Sep 1970

I ? .7 ., VOL. VI No 11^ SEPTEMBER 197(1 HU SB I a a 11 I <» I SB as I co ? k Price 50 Paise 'neir medium for old wisdom ¦2feV''. j: •4^ > r, J iw I I I 11 I I i SB £« Nadirshah Bapooji Cherioy B.A.. LL. B. Died 11-6-1969 Born 21-6-1882VOL. VI No. 11 ¦i SEPTEMBER 1970 Contents: Page EDITORIAL 3 ‘ Zoroastrian Eschatology* —by Sam N. Doctor, B Sc. 7 Omitholoy Explodes the False Charges of Vultures Fifing With Their Pickings—by Horn! B. Dhalla M-A. Balham Capriccioso—N. Shimmel Commander Nariman Hormusji Vaccha L N. (Retired) B.A. Our Forgotten Worthy ... Gatha: the Songs that Zarathushtra Sang —by Mahyar Byramji Patel 12 17 21 23 25 27 Managing Editor ; P. B. WARDEN, M.& (Bom.), DJ».M. ( Bom.) ADVISORY BOARD 1 a? Dastiii^ Natwfobz D. Minocheltf*H M.BJB. Major AdaifaAd tori R.A.1M.C., D.O.M.S ll43ft gkenth watchers four-eyed who look on men & 3Sa of the afcie (Ahunavad) Gatha; and _ - ..----- -- (/^vestal iriielRi^ V aa tiipes, T^s estaii tiipes, T] sfilF lat^in th®|>hjayi.tiws, originated guard the pat|W<^> * Yam®il|i|ie stW iatfcin th® |^axi;ti^s, originated Veda appedO in hil three-fwiFcharacfer, the practice ulttftig Vendidad viz., as a man, in slaic b« fe ?«!«< jjtself s 'recitei . ‘Iranian Studies ’ with Yima (JamshM^lle^^i^sm; a^ a OastuifloitsM^ Pavry). The pra- the god of death; and finally as an astro- yer of Seraosh comes next in impor- nomical coi^ellaliDa ^ifith t lister l^pii tl|e i^eh^jl^rpp amongst the (Vide ibid). i ceremonia|s connoted with the dead. T^is prayer is offered to Sarosh who is 9 recitei « Sarosh who is The Vendidad (X-2) enjoins the recita- associated with the guidance of the souls tion of short passages from the Gathas gf the dead in the days immediately (the first Gatha) on the dea^ ?of dpllowing death. U S E E 3 3 O G A S DISTRIBUTORS: | KOSANGAS COMPANY The clean, safe and efficient Domestic and Industrial fuel with KOSANGAS SAFETY HAT Your neighbour has it why not you ? Sole Agents KOSANGAS COMPANY. Bombay and Poona Distributors THE NATURAL GAS CO. PVT, LTD. 53/57 Laxmi Buildings, Sir P. Mehta Rd., Bombay-1. 11Ornithology Explodes the False Charges of Vultures Flying With Their Pickings YEAR OLD TOWER DH) NOT ENDANGER SOCIETY DiURD^ THE FATAL PLAGUE The advocates of the electric cremato ­ rium are now using the Towers of Silence as a launching pad for their weak-kneed arguments against our sensible mode of disposing the dead. As a last-ditch stand these men began a campaign of collecting signatures (rf non-Parsis on . payment, to Show that tlw Towers are^a nuisance —this indicates the level theyJrave , stooped to. by HOM I B. DHALL A M. A. selves to bursting point and then have to sit and wait for quite a long time before they are capable of returning perch. ” (Birds of Asia, text by A. Rut ­ gers, Methuen & Co.,- London, 1969, p. 74). This is one of the latest publica ­ tions on ornithology. I. Gibbons, is of the opinion that, “when he has stuffed himself to^rsting point, dilbsts his food in drows>| torpid state. to their 5 London, the LaaiaiergeiFdr Lamb^ulture slowly dilbsts his food in drowsy^ torpid state. Weaghed down by^his medj, the bird has to remain quite still for a. long time. HoD^w Chargg; The char^ is to; the Wtures d|)p pickings in tfe vicinity. This hollow charge has evideatly b^n engineered by “p^vate Lives of Anifnals Series — the fanatic projxments of the electric of Mountain and Valley, Frede- . crematorium who have been Ending over &roaster, and lent dignity and lustre to the Parsi community of Hyderabad and Secundera ­ bad. Nadirsha graduated in 1904 from the 1 Deccan College, Podna. He went to Bom- . bay to undertake studies in Law and was • articled to Messrs. Nanu and Hormusjee, a flourishing firm of Solicitors, specialising in Company Law which remained his forte. Scion of the illustrious X^henoy family of Hyderabad, Nadirsha was bom on the 21st June, 1882. He was educated at the celebrated Madrasa-e-Aliya, then (as its name implies) an exclusive school for the nobles of the State. He was a keen all- round sportsman and practically grew up in the saddle. A good shot and an accom ­ plished rider he also represented his school and college at cricket and was the first President of the Hyderabad State Cricket Board later in life. He was keenly interested in Persian literature, and poetry in particular and cricket and Persian poetry remained his lasting interests. The disciplines and graces of both these were refiected in his strong sense of hum- tion in Company Law Nadirsha was our and fair play; in his scholarly and