ashavan, whether male or female proceeds upwards to the felicitous regions of Jaza, reward, thence to Pahlum Ahwan, and thence to Dadare Gehan. Such soul is emancipated. It is freed from re-birth, and if such a soul does come back to the earth, it is not for the expiation of its own sins, but for helping other people of the earth in their spiritual progress, in Dadare Gehan fhe soul gets Tane-Pasin, the final body which is of a fiery type fit to reside in Keshvars. The soul flies from Keshvar to Keshvar, though very very slowly, till it meets its counterpart and becomes Khatva-datha, that is, intermingles with its emancipated counterparts. Hence the ultimate idea in Nida-snaith- ish is fin^ deliverance of the soul from the conflict of Good and Evil by liberation from the instrument of the physical body through attaining Ashaonim. ctni Xia 1’0 XL^. n *515 ^^4, W t. 20 I€ SALUTE TO HIM, WHO HAD MANY FIRSTS ? 'i Framji Kavasji Banaji (Contd.) P i I- Jf area. Framji bought a spacious ground at Mooghbhat Wadi and sank three big wells. The water from the wells was carried by pipes and with the assistnce of steam en­ gines and cattle wheels to the Two Tanks. Yet another mark left on Bombay by Framji is the Banaji Atash Behram at Charni Road. It has been maintained from the revenue obtained from the Kanjur and Vikhrote (now known as Vikhroli) i i f 1 > Framji Cowasji Banaji, whose 200th birth anniversary was celebrated on ¦ 5-6-1967 had many firsts to his credit. He was the first of the great Parsi mer­ chants, he had six ships sailing the China Seas, he was one of the founders of the Bombay Times which later became The Times of India, he was a promoter of the old Bombay Bank, he was a director of the G.LP. Railway. Not for nothing was Framji Cowasji Banaji known as the Lord villages. Leioe^er of Western India. Parsi Tower of Silence on Malabar' He was the first Indian Justice of Peace, Hill was also built by him. In June 1831 he was the first to introduce water pipes, the foundation stone was laid before a and to start the silk weaving industry. In gathering of more than 12,000 Parsis from the year 1842, he introduced gas lights in all parts of the country. A year later, the his residence at Mazagon. It was reported consecration ceremony by Dastur Rus- then that “crowds of people of all caste tomji Mullafeeroz was even more elabo- and creed thronged at his place to have a rate. sight of this novel light. ” Writes a historian: “Framji had by At Dhobi Taiao —“on the verge of the advertising in the local papers invited his Esplanade ”—stands the Framji Cowasji castemen from all quarters ; not only that, Institute, a memorial to the prince of mer- but had through his influence got all the chants and the great philanthropist b> his Parsis, either in Government service or fellow citizens. The building which housed private firms, a holiday. Framji had seve- the old Wellington Cinema was once the ral tents pitched all over the panchayat site of the Dhobi Talao tank sunk by ground for his guests from up-country Framji for the benefit of the poor. Today, and entertained them all during their stay the institute operates a free library and in Bombay. ” c^admg room. jhe founder of the family was Framji ’s The famous Two Tanks at Kamatipura great grandfather, Banaji Limji. He came arc also the work of Framji. In the 1820s to Bombay around 1690 from the village there,was a great shortage of water in the of Bhagvadandee, near Surat, and he is 21said to be the ftjtst Parsi who trav^ed over the sea to Pegu foFextending his business. Today, the BannjI Adarian r , ,1,/ by him in the heart of tfe Fort (at Nana- bhoy Lane) remains a place of worship. It agiary ” in Bombay. f Framji was ifeport^ to have stated : “There are at preseht many instances of on a Jamsetji Wadia, passed a strong censure as an agent for his uncle. In the year 1801 he was employed as a dubash to the East India Company ’s ships. In 1806, at the age of 38, when Bombay had become one of the biggest ports on the China-England run, Framji started brother Nusserwanji, he bougk the “Sa- forsaking one ’s own wife and residing with p ' ----------------- an religion children born of kept mistres- fast little ship and its speed helped Framji ses. The Panchayat seems to take notice of such evil-doers nor punish them. had become one of the biggest ports t' " - - out on his own.In partnership with his I - lamani ”, weighing 679 tons', Lu Arab merchant for Rs. 1,33,000 It f ¦ -¦ ' to make his fortune. 