“Soundless prayer”

My attention has been drawn to the letter "Soundless prayer” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, March 21, 2007) from a reader who wished to know why certain parts of our prayers carry the injunction "to be prayed in silence.”

I have written a booklet called The Flickering Flame in which I have answered this question on page 74.

Our present day prayers were composed by Dastur Adarbad Marespand in Sasanian times, adhering to the science of sound called Cymatics, or in Avestan Stoat yasna. When pronounced, each letter sets up a certain vibration. The portions which are to be prayed in silence are in the Pahlavi language whose vibrations are different from those of Avestan (the language of the Yasht or Nyaesh) so that the "silent” part does not interfere with the sound pattern.

CYRUS S. MEHERJI

cymeher@rediffmail.com