among the early poineers of Hyderabad ’s gracious personality. In the Hyderabad Industrial Development and was connec- Returing to Hyderabad Nadirsha Che ­ noy set up his practice in 1906 and con ­ tinued his legal career for the next fifty years. His name was synonimous with meticulous work, high professional stan ­ dard and an abiding awareness of what was honourable and humane. Junior Members of the Bar remember his cour ­ tesy, his approachability and his gift for evoking warm friendship. He was twice offered a Judgeship of the High Court by the late Sir Akbar Hyderi, then Prime Minister of Hyderabad, but he preferred to continue his private practice . With his legal acumen and specialisa- 23 All who recall Nadirsha Chenoy will re ­ call his generosity. He had strong civic sense and humanitarian feelings and help ­ ed aft philanthropic causes. .With chara ­ cteristic dignity he shunned all lime-light. His death marks the passing of a Great way of life, who lived graciously and un ­ obtrusively by a high code of honour ted with many of the State ’s best known (founed in memory of his father), the Bai industries from their inception and served Maneckbai Chenoy Charitable Trust (in with distinction on the Boards of 18 memory of his mother) and other family Major Industrial Enterprises of Hydera- Trusts. bad State such as the Nizam Sugar Factory Limited, Singareni Collieries Company Limited, Vazir Sultan Tobacco Company Ltd. (a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Company Limited) and several such big concerns. He was the first Sec ­ retary and Legal Adviser to them and a final link with a vanished later Director and Chairman of several of them . Nadirsha was also associated with the which embellished the habits of his life Advisory Board of the Central Bank of and mind, and won the lasting affection India in Secunderabad and with the State and respect of all collegues and associates. Bank of Hyderabad. survived by his wife Jerbai, a self- When the Bansilalpet Charity was estab- less and dedicated social worker in Hy- lished Raja Sir Bansilal Motilal, the Foun- derabad and Secunderabad and three der named Nadirsha Chenoy its life Pre- married daughters Mrs. Mithoo Khushroo sident and Trustee. Coorlawala, Mrs. Frainy Kaeki 'Captain and Mrs. Feroze Homi Sethna. Dasturji Naoroz D. Minocher Homji In keeping with long established family tradition, Nadirsha Chenoy was intimate ­ ly involved in the welfare of the Zoroas- member of our Advisory Board was close- trian Community. For 49 years he was associated with Nadirsha Chenoy during a Trustee of the Parsee Anjuman. He the years which he spent in Secunderabad was Chairman also of the Bai Rattanbai as the Officiating Dasturji Saheb of th® J. Chenoy Parsee Charitable School, and SETH EDULJI SOHRABJI CHENOY Trustee of the Seth Edulji Chenoy DAR-E-MEHER which was endowed in Zoroastrian Charitable Housing Trust memory of his grand father. 244 H Ri ^¦'ny 4’1^1 S^i5l Ml ’4l MAldlHl i?iW ^d5d 4,^ XI«n ^IklH Si Raip, aHl4i ai^l ’d Hl^i ^li aH«li3dld ^rHl-fl'd =^l lAldHior d(6 iWHri ii^Ni ilm^i 4if.i^ HmI eii^l-n ^wi ’fl aHiqjtdl ihl =441^'^ S’rll. 3JlPlll^l SX^id 4^ d^ildl ^d^ii ^tdl^-Sl ill a^oi^aHct^ij^Hi 51^1?. .31 ailed dOiJ-/l'allHi am sifl ’M Hi«l;. ^^‘wlld ^lid 4«l44lHi am^. 4^41 %ll«l «i4l ». anW aHlM''^P wy ’d'dlslHl 4iJlRl and ^4lii«l^ldl k ’-'^lldl iJlHl ad^Rdld Sliadi'd Ha aiiH 2121 «/6i>(la4l :t^a,:d4Hl4l Gial^ R:H’?ll4l '"^I’^ ’l ^^^IHl HHl^H till'd d HiiH'^n %liHfc5di dSl adlHi 5{i Vi'Hi Hl 415?X15j cl H6ld «ir^«lRct ^iS'ddi ai^^i dfl 4 ^liH ? 51 »y33«v' M^<'dl^l, H>^ ^1^41 aid^ d-k ozauidi^d H 'hHI ^is^. a{i<4 iiH 4^cti an;i w|OHlHl4d ” adlHi^ji Hld4 ‘d 4d"^l HH k ’idi ®H%«dd Hdi a>i4 am HdHH Hldl 2il4rll •{I <3S «‘'H14'1«J U’ aMi’liJl ’fl njJ 'Hli <.g ’. 264 THE SONGS THAT zarathushtra SANG: by MAHYAR BYRAMJI PATEL. “The severest impediment in our quest for Truth is the appa­ rently insurmountable mass of Untruth that we have amassed during our life-time. The most difficult lesson we have to learn in the process of imbibing True Knowledge is to un-learn all our previous False Notions and Beliefs. When this is achieved, the subsequent acquirement of True Wisdom becomes a matter of much lesser effort, whilst without undergoing this initial clearing-work, it becomes a task impossible of achievement !” “YATHA NO AONGHAM SHYATO MANAO VAHISHTO, URVANO KHWATHRAVAITISH, TANVO HENTO VAHISHTO, ANGHEUSH AKAOSCHOIT, AHUIRE MAZDA JASENTAM !” Yasna 60.11 “With our minds full of joy, souls abiding in sublimity, bodies full of