Guardian Angels, Fravashí, Fravahar and the First Word of Wisdom


The first month of the Zoroastrian calendar is named after the “fravashís,” and April 8th is the great celebration day of fravashís in the Avestan  Calendar. April 8th festival is also known as fravardæ-gaan or fardoog in Dari.

The beautiful concept of fravashís is unique and original to Zoroastrianism, and has its roots first and foremost in the poetic gathas of the Prophet Zarathushtra himself.

The word fravashí consists of 2 parts; “fra” meaning “first, foremost” and “vashi,” derived from “vac,” meaning “word, voice, creative speech.”

fravashí is Ahúrá Mazdá’s pristine word/wisdom in the manifestation of the universe. It is the link between the ideal and the world’s evolution and progress toward that ideal. It is the creative word/wisdom/ideal in the creation and manifestation of the worlds. It predates logos and most likely has influenced the idea of logos among the ancient Greeks.

The term fra-vaxshyá or “pristine word/wisdom” appears in the 2nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 44.6,2nd and the 1st rhymed verse lines of Yasna 45.1,  45.2, 45.3, 45.4, 45.5, 45.6.

Also, in Yasna 34.12, 2nd rhymed verse line and Yasna 46.7, 5th rhymed verse line we have fra-vaóchá in the sense of the “foremost word, saying, wisdom, revelation.”

Furthermore, vaxshyá in the 1st rhymed verse lines of Yasna 30.1, 46.15, and 51.8 refers to “saying, disclosure of knowledge, wisdom.”

fra-vakhshyá is the first creative speech, expressing the ideal and causing growth and increase. In other words, fravashí is the pristine formula that has taken individual shape in creation and/or manifestation of the worlds.

fravashí is the limitless ideal in us and the universe, the dynamic, infinite possibilities at play, a spark of boundless will-power/energy where everything moves from progress and growth to progress and growth. The hostile/negative forces cannot have even the remotest action upon it.

In our religion this pristine wisdom/word is our Guardian Angel, the eternal light/guide within, that leads us to our pristine purpose and higher ideals.

ardeshir

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1 Response to Guardian Angels, Fravashí, Fravahar and the First Word of Wisdom

  1. zaneta garratt says:

    very nice to read this-the old English word-wax-meaning growth could have similar roots to this-also maybe because I am feminine, I believe we all lierally have a guardian angel/fravashi/helper-also i like this part in the greater bundhishn chapter 3 where the farovars agree to come to earth to fight evil-it is full of mystery and meaning i think-
    23. Ohrmazd performed the spiritual Yazishn ceremony with the Beneficent Immortals in the Rapithwin Gah. He produced [all the creations] during [the performance of] the Yazishn, deliberated with the Consciousness and Farohars of men, and having brought tl~ Wisdom of all knowledge onto men He asked: “What appears more advantageous to you when I may create you into material life: will you contend with the Druj in the embodied. existence, and destroy the Druj, shall I restore you perfect and deathless in the end, and reproduce you in material life, so that you become deathless, undecaying and without enemy forever; or, is it necessary to protect you forever from the Adversary?”

    24. [They] the Farohars of men saw, by means of the Wisdom of all knowledge, the evil that would arrive in the material world on account of the wicked Ahriman, and the final inoffensiveness of the Adversary; and they agreed to go to the material world, in order to become perfect and deathless again, in the final material life, up to eternity and eternal progress.-

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