Authentic Gatha Zoroastrianism

Dualism in Zoroastrianism and why Goodness is independent of evil

Before we examine dualism in Zoroastrianism, I shall emphasize that the ancient Zoroastrian religion like any other philosophy and/or religion must be understood on its own terms and context.

To label Zoroastrian beliefs with biblical or Judeo-Christian notions such as dualism and polytheism is dull and senseless.

The Zoroastrian vision shows a remarkable degree of coherence and consistency. Monism, dualism and polytheism represent each an essential part of the Zoroastrian theology and are ALL so closely intertwined in the Zoroastrian religion that it is impossible to separate them from each other.

To begin with, Zoroastrianism is based on the Monism of spirit/mind. The material universe (gätig) is derived from the universe of spirit/mind (menög.)

In fact, everything in the countless worlds is originated in the realm of spirit/mind. The Avestan root man denotes “spirit/mind, will power, sensuous force, fiery passion.”

The supreme god of Zoroastrianism Mazdá, is the paradigm of “spirit/mind, will power, sensuous force, fiery passion, creativity and imagination.”

Mazdá and/or Ma(n)zdá (*mens-dheh-) incorporates the Indo European noun *mens of the stem ménos (spirit/mind, will power, sensuous force) and the verb dheh “to set, establish, do, create.” (Courtesy of Didier Calin)

Hence, Mazdá means “setting mind power, spirit, sensuous force, fiery passion to do, create.” Mazdá can be compared with the Vedic Meðá. (Courtesy of Didier Calin)

In the poetic gathas, the Aryan prophet asks Mazdá to give him the gift or quality of being like Mazdá, (See Yasna 34.13, 3^rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 40.1, 1^st rhymed verse line.)

Mazdá creates by his superb mind power “Vôhü Manö.” Vôhü represents “radiance, brightness, goodness.”

In the poetic gathas, Vôhü Manö is the same as Speñtá Mainyü “splendid, auspicious, brightly illuminated mind energy, (See Yasna 34.2, 1^st rhymed verse line, Yasna 44.7, 5^th rhymed verse line and Yasna 47.2, 1^st rhymed verse line.)

Mazdá creates through his bright, good thoughts. Ma(n)zdá thinks all splendid, wondrous things into existence, his creation is ex ménos.

The Speñtá Mainyü or “splendid, auspicious, brightly illuminated mind energy” is primary and original, (See Yasna 28.1, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

The will power, mind energy or sensuous force is in essence “vigorous, bright, auspicious and good.”

In the poetic gathas, mind/spirit or sensuous force is on an odyssey of eternal progress, happy discovery and exploration. Mazdá Ahûrá (God) is the paradigm of this progressive journey of “mind energy, creativity and sensuous force.”

Evil on the other hand is fear, grief and anguish of mind and low spirits (Avestan aká manah.) The chief epithet of evil, Añgrá means “agony, narrowness, limitation, gloom.”

Añgrá appears without mainyü or the word for “mind energy” in the poetic gathas, (See Yasna 44.12 and Yasna 45.2.)

The poetic gathas and Zoroastrianism, see Evil in weakening of the Will Power, the draining of the sensuous force, limitation and narrowness of spirit/mind, (See the Varsht-mánßar commentary of Yasna 32.7, 2^nd rhymed verse line and Yasna 44.5, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

When the spirit/mind or sensuous force wishes not to rise and ascend, as it is true and original to its nature, evil and gloom ensue.

The Avestan term for that is “nöit ereš višyátá” when the wish desire is not right, (See in Yasna 30.5.) Avestan ereš means “right” as well as “arise” “ascend.” The prophet masterfully plays with poetic words here. The true nature of spirit/mind is to ascend/rise and NOT to become limited and narrow.

Hence evil is connected to lie or drûj. The Avestan word drûj means literally “a tangle of trickery, deceit and lies.” Evil is what is not original and real.

Hence, evil has NO material creation that would correspond to the creativity of spirit/mind and/or fiery passion of the will power. Evil is a draining of the sensuous force and as such has only a parasitic existence. Evil cannot create but only afflict and entangle.

The demonic powers or daævás are expressions or faces (čithr) of aká manah or “beaten/anguished mind,” (See Yasna 32.3, 1^st rhymed verse line.)

While brightness/goodness of the mind energy creates the life force, the anguish and stagnation of the spirit/mind negates vigor and vitality, (See Yasna 30.4, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

The Zoroastrian lore accounts that Mazdá Ahûrá counseled añgrá to convert back to brightness, radiance and vigor. Yet, añgrá (narrowness, limitation) chose to stay in his gloom, frustration and agony.

As I stated earlier, Zoroastrianism teaches that everything in essence is “mind energy, sensuous force and passionate will.”Mazdá Ahûrá or God is the paradigm of this eternal progress of “creativity, mind-will power.”

However, when the mind energy stagnates and refuses to progress and evolve; evil enters the word.

This stagnation of creativity and limitation of will power, is something that spirit/mind could suffer in its odyssey to greatness and eternal progress.

It is a suffering due to lack of knowledge, foresight and vision, (See Yasna 30.3, 3^rd rhymed verse line and the Südgar commentary on Yasna 46.10, 5^th rhymed verse line.)

But because limitation/narrowness is untrue to the inherent “fiery passion, splendor, brightness” of the mind energy and creativity; evil is only temporary.

The ages of this this world will bring about the timeless triumph of the spirit, (See Yasna 44.17, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

Limited vision of evil will see the excellence, luminosity and goodness of Mazdá, (See Yasna 49.1, 2^nd rhymed verse line.)

Immortality will win over the demonic gods and mortal men, (See Yasna 48.1, 3^rd rhymed verse line.) A splendid, fresh age of eternal progress of the worlds will usher in; where all limitations will be overcome and creation will become pristine and godlike, See Yasna 28.11, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

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January 16^th marked the festive holiday for Vôhü Manö (awe-inspiring spirit/mind.)

The second day of each Avestan month and the eleventh month are sacred to Vôhü Manö.

Vôhü Manö consists of two parts. VÔHÜ coming from the root vah, from the ancient Indo European ves “to revere, stand in awe of.” And MAN meaning “passion, determination, spirit, mind power.”

The importance given in the poetic gathas to vôhü manö is a specifically Zoroastrian feature. In the Vedas there is NO instance of a compound of the abstract noun ma′nas and the adjective vásu.

In the Zoroastrian sacred lore, Vôhü Manö has two essential qualities, “inspiring awe, wonderfulness, goodness” (wehíh) and “determination, mind-power, passion” (manišn).