glory, and lives made spiritually perfect, thus, O ’ Ahura Mazda would we approach You !” —Hushbam INTRODUCTION ZARATHUSHTRA CAME TO EXPOUND A GREAT RELIGION in simple words. Nowhere in the Gathas, does he tend to confuse us with confounding statements or by any allegorical expositions. He speaks on a deep and sublime subject without any elaborations that may cause us to misinterpret anything that he says. Every verse of his is pregnant with fundamental principles explained without the least bit of confusion. He does not indulge in a super ­ fluity of words, although he deals with a subject that has taxed the vigour of the greatest of minds of all times and nations. He imparts Divine Knowledge with the full strength of spiritual force, whilst avoiding all exaggeration, nor does he ever indulge in any histrionics, although he plays a very great and leading part in the history of the whde human race. He expresses noble thoughts and ieelings, combined with the excellence of such faith and ethics^ that we stand mute before him as he pours out his inspired ,SDngs. It is a matter of great surprise that there should be any two opinions about anything that he says anywhere, such is the clarity of his exegesis, and we are left with the incontrovertible impression that wherever any dispute arises about any of his statements, it is the work of deliberate distortion by perverse and prejudiced minds. Zarathushtra was well aware of such distortionists, for he had cause to suffer at the hands of these falsifiers of Truth during his own life ­ time. The Kavas and the Karapas, those with eyes but no moral vision and those with ears but no ethical hearing, have plagued the past as greatly as they do the present, and we shall have to fight them right upto the end of time ! Great shame shall accrue to the lot of those who discard Eternal —Truth for the glamour of Transient- Untruth, but boundless shall be the shame and suffering of all those who distort the Prophet ’s message in order to misguide the unsuspect ­ ing and ignorant masses, who tend to believe everything they are told when the sanctity of the Holy Prophet ’s Name is shamelessly and falsely fathered upon apocryphal scriptures ! 1 Now, the Holy Prophet begins to ask various questions, to which he seeks immediate reply. The range of these queries is large and diverse. It is his desire to know all the closely-guarded secrets of Nature, which hitherto, no human being had either ever sought to unveil intentionally, or discovered accidentally. It is not his aim to keep these findings for himself or his followers alone, but he magnanimously shares them with all mankind. The questions are very colourful and sensitive, and they are expressed Very heaUtifully in a manner that does not fail to strike a chord of appeal within our hearts. He questions Ahura-Mazda minutely about Creation and Nature, Purpose and Result, Cause and Effect, and leaves us to guess the undoubtable and unanimous reply that is contained within the question itself. Finally, in a voice full of love, and words replete with wisdom, he reveals all: “I recognise You alone, O! Ahura-Mazda to be the Creator* of them all; I denounce all the others from the depths of my heart !” 28Pronunciation of Vowels 9 a as in abide; . e as in echo; a as in after; e as in ate; i as in in; i as in eel; 0 as in odd; o as in ode; u as in pull u as in pool; a as in aun t; n as in announce; Every contiguous Vowel, that is Vowels following each other, must always be Pronounced separately, and never as one long Vowel. A. B. C. TRANSLITERATION FREE TRANSLATION. COMMENTS. GATHA USHTAVAITI — 2. THE SONG OF REJOICING. YASNA HA 44. VERSE 1. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaodia, Ahura ! Nemangho a yatha neme kUshmavato ? Mazda ! fryai TTiwavas sakhwyat mavaite, At ne Asha frya dazdyai hakurena, Yatha-ne a Vohu jimat Manangha. (118) B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, With what adoration shall Your devotee worship You ? O! Mazda show the correct way to Your friend such as I am. And to us may Righteousness extend itself lovingly. So that the Good-and-Loving-Mind may come to us. C. Zarathushtra begins to ask Ahura-Mazda several, questions that require immediate solving. He wants to have clear and precise . answers to them all. He will not be satisfied with ambiguous replies that are capable of double meaning, whereby the perverse may subsequently misguide the unwary ignorant! Ohly lucid and transparently simple Truths will be acceptable to him. It is thus, that the greatest and most ancient Religion came to be expressed in the simplest of terms ’ He wants to be told the best method by which the faithful may satisfy the Beloved. 