“Pope for the Parsis”

We must take exception to an item in Behram T. Dastur’s letter "Pope for the Parsis” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, April 7, 2008) wherein he writes, "The scriptures of all the ancient religions are in dead languages...” In our case, Gathic Avestan and Standard Avestan are "dead” only to those not alive to their content and inherent power of thought. Dastur compounds this unfounded declaration with a contradiction (which has our wholehearted support): "Going back to the Gathas” and "Re-searching our roots in the pristine Gathas.”

Being totally in favor of the Gathas whose author’s name we hasten to claim in defining ourselves but whose spirit we just as quickly ignore in discussion and debate, it is entirely puzzling why we should read our scriptures in Gujarati, Persian, or whatever! Would it not be beneficial were we to understand these timeless texts through reliable translations, and then proceed to read and recite them in their originals for the enrichment of our spiritual lives? The Gathas lost their vitality precisely because they were translated, firstly into Pahlavi, and then commentated into clumsy pseudo-Persian — to wit, Pazand. The teacher-priests of yesteryear could teach salutary lessons to today’s mumbler-priests.

It is only through comparatively recent scientific studies of these powerfully formulated texts that we get closer to them through translation. Several excellent renditions exist, and those using the fact of differences between them to condone their widespread rejection among the priests are doing Zoroastrianism a great disservice. Dastur quite rightly urges a return to the Gathas, but surely not through their recitation (not even in baj) in other languages. For, once we let slide our true patrimony, we can never recover it and its widespread rejection by our ignorant priests will disinherit our future youth as it has certainly our current generations.

The World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ), aka Mistreeism — hush! no names! — has blazed its nefarious trail towards the destruction of our precious heritage, and the crypto-Muslims among them have shown what this bits-pieces-and-allsorts combo has instigated by hoots, howls and hecklings at public meetings, and by attempted character assassinations in their rag-bag advertorials in otherwise respectable newspapers.

My tongue-in-cheek piece on our projected Pope(ry) has, alas, misfired. I was tempted to go further by, at the same time, proposing an anti-Pope to keep the intended Popsi [from Pop(e) + (Par)si] in check, but that might have ruffled even more dhongi feathers. We already have anti-Zarathushtra priests, so why not elevate these specimens to anti-Popes?

But back to knuckle rapping of Dastur. Understandable Hebrew is still in use in synagogues; comprehensible Greek and Latin in Orthodox and Roman services; rousing classical Arabic among the Musalmans in mosques. Is he suggesting that their religious ceremonies are conducted in "dead languages?” If really so, why do we not seize the initiative in coming religiously alive to our Avesta tongues? The Zoroastrian world would then indeed be a better place!

FARROKH VAJIFDAR

London

f.vajifdar@btinternet.com