Among the Indo European religions, Vôhü Manö seem to be ONLY related to Vili and Vé in Old Norse Mythology. The Old Norse vé, from Proto-Germanic *wīhą *wíhaz and Anglo-Saxon wíh, wéoh comes from the same ancient Indo European root and conveys a similar idea of “the sacred, awe-inspiring, wondrous.”

In the Avestan Baghán commentary of the most sacred and holiest Yathá ahü manthrá, the word Vairyö or “the power to will, desire” is attributed to mind-power. This close association between “will power” and “awe-inspiring, wondrous passion/mind-power” reminds one of Vili and Vé in the Old Norse creation myths.

In the 2^nd rhymed verse line of the most sacred Yathá ahü manthrá, the existence is a manifestation of the Vôhü Manö. In the 1^st rhymed verse line of Yasna 34.2, The Wise Lord Ma(n)zdá through awe-inspiring, wondrous spirit/mind power of Vôhü Manö creates and does everything.

The aforementioned sacred verse is identical to the 5^th rhymed verse line of Yasna 44.7 where Ahûrá Ma(n)zdá through Speñtá Mainyü “auspicious, splendid, bright mind energy” is the creator of all. (Avestan Speñtá is related to Lithuanian šventas, Proto-Baltic-Slavic swęntŭs, Old Prussian swentas; and means “splendid, bright, sacred auspicious.”)

In Yasna 39.3, the Immortals and god beings, reside forever in the lovely brilliant thoughts of Vôhü Manö.

In Yasna 32.15, 3^rd rhymed verse line; the dazzling, awe-inspiring abode of Vôhü Manö is the supreme heaven/dominion of Ahûrá Ma(n)zdá.

Whereas the Immortals are the brilliant thoughts of Vôhü Manö; the demonic powers/diabolic forces or daævas, are the “seeds of aká man (See Yasna 32.3, 2^nd rhymed verse line.) Aká manah is “the most tortured, anguished mind.”

Vôhü Manö is the victorious opponent of Aká Man or anguished mind. “Anguished Mind will be vanquished, Wondrous Mind will be the victor” (Yašt 19.96). “When the Evil, gloomy Spirit assailed the creation of Excellence/Luminosity, Wondrous Mind Power and Heat/Fire intervened” (Yašt 13.77).

The souls of the virtuous/excellent abide in Vôhü Manö per 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 49.10. In fact the Persian word for heaven “behest” is derived from Vahištá or Vahištem Manö, a superlative variant of Vôhü Man.

Vôhü Man plays a paramount role in what comes to pass and the shaping of destiny (varezayañtö from verez “to become, turn” See Yasna 45.4, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

Vársht-mánßar commentary of Yasna 28.4 states that when the dazzling abode of Vôhü Man descends upon the earth, the events leading up to farshö-kart or “fresh, remaking of the universe” will commence.

The only coming to ahûrá ma(n)zdá is through vôhü man or “awe-inspiring, wondrous spirit/mind” (See Yasna 28.2, 1^st rhymed verse line.) It is the “awe-inspiring, wondrous spirit/mind” that took the Aryan prophet Zarathûshtrá, to question and answers with ahûrá ma(n)zdá (See Yasna 46.) It is the wondrous mind power of Vôhü Manö that shapes our destiny and manifest godliness in us and the universe in the fresh, renewal of the worlds.

Vôhü Manö being the foremost of the ahûrás “god-beings or god powers” of Ma(n)zdá is the menög or spirit of “awe, wonder, discovery and ultimate joy.” Vôhü Man is the fiery passion/mind power that guides us amongst the stars to the highest heaven of songs, to live forever in brilliant thoughts among Immortals.

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Each year on December the 26^th we commemorate the passing of the ancient Aryan prophet Zarathûshtrá. Since his message is all about “wisdom, luminosity and light,” there is NO room for gloom and mourning in his religion. Instead we focus on his legacy and celebrate his teachings.

Zarathûshtrá taught us to laugh in the face of the inevitable, to smile even at death. His wisdom speaks to us through his poetic gathas or songs. (Compare Avestan gatha to Lithuanian giedoti “to sing”)

In his religion, life means to constantly transform into light and passionate flame all that we are or meet with. His “vision” (Avestan daæná) is about “the desire to discover,” (Avestan daæná from dee “power to see” “gift of foresight.”)

His religion/vision is about the will to become godlike through the search of wisdom, through the journey, evolution of mind power/spirit.

His gift of foresight/religion was always a quest to better decipher our own souls and unleash godhood, NEVER a body of doctrines.

Zarathûshtrá taught us about an inquisitive disposition of spirit/mind, rather than a particular kind of dogma.

The ancient seer/prophet wanted us to see things not in the mundane gloom but as they will seem forever in the brilliant light of a fresh, new creation.

He called his message Mazd-Yasná. The very meaning of the word (derived from the Avestan compound Ma(n)zdá + Yasná) points at “passionate yearning for energetic mind power.”

Ma(n)zdá or Mazdá (Compare Vedic Meðá, Greek Metis) is the essence of godhood in Zoroastrianism. Ma(n)zdá/Mazdá is “passion, power of the spirit, mind-energy, imagination, creativity.”

Yasná comes from the Proto Indo European root *ya “to passionately yearn, desire” (Compare Greek zelos, Latin zelus “passionate fervor in pursuit of.”)

Hence, Mazd-Yasná is “eager desire to discover,” “intense passion to become godlike through the journey/evolution of mind-power.”

Mazd-Yasná starts with passion to question things, with fervor for discovery and unknown wisdom. The main source of questioning is the spirit/mind’s sense of wonder. This sense of wonder is called vôhü in the Avestan and is almost identical to Old Norse vé “that which is awe-inspiring, wondrous, sacred.”

Zarathûshtrá taught us at the dawn of the Indo European history to first seek the “awe-inspiring, wondrous, good things” of the spirit/mind (vôhü manö.)

He taught us to keep alive our spirit of wonder by exploring familiar things with a new, brighter light; to articulate our sense of awe/wonder by formulating QUESTIONS.

In his poetic gathas, in Yasná 44, he starts each verse except the last one with the formula tat thwá peresá “I ask a question of Thee,” (Compare Avestan peresá with Old Church Slavonic prositi, Lithuanian prasyti “to ask a question.)

Also we read in the Avesta or the book of “unknown/undiscovered wisdom” ahüirim frašnem yazamaidæ “we passionately adore the godly questioning/discourse.” For the ancient seer/prophet this very exploration, questioning “frašnem” is godly, ahuric or divine, (Avetsan frašnem comes from frašná, Vedic prasná, German fragen comes from the same root “to question.”)

