Authentic Gatha Zoroastrianism

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Yasna 28.11

I shall defend, protect the vision of luminosity/goodness

And awe-inspiring, superb spirit/mind till everlasting, until eternal progress

(I shall manifest the protection of virtue and goodness always)

That which is thine mazda ahura

Show/teach me further, continually; in words through the voice of yours

Let the spirit/passion/power (the enchanting knowledge) be revealed through your mouth

{Make the wisdom visible through the words of your mouth}

 Of how the pristine existence shall be

ýé áish ashem ni.páv.ang.hæ

kih pah nikírishnö aharáyí bará pád-am

I shall defend, protect the vision of luminosity/goodness

Áish; Vedic akshi, Lithuanian akis, Old Norse auga, German Auge “EYES, sight, vision” excellence, brilliance, luminosity is linked to the eyes, power to see, vision.

páv.ang.hæ from pá; “to protect, defend”

manas-chá vohü ýavaæ.táitæ

ud vohü-manich vad avö hamáí rübishní (kü rástí ud frárüní pánakí vádün-ami)

And awe-inspiring, superb spirit/mind, till everlasting, until eternal progress

(I shall manifest the protection of virtue and goodness always)

tvém mazdá ahúrá

tü án ahúrmazd

That which is thine mazda ahúra 

frö-má síshá thwahmát vaóch.ang.hæ

fráz avö man ámüzái aee í pah göbishnö

Show/teach me further, continually; in words through the voice of yours

Frö; Old Norse forð, “forth, forward, further, continually”

Síshá from sáh; “show, let be seen, put in sight, make known,” Compare German schauen, Old English shoon “bright”  

man.yé.ush hachá thwá ée.áv.ang.há

mínavadíkí (gásáníkí) i az ín í tü pah pümman bará güyí (piydák, tá az án piydák í tü pah pümman bará güyí)

Let the spirit/passion/power (the enchanting knowledge) be revealed through your mouth

{Make the wisdom visible through the words of your mouth}

ée.áv.ang.há from ahan; “mouth” Vedic asan “mouth” Hittite aeish, Also compare with the rune ansuz, the rune of the aesir (ahura,) or god-powers. The meaning “Mouth” is ascribed to Ansuz in reference to its association with messages and wisdom.

ýáish á ang.húsh paöúrúyö bavat

kih andar ahvánö fratüm büd (kü án í fratüm beed ash dád gásáníkí büd)

Of how the pristine existence shall be

Bavat from bü; “to be, come into being” Old Church Slavonic byti, Lithuanian bu’ti, Russian byt’ “to be” Also Vedic bhavah “becoming,” bhavati  “becomes, happens”

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Yasna 28.10

Those who have become wise to excellence/ahuric virtues

And also vohüman’s doings, creating

(That is those who have become perfectly intelligent through virtue and forward progress)

(These have) Excelled, surpassed to mazda ahura

Fulfill them their desires in power

(Manifest their prize in pure good fortune)

Since there is no absence, lack in you

Manifest loving songs/prayers of genuine intent

(Those who perform your adoration/union, will never lack or want, for they will always have fuel/nourishment and protection)

at ýéñg asháat-chá vöistá

kih aetünö aharáyí ákás hömanání

Those who have become wise to excellence/ahuric virtues

Vöistá from vid; Old Norse vita, to know, to have seen, German wissen

Ashá/arthá; Greek arête, aristos, “excellence, godly virtues and powers, brilliance”

vang.hé.ush-chá dáthéñg man.ang.hö

ud án í vohüman  dahishnö (kü pah rástí ud pah frárüní bündak ákás bará büd)

And also vohüman’s doings, creating

(That is those who have become perfectly intelligent through virtue and forward progress)

Vohüman: the awe-inspiring, wondrous, superb spirit/mind of Mazda

Dáthéñg  from dá: Proto Indo European root dhe- “to do, make, put into place”, Sanskrit dadhati,  Hittite dai- “to put into place;” Lithuanian deti “to put;” Polish dziać się “to be happening;” Russian delat’ “to do;” Old High German tuon, German tun, Old Saxon, Old English don “to do;” “a doing;”

ereth.wéñg mazdá ahúrá

í frárünö  ahúrmazd

(These have) Excelled, surpassed to mazda ahura

aæibyö perená ápanáish kámem

am pah öshán pür anbáreed kámak (küm nadükí padash vadünyin)