29There is no element of dread or fear in his approach to Ahura- Mazda, Whom, at all times he r^ards as his dearest and Closest friend ! He always hastens to Him with a perfect composure devoid of all uneasiness. He depends upon Him to show him the correct path of worship and service, whereby, he may approach Him unerringly. He depends upon Ahura-Mazda at every turn of event, and living a Righteous life, confidantly expects the Good-and-Loving-Mind to awaken within him, which will put him into a direct communion with his God. He speaks with the assurance of a Messiah, in the language of the heart,! It is the voice of the deep, calling to the Deep ! 4 VERSE 2. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Katha angheush vahishtahya paourvim ? Kathe suidyai ye-i paitSshat ? Hvo zi Asha spento irikhtem vispoibyo, Haro Mainyu ahunibish urvatho, Mazda ! (119) ^ B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O J Ahura, Who is esteemed the greatest in the spiritual life ? Who strives to seek its fulfilment ? ' * He indeed is holy through Righteousness, the 4n-ost-deserving of all, The guardian spirit and life-saving physician, the real friend, O! Mazda. Our Prophet wants to know who should be reckoned to be the most advanced in spirituality. Who is the one, and what are the qualities of the one that should serve us as the acme and ideal of perfection ? The Ashavan,'who strives to live Righteously and is holy is the model of perfection, and we are advised to follow in his footsteps without fear of stumbling or falling. He is the, great beacon-light that guides us safely to our destination through all the hazards of the way. He protects us like a guardian-angel, heals us like a physician, and befriends us unselfi ­ shly. The Ashavan most reminds us of the greatness and goodness of Ahura-Mazda ! 9 M)A. B. C. VERSE 3. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Kasna zatha pata Ashahya pouruyo 2 Kasna Khveng Staremcha dat advanem ? Ke ya Mao ukhshyeiti nerefsaifi thwat 2 Tachit, Mazda ! vasemi anyacha viduye. (120) This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O! Ahura, Who is the primordial Creator and Father of Rectitude? Who was it that appointed the way of the Sun and the Stars ? Through Whose Agency does the Moon wax and wane alternately? All these, O! Mazda, and much more besides do I yearn to know. He continues to ask for clear explanations regarding the pheno ­ mena of Nature. Who was it that laid down the Great and Good Law that creates, sustains, transforms and renovates All? Who else but Ahura-Mazda, is responsible for the manifestation of the Cosmic and Moral Law, and all its implications ? Who laid down the paths of the countless Astral Bodies that hurl through space at unmentionable speeds, yet maintaining their perfect and undeviating course without peril ? Who organises the risings and the settings of the Moon and other Heavenly Orbs at their duly appointed times and in their closely calculated spheres ? All this reveals that Holy Zarathushtra was a minute observer of the Heavens, and was a keen student of astronomy, whose searching eyes penetrated far into the unkaown Celestial RealmsJn search of Knowledge and Wisdom. He makes it quite clear that he desires to know more about the Uifathdmable Universes that lie in spaces beyond our earthly comprehension. VERSE 4. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Kasna dereta Zamcha ade Nabaoscha ? Avapastoish ke Apo Urvaraoscha ? •¦J * Ke Vatai Dvanmaibyascha yaoget asu ? Kasna Vangheush, Mazda ! Damash Manangho ? (121) 31B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O! Ahura, Who holds up the Earth and also the Heavens ? Who is it that has fashioned the Waters and the Plants ? Who gives swiftness to the Wind and fleetness to the clouds,? Who, O ! Mazda, awakens the Good-and-Loving-Mind from within ? 