The legacy of the ancient Aryan religion of Zoroastrianism is a sense of awe and wonder for a marvelous creation, nobility, simplicity, beauty, magnanimity, and passionate search for new wisdom.

Mazd-Yasná is a wondrous wisdom focused on the unleashing of the undiscovered powers of spirit/mind.

In a world of fury, hollow ideologies, inflexible dogmas, violence and suppression of questioning/ideas, this ancient wisdom might be well worthy of rediscovery.

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The name of the tenth month of the Zoroastrian calendar is DAY. It is the happiest month of the calendar. It starts on December 16 and ends about January 14. The name DAY comes from the Avestan daδváv/daðváv “creator.”

Daδváv/daðváv is an epithet of Ahûrá Mazdá that became the name of the 10th month, as well as of the eighth, fifteenth, and twenty-third days in each month of the Zoroastrian calendar. Avestan daδváv/daðváv comes from the root dá “to give, gift, put, place, create, DO.” The root dá can be compared with Old High German tuon, German tun, English to do; “to give, gift, create.” In the last sense it is used for the creative acts of Ahûrá Mazdá.

For example in the 3^rd rhymed verse line of Yasna 44.3 of the poetic gathas, the prophet asks; “Who created (dát) the path(s) of the sun and the stars?” (Compare dát with Old Church Slavonic dati, Lithuanian dúoti “to give.”)

Another example would be the 5^th rhymed verse line of Yasna 44.7, where Manzdá (genius, mind-power) is invoked as the “creator of everything” (vîspa.nạm dátárəm) through his splendid, auspicious spirit/mind-energy (spéñtá mainyü.)

Avestan daδváv/daðváv “giver, creator” is comparable to that of vîδváv/vîðváv “knowing, wise.

Also the most common invocation formula of Vendidad is “O Ahûrá Mazdá . . . creator (dátaré) of the material world . . .

In Old Persian texts, Darius the Great states: “. . . Ahûramazdá who created (adá) this earth, who created yonder heaven.”

In Pahlavi or middle Iranian commentaries of Avestan texts daδváv/daðváv is always glossed with dádár.

The tenth month was named daθušö/dathušö (māh-month, moon) of the creator.” The first day of each month was called ahûrahæ mazda (day) of Ahûrá Mazdá, and the eighth, fifteenth, and twenty-third days also bore the epithet daθušö/dathušö Giver/Creator of “heat, fervor, fire “áthrá;” friendship, love “mithrá” and power to see, vision “daæná.”

According to the Bûn-dahišn (30.10-31.8, 33.15-34.2), the establishment of the names of the month after “splendid, auspicious immortals” was an essential part of the material creation, especially the creation of finite time, which places a limit on the life span of Ahriman or the beaten, afflicted spirit.

As participants in the battle against Ahriman the three Days function not only as mere day names but also as Öhrmazd’s coworkers, designated as “space” (gáh), “foresight, vision” (daæn), and “time” (zamán).

In the Old Persian Achaemenid calendar, the 10^th month is called a-náma.ka– “unknown or undiscovered name” referring to Ahûrá Mazdá, (spirit/mind power, genius.)

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The ancient Iranian cosmogonists regarded fire as forming the life force within the creation, and so animating the world (see Bundahišn, tr., chaps, 3.7-8; 6g. 1; Zātspram, chap. 3.77-83).

In the poetic gathas fire is closely associated with “mind, spirit, passion, will” (See Yasna 46.7 3^rd rhymed verse line) and “excellence, virtue, goodness/luminosity of ashá/arthá.”

For ashá/arthá “excellence, virtue, goodness, light” is the very self of godhood in the poetic gathas.

The Avesta in Yasna 17.11 talks of 5 kinds of fire. First is the fire called bərəzi.sava “bright in light/auspiciousness,” (Compare with Old Church Slavonic svetu “light.”)

Bərəzi Sava or “brightly illuminated” fire is identified in the Pahlavi or Middle Iranian commentary as present in Átaš Vahráms or Victorious Fires.

Second fire is vôhü fryán, the wondrous, awe-inspiring fire of LOVE. It is fire of love that is the life force of men and beasts.

The third fire is ûrvázištá “the most joyous” fire. Ûrvázišta comes from a root meaning “to flourish, grow” and is associated with ûrvar “tree” or plants (Compare Avestan ûrvar with Latin arbor.)

The fourth fire is vazištá “the liveliest, the most vigorous” as in the lightning fire.

And lastly is the spéñištá “the most auspicious” fire, which burns in the presence of Öhrmazd. Spéñištá comes from Speñtá; “auspicious, splendid, bright” Lithuanian šventas, Proto-Baltic-Slavic swęntŭs, Old Prussian swentas.

Spéñištá is the most sacred, the most auspicious, and the most shining or brilliant fire.

The identifications of the five fires are the same in Zātspram, pp. 40-41, chap. 3.77-82. ,

But in the Bundahišn, pp. 123-24; tr. pp. 156-59, chap. 18.2-7, bərəzi.sava is held to be the fire which burns before Öhrmazd, and spéñištá that which is present in Victorious Fires.

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The Destructive Spirit and the Daevas in the early Gathic Avestan Worldview
John Easter 2014

Ahriman is the Middle Persian equivalent for Angra Mainyu. Angra Mainyu is from the older Gathic Avestan language of the Gathas where it means destructive/hostile spirit/mentality. Other names include Akem Mainyu(evil spirit/mentality), Debaoma(arch-deluder or deceiver), Dush-Sastish(false teacher), Aka Manah(evil mind and the opposite of Vohu Manah/loving mind), and Druj which means injurious falsehood, the opposite of Asha(truth/goodness/art), and the essence of evil in the wickedest, deepest, and un-holiest sense. Druj is cognate to Vedic Sanskrit Druh, which means injuring, injurer, hurtful, hostile, fiend, and afflicting demon. Druh is the opposite of Rta which is the Vedic Sanskrit cognate of Asha.

“The stagnated spirit of evil, consumed by “destructive lust” for and “envy” (areshk) of “the unlimited mind power” of Ahúrá Ma(n)zdá in accomplishing and realizing his luminous thoughts/visions; insinuated his malice, cruelty and frustration into the material manifestation of the Gd of Genius; inflicting it with his misery, wreck and ruin.”
-Herbad Ardeshir Farahmand, Why do bad things happen to the innocent and the good?

