Readers' Forum
Ashirwad ceremony
Whenever I am requested to perform the Ashirwad ceremony, I read out a beautiful translation of this prayer in the Pazand language. The translation is from Homage Unto Ahura Mazda by Dastur Maneckji Dhalla and never fails to move the audience. At a recently performed ceremony, several people requested me to have it published in the Parsiana. It reads:
"We invoke thy blessings Ahura Mazda, upon the bridegroom and the bride on the auspicious day of their wedding. May the Ashirwad ceremony sanctify the union of their hearts, inspire them to lay the wise counsel of Zarathushtra to heart and live the life of Vohu Mana’s good thoughts, of Armaiti’s devotion and to strive to lovingly excel each other in the practice of Asha’s righteousness, that their wedded life may be blessed with domestic happiness to the end of their lives.
"The twain in one are joined today. May their right hands be tied by the bond of love in lasting union. May the mind of one blend with the mind of the other and heart be in tune with the heart.
"May the twin spirits be the composite spirit in joy and sorrow, success and failure, prosperity and adversity. May the two come nearer to each other in good thoughts and good words and good deeds from day to day.
"May each transmit something good of each to the other. May each take the best that is in the other and give something better than the best. May each give of one’s goodness what the other lacks and give mutual completion to each other in life.
"Locked up in the embrace of wedded love, may they live for each other, may they share each other’s feelings, may they lighten each other’s load of life, and may they live in the loving fellowship of minds and hearts. May each elevate and embellish what nature has endowed the other. With the hearts knitted together, may the two be whole world to each other. May each one be the life of the life of the other. May he be hers and she be his wholly for all the days of their lives. May each cleave faithfully unto each in body and mind and spirit as the creeper that twines its tendrils round the tall tree. May better than the good come to them. May it be so even as we pray, Ahura Mazda.”
YEZAD KAPADIA
Delhi
yezad.kapadia@gmail.com
"We invoke thy blessings Ahura Mazda, upon the bridegroom and the bride on the auspicious day of their wedding. May the Ashirwad ceremony sanctify the union of their hearts, inspire them to lay the wise counsel of Zarathushtra to heart and live the life of Vohu Mana’s good thoughts, of Armaiti’s devotion and to strive to lovingly excel each other in the practice of Asha’s righteousness, that their wedded life may be blessed with domestic happiness to the end of their lives.
"The twain in one are joined today. May their right hands be tied by the bond of love in lasting union. May the mind of one blend with the mind of the other and heart be in tune with the heart.
"May the twin spirits be the composite spirit in joy and sorrow, success and failure, prosperity and adversity. May the two come nearer to each other in good thoughts and good words and good deeds from day to day.
"May each transmit something good of each to the other. May each take the best that is in the other and give something better than the best. May each give of one’s goodness what the other lacks and give mutual completion to each other in life.
"Locked up in the embrace of wedded love, may they live for each other, may they share each other’s feelings, may they lighten each other’s load of life, and may they live in the loving fellowship of minds and hearts. May each elevate and embellish what nature has endowed the other. With the hearts knitted together, may the two be whole world to each other. May each one be the life of the life of the other. May he be hers and she be his wholly for all the days of their lives. May each cleave faithfully unto each in body and mind and spirit as the creeper that twines its tendrils round the tall tree. May better than the good come to them. May it be so even as we pray, Ahura Mazda.”
YEZAD KAPADIA
Delhi
yezad.kapadia@gmail.com
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