22 another and of taking into the Zoroastri- from an ; was a not i e but they freely join with usih die Gnirn- s^fy aboaThis ^ministration of justice, bhar feasts and even enter the sacred pre- in his position as a member of the Parsi cincts of our fire temples. The past dread Panchayat, is often told. has gone because the Panchayat does not take them to task. Consequently such panchayat for separation from his wife. “• The grounds were that she was “black ” Framji ’s prowess as an agriculturist, and he did not like her. Framji called the apart from his sending the present of nian to his home and arranged for the mangoes to Queen Victoria, was widely wife of the plaintiff and her parents to be appreciated. Buried somewhere in faded present also. Government files may still be found the deed by which the East India Company this gracious lady he pointed out to the transferred to Framji the villages of plaintiff and asked: ’T hope your wife is Poway, Terandaz Comprey, Pospowly not blacker than the lady sitting here? Do and Chandowley, included in the district you know who she is? She is my wife and of Marole Coorlim and Moolly and in it is through her that I command so much that of Trombay in the Island of Salsette' as a freehold estate on the payment of the sum of Rs. 47,470. Also transferred to him were several presents, and then going home together, other villages around Bombay on an annu­ al rent. In spite of all his wealth his high con- the founders, had a laudatory obituary hections in The then closed society of notice in the issue dated February 13, Bombay, Framji at this distance appears 1851. to be an, intensely human person. One crimes daily increase, 9? * On one occasion, a Parsi applied to the Framji ’s own wife was also present and influence and respect. ” The story concludes with the couple being entertained at dinner, being given Framji died at the age of 85 and the Bombay Times, of which he was one of From the Times of India. 23^4 •w CORRESPONDENCE i 1 i Dear Mr. Ward^ii,^ s, ; It was interesting to read in your article Svetlana ’, in the May 19^ issue of Par- siana, about the religions fallowed in the Ll.S.S.R. Coincidentally at that time I was reading a book entitled “Religion In The Soviet Union ” by Walter Kolarz, and I am sure your readers would be interested to read what he had to say about the sur- vial of the Zoroastrian faith in a certain part of the U.S.S,R.:-r- “The ancient Zoroastrian religion, of which Such strong elements have survived in the faith of the Yezidis, does not exist in the Soviet Union in the pure form in which it has been preserved in India, Bombay, and in Persia where they gandists cannot afford to consider Zoro ­ astrianism a completely extinct religion aouiauuui a uuiupicieiy exiiuct rcligion as far as the U.S.S.R. is concerned. In books on the history of Tadzhikistan, Zoroast ­ rianism is still attacked as a ‘stupefiant like any other religion ’ giving its blessing to the rule of the aristocrats and priests over the toiling masses. The people of Darvaz and Karategin, who were the main bulwark of Zoroastri ­ an survivals, were for the greater part transplanted after World War II to the cotton growing plain of Southern Tadzhi ­ kistan. Several tens of thousand of people yyhere its followers are the Parsees of Bombay, and in Persia where they are called Guebers. However, Zoroastrian in­ fluence is still present in the customs and beliefs held by the people of thje Tadzhik mountains, especially in the Darvaz and Karategin areas. According to the emi ­ nent Soviet ethnographer, S. A. Tokarev, the name of Zoroaster is still known to the majority of the Tadzhik hillmen. They know that their forefathers fireworslyppers and remnants of the neration of fire have still been preserved. This is why Soviet ideologists and propa- were ve­ 24 were affected by the Tadzhik resettlement action. The action was officially justified by economic considerations, but all the same it hacf considerable sociological and ideological irhpoftailed? The comfiiete So- vietisation of the Tadzhik hillmen and the uprooting of their ancient religious cus ­ toms could obviously be achieved only by their removal to the plain. Yours