As I stated in my previous articles fravashi is the precursor to the Greek notion of LOGOS or the divine word, speech, reason. The concept of fravashi is original to Zoroastrianism and goes back to the poetic gathas of the Prophet Zarathushtra.

The word fravashi consists of 2 parts; fra+ vashi. “Fra” simply means first, foremost. The second part “vashi,” is derived from “vac,” word, voice, speech, discourse, formula.

fravashí is Ahúrá Mazdá’s pristine word/wisdom in the manifestation of the universe. The term fra-vaxshyá or “pristine word/wisdom” appears in the 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 44.6,2^nd and the 1^st rhymed verse lines of Yasna 45.1, 45.2, 45.3, 45.4, 45.5, 45.6.

By a beautiful word play, vaxshyá or creative word is connected to “vakhsh,” to increase, grow, compare with Old Norse vaxa, German wachsen, “to grow, increase”, Sanskrit. vaksayati “cause to grow,” Greek. auxein “to increase.”

The concept of sacred words/formulas causing growth is demonstrated for example in Yasna 10.5, where we say twice: “vareða-y-angúha mana vaca …..fra-vákhshæ.” Grow, become verdant vareða through my words…

Also “vashi” through poetic word play could be derived from vash, wish, desire or var will, choosing.

Farvaretá appears in Yasna 31.1, 1^st rhymed verse line in the sense of pristine will/foremost desire for a guardian and multiplier of the living, a steward of the creation who is flourishing the world.

Also from the same root we have fraóret or pristine will/foremost desire in Yasna 30.5, 3 rd rhymed verse line, in choosing the Gd of Wisdom and Genius in manifest action/enterprise.

And in Yasna 53.2, 2^nd rhymed verse line where fraóret is the pristine will/foremost desire to unite/yoke with the wondrous powers of the Gd of Wisdom and Genius.

In Yasna 46.4, 2^nd rhymed verse line the term fróretöish is “moving forward, advancing” of the world of the living and the animal creation.

Gathic poetry like the rest of the ancient Aryan poetry abounds with masterful word-play. Prophet Zarathushtra was quiet adept at sound-based word play as an art of reinforcing layers of meaning. The importance of poetic word play in the gathas is greatly emphasized in the holy denkart. Hence, it is of paramount importance to study the poetic gathas in the ORIGINAL and not rely on far-fetched distortions and misrepresentations of the pseudo-science cultists who call themselves erroneously gathic.

ardeshir