Advantage, Avesta

Keen to instill in the community members "the need to recognize and study the language of their holy scriptures,” Bejon Desai has published his second book on the subject. The 56-page primer A Manual for Learning Avesta, is an ideal follow-up to his first book A Compendium for Learning Avesta. While the Compendium offers a detailed explanation of the formation of each of the 47 Avestan letters, the Manual serves as a workbook with tables in which the student can actually practice writing the script. Each alphabet can be rewritten 20 times by the beginner, after which he/she should have a fairly good idea of its formation.

"It is with the help of the Roman, Nagari and Gujarati scripts that an attempt to learn the Avestan script and language has been made,” writes Desai. In the Manual several common Avestan words and sentences have been transcribed into these three scripts, making pronunciation and reading easier for the student familiar with English and/or Hindi and/or Gujarati.

"Devanagari and Avestan scripts have many aspects in common except that the Avestan script is written from right to left and Devana­gari from left to right. Both the scripts have strokes, curves and circular patterns. Devanagari, as its name suggests, is the script that has been bestowed by the divine (deva) upon refined, learned, civil human beings — nagarika (nagari = civil),” elaborates Desai.

Desai: keen to teach

Remarks Bombay Parsi Punchayet trus­tee Dinshaw Tamboly in the Foreword to the book, "Our scriptures and texts are becoming increasingly sought after as our community disperses itself very thinly over the globe, embarks on the exercise of taking root in foreign countries and at the same time firmly holding on to its glorious roots. This can be achieved only if our ancient languages are allowed to survive.” That the ancient texts are gaining in popularity can be seen in a letter published in the Manual. David Brock, a student of Oriental languages in Oregon, USA, writes: "I am using your book in learning Avesta and find it useful. I try and write lines from the Gathas regularly.”

Desai dedicates the Manual to the late Roshan Contractor, mother of eminent architect Hafeez Contractor who partly funded A Compendium for Learning Avesta. The author envisages little financial gain from the publishing of the Manual that "solely depends on the publicity it deserves.” Regretting the indifference shown to the study of scriptural languages like Avesta and Sanskrit, Desai concludes that the "deliberate distance kept by the Parsis has resulted in the loss of heritage value.”

Priced at Rs 50 (plus Rs 30 for packing and courier charges in India), A Manual for Learning Avesta can be bought from the author, ‘De Sai,’ 111-Shivgiri Colony, Desouza Marg, College Road, Nashik 422005. Phone: 2577821.

Simin J. Patel