sincerely, < Farrokh K. Kavarana. London House, Mecklenburgh Square London W.C.l, England. *. Sfi A R E AZ w ,a E E. ' Tech. 1 r A.T.E.' A.I. . by S’ C OJS/VB R Mrs. GOOL SAVAKSfHA !] PERENDIM (HAPTAN YESHT Kerdo 4) and all the best wishes and health called HUZANGRAM VAIRYIANAM, and HAZANGRAM HAP KAJARAM (of AVAN NIASH and AVAN YESHT) are in the air around you, just waiting for you to put out your hands and “puli ’ I” e ! i j ) € f «-5* I f 1 If your child asks What is ASHEM-VOHU ? You can tgH him that ASHEM VOHUgV^HISHTEM AS- TEE means; Truth with kindness and love is the best Truth. VOHU means love with kindness and consideration. This is the best truth. Truth which is them to you. The “pulling ” means work- rude and unkind is not really truth but ing. You have to pull with love in your pride. heart. There must not be any hate for OOSHTA ASTEE OOSHTA AHMAI: anyone. This loving Truth gives happiness to him that gives and him that takes. YUT ASHAI VAHISHTAl ASHEM; Because being true to oneself is the best truth. NOTE: Everything in the world is made for this love and goodness. This is called VISPE VOHU. Goodness and kindness are part of God in the air and any one can “pull ” them towards one self and use them. If you turn your back to them it is your own fault. There is really no need to do ' KHORDAD (perfection) to reach so. All the world ’s wealth which is called AMERDAD (eternal Happiness.) This “pull ” to perfection is called KHORDAT and the “work of pulling this perfection from the air” into one ’s self and pulling one ’s self into God ’s Grace is called HEOM. (God ’s AURA). All the Eptianations of God are in the air. Truth called ASH is there but without VOHU, love, and ARMAJTY, faith, it is difficult to acquire it. You have to deve­ lop your SHEREVAR (Self-control) to 25 ii SOME NOBLE THOUGHTS IN ATASH NI NEYAYESH I > ¦ i i by J. N. RANINA j i. »- t a-;'" « As man is made in the image of God, man possesses, though in a small degree, the attributes of God. Fire keeps alive the latent thoughts and powers to be deve­ loped towards the goal of Perfection and Immortality, which are the promised des ­ tiny of every man. We daily pray, “Mun Avayad Shudan ” i.e. I have to reach there (I have to attain divinity). At the time of consecrating an Atash Man with his limitations requires some the chief aim that they would further the external visible symbol to focus his progress of the soul in the moral and Spiri- thoughts on and concentrate his attention, tual sphere to reach for divinity within us. Fire is such a symbol for Zoroastrians, as the Cross is for the Christians and an idol for the Hindus. Because Zoroastrians keep the fire burning we are wrongly called Fire-Worshippers. Really we are Nature worshippers. We esteem in high regard all the creation — earth, water, air, fire, the sun, the stars, the moon etc. Our object is the worship of One God who created all these out of His Superb Powers and infinite wisdom. The sun rep-: resents the most resplendent body of God, Behram, fire from different artisans and whose rays upon reaching the earth traders, sixteen in all are collected, min- brighten atmosphere and give life to gled and merged together. This is symbo- everything. Fire is like the Divine spark lie of the equality of men coming from kindling the light and awareness of Ahura various stations in life. We all spring from Mazda in our hearts. It is the fire within a common stock, are partakers of a com- us that matters really. We daily pray in mon Nature and share a common destiny. Khorshed Ni Niyayesh that if the fire We are enjoined to treat all human within us ceases to burn life comes to an beings with respect and affection, ready end, Atash Ni Niyayesh emphasises the to be of use and service to them without ' moral aspect of life. Therein we are asked distinction of their worldly riches or so- { ‘‘v^at has a moving friend brought for a cial status. We place sandalwood on fire stalfonaiy friend?” There is deep philoso- to spread sweet aroma. This symbolises phy in this. ’¥he idea is what would a living that every sacrifice and all good deeds will person capable of life and activity do for smell sweet. When we apply the Ash to the benefit of his soul which is seated our forehead we acknowledge with Hu- stationary within him. The teaching is mility our status and our fate in the grand that we should direct all our actions with scheme of Nature. 