Fulfill them their desires in power

(Manifest their prize in pure good fortune)

Perená; Proto Indo European Pele, Old Norse fullr, “fill up, make full” make abundant

Sanskrit apas- “work, accomplish, religious act;” Old Norse æfa, Latin opus, Old High German uoben, German üben “to work, exercise power,” Old English æfnan “to perform, work, accomplish,” afol “power”

Kám; “craving, desire” Latin carus, Old Irish cara “beloved, friend”

at vé khshmaibyá asüná

kih aetünö pah án í shümá asüdakö

Since there is no absence, lack in you

Vé; Compare with French vous “You”

A-süná;” no absence, no deficiency, no lack, no shortage” Compare with Vedic shunyá “zero, empty place, absence”

vaædá khva-raithyá vaiñtyá sraváv

vindíneed khürishn ud vastarg pah án sráyishnö (kih pah yazishnö í shümá südakö nah beed ash khürishn ud vastarg vindíneed)

Manifest loving songs/prayers of genuine intent

(Those who perform your adoration/union, will never lack or want, for they will always have fuel/nourishment and protection)

 Vaædá from vid; “manifest, clearly reveal, plainly show, display”

Khva; Compare to “sva/self” It means: “belonging to self, genuine, real”

Raithyá; Proto Indo European root re(i)- “REASON,” also “reckoning, understanding, motive, cause, RHYME or REASON,” Compare with Old English rædan

khva-raithyá; “good purpose, genuine intent”

vaiñtyá; Vedic vanas, Roman Venus “Love, desire, to win ” Compare also with Old Norse vinna “to win, overcome, conquer”

sraváv from srú; “songs,”

ardeshir

Shahr-bánú (literally “The Fairest Lady of the Realm, shahr means dominion/realm and bánú, “fairest, brightest lady”), is said to be the daughter of Yazdgerd III (632-51 CE), the last Zoroastrian Sassanid Emperor. According to the beliefs of the Shiʿites, (also of a substantial number of Sunnis,) she became the wife of the third Imam, Hussain ibn ʿAli, and the mother of the fourth Imam, Zayn ul-ʿĀbedin. Consequently, the lineage of Imams, from the fourth to twelfth and final, would be her progeny.

In his al-Kāmel, the philologist Mobarrad (died 900 CE) seems to have been one of the very first to state that the mother of Imam ʿAli Zayn al-ʿĀbedin, was the daughter of Emperor Yazdgerd. He strongly emphasizes the nobility of the woman and, in general, the grandeur of the Ancient Persians (Mobarrad II, pp. 645-66).

Yaʿqubi (904 CE), Ḥasan b. Musā Nowbaḵti and Saʿd b. ʿAbd-Allāh (both died circa. 912-13 CE) are among the first Shiʿites to allude in passing to the fact that the mother of Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbedin was the daughter of the last Zoroastrian Sassanid Emperor (Yaʿqubi II, pp. 246-47 and 303; Nowbaḵti, p. 53; Ašʿari, p. 70).

Also, Ṣaffār Qomi (died 902-903 CE) delivers a long and detailed version of the account, containing a Hadith or saying attributed to the fifth Imam Moḥammad Bāqer: Accordingly, under the second caliph ‘Omar (reign 634-44 CE), the noble daughter of the last Zoroastrian Sassanid Emperor is brought as a captive to Medina. Light radiating from the fair face of the Zoroastrian princess illuminated the Prophet of Islam’s mosque, where the caliph presides. A prayer in the sacred Avestan language by the Zoroastrian Princess provoked Omar’s wrath.

ʿAli intervened in favor of the young Zoroastrian princess and made it clear to ‘Omar that events unfolding are beyond his understanding and that he should step aside. ʿAli then authorized the Zoroastrian Princess, with whom he spoke in Persian, to freely choose her husband. She chose Ḥussain to whom ʿAli announced the good news that the young woman will be the mother of his child, i.e. the next Imam (Ṣaffār, p. 335, no. 8).

In the Eṯbāt al-waṣiya, attributed to Masʿudi (died 956-57 CE), the story takes place under the caliphate of ‘Omar and in this case two daughters of Emperor Yazdgerd are given in marriage, with ʿAli’s consent to his sons (Masʿudi, p. 170).