9 Wind, ( C. He seeks elucidation on the wonders of Nature. How is it that the Earth balances in space ? Wliat prevents the Heavens from falling down ? How did the Waters come ipto being, and what makes the Vegetation grow ? Who drives the speeding and raises up the Clouds ? The mysteries of Inner-Nature also attract his wonder. Who is it that' awakens us to the Moral- Life, inspires us to act with Righteousness, and grants us the unique blessing of an Awakened-Conscience ? What manner of Inner-Lighf is this that prepares us to sacrifice our selfish Natures at the Altar of the Infinite and UniversaT Existence ? What prompts us to do the Right because it is Right, and not for >any consideration of personal gain ? Who inspires us to undergo sacrifices with real pleasure, accepting these as the predous Gtfts ) C. The Holy Prophet advances the authenticated claim that the Mazdayasni Zarathushtri Religion is the foremost^ greatest and best amongst all that shall ever exist ! It is built upon the founda ­ tion-stone of Rectitude ! It brings prosperity to all mankind and 4 * to all the living-beings. Mazdayasna is inspired through the Wisdom of Reasoned-Faith! It gives us accurate direction in all that we think, speak and do. It has its root in Monotheism, and teaches us to Love God without any Fear ! All our desires are chanelled to lead us to our Beloved ! It creates the intoxi ­ cating urge within us to yearn for the day when we shall at last serve the real purpose of having been created, when we finally stand before Ahura-Mazda, worshipping Him and adoring Him, serving Him and obeying Him, happy in the fulfilment of a well-requited and Eternal Love ! VERSE 11. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura 1 Katha teng-a vijemyat Armaitish Yaeibyo, Mazda ! Thwoi vashyete Daena ? Azem Toi aish piouroyo fravoivide; " " Vispeng anyeng manyeush spasya dvaeshangha. (123) ’ ‘ . • t B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, How will Faith awaken in them In whom Your Revelation has caused a stirring? Because of this, I recognise You to be the Primal-One; . All the rest I spurn with denunciation and contempt. * C. When the first and greatest Revelation was declared to mankind by the Fountain-head of all Prophets, it was a matter of great concern how men would receive it. It is a liioot point whether Man win ever accept M azdayasna, uncomproorisiii^j so Afferent is it hwi anything else they had ever known before ! Yet, it had kindled sparks of awakening in some* thinking-minds that were not fossilized into a state of mental-fixation. How this new awakening to something much vaster and grander ^eUld affect them and shape their Faith was -a vital' problem. Faith had for the first tune been revealed as sKynething that Es bom of Reason and Conviction, and not merdy Superstitious and Credulous Be­ lief! All traditional Thought-Processing had been swept aside by the Enlightened Prophet, and the Light of Reab-Kaiowledgc help up to mankind for the very first time. It was by Dynamic and Progressive Reasoning that the Prophet had arrived at the Ulti ­ 37mate Truth ! This Truth had revealed to him that Ahura- Mazda was the Root of All Causes, whilst He» Himself ever remained to be the Causeless and Eternal-One ! Consequently, the Prophet rejected with disdain all traces of Polytheism, whether we term them Daevas, Yazatas or Angels ! He also showed us that not Fear, but Love should inspire our hearts when we begin to visualise our relationship with Him, Who is the Master- Architect of both the Spiritual and the Material Worlds. VERSE 12. A. B. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Ke Ashava, yaish peresai Dregvao va 7 Katarem a angro va, hvo va angro ? Ye-ma Dregvao Thwa sava paiti-erete, Chyanghat hvo noit ayem angro manyete 1 (129) This doT ask You, tell m^jclearly, O ! Ahura, Of those of whom I ask, who is the Righteous-One and who the Unrighteous ? To whose help should I go, the victim-of-evil or the perpetrator- of-evil ? The foliower-of^vil who plunders Your'Bounty to me, Why should he not be considered to be the evil-one ? C. I How shall we differentiate between the Righteous and the Un­ righteous? How shall we act towards them severally ? Should we ever abet, tolerate or ignore the evil ? Is it our duty to re- ‘ pulse or convert the wicked ? Zarathushtra . .preaches a Positive Creed. We should never ignore, tolerate os abet the wrong ­ doers ! We should not be satisfied with not being wrong-doers ourselves, but should always actively participate in performing Right-Action under all circumstances. It is our Sacred-Trust to either convert the Unrighteous or else repulse them and destroy their evil! They who fail in carrying out this essential duty expose the innoeoit and the timid, as well as the ignorant and the weak to the terror and wiles of the infamous. Not to be engaged in doing the wock o£ a villain is shnidy not enough! We are directed to play the part of the hero! For Evil shall always suppress and conquer the lowly. Only the Virtuous- 4 S8Strong shall subjugate the vicious and vile! It