27S- it ni^ odr prayer the s^ti^e, to prepare ourselves through righteousness for spiritual life, tn Zoroastrianism prepa- life is not tte|afi(ii of worldly life but living this life “in all its 'bfeauty add totatity”, loOkhig at Fire as the advance-guard leading to such fulfil- It is a mistake to believe that if we ask i for something before the fire we shall be granted our wish. The great teaching of Zoroastrianism is that we get just what we deserve. The unfailing and unchanging justice of Ahura Mazda works everywhere and always. Therefore, the first duty of man is to deserve higher things. Prayers and repetition of daily prayers go a long ment way in forming a proper outlook, (Vohu Mano) on life. AH that Zarathushtra ask­ ed for from Ahura-Mazda was the abili­ ty to do good deeds and to sacrifice one’s own interests in the cause of righteous- (Lecttife delivered by Mrs. MShra R. Dhalla uuder the Rahnumae Mazda- yasnan Sabha.) J. N. Ranina. “Zoroastrian Credo” ? A Book for every home by Gool K. S. Shavaksha, A very simple translation in ^English of the Gathas, Daily Prayers and the Life of Zoroaster with simple essay explaining our religion to the children. Rs. 5/- Available at N. M. Tripathi and from the Author, 43 New Marine Lines, Bombay —1. USR ESSO GAS The clean, safe and efficient Domestic and Industrie fuel with KOSANGAS SAFETY HAT Your neighbour has it why notyou ? Sole Agents KOSJOiGAS COMPANY. Bombay and Poona Distributors THE NATURAL GAS CO. PVT. LTD. 53/57 Laxmi Buildings, Sir P. Mehta Rd., Bombay-1. 2, Moledina Road, Poona. 28» 1 r-- a I I -¦ I 1 K ¥ s I I- MINOCHEHR Seventh King of Peshdadian Dynasty After coming to the throne he put to death both his uncles Tur and Salam. He : administered the state for 60 years and introduced essential and important re­ forms. He appointed Satraps (Governors) for districts and Kadkhoda (Commission ­ ers) for towns and Kotwals for villages, and i organised law and- order. Minochdhr woi^ed*along the lines of Faridoon. He for devotion to and ^orship^of helped gardeners to grow fruits and trees The name Minochehr comes from Mino (Minoi) Heavenly and Chehr mean- t ing face. He had divine personality, which was so striking that his grand­ father Faridoon named the child Mino ­ chehr. His father was Erach, in whose favour Faridoon had given up the throne : and retired into the quiet of mountain re­ cesses f Ahuramazda. His mother Gurdafand and helped the farmers for extensive cul- came from the same royal family. Mino- tiyations. His reign was prosperous and chehrwastheposthUmoussonbornsix^appy- months after the death of Erach. Faridoon was very fond of this grandson and while 5^,35, descendant of Tur started a war fondling him as a“ young boy be used to T^tn Turan against Iran and captured a place his crown on Minochehr rand em , wide area. Minochehr escaped to tCpUce joyed that fun. »&'. i -siof safety...arid a signed. The boundary was demarkated , in an unusqal way- Afrashiab^,army was After 50 years of his good reign Af^a- On hearing of the murder of ; Braeh Faridoon had returned from retirement to occupy the area upto a line on which and re-assumed the control of the state. His two other sons Tur and Salam who had murdered Erach were kept out of thc jarrow released from tjie bow pf Arish, a Tirandaz, would fall. It reached the banks of Amu river. Minochehr honour- r cd his word but after a time^ . statecraft aijd dlowetf to hve their way but under watch. They tried in vain to make up with the father but Faridoon looked upon any such effort from them as a trap to assassinate Minochehr. Fari­ doon brought up Minpehehr with all care training him in statecraft and when he found him prepared to assume adminis ­ tration put the crown fondly and now also reverently on his grandson ’s head and ’ ^gain retired into solitude. ¦ ashiab ?ave a call to his subjects and declared that r people would do their duty and promised " that he would fulfil his. He gave command ' of his army to Rustom Pahlvan, who drove away Afrashiab ’s army and restored to the state the entire area occupied by ¦ Afrashiab as his previous gain. A happy and prosperous reign ended after sixty years on the death of Minochehr. Two prophets Shoeb and Musa lived during the reign of Minochehr. — 29 < f i