In Shaykh Mofid’s (died 1022 CE) account, under ʿAli’s caliphate, the elder daughter of the Persian Emperor, here named shāh-e zanān (lit.: “Ruler of all women” cCompare with the title of Fāṭema, sayyedat al-nesāʾ) marries Ḥussain, while a second unnamed daughter is given in marriage to the son of Abu Bakr, Moḥammad (Mofid, pp. 137-38).

All the Western specialists of Sassanid history, from Darmesteter to Christensen, to Nöldeke or Spuler, state that the royal family had been evacuated from the capital Ctesiphon well before the Arab invasion. Their account seem to agree with a number of islamic sources such as Maškur, II, pp. 1288 ff. and 1344 ff.; Ḥaṣuri.

However, other Islamic sources report the capture and reduction to slavery of a kin (not necessarily the daughter) of Emperor Yazdgerd III. The young Princess was supposedly captured in northern Khorasan, and is said to have been sent to the arab governor, who in turn have send her to the caliph.

Sources from the China of the T’ang dynasty (r. 618-907) regarding the Arab conquest of Persia, remain silent about an eventual captivity of one of the members of the family of Emperor Yazdgerd III (Marquart, pp. 68-69; Chavannes, pp. 171-73; Hoyland, pp. 243 ff.).

However, it is very likely that a Zoroastrian Sassanid Princess was captured, reduced to slavery and given in marriage to a noble-man or Imam of the arab conquerors. The fact that both sunni and shia accounts report a very similar story makes it much more plausible.

Interestingly, both sunni and shia accounts emphasize the ahl-e-kitab status (people of the book status) of the young Princess meaning Shahr-bánú has always stayed a Zoroastrian.

In the literary tradition, Shahr-bánú passes away by drowning in the Euphrates, after having witnessed the massacre of her family at Karbalā.

Popular belief decidedly preferred otherwise; the most recurrent version of the oral legend of the daughter of Emperor Yazdgerd III, here called Bibi (respectable Lady or grandmother) Šahrbānu: after the day of ʿĀšurāʾ Bibi Shahr-bánú is able to escape, as had predicted her husband, with Ḏu ʾl-Janāḥ, the horse of Imam Hussain.

Pursued by her terrifying enemies, she reaches up to the mountain at Ray, south of the mighty Alborz Mountains. Exhausted, and at the limits of her strength, all alone, she invokes God to be delivered from her assailants.

At this point, the mountain miraculously opens and offers refuge to the princess. The location became a sanctuary to the princess, a pilgrimage site to remain so until today (Šahidi, pp. 186 ff.).

An almost identical story is found to be at the source of the Zoroastrian sanctuary of Bānu Pārs (Lady of Persia), northwest of the plain of Yazd (Sorušiān, p. 204). More generally, themes such as the escape of Zoroastrian Persian nobles (often members of the royal family) from the arabs and their miraculous rescue by God thanks to elements of nature are frequently appear in legends of Zoroastrian sanctuaries in central mountain of Iran Persia (Sorušiān, pp. 205-11; Strack, I, pp. 119 and 227-28).

ardeshir

The above article and all the citations therein are taken entirely from Encyclopedia Iranica, my personal interjections and revisions are added in some places

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Yasna 28.9

Ahura, as not coming to you that I can not do

Mazda, I will not vex excellence/virtue for the sake of gain (That is not a single advantage I desire which vexes virtue/excellence)

 Vohü-man; the best, most wondrous (I will not vex)

Who gives colossal might to your praisers (that is Vohü-man will bring the future saviors; Hüshedar, Hüshedar-Mah and Saöshyáns; to ask questions of you, thereby receiving immense powers)

For you are most loving, (lively, swift)

Towards the prayer/wish for the rule of happiness and well-being (That is you love the rule of happiness and good-fortune, and will establish/give it)

anáish váv nöit ahúrá

na ámadan ráí án shümá ahúrmazd (in na vádünami, kü bará án shümá na ámadan)

Ahura, as not coming to you that I can not do

mazdá ashem-chá ýánáish zaranaæ.má

asha-vashishtöch pah yán na ázáram (yánich-í ham na khvahami asha-vahisht düsh-vaar meda-münind)

And Mazda, I will not vex excellence/virtue for the sake of gain (That is not a single advantage I desire which vexes virtue/excellence)

Ýánáish from ýán; “gain, advantage”