is no virtue to refrain from practising Deceit. Virtue comprises in actively practiising Truth ! A VERSE 13. I A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Katha Drujem lush ahmat a nish nashama? Teng-a ava yoi asrushtoish perenaongho, • • 'Noit Ashahya a^vyeind^ hachmna, Noiit frasa;^ Vangheush th^hnare Mananghb. (130) • • B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, How shall we completely destroy Evil from amongst us ? We shall remain aloof from such, just as much as those lacking in. obedience Take no delight in the company of the Righteous, Nor find happiness in the awakening of the Good-and-Loving- Mind. < C. There shall never be any compromise with anything evil. There should also be no appeasing attitude towards that which is wic ­ ked. No sacrifices are to be oflfered for the purpose of pacifying maleficent influences. The oifly course we shoirtd avail ourselves of when deaftihg whh the Powers-of-Daricness is to carry aggres ­ sion into its very heart ! No pious excuses will ever be accepted, when we fail to play the part of soldiers in the battle between Right and Wrong ! We are commanded to be in the thick of the fight when the Trumpet-of-War sounds the battle-cry. Those who refuse to fall into the camp of the Righteous, and pretend to remain neutral or indifferent to the cause of Duty, are treated as belonging to the camp of the Unrighteous ! O^r Prophet allows us no third camp belonging to the non-aligned ! This m- junction remains in force at all times, whether we are faced with internal conflict or external war! 49VERSE 14. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura !. Katha Ashai Druj^ dyam zastayor- Ni hun mera^dyai Thwahya Mathraish Senghahya, Ema vmtim sinam davoi Dregvasu, A-ish dvafsheng ISlazda ! anashe astascha^? (131) -1 * * i > - s{ They must either B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, , How shall Unrighteousness be handed over to the Righteous — For its salvation by means of the Divine-utterances 0£>/Your Teaching, For bringing entire ruin upon the followers-of-Untruth, , For bringing upon them, O ! Mazda, retributions and contempt ? C. The Unrighteous must be made to suffer! be cured or if this is not possible, their evil must then be destroyed. They must never be tolerated or ignored- The Righteous must at ail times have the upper-hand over the Unrighteous. The Revelation which Holy Zarathushtra brings from Ahura- Mazda contains enough material to save the most depraved and the lost. If in spite of this, the perverse persist in their vindictive ­ ness and malevolence, they deserve to be severely punished! Suffering is the greatest deterrent to folly and sin. The punish ­ ment of Ahura-Mazda has a two-fold benefit. It protects the helpless, by putting harmfulness out of the way; and it chastises the guilty, thus awakening them to a sense of responsibility and right-conduct. This ultimately leads to their own Salvation ! It is thus, that the punishment df God is a benediction in disguise! VERSE 15. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresih-moi vaocha, Ahura! Yea, ahy» Asha poi mat KhshayeW, Hyat h(^ s[^a nnaochangha jamaete, Avmsh urvatmsh ya-Tu, Mazda ! diderezho, 'Kuthra ayao kahmai vananam dadao ? (132)^^ tI B. This do. I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, Since through Righteousness, You are Ruler over all. When both the contending parties approach You, Then in accordance with Your Own Laws, O ! Mazda, To which of the two would You grant the victory ? C. Ahura-Mazda is Ruler over Saint and Sinner alike. Ultimately, all have to bend their knees before Hirn ! Even the Daevas, with all their perversity are aware of the inevitability of that Truth. When the Ordeal becomes great, the Righteous as well as the Unrighteous turn helplessly towards Him, and ask for His Justice. He never withholds it. His rewards and retributions know no bias or partiality. It does not matter whether we believe in Him or not, whether we accept His Laws as binding upon us or not. His Laws function flawlessly and determine the merit of every thought, word or deed of ours ! There is no escaping from them. He does not punish the innocent merely because he is not a believer. Neither does He pardon the guilty who belongs to the ranks of the faithful. Actually, it is we our ­ selves, who inflict pain and sofrow upon us, or earn pleasure and happiness for ourselves, by virtue of our own thoughts, words and deeds. Ahura-Mazda has brought the Cosmic and Moral Law of Cause and Effect into operation, and