Virtues in women

In the post Avestan and in the Sasanian era, most women had some or most of the basic qualities men generally look for. The quotations from our scriptures given below are culled from one of the best books I have been privileged to read — Zoroastrian Ethics — a book authored by a Gujarati gentleman Maganlal A. Buch, printed at Baroda in 1919. Buch was a Fellow, Seminar for the Comparative Study of Religions, established in the Baroda College by His Highness the Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad — a most progressive, capable, forward looking and practical ruler with great foresight and plenty of vision.

The Iranian girls used to pray to Vayu: "Grant us this, O Vayu, who dost work highly, that we may find a husband, young and beautiful of body, who will treat us well all life long, and give us offspring; a wise, learned, ready-tongued husband (Yasht xv, 40);” "O thou Pouruchista, O thou young daughter, him they will give thee as thy husband who is most devoted to the Good Mind, to Righteousness and to Mazda (Yasna LIII.3);” "Marry your daughter to an intelligent and learned man [Andarz-i-Atarpat-i-Maraspand (AnAtM) 7];” "He is a delightful husband who is sweet tongued, gives much happiness, is gain-causing in various ways, is full of resources, highly skilled in the arts, and a giver of other well known comforts; as also a remover of injurious and hurtful things, fearless of himself, brilliant; and a rejecter of the customs of (other) people [Dinkard (Dk) II. 101];” "Besides these intellectual and moral qualifications, a husband should possess beauty, strength, virility, energy, swiftness, tallness, bright clear eyes, long arms and small heels ("Zarathushtra and Zarathushtrianism in the Avesta,” pg 213).”

"The quality most essential in a bride was that she must be quite chaste before marriage (Vendidad XIV. 15);” "We offer praise and homage to the house-mistress, holy and guiding aright. We offer praise and homage to the holy woman promoting good thoughts, words and deeds, receiving her instruction well and obedient to her husband... (Gah IV 8, 9);” "Purity, good birth, a strong body, a beautiful form, a tall stature, a well shaped breast, a slender waist and such other physical qualities are specially appreciated (Visperad II. 7; Yt V. 127. Yt XVII. II etc);” "Let your love ever be for a fore-sighted and modest woman and marry such a one alone (AnAtM 4);” "That wife is the worse with whom it is not possible to live with pleasure [Menuk-i-Khrat (MKh) 69];” "A virtuous wife who is well disposed, is a good helper of enjoyment (MKh 41);” "Choose a wife who is of character; because that one is good who in the end is more respected (MKh 10);” "Women are necessarily of these four kinds; good as well as bad; not bad, and good; not good, and bad; and neither good nor bad. From among these any woman who is not bad and is good should be selected to manage household affairs and to give happiness and comfort to the master of the house (Dk II 77);” "A prostitute should not be taken as a wife (Dk Bk IX. 211);” "It is apparent that difference of race cannot secure an advantageous condition to pass life in, connivance at defects, similarity of thoughts, participation in benefits or injuries occasioned to one or the other, and contentedness over what is earned; for some women in spite of the ability of, and (owing to) lack of courage in their husbands, force them to purchase more articles for their use than are necessary and, failing to obtain these from their husbands, dominate over them to show off their superiority (Dk II. 98);” "Men should tie the knot of marriage with believers in the religion, so that strength may accrue to them and to the people of their race for deliverance from hell by means of prayers and devotions to God (Dk II. 91).”

"Marriage! Nothing else demands so much from a man!” Ibsen had rightly observed. "God help the man who won’t marry until he finds a perfect woman, and God help him still more if he finds her” — opined Ben Tillett. How very true!

In the post Sasanian literature, the poet often refers to her beloved as ‘taller than the Cypress tree.’ In the compound of a four-storied building opposite my flat is a Cypress tree, which is taller than the building! I cannot believe that the Iranian women were really all that tall! But I believe in the opinion of the anonymous writer who stated that the soul of the Iranian women lived in love.

The immortal bard of Iran, Firdausi Tusi has immortalized some 11 Zara­thushtrian women of the pre and post Avestan era — not only for their adventures and exploits, but also for their beauty, physical attraction, religious beliefs, character, nobility, love and most of all for their moral conduct and ethical beliefs.

HORMAZDIAR J. M. DESAI