Zaranaæm from zaran; “annoy, bother, vex” Compare German Zorn

 manas-chá hyat vahishtem

vohü-manich í páhlüm (ash na ázáram)

Vohü-man; the best, most wondrous (I will not vex)

 ýöi vé ýöithé.má dasmæ stütánm

kih án in í shümá aiyárí dehad stáyidáránö (kü Hüshedar, Hüshedar-Mah ud Saöshyáns bará án ham-pursakí í shümá ayárid)

Who gives colossal might to your praisers (that is Vohü-man will bring the future saviors; Hüshedar, Hüshedar-Mah and Saöshyáns to ask questions of you, thereby receiving immense powers)

Ýöith from yat; “gigantic, colossal, immense” referring to “extraordinary powers/strength, also great activity” Compare Old Norse iotunn, Danish jætte “giant”

Stütánm from stü; “praise, cause to stand, bring into existence”

ýüžém zevísht.yáv.ang.hö

shümá döshakö hastid

For you are most loving, (lively, swift)

Ýüžém; “You are”

Zevísht from zu; “quick, lively, swift” by a word play “most loving, quick in responding, filled with life and feeling”

íshö (aæshö) khshathrem-chá sav.ang.hánm  

pah khvahíshnö í khüdáyí süd-hömand (kü khüdáyí süd-hömand bará döshid ud bará dehad)

Towards the prayer/wish for the rule of happiness and well-being (That is you love the rule of happiness and good-fortune, and will establish/give it)

Íshö from ísh; “wish, desire, heartfelt prayer” also “power” if read as aæshö

Khshathrem from khshathrá; “sway, rule, power” Compare with Greek kratos “strength” also Greek –cracy

Sava; “auspicious, fortunate, well-being,” Vedic Shava

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Zarathushtra’s ultimate belief is that any known or unknown world/universe is akin to a mind-energy formation or a formulation of consciousness. Various configurations of spirit/mind energy reveal different levels of reality. There are infinite worlds, but the beginning, becoming and hidden meaning of all the worlds is in the world of spirit/mind, in the realm of the conscious force/energy.

Mazdá or more properly Ma(n)zdá is the ONE Gd of Zarathushtra. Mazdá is the Gd of “mind-power and foresight,” the Gd of discovery and spiritual journey, the the Gd of growing insights, the Gd of unfolding new knowledge, the Gd of mind voyage and imagination.

From the Mind of Mazda flowed most brilliant thoughts. These thoughts were not just his wondrous spiritual creation, but Mazdá desired supreme powers like unto himself that were master-creators and god powers (ahúrás.)

In order for the spirits to be more than servant creatures, they were endowed with individual conscious force, will-power and desire, so that they could choose freely. Otherwise, they would only have been servants of the “Pristine, Splendid Mind Power of Mazdá,” (man.yéush mazdá paöúrvím spéñt.ahyá, Yasna 28.1, 2nd rhymed verse line)

Nothing was evil from the beginning. Even the Evil Spirit was not so. Evil came about when some spirits “wish/desire was not to ascend/overcome” anymore, (nöit eresh víshyátá; Compare Avestan eresh with Proto Indo European ereð, “to mount, ascend, high, lofty” Old Irish ard, See Yasna 30.3, 3rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 30.5, 1st rhymed verse line.)

But with choices came the gift of consequences. And without the gift of consequences there would have been no learning, no overcoming of mistakes and no ultimate triumph of the spirit. Thus, the poetic gathas teach that evil is NOT eternal. Evil will be undone; when new insights are learned, limitations are surpassed and new powers of spirit/mind are unleashed.

The poetic gathas reject the idea that evil/gloom or diabolic forces are an illusion, as well as the idea that evil is equally as ultimate as good.

They teach that the underlying wonder in the entire phenomenal world is a spiritual evolution in mind-powers toward a situation in which all forms will ultimately reveal the infinite powers of their spirit.

The following verses in the poetic gathas refer to the choices of, and conflict among the spirits/mind-energies in the pre-mortal existence. I have provide a word by word analysis for the benefit of those who might be interested.