has given us the immensfe responsibility pf Free-WjO whereby, we became the architects of our own destiny ! Ahura-Mazda always lends His Might and His Support to the Righteous and the Eteserving alone. VERSE 16. « A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Ke verethrem-ja Thwa {>oi sengha yoi henfi 2 Chithi^ moi dam ahumbish Ratum chizhdi, At hoi Vphu Seraosbo jantu 'Manangha, • • Mazda ! ahmai yahmai vashi Kahmalchit. (133) i/i B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, Who shall conquer all that are through Your protective teaching? ' Reveal to me the wise Lord-Prophet of life through my inner- vision, 41Let Infallible-Intuition awaken within him through the Good- and-Loving-Mind, O! Mazda, let it be so on whomsoever Your-Choice falls. C. The whole world awaits the coming of the Blessed-Redeemer ! The Holy-One, when he comes, shall captivate and conquer all through the weapon of Ahura-Mazda ’s incomparable Teaching. Wisdom shall be the instrument that will make his Victory com ­ plete. All humanity implores Ahura-Mazda to hasten the descent to earth of this long-awaited-one. The coming of the Seer has ' been fore-told through the vision of the pious. A mighty hope is expressed that the Faultless-One will be fully Enlightened with an Inner-and-Infallible-Perception, and that the Divinely Good- and-Loving-Mind will have fully awakened within him. Man­ kind will be content to accept him as the Chosen-One on whom ­ soever the choice of Ahura-Mazda alights. The worid has cause to be of good cheer now. Holy Zarathushfra has arisen, wreathed in smiles ! He blesses all the seven regions of the world from the house of Pourushasp his father, and Dughdhova his mother. — And all Nature rejoices ! VERSE 17. A., Tat Tbwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Katha, Mazda charanT hacha khs/hmat 2 Asketim khshmak^ hyatcha moi khwyat vikhsh aesho ? Saroi buzhdyai Haurvata Ameretata, Ava Mathra ya rathemo Ashat hacha. (134) B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O ! Ahura, How, O ! Mazda shall I walk with You in ecstatic-joy ? By what means may I become Your intimate companion, and how shall my voice carry far ? For receiving the boons of Perfection and Immortality, hereafter. Through the Divine-Utterances which are the b^st guides because of their Rectitude. 4 Q. Zarathushtra enters the realms of mysticism. He talks of the mystic-delight of walking and talking with Ahura-Mazda ! He clasps Ahura-Mazda in a spiritual-embrace ! The lover beholds thd Beloved, and suffers none to come between them! The 42i Divine-Union has been effected through th medium of Love- Eternal ! The Lovers of God are blessed with the Wisdom of the Infinite ! There is no joy whether Earthly or Celestial com- paraMe to that otf enjoying the intiniacy of companionship with Ahura-Mazda ! He drinks the Nectar of Bliss and savours the Ambrosia of Delight in the company of the Primordial-One ! He sings out aloud, so that the whole world may know the glad event, and rejoice with him. He is the first one to receive the Holy-Word of God in person, and is bursting with zeal to broad ­ cast the ‘agushta-vachao ’ the Truths that had never been heard-of before, to all mankind. He brings us the glad tidings that Perfection and Immortality awaits us all ! It is by living Right ­ eously, through the dictates of the Good-and-Loving-Mind, that we shall secure for ourselves for all times the most-lasting and most-satisfying rewards that we can ever aspire to. He brings us news of a Heavenly-Kingdom, where the limits to our Happiness is only set by our own capabilities to aspire for it ! This is what comprises the Revelation of which he sings. ”, VERSE 18. A. Tat Thwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Katha Asha tat mizhdera hanani — Dasa Aspao, Arshnavaitish, Ushtremcha ? Hyat moi, Mazda ! apivaiti Haurvata f I Ameretata, yatha hi tiaeibyo daongha. (135) B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O! Ahura, How, through Rectitude, may I merit that reward — Ten mares, led by the powerful stallion, and a camel ? So that by me, O! Mazda might be comprehended Perfection And Immortality, whereby I may hold them both at'Your Blessed Feet. C. Zarathushtra knows that the Righteous deserve precious rewards. He asAcs Ahura-Mazda to grant him the precious boons of his choice, ten mares, meaning control over the ten senses; a powerful stallion capable of leading, meaning an illuminated mind; and a camel, meaning spiritual insight that penetrates deeply into the scheme of things ! With the help of this reward, Zarathushtra 49confidantly -expects to unravel the Gordian knot of life and death, and thus hopes to understand the whys and the wherefors of God ’s mighty Creation. With the thorough grasping of this spiritual knowledge, Zarathushtra expects to bring the precious gifts of a Life-made-Perfect and a Soul-made-Immortal within the reach of all. He will open the portals of the Kingdom of Heaven to all who care to knock at the gates of Perfection and Immor ­ tality, after first passing through the prescribed Moral Code. Perfection and Immortality are the final destination of all without any reserve, and sooner or later, we shall all reach that desired abode, when we eradicate Druj, Untruth from our lives, and grow full in Asha, Righteousness. VERSE 19 A. Tat lliwa peresa, eresh-moi vaocha, Ahura ! Yastat mizhdem hanente noat daiti, Ye-it ahmai erezhukhdha na daite, Ka-tem ahya mainish anghat pouniye 2 9 Vidvao avam ya-Bu anghat apema. (136) 7 • • B. This do I ask You, tell me clearly, O! Ahura, He who does not give suitable reward to the deserving. And the one who gives it to the Righteous such as we are. What shall be the outcome of this for the former ? I am aware of what happens to the latter. C. Here, Zarathushtra clearly admonishes us. We must never with ­ hold Ijhe due reward from those who have righteously earned it ! The labourer is truly worthy of his toil. It is unpardonable to deprive him the fruits of his well-earned work. Our Prophet is contemptuous, of the idler and the parasite, but holds up the honest worker as the epitome of Righteousness. In the Later Avesta, this theme is developed further, and we are informed that he who sows com, sows righteousness ! The wandering nomad, who has no substantial method of earning his living, along with the beg^ng mendicant, however apparently pious he m^y be, and the plundering vagabond are ah equated with hatred and are regarded fit for only the worst type of existence! Also those people who withhold the wages of labour, or cheat the labourer out of his just due, are treated with equal loathing, and t * ? <4V i j '4 ar are warned that a mighty rietribution awaits them. Zarathushtra takes pains to inform us vrith great emphasis that the just pro ­ vider of the honest toiler will be rewarded by Ahura-Mazda, i^ilstHe unjust withholder will be surely punished by Him ! VERSE :?p. A. Cldlbena, Mazda ! hiddishathra am^luve ? Al paresa * Yoi pishyemti a^ye kaift-? Yfldsh Karapa UsIdiAiclia A^emai ^ta, Yadia Kava anmene iinidoyata, Ilin Biben Asha vasteem OW) How, O! Mazda, have the Daevas become so powerful ? - -- , -V .. ------ ’--- --- - --- -- ------ — -------- ---- - Furthermore I ask : What about them tfif t selfishly oppress 1 Thus have the Karapas and the tJsiks delivered the world over to Wrath, And the Kavas have made the earth to groan in bondage, Righteousness neither feels secure nor prospers uhtfer such conditions. C. Zarathushtra looks about him, almost with despair ! What he S0^ does not t^d to re-assure him. He is momentarily depressed wth the prevailing sad state of affairs. The False-Daevas, who are ^e in the ascendancy. The Karapas, who are the sacrificial priests of the Daeva-worshippers, and whom our ftophet terms ‘those who are morally deaf;’ and the Usiks, an Ifafiian priestly tribe of Fire-worshippers; along with the Kavas, who are the r uling princes that have sided with the Daevas, and whom Zarathushtra regards as ‘morally blind', have become very ppxyerful. They are ^elfish, cruel and oppres ­ sive. Amongst their vile brood, nunaber such adherents of the Forces-of-Darkness as the sorcerers, sirens, tyrants, murderous- bipeds and sanctity-destroyers. T^y have delivered the good earth over to the evil of intoxication, bloody sacrifices, ritual orgies, polytheism, greed, violence, insolence and rape. How can Righteousnes s ¦^w, flourish and prosper under such maleficent influences ? Mil the beaaHul p^^ocE ever unfurl its gorgeous fiifl in the company of wolves, and dance ? WB the divine ftpphet terms those who are morally deal; and Itahlan priestly tribe of Fire-worshippers; along Righteousnes s, grp w, flourish an^ p^osw influences ? Mil the beaaHul e i_ :*____ '__________________ — _ ___ mghlii^ale ever slug its song of Love whilst it is enmes- / a ? Siltite poUejspKhp^A^vtaeevwco-ex^ with the base of Miche^eas ? Zarathushtra leaves us to answer these questions by the Light of an Awakened-Conscience. There can only be one honest reply ! Only pne ! “No ’ Never so! ” (To be continued) 45