“Which path will be...?”

In connection with the dispute over the realignment of the Metro tunnels ("Which path will be chosen?” Editorial Viewpoint, Parsiana, October 21, 2018) we should learn to collaborate and respect the sentiments of religious heads of other communities. Our focus should be on practical problems that may arise from the underground tunnels due to increased impact on the religious structures during natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, etc.
MANECK BHUJWALA
California, USA
mbhujwala@socal.rr.com

In Persia, as early as circa 242 CE, a divergent form of Zoroastrianism was propagated by the prophet Mani. His movement even got royal patronage under the second Sassanian King Shahpur I. Mani preached a happy amalgam of select principles from Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Christianity. So alluring and widely followed was this deviation of Zoroastrianism called Manichaeism that it threatened the then Christian world.
The Zoroastrian faith and its followers have survived many such deviant and strange forms of Zoroastrianism through the ages, be it the Manichaeists, Mazdakites or the variouis forms of Zoroastrianism in the Parthian, Portus, Bavand or Dabuyid dynasties.
In the 20th century in India, the Ilm-e-Khshnoomists propagated yet another interpretation of Zoroastrianism, with elements of Theosophy, Hinduism and mysticism thrown in. The founder was Behramshah Navroji Shroff of Surat who had studied up to fourth standard, and, as a young boy, reportedly joined a travelling band in a caravan going west. They took him, he claimed, to a secret place in the mountains of Elburz or some secret recesses of Mount Damavand in Iran. (This secret place was not specified then and has not been identified yet.) There, he claimed, for a period of about three-and- a-half years from 1875, he was initiated into the puzzling mysteries of vibrations and chromopathy, hydropathy, the power of certain numerals and other hitherto unknown insights into esoteric subjects, which, in turn, permitted deep insights into interpretations of the Zoroastrian religion. He claimed the power of magical mantras and certain words which either had good auras or detrimental effects.
One of his most ardent disciples is K. N. Dastur (now Dastur Meherjirana). Dastur writes in "What is Ilm-e-Khshnoom and Why?” that Shroff received such esoteric and mystical insights into the Zoroastrian religion by the unnamed but "advanced saints called Saheb e Delan, led by their chief, Sraoshavarez Marzbanji.” The chief is said to have given him "Aksir-E-Azam, a powdery substance consisting of some kind of granules which transmute a piece of copper into gold.” The word Sraoshavarez denotes "a saintly designation, the highest of the eight grades of mobeds in the Avesta prayer, Ujiran Gah.” The priests may or may not agree that Khshnoomism is a valid part of Zoroastrianism. And the laity need to decide for themselves, it appears.
One has to commend Dastur (Dr) Firoze Kotwal for having initially forthrightly exhorted that vibrations have little to do with Zoroastrianism and all to do with Ilm-e-Khshnoomism (see "Which path will be chosen?” Editorial Viewpoint, Parsiana, October 21, 2018). Subsequently, he changed his erudite stand. Perhaps he was convinced by the Ilm-e-Khshnoomist fraternity that the Metro tunnel would be detrimental to the holy fire’s own vibrations and disrupt the connection to the very core of the earth. The affidavits produced by some learned priests in support of realigning the Metro lines away from the atash behram structures state that the holy fire is consecrated at ground level to keep these vibrations alive and effective.
Have they produced before the courts supporting scriptural references to substantiate such a stand? We have to make clear how strong our own holy fire’s vibrations are as against other obstructive phenomenon, so as to set a doctrinal precedent. Belief and faith is one thing, but without scriptural references the Court may view these averments as superstition and obstructionism.
There appears to be a dichotomy in doctrinal precepts. Firstly, we are assured that the consecrated holy fire of the atash behram is strong and all-powerful. Later we are informed that the very shadow or glance of a non-Parsi is enough to nullify this. More recently we are further informed that tunnels running 60 ft under ground also produce this deleterious effect.
Unfortunately, we are now in the unenviable position of having to present our scriptural doctrines to a court of law. The Court, understandably, will permit no obfuscation. But with lack of clarity and no scriptural authentication presented, more and more causes will require legal recourse rather than priestly opinions.
It may be worthwhile wondering how the future generations would view and report this period of our history. And which players would be lauded and which parodied. SHEEROY SUNAWALA
Bangalore
sunawalas@gmail.com