We read in the poetic gathas in Yasna 45.2, 1st and 2nd and 5th rhymed verse lines concerning the primeval world of the spirits/mind-energies;

At fra-vakhshyá ang.héush mainyü paöúruyæ
Yayáv spanyáv üití mravat yém añgrem
…………
Nöit daænáv nöit urvánö hachaiñtæ

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”

fra-vakhshyá from fra-vac; “voice forth, speak forth”
ang.héush from ah; “existence, world” Compare “ah” with Vedic “as,” Hittite “esmi,” Old Norse “emi,” English am “to be”
spanyáv from spi; “splendid, gorgeous,” Compare Lithuanian splendziu “I shine/radiate”
añgrem from añgr; “affliction, sorrow, anguish,” also “constricted, tight, narrow” Compare with Old Norse angr/ongr, Old English enge, German eng
mravat from mrú; “narrate, recount, tell” Compare Old High German mari “news, tale,” Middle High German merechyn “short verse narrative,” German Märchen, “a narrative or tale,”
Nöit means “not”
daænáv from di/dee; “power to see, vision”
urvánö from urvá; “soul, passion” also “effective energy, will-power to choose/act”
hachaiñtæ from ha-cha; “same kin, kinship”

In Yasna 30.5, 1st and 2nd rhymed verse lines, we read of what kind of becoming/destiny the spirits commanded;

Ayáv mainiáv varatá//yé dregváv achishtá verezyö
Ashem mainyüsh spénishtö//…

“These spirits/mind energies willed//the deceitful (chose) the most afflicted becoming/destiny
Excellence; the most splendid, auspicious mind-energy”

Varatá from var; “to will, wish, desire” Compare Old Norse vilja
Achishtá from aka; “affliction, hardship, quarrel, contention, strife” Compare Old Norse aka “to beat, strike” Old Irish ag “battle”
Verezyö from verez; “turn into, become” Compare German werden, Also, the rune of “destiny, becoming” Wyrd comes from the same proto-Aryan root
Dregváv; “deceitful, devious, treacherous, false, fake, mistaken”
Ashem from ashá/arthá; Compare to Greek aristos, arête “excellence, virtue, the best one can be”

In Yasna 30.4, 1st and 2nd rhymed verse lines, the choice of the spirits establishes vibrant life and miserable existence;

At chá hyat tá hém mainyü// jasaætem paöúruvím dazdæ
Gaæm- chá a-jyaitím- chá//…

“These spirits/mind-energies together//came in the primeval beginning and established
Life and miserable existence”

Hém; Greek hama, Gothic sama, German samt “together”
Jasaætem from jam; Sanskrit gamaiti, Gothic giman “come”
Gaæm; Lithuanian gyvata “(eternal) life” gyvas “living, life”
a-jyaitím; a- in the beginning is a negation, jyaitím from jya, Sanskrit jivah, Russian jizni “Life.” The compound a-jyaitím means “non-life, living dead, miserable existence”

The above verse is similar to Yasna 44.15, 3rd rhymed verse line;
hyat hém spádá an.aöchang-há jamaitæ
“The opposing armies came together clashing”

In Yasna 30.3; 1st, 2nd and 3rd rhymed verse lines; the spirits were revealed as two opposite visions, one as ever better and always more wondrous; the other most beaten and afflicted. The benevolent foresight’s wish/will was to excel, surpass; not so was the wish of the envious despair.

At tá mainyü paöúruyæ//yá yémá khvafená asrvátem
Man.ahi- chá vach.ahi- chá//shyaöthanöi hí vahyö akem- chá
Ávs- chá hú-dáv.ang.hö eresh víshyátá// nöit duž-dáv.ang.hö

“These spirits/mind-energies from the primeval beginnings//echoed as two opposite visions, dreams
In mind/understanding, in voice/expression, // in manifestation, as this: ever better, always more wondrous; or most beaten
Of these the benevolent foresight wish/desire was to surpass, exceed//not so the malevolent unintelligent”

Yémá; Compare with Latin Gemini “twins”
Khvafená; “sleep, dream vision” Compare with German schlafen
Asrvátem from srú; “to sound, echo, reverberate”
Man.ahi from man; Old Norse minni “mind, understanding,” also “memory, record”
Vach.ahi from vac; “voice, expression”
Shyaöthanöi from shyaö; “happening, manifestation” Old English scēon, Old Frisian schia, German geschehen, schehen: “happen, to come to pass, occur,” Farsi shodan comes from the same root.
Hí; Proto Germanic hi, Old Church Slavonic si “this, as this”
Vahyö from vah; “ever better, always more wondrous”
akem from aka; “most beaten, most afflicted” “Compare Old Norse aka “to beat, strike” Old Irish ag “battle”
hú-dáv.ang.hö from hú-dá; “good vision, insight, providence” also by word play “benevolence.”
eresh; “surpass, exceed, excel” Compare Avestan eresh with Proto Indo European ereð, “to mount, ascend, high, lofty” Old Irish ard
víshyátá from vísh; “desire, wish,”
duž -dáv.ang.hö from duž –dá; “lack of foresight, unintelligent,” also by word play “malevolence.”