The evil spirit is regarded in the Poetic Gathas as the distorter and destroyer of perception, spiritual vision, creativity, artfulness, and inspired music and sounds, the perverter and marrer of the life force in beings and nature that brings disharmony, disparity, malformation, decay, and death, and the teacher and master of falsehood, aggressiveness, deceptive mind formulas and mantras, delusions, illusions, and Acishtahya Manah(House of Worst Mind/Hell). Ahriman is also called Daevanam Daeva(daeva of daevas), which means evil god of evil gods or demon of demons. The original basis behind Satan in ancient Judaism and Christianity and Iblis in Islam. Corresponds to Kali(not to be confused with the goddess; from a root kad “suffer, grieve, hurt; confound, confuse”) of Kali Yuga in Hinduism, Kroni in Ayyavazhi Hinduism, and Devaputra(son of a deva) Mara in Buddhism.

“Zoroaster’s teachings are often called dualist, explaining the universe as the result of “the outcome of two eternally opposed and coexisting principles”. However, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, or Ahriman, are not co-equal; the latter is an emanation or spirit of the former whose exercise of free will led him to embrace evil. This could be the source of the Christian conception of Satan as a fallen angel. Angra Mainyu is twin to Spenta Mainyu, the spirit of good that strengthens creation and aids humanity in their fight against evil.”
-Zoroaster article on New World Encyclopedia

“The root of evil as the ancient Aryan(Indo-Iranian) prophet calls it is nöit eresh vishyátá; “a desire/wish not in rhythm, a wish that violates the melody, flow of meaning, force, energy.”” “(See Yasna 30.3, 3rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 30.6, 1st rhymed verse line.)”
-Herbad Ardeshir Farahmand, Why do the bad seek out the luminous and good to corrupt?

Evil, ruin, and decay in the Poetic Gathas by Zarathushtra Spitama are associated with falsehood, cruelty, and the distortion, disharmony, and perversion of inspiration and the energy flow of the life force:

“In Yasna 31.1, 2nd rhymed verse line, death is associated with disorder, destruction of artfulness and excellence, and the rule of lies, deceptive formulas.

In Yasna 31.18, 3rd rhymed verse line, death (marakaæ) is associated with the deceiver (dregvatö,) the deceptive mind formulas (manthras) and illusive teachings of the trickster.

In Yasna 32.9, 1st rhymed verse line, death/destruction is associated with the false teacher (dúsh-sastish,) an epithet of the evil spirit, the distortion of the inspired music/melody and a corruption of the power of the spirit to manifest itself in life( jyátéush khratüm.)

In Yasna 32.10, 1st rhymed verse line, death is associated again with distortion of the inspired melody/music/sound (sraváv möreñdat) and denying the embodied life and the sun (hvare, Greek helios.)

In Yasna 32.11, 1st rhymed verse line, mar/spoiling/destruction of life (möreñden jyötüm) is associated with having high regard for the deceiver/liar, falsehood (dregvatö mazibísh ci-köiteresh.)

In Yasna 32.12, 2nd rhymed verse line, ruin/death is associated with ravaging/laying waste upon the inspired melody, song, music; and that the curse of the Wise lord will be upon those who kill/slaughter animals with cries of joy.

In Yasna 32.13, 2nd rhymed verse line, death/destruction (marekhtárö “to destroy, put to death”) is associated the abode/dominion of the most broken/beaten spirit mind, limitation and greed.

In Yasna 45.1, 4th rhymed verse line, death is associated with the false teacher (dush-sastish,) an epithet of the evil spirit.

In Yasna 46.11, 2nd rhymed verse line, destruction/death is associated with ritual priests and their deafness and blindness to the skills of the adorable God.

In Yasna 51.10, 1st rhymed verse line, death is associated with the lair of lies, brood/creation of deceit, falsehood and mal-formation, faulty, evil knowledge (dúž-dáv.)

In Yasna 51.13, 1st rhymed verse line, death is associated with the distortion/destruction of the higher vision by the deceiver.

In Yasna 53.6, 5th rhymed verse line, corruption/perversion/death of the existence (ahüm merengedúyæ) is associated with onslaught of the evil deceiver, against the excellent/good and diminish in power.”

(Yasna list was taken from Herbad Ardeshir Farahmand’s “The ancient Indo-Europeans and the View of the poetic gathas and Zoroastrianism on Mortality”.)

Daevas

Daeva is a Gathic Avesatan word that originally meant a being of shining light. Its Vedic Sanskrit cognate is Deva, which also means a shining celestial or deity in the Rig-Veda. Among several other related words, Dievas, through Indo-European roots, is the Lithuanian cognate of Daeva & Deva and refers to God in Lithuanian folklore. Similarly Asura is the Vedic Sanskrit cognate of Ahura(lord/god) and refers to a type of deity in the Rig-Veda, while Aesir, through Indo-European roots, is the Old Norse cognate of Ahura and refers to the highest ranking gods and goddesses in the Norse Poetic Edda and Prose Edda. Gathic Avestan Ahura & Daeva, Vedic Sanskrit Asura & Deva, Old Norse Aesir, and Lithuanian Dievas, all originally referred to gods/spirits, or a type of god/spirit, in general.

The Daevas are evil in the Gathas because they are the gods/spirits that, through their extreme hubris, arrogance, and pride, chose to side with Debaoma(Arch-Deluder) in making the physical existence(Avestan Astavat/Sanskrit Sat/Pahlavi Getig) marred, diseased, and sickly in Yasna 30.6 and became the seeds of the Akat Manah(Evil Mind) in Yasna 32.3. Debaoma and Akat Manah are aspects and epitaphs of Ahriman(Destructive Spirit). Yasna 30.6 and Yasna 32.3-5 state that the daevas afflict the world with hateful, enfeebling, and malformative acts as well as inspire aggressive, cruel, and self destructive views within the minds of men and women.

The Gathas, which are understood as being the actual words of Zarathushtra Spitama himself by most scholars, expresses a worldview where the Daevas do not represent metaphor, allegory, and abstraction, nor delusions, illusions, and hallucinations of the human mind in discord but instead are understood and regarded as real and existent spiritual beings in their own right that originate from the spiritual/mental existence(Manahya in Avestan/Menog in Phalavi) independent of the human mind.

Spirits, people, animals, and all beings are regarded as expressions of the all pervading Minoo/Minoan/Minu(consciousness/mind energy) of the Universe emanated from Ahura Mazda(God) and can choose between good and beneficent acts or evil and destructive acts which has impact on the Astavat/Sat(physical existence). Spiritual beings such as the ahuras(angels/gods) and daevas(demons) simply reflect this on a higher level as does even the Destructive Spirit. We are all expressions of Minoo(mind energy) either luminous and good or shadowy and noxious through the many types of corruption and distortion of the luminous and good brought upon both by ourselves individually and externally from others on all sorts of levels.

“Nothing was evil from the beginning. Even the Evil Spirit was not so.”
-Herbad Ardeshir Farahmand, Spirit Realms and conflict among the spirits/mind-energies in the pre-mortal existence

In the Gathas and the very early Yasna Haptanghaiti of the Avesta everything is Minoo/Minu(spiritual/mind energy) and is not human centric. People, animals, even nature such as the forests, mountains, and lakes. The physical is really just a manifestation of the spiritual and in fact has its basis in the Manahya/Menog(spiritual/mental existence). There are many examples of sentience being described which do not refer to mankind. Animals being one. The others being Ahura Mazda(God), the Ahuras(angels/gods), and the Daevas(shadowy gods/demons) who split from the Ahuras through their destructive choices.

These are clearly sentient and they clearly aren’t human as they are described as existing even before the Astavat/Sat/Getig(physical existence) emanated out of the Manahya/Menog(spiritual/mental existence). They, the Ahuras, which includes the Amesha Spentas, Yazatas, and Fravashis(guardian angels/divine essence within human souls), and the Daevas, are as much a part of the emanation as the people and the animals are and not any less. Also the world or the physical existence is not an illusion or false existence but instead is very much a  real and existent manifestation of the Manahya/Menog(spiritual/mental existence) to be protected and the lines between the physical and spiritual are very thin.

The Daevas are the original basis behind the fallen angels and demons described in ancient Judaism, Christianity, and their apocryphal texts such as the three Books of Enoch and the Book of Giants. Aeshma “of the bloody mace” the daeva of wrath, rage, fury, mental distortion, and the inspiration of brutality against mankind and animals alike in the Gathas is the original name of Asmodeus the demon king described in the Book of Tobit, the Talmud, and the Testament of Solomon.

Rather than being demons encouraging people to commit transgressions against arbitrary laws, rules, and taboos to displease God and receive punishment forever in Hell, as expressed in some explanations of Christianity and Islam, the Daevas, in the Gathas and the early Yasna and Yashts sections of the Avesta, are considered the inspiration of mental misery and suffering, the masterful distorters of truth on all levels imaginable, and the bringers of physical harm of all kind who are associated with the breaking down of the sense, spirit, and minds of beings, in order to bend them into sharing their degenerate and maleficent visions against life.

(From the Gathas composed by Zarathushtra Spitama translated by Herbad Ardeshir Farahmand.)

“Yasna 45.2, 1st and 2nd and 5th rhymed verse lines concerning the primeval world of the spirits/mind-energies;
I shall speak forth of the primeval world of the spirits/mind-energies
When the splendid/auspicious recounted to the afflicted, gloomy one;
……….
Not our visions, not even our souls/passions are akin”

Yasna 30.5, 1st and 2nd rhymed verse lines
“These spirits/mind energies willed//the deceitful (chose) the most afflicted becoming/destiny
Excellence(Asha); the most splendid, auspicious mind-energy”

Yasna 30.4, 1st and 2nd rhymed verse lines, the choice of the spirits establishes vibrant life and miserable existence;
“These spirits/mind-energies together//came in the primeval beginning and established
Life and miserable existence”

In Yasna 44.15, 3rd rhymed verse line;
“The opposing armies came together clashing””

(From the very early Gathic Avestan Yasna Haptanghaiti in the Yasna section of the Avesta translated by L. H. Mills.)

Yasna 39.2 “And we worship the souls of those beasts which are tame and broken in, and of wild herds, and the souls of the saints wherever they were born, both of men and of women, whose good consciences are conquering in the strife against the Daevas, or will conquer, or have conquered.”

(Shows that the souls of animals are important like the souls of people and describes the mental struggle that men and women have with the distortions of the shadowy and noxious mind energies.)

Yasna 39. “And now we worship the Bountiful Immortals (all) the good, and both those male, and those female (by their names). The males among them do we worship, ever living, and ever helpful, who dwell beside the pious, and the females thus the same.”

(Shows the reverence for the progressive and beneficial mind energies of Mazda)

(From the very early Gathic Avestan Fravarane in the Yasna section of the Avesta translated by Joseph H. Peterson.)

Yasna 12.4: “I reject the authority of the Daevas, the wicked, no-good, lawless, evil-knowing, the most druj-like of beings, the foulest of beings, the most damaging of beings. I reject the Daevas and their comrades, I reject the demons (yatu) and their comrades; I reject any who harm beings. I reject them with my thoughts, words, and deeds. I reject them publicly. Even as I reject the head (authorities), so too do I reject the hostile followers of the druj.”

Yasna 12.8: “I profess myself a Mazda-worshipper, a Zoroastrian, having vowed it and professed it. I pledge myself to the well-thought thought, I pledge myself to the well-spoken word, I pledge myself to the well-done action.”

Yasna 12.9: “I pledge myself to the Mazdayasnian religion, which causes the attack to be put off and weapons put down; [which upholds khvaetvadatha], Asha-endowed; which of all religions that exist or shall be, is the greatest, the best, and the most beautiful: Ahuric, Zoroastrian. I ascribe all good to Ahura Mazda. This is the creed of the Mazdayasnian religion.”

From Herbad Ardeshir Farahmand’s article “Angels and Demons in the poetic gathas”.
““Existence,” “Life-force” “Manifesting Power of Mind” is the domain of Ahúrá Mazdá. Demons have NO life-force and are living dead, Stagnated Mind Energies. Theirs is a parasitic, temporary phenomenon until the outcome of the existence, See Yasna 30.4, 2nd rhymed verse line.”

“In Zoroastrianism evil is not a creative force and is secondary in the cosmic order, affirming the priority and superiority of the force of genius and good. Therefore it is not described as a force to be feared. The protection of the adorable powers/aspects of the mind of GD is far greater than the ravage/distortion of the demons, See Holy Denkart, 5.24.21a.

It is not possible for a demon to invade unless there are doors open for it to enter. The door may be a consent or affinity or a physical defect in the being. The demons cannot corrupt unless there is some defect in oneself, some impurity, weakness or, at the very least, ignorance. One should then seek out this weakness in oneself and correct it.

What makes it impossible for demons to prevail in any attack is the “brilliant flow of thoughts,” “perfect contemplation;” “auspicious, serene thinking power,” See Yasna 32.2, 3rd rhymed verse line. Mortal man as a species stands between the angels/aspects of GD’s superb and wondrous mind and the demons or stagnated mind energies, the daævás may be kept in check by the “auspicious, serene thinking power” and an active participation in life through whatever is eternal and undying in thoughts, words and deeds.”

“Their relative parasitic existence is only a phenomenon thrown up by the cosmic Force in its drive towards eternal progress. Limitation, demons, falsehood, evil are all cosmic realities, but relative in their nature, not absolute, since they depend for existence on the perversion or contradiction and are not like excellence, genius and good, self-existent absolutes, inherent aspects of the Self-existent GD of Genius.”

The Gathas also state that over the ages leading up to the Frasho-Kereti(renewal) of the worlds even the Daevas will convert to goodness at the end in Yasna 32.1 and Yasna 48.1.

John Easter 2014

The shining Twin Yima, Vedic Yama and Old Norse Ymir

Yima is a primordial twin and a hero king of the Ice Age in the Avesta. The very name Yima means “twin” and is related to Latin Gemini. The twofold nature of Yima is well attested in the Avesta. Yima’s account has parallels in both Vedic Yama and Old Norse Ymir. However, the Avestan Yima has preserved all the elements of the primordial twin being of the Proto-Indo-European cosmological mythology.

In the Avestan book of Vendidad or Vî-daæv-dátá (chap. 2), Ahûra Mazdá originally offered Yima the task of carrying his daæná (wisdom to see, vision, insight, Compare with Greek idein) into the world.

But Yima refuses to be a wise wizard and the prophet of Ahûra Mazdá.

Instead, Ahûra Mazdá offers Yima to be the furtherer of life (fráðaya gaæthá,) increaser of living beings (vareðaya gaæthá,) steward, guardian (haretar) and ruler king (aiwya-khshtar) of the living. Yima accepts to be a steward and leader of life.

Yima promises that, as long as he is in command, there will be no excesses of heat and cold, no sickness or death. Ahûra Mazdá then gives Yima two tools, a golden trumpet (aštrá) and a golden flute (suwrá.)

Then the earth becomes overpopulated and full of beasts, people and fires of industry. Yima expands the earth thrice by the help of his magical musical instruments.

After the third enlargement of the earth, a council of god-beings and mortal men is called. Yima is warned of a harsh devastating winter and impending ice age. In order that life shall not perish, Ahûra Mazdá counsels Yima how to build a VAR (an underground vault or hidden fortress) in which to keep samples of all creatures of Ahûra Mazdá alive during the devastating winter.

(Avestan VAR is related to Swedish vall, Danish val “defensive fortification, Wall.”)

Ahûra Mazdá also explained to Yima about two kinds of lights in the VAR or the underground fortification: those self-acting, lightning on their own (khᵛaðáta, probably the eternal lights, cf. Y. 1.16), and those with a physical cause (stiðáta).

Yima then brought pairs of all living things into the VAR, excluding those with bodily defects, and, every forty winters, two children would be born from a human couple.

The Karšipta bird brought the daæná (wisdom to see, vision, insight) of Ahûrá Mazdá into the underground Var or underground fortress.

According to Mînög khrad (61.15), the walled fortification or VAR was underground in Airán-vîž (cradle of the Aryans), beneath towering Mountains. It contained all things in the world of the living (Bundahišn 32.7).

The VAR has another purpose, toward the end of the millennium of Ušîdar, the first of Zarathûshtrá’s three eschatological sons, when men and beasts are decimated by another terrible winter of the sorcerer Malkūs, the world is repopulated again from the VAR (Bdh. 33.1, Dādestān ī dēnīg 36.80-81; Dk. 7.1.24, 7.9.3-4; Mēnōy ī xrad 26.24; Pahlavi Rivāyat 48.17; Zand ī Wahman Yasn9.14).

However Yima later falls due to his hubris and his callous disregard for animal life. As we seen before, Yima accepted to be the steward and guardian of the world of the living and be a hero king; yet he failed.

In the poetic gathas, Yima is mentioned once in Yasna 32.8: “Among the sinners, Yima the son of Vî.vañg.hûšö, has been renowned //to delight us mortal men, he forswear God and taught the slaughtering of the cow// May I be apart from this in your future decision/verdict.”

The Middle Iranian or Pahlavi commentary maintains that Yima taught people to sacrifice the cow and eat meat.

The Pahlavi commentary of the 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 32.8 of the poetic gathas is in exact line with ancient Indo-European and Norse mythologies.

Proto-Indo-European cosmogenic myth is centered on the dismemberment of a cow/bovine—and the creation of the universe out of its various elements”. Further examples cited include the climactic ending of the Old Irish Táin Bó Cúailnge where a bull is dissected that makes up the Irish geography.

Yima’s sin in Yasna 32.8, 2^nd rhymed verse line is exactly that: yé mašyeñg či-khshnûšö ahmákéñg gáûš bagá khᵛáremnö.

The Pahlavi commentary says: ké-šö mardömán čášîd kü amágán göšt pad bazišn khvareed “who taught people: eat the meat and distribute it to ours” In the Varštmánsr commentary on this strophe in the Dēnkard, Avestan či-khshnûšö is understood as being related to the verb “satisfy (with gifts), make favorable” and the passage as being about how Yima satisfied mortal men by giving them bloody sacrifices and meat to eat (Dk. 9.32.12; cf. Pahlavi. Yasna 9.1).

The gathic verse refers to the rejection of bloody sacrifice and the orgiastic festivals connected with it. The line is a perfect example of ancient Indo European poetic wordplay where forswearing God (baga) is connected to killing and devouring of the cow/living animal (gáûš) gáûš bagá khᵛáremnö.

Humbach quoted Karl Hoffmann to the effect that khᵛára- beside devouring/eating could be connected with the Germanic words for swear (Ger. Schwur) and means “to forswear.”

We further read in the 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 32.12 of the poetic gathas; “the curse word of Mazdá is upon those who strike at animals with cries of joy.”

Also in the 3^rd rhymed verse line of the same Yasna 32.14 we read: “that by striking at the cow/living animal, they hope to invoke the help of the dispeller of death.”

(Dispeller of death and decay or “dûraôsha is an epithet of the sacred mead or haômá.)

In Yasna 9.1-13, the praise-hymn to Haômá, “the sacred wine or mead” tells Zarathûstrá that the births of four stalwarts were gifts given as rewards when their fathers pressed the haômá for the benefit of the world of the living:

Vî.vang.hvant who begot Yima (who made the world free of decay and disease);

Áthwiya (Persian Ábtin,) who begot Thraætaôna (Perisan Freydoun, the first physician);

Thritá who begot Keresh-aspa (Persian Garsh-ásp);

Finally Pôurûš-aspa who begot Zarathûstra.

Also in Yasna 9, there is allusion to dismemberment of the cow and belonging of each of its part to a divine being.

This dismemberment of the cow and bloody sacrifice accompanied by drinking of mead is what the Aryan prophet strongly denounces.