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Ahurás or the supreme godly powers (the Splendid Immortals) of Mazdá

Dr Tony Page states: “If one wants to correct an extremely widespread error, it is necessary to focus on that error and explain what the correct teaching is.”

Ameshá/ Amertá Speñtá “Auspicious or Splendid Immortals” is a most beautiful concept in the songs of the Prophet Zarathushtra. The so called gatha restoration movement however, claims that Ameshá/ Amertá Speñtá “Auspicious or Splendid Immortals” is a non-gathic term.

True, the term does not occur verbatim in the poetic gathas. Yet, the concept appears in plural as “Mazdá and his ahurás or the supreme godly powers of Mazdá.” (See Yasna 30.9, 2nd rhymed verse line and Yasna 31.4, 1st rhymed verse line.)

In the poetic gathas ahurás are the “self manifestations or superb spiritual beings” of Mazdá. Ahurá meaning “godly power or superb spirit/being” is the same as Old Norse æsir. The rune ansuz, the rune of godly, unique and superb powers is connected to the æsirs.

Ahurás are called “splendid immortals” or ameshá/ amertá speñtá in the later Avestan texts. They are masters of their own will, and are of the same passion, will/desire and harmony with Mazdá and each other, (See Yasna 33.9 3rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 51.20, 1st rhymed verse line.)

They are eternal within Mazdá’s mind/vision; hence they are called “a-paöúrvím,” (See Yasna 28.3, the first rhymed line.) The term “a-paöúrvím” is the same as Vedic “apaurashaya,” a word which reveals their eternal and ever pristine status.

Their number has been cited as 7 (eternity, infinity) and 33 (infinite wisdom.) Yet the best description is in Vispered 8.1, where we read that their number is 50, 100, 1000, 10,000, yet beyond reckoning.

They see the mind/spirit of Mazdá each time reflected anew, and learn/discover yet more of his wisdom and vision. Each time, they discover a brilliant thought and a new luminous vision of Mazdá, they begin a new theme like and yet unlike to the former creation theme, and create new beauty, awe, and wonder in being and time.

Mazdá shows his ahurás (eternal, superb spirits) a new vision each time, and they unfold a new reality/world based on this newly discovered vision/wisdom. Their role is to make the existence brilliant, ever afresh and new, (See Yasna 30.9, 2nd rhymed verse line.)

For the delight of Mazdá is in the deed of making, and in the things most amazingly made, wherefore he passes ever on to some new brilliant work.

Since every new discovery is theirs, the habitation of ahurás or splendid immortals is established in the eternity and infinite vastness of Vohü-manö, the awe-inspiring, wondrous spirit of Mazdá, Gd of Genius and Vision, (See Yasna 39.3.)

Of course if we follow the flawed logic of the so called gatha movement (a Misnomer,) we shall also claim that the term dharma is a non-Vedic term. Ignoring the fact that in the Vedas, the term rita is equivalent/identical to dharma in the later Hindu literature.

I call the approach of the so called gatha movement grossly flawed and ridiculously illogical.

It might be of interest to add that the term gatha or gathic is also a non-gathic term. Avestan gáthá “Sacred verse/song” (Lithuanian giedoti, to sing) does not appear in the gathas. The gathas call themselves instead mánthrá (Compare with Greek mentor, wise counsel, formulas that unleash the powers of mind/spirit.)

I shall conclude by saying that each line and verse of the gathas or more accurately mánthrás are about Mazdá, the Gd of Wisdom and Vision and his ahurás or splendid immortals.

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Zarathushtra calls himself a seer/prophet in his poetic gathas, but NOT infallible. After all the ancient seer/prophet teaches about the odyssey of consciousness; and how Mind/Spirit is in a progressive journey of learning, discovery and experimentation.

In the past 20 years or so we have witnessed the emergence of a so-called gatha restoration movement. The author of this movement is mr ali akbar jafarey. Mr jafarey shall be credited for re-emphasizing to Zoroastrians, the supreme and paramount importance of the poetic gathas in their ancient traditions and beautiful religion.

Yet, beside that, very little of mr jafarey’s opinions seem to agree with the original text of the poetic gathas. Although, mr jafarey talks about the gathas as if he knew Prophet Zarathushtra personally, the GREAT MAJORITY of what mr jafarey has penned under the gathic message appears to be his own far-fetched, unsubstantiated speculations.

This so called gathic movement is in all reality a mix of science ideals of the 1950s and a BAHAICIZED form of neo-Zoroastrianism, and has very little, to do with the poetic gathas of Zarathushtra.

A word by word analysis of the original gathic poetry, comparative study of other Aryan belief systems and languages such as Vedic, Old Norse and Old Church Slavonic give a very different picture of the poetic gathas and their original message/meaning than that purported by mr ali akbar jafarey.

To debunk the personal speculations/professional works of mr jafarey does NOT amount to personal attacks. If this was the case, we may not question or object to the academic works of zaehner, mary boyce, hegel, spinoza, carl jung, freud, einstein and……….

But the appointed successor of mr jafarey, mr ronald delavega disagrees vehemently with any objective questioning of mr Jaffarey’s work on the gathas.

Mr delavega writes quote about “ceaseless and unwarranted attacks on Dr Jafarey who cannot defend himself because he is not here and he is not here because he is 92 and and is already working several hours a day in books, articles and memoirs he is writing. Now you don’t have to like me, you don’t have to be my friend, but if you are truly like you post , you have to be fair and this is not fair, no sir not fair at all.”

mr delavega further writes : “He (meaning ardeshir farahmand) savages a scholar who has more knowled in one fold of his behind thasn this … ‘person’ with excused to all persons, will EVER accumulate ein 1million lifetime of ‘studying Sassanian era commentaries on the Gathas and then he has the gall to call me a bigot But that’s OK my actions and his will speak better than his attacks I will stop addressing him even indirectly ……., whom I do call an Ayatollah since he behaves like one, …….Well enough say let them blab on”

Delavega who is mr jafareys successor further states: “Then, when some posts something that disagrees with what the Ayatollah says he starts insulting people, attacking others that are not present to defend themselves, calling people with different opinions heretics and you … while the Ayatollah foams at the mouth spewing hatred and BS, ……and quote your Ayatollah, who is a bully, and a bigot.”

It is evident that the following approach is used by mr ronald delavega and his likes:
1. After the exposer has exposed they will try to divert to secondary and totally peripheral and irrelevent side-issues.
2. The exposer is then painted as someone with an axe to grind, biased, deluded (while they, still have not responded to the main issues exposed)
3. Next they relate bigotry and prejudice to the exposer

The jafarey movement shares a lot of ideals with the bahai religion. In fact, a great deal of ideas that are sold ERRONEOUSLY as gathic; have NOTHING to do with the poetic gathas, but could easily be traced back to bahai core beliefs and ideals.

The following quote by mr delavega on a bahai blog is most helpful in understanding their perspectives:
“HEllo, Happiness Unto You! I have read the blog now for some time, and I see frustrations by a lot of Baha’is (spelling?) In full disclosure, I am not a Baha’i, but a Zarathushtrian. However, the Gathas are, in their own way, as Universal in character as its Baha’i faith, the Ratu or Guide, as seen by Zarathushtra in the Ahunavar, is roughly the same as the Guardian, (It means Spiritual Guide) and Vohu Kshathra Vairyo or the Loving Good Kingdom of Choice, which was meant by Zarathshtra as both an Earthly governing body with a temporal Leader, (Ahu)and a Spiritual Guid,e (Ratu) all to be chosen seems, to me, to be a fairly close equivalent, albeit partially so, of your International House of Justice. So I have been puzzled by the similarities and…….”

The truth is that the poetic gathas of Zarathushtra are original, spiritual, intuitive, sacred, verse. They are poetic visions of a TRUE ancient Prophet. Gathas have NOTHING to do or have in common with the bahai faith.

A great part of what the so called gatha movement (misnomer) has produced can be characterized as: hallow rhetoric, long-winded articles and pseudo-rationalistic babel that will not pass the test of philosophy 101.