It is the stain and pollution of bloody sacrifice that Zarathûshtrá wants to remove from the mead or sacred wine in 2^nd rhymed verse line of Yasna 48.10 of his poetic gathas.

The tale of Yima is that of highest technological advance and yet fall due to callous disregard for nature and animal life.

Yet what is celebrated is the ideal or prototype of Yima, his fra-vaši. In Fravardin yašt, Yima’s fra-vaši or ideal wish is invoked against natural plagues opposite of the perfect conditions during Yima’s rule (Yt. 13.130:ainišti “lack of obtaining one’s wishes” daævö.karštá “dragged forth by the diabolic forces.

In book 7 of the Dēnkard, a part of Yima’s speech to the daæv or diabolic forces wherein, Yima declares to the diabolic forces that Zarathustra will give them back the non-desire, frustration of wishes (a-khvāhišnīh) they made (cf. Yt. 13.130).

Yima will be one of the immortals at the end of time. For out of failure and evil can come out godhood, light and goodness.

ardeshir

There is reference to the use of trumpets in the Zoroastrian Vî-daæv-dátá or Vendidad.Avesta tells the story of shining Yimá (Old Norse Ymir, Vedic Yama are related.) In the Avestan lore, Yima was an ingenious leader. He reigned during the golden age when weather was fair, and sickness or death unknown. But a severe winter set in, and Ahûrá Ma(n)zdá counseled Yimá to bring plants, animals and humans to an underground shelter, while providing two implements to accomplish this task: a golden sufrá and a gold-plated aštrá.

As J. Duchesne-Guillemin (“Cor de Yima,” esp. pp. 540-41) has shown sufrá is, in fact, a trumpet. The myth implies that a trumpet was used to call animals to their safe underground shelter. Recently excavated Oxus trumpets seemed to have been used for a very similar purpose. Another link to Yima story is that gold was used for some Oxus trumpets.

It seems that Zoroastrianism arose near the regions of Bactria and Margiana (Lawergren, “Oxus Trumpets,” p. 95, n. 77). About 40 small trumpets from oases in Bactria and Margiana have recently been brought to light by looters in southern Uzbekistan and northern Afghanistan. They are much shorter than modern instruments despite their similar shape. Most are made of silver, some of gold, and a few of copper.

The trumpets associated with the Bactrian-Margiana Archeological Complex (BMAC) are dated 2200-1750 B.C.E. (Hiebert, p. 376).

Of course the most ancient part of the Avesta is the poetic gathas of the Aryan seer/prophet. The poetic gathas go back to the 2nd millennium B.C.E and are hymns similar to the Vedic Samhitās, meant for melodious chanting. The very word gáthá is related to Lithuanian giedoti “to sing” (Compare Proto Indo European gei.)

According to Neyrangestan or the Zoroastrian “book of spells” the poetic gathas were sung and chanted melodiously. Also, Herodotus reports that the Zoroastrian Magi or priests chanted songs to the gods (Histories 1.132).

Furthermore, the highest heaven in the poetic gathas is called garö-demánæ (Middle Iranian garödmán) “the abode or house of music.”

For Ahûrá Ma(n)zdá has created the many worlds by his melodious mind-formulas and enchanting thoughts. The highest heaven is thus a delightful house of music. From the enchanting melodies that come from garö-demánæ (Middle Iranian garödmán) new worlds are created and existing ones are remade ever better and more brilliantly. This house of music is where ma(n)zda is the prime force and the god-men/god powers will enter as ma(n)zda’s brilliant co-workers.

Under Zoroastrian influence similar ideas entered Mahayana Buddhism whose sutras describe music as one of the chief delights of paradise (Lawergren, “Buddha,” pp. 234-38).

During the Achaemenid period, 550-331 B.C.E music flourished in ancient Iran and musicians held privileged positions at court.

In the Cyropaedia, Xenophon (ca. 430-after 356 B.C.E.), who had visited ancient Iran in 401 B.C.E., told of the great number of singing women at the Achaemenid court (4.6.11; 5.1.1; 5.5.2; 5.5.39).

Athenaios of Naucratis (3rd century C.E.?) mentioned a court singer who sang a warning to the king of the Medes of the acquisitive plans of Cyrus II (ca. 600-530 B.C.E.

He also related that the Macedonian general Parmenio captured the 329 singing girls of the court of Darius III (ca. 380-mid-330 B.C.E.; Deipnosophistai 13.608.)

Furthermore, recently evidence for Achaemenid influence on Chinese instruments has emerged in China.

During the Parthian Period gösán or musicians played a prominent role in the Parthian society.

The Greek writer Strabo (ca. 64 B.C.E.-9 C.E.) noted that Parthians taught their young men songs about “the deeds both of gods and of the noblest men” (Geographica 15.3.18).

According to Plutarch (ca. 46-ca. 120 C.E.), the gösán praised Parthian heroes and ridiculed the Romans with equal gusto (Crassus 32.3).

The Parthian gösán “minstrels” influenced the Armenian courtly gusanner who sang heroic tales to the accompaniment of drums, pipes, lyres and trumpets (Boyce, 1957, pp. 13-14).

To the bewilderment of the Romans, the Parthian army used large drums (Gk.rhoptron, pl. rhoptra) to prepare for battle: “they had rightly judged that, of all the senses, hearing is the one most apt to confound the soul, soonest rouses its emotions, and most effectively unseats the judgment” (Plutarch, Crassus 23.7).

The most magnificent depictions of Parthian musical instruments are carved on ivory drinking horns of the 2nd century B.C.E., and found at the ancient Parthian capital of Nisa, near Ashkhabad in Turkmenistan (Colledge, fig. 2; Karomatov, pp. 54-59.)

The evidence for Sassanid Music, in the context of Zoroastrian ritual, is more substantial than that for music of other aforementioned Empires.

According to the Arab author Masʿudi (d. 956), music was greatly esteemed at court, and Ardeshir I (d. 242), the founder of the glorious Sassanid dynasty, gathered singers, minstrels and musicians into a special courtly class (Boyce, “Parthian Gōsān,” p. 22).

Two centuries later, Bahrám V Gœr (r. 420-38) elevated this class to the highest rank (Christensen, p. 31). He was fond of music, and recruited 12,000 singers from India.

Music was even more highly cherished by khosrow II (r. 590-628), whose reign was a veritable Golden Age of Iranian music.

Another Moslem historian reports that . . . . And the harvest thereof was never gathered but with song and music and mirth, which happened on the sixth day after the beginning of Vernal Equinox (The 6^th day after the Spring Equinox is the birthday of Prophet Zarathûshtrá.)

ardeshir

BARSÔM (Avestan baresma/baresman) are sacred branches or twigs of an evergreen or fruit tree that form an important part of the Zoroastrian liturgical ceremony.

The word barsôm is the Middle Iranian form of the Avestan baresma/ baresman, which is derived from the root barez, Sanskrit bṛh “ to grow bright, beautiful, splendid.”

The object of holding barsôm “twigs/branches of a fruit or evergreen tree” in prayers is to pay reverence to the whole plant kingdom and all growing, verdant things. We read in Vendidad (19.17-18:) “Zarathûshtrá asked Ahûrá Mazdá: O Splendid Creator! In what way shall I praise Thee? Ahûrá Mazdá replied: O Spitamá Zarathûshtrá! Go near a tree grown out of the earth and repeat thus: Homage unto thee, O beautiful, flourishing, strong and Mazdā­-created tree.” (In the next paragraph a reference to the method of cutting the barsôm twig by a fire priest is given.)

The ceremonial practice of cleansing the barsôm or sacred twigs with holy water reminds one of fertility and verdant growth through rainfall.

According to the ancient Zoroastrian tradition, a keeper of flame or fire priest has to draw water from a sacred well. With this pure water collected in a ritually purified pot, the priest shall go before the tree. He shall say the sacred formula: fra-sastayaæ-ča ûrvaráv vaŋhûyáv Mazda-ðátayáv ašaônyáv—“For the highest praise of awe-inspiring tree, created by Mazdā, virtuous and luminous.”

The priest shall then cut off the twigs or branches with the recitation of Ašem vôhü “awe-inspiring virtue/excellence” formula. The twigs or branches are then immersed in the water collected from the sacred well and the following formula is recited:

nemö ûrvairæ vaŋuhî Mazda-ðátæ ašaônæ “Bow/homage to the awe-inspiring tree, created by mazdá, virtuous and good.”

In the Avesta, the second chapter of Yasná is dedicated to sacred twigs and is called BARSÔM YAŠT in the Zoroastrian religious vernacular.

The baresman sacred twigs are from a pomegran­ate, an evergreen or a fruit tree in blossom. The sacred twigs are first laid out and then tied up in bundles.

The number of sacred branches or twigs varies according to the ceremony or ritual to be performed. The celebration of the Yasna “yearning, adoration, union with god-powers” requires 23 sacred twigs of which 21 form a bundle.

The celebration of the Vendidad or Vi-daæv-dát “the laws against demons” ceremony requires 35 sacred twigs of which 33 form a bundle.

The celebration of the Vispered or Vispa-ratü “all wise counsels” requires 35 sacred twigs.

The celebration of high noon, 3 days after the vernal equinox requires 15 sacred twigs.

The celebra­tion of the sacred word or voice “vaaj” in honor of the departed souls requires 5 sacred twigs.

The initiation into priesthood ceremony requires 7 sacred twigs.

According to the Nirangistan “the book of formulas” the minimum number to be used in the any religious ceremony is three sacred twigs.

In the grace before festive banquets, wherein certain chapters of the Yasna are recited, the barsôm is a requisite. In ancient times the barsôm was absolutely required in the grace recited before meals. The reciter held it in his or her hand during the grace. We learn from Ferdowsī that the last fallen Sassanid Emperor, Yazd-gærd, asked for the barsôm to say grace before his last meal.

Unfortunately today, instead of following the ancient orthodox Avestan tradition, brass or silver wires are used. But real baresman or barsôm comes only from a living sacred tree. It is a branch from a fruit tree in blossom, or a sacred evergreen or pomegranate and not an inanimate substitute.

ardeshir

In the Avestan calendar the 9^th month is that of Brightness, FIRE and August the 24^th is the great fire festival in the Zoroastrian calendar.

The Avestan word for “bright fire” is áthrá/áthar. Áthrá/áthar is related to Greek Aether/Æthere “Brightness.” Also Greek aithēr from the base of aithein “to burn, shine” comes from the same root.

In Greek mythology Æthere is the personification of the upper air, the pure upper air that the gods breathe, as opposed to the normal air breathed by mortals.

In the later Avesta, the word átharxsh also appears for “brightness, fire.” The middle Iranian word átarxsh, Parthian ádar, Modern Persian ázar or átash are all derived from the old Avestan form. Kurdish Ágar is related to Vedic Ágni, ignis, “to ignite.”

Zoroastrian veneration of fire goes back to the ancient Aryan and Indo-European times, to the veneration of light, warmth, and comfort of the hearth fire. Ancient Iranians, Aryans regarded fire as the visible embodiment of the divine in material nature.

Traditionally each Zoroastrian must establish his or her own hearth fire when setting up a home. The hearth fire/light is not allowed to go out as long as the Zoroastrian person lives, and must forever burn thereafter in the line of his people or clan.

The Greeks too had a cult of the hearth fire, and although Herodotus (3.16) mentions the great veneration in which the ancient Iranians held fire, he does not single them out as being in any remarkable way “fire-worshippers,” nor does he know of temples of any kind among them (1 .131).

Herodotus states: The customs which I know the Persians to observe are the following: they have no images of the gods, no temples nor altars, and consider the use of them a sign of folly. This comes, I think, from their not believing the gods to have the same nature with men, as the Greeks imagine.

In Zoroastrianism, the promise of a mortal man is to become immortal and godlike through ma(n)zdá “passion, creativity, imagination, vision, will and mind-power.” Fire of all elements best embodies “passion, mind-energy and the will power to godhood.” Hence in Zoroastrianism, bright fire and not human-like idols symbolize the passion, and conscious energy in the universe.

Heraclitus (c. 535 BCE – c. 475 BCE) seems to have been under great Zoroastrian or Magi influence for he considered fire to be the most fundamental of all elements. He believed “All things are an interchange for fire, and fire for all things, just like goods for gold and gold for goods.”

In Zoroastrianism, religious offerings are made in presence of fire/light, holy water and sacred twigs of plants.

In the poetic gathas “mainyü áthrá-čá” is a common occurring phrase. It denotes the association between mainyü “mind-energy, passion, power of the spirit, vision” and áthrá “bright fire.”

Also in Yasna 51.9, 2^nd rhymed verse line of the poetic gathas; the ancient Aryan prophet talks of a fiery molten metal before farshö-kart or the birth of a fresh new world.

The verse talks of the purifying and cleansing power of fire before the world’s end and the new birth/rising of a splendid, new creation.

I shall end this article with the inspired words of Heraclitus; “This world, which is the same for all, no one of gods or men has made. But it always was and will be: an ever-living fire, with measures of it kindling, and measures going out.”

ardeshir