Time has come to separate the real gathas of the Prophet of ancient Aryans from the far-fetched speculations of people that are only interested in the gathic label and banner, while expounding very different views than the real gathas.

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Yasna 28.8

Your most wondrous, awe-inspiring (vision, wisdom to see) which is the best, most marvelous (from all else)
having the same love/desire as the most beautiful brilliance, luminosity (through forward progress/excellence)

ahúrá realize the loving desire, yearning of
the valiant ferashaóshtar (give ferashaóshtar to me in discipleship) and those that are mine (make them ferashaóshtar’s disciples and students)

Thus you be bountiful, generous to them,
Forever, through all the ages of an awe-inspiring, wondrous spirit/mind
(That is for Frashöshtar and the disciples of Frashöshtar always, until the tangible form that will come to pass/future body; provide the reward of fortune and goodness.)

vahishtem thwá vahishtá
kih páhlümíh í tü (dinö í tü) í páhlüm (az avárík mindavam)

Your most wondrous, awe-inspiring (vision, wisdom to see) which is the best, most marvelous (from all else)

ýém ashá vahishtá ha-zaóshem
pah aharáyíh páhlüm án ham-döshání (pah frárüníh)

having the same love/desire as the most beautiful brilliance, luminosity (through forward progress/excellence)

ahúrem ýásá váunush
ahúrmazd khvahishnö víndínáí

ahúrá realize the loving desire, yearning of

Avestan váunush,Vedic vanas, Roman Venus “Love, desire, to win , be satisfied.” Compare also with Old Norse vinna “to win, overcome, conquer.” The above occurrence as váunush is a clear example of poetic wordplay in the sacred verse.

naröi ferashaóshtrái maibyá-chá
gabrá ferashaóshtar (kü ferashaóshtar pah hávishtíh bará deh) máníkánich (í ferashaóshtar afash hávishtíh deh)

the valiant ferashaóshtar (give ferashaóshtar to me in discipleship) and those that are mine (make them ferashaóshtar’s disciples and students)

The word for hero, valiant is “naröi from nar” in the original. It comes from the root nar “powerful, virile, courageous;” the Proto-Indo-European root nḗr. Cognates include Ancient Greek ἀνήρ (anēr) Persian (nar) and Sanskrit नर (nára.) Also compare with Lithuanian nóras “will power” Old Irish ner, Welsh nêr/ nerth “manliness, courage hero,” Modern Breton: nerzh “power,” Latin: neriōsus “firm, resolute, powerful,” The personal name Nerō comes from the same root.

ýaæibyas-chá ít ráv.ang.hang.höi
avöch öshán adínö rádö hömanih

Thus you be bountiful, generous to them

Ráv is “rapid flow” of goodness, bountifulness, generosity

víspái ýavæ vang.hé.ush man.ang.hö
hamáí vad avö vispö pah vohüman (kü Frashöshtar ud hávishtán í Frashöshtar vad tanö í passinö hamáí nadükíh padash vádün)

Forever, through all the ages of an awe-inspiring, wondrous spirit/mind
(That is for Frashöshtar and the disciples of Frashöshtar always, until the tangible form that will come to pass/future body; provide the reward of fortune and goodness.)

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Zoroastrianism has never been a human-centered or human centric philosophy. The poetic gathas and Zoroastrianism teach a wisdom-centered philosophy. The emphasis of the poetic gathas is on:

• The wondrous odyssey/journey of spirit/mind or minoo,
• The evolution/unleashing of mind-powers
• And the brilliant triumph of the spirit.

The seer/prophet in his inspired verse or gathas teaches that this universe and all other worlds are spirit/mind in essence. Mind/Spirit is the purest essence of all the countless worlds and substance of which all the known or unknown dimensions are composed.

Mind/Spirit is in a progressive journey of learning, discovery and experimentation. A “splendid, bright, auspicious mind energy” (speñtá mainyü) overcomes all limitations and unleashes evermore wondrous powers and creativity. (Avestan speñtá “splendid” Sanskrit svetah “bright;” Old Church Slavonic sviteti “brilliant” svetu “brilliance;” Lithuanian sviesti “grow brilliant” svaityti “to radiate, illumine, brighten.”)

While, the brightness and splendor (speñtá) of the spirit/mind is original and everlasting; the affliction, constriction and agony (añgrá) of the spirit is a perversion and only temporary. Frustration, limitation, affliction (añgrá) appears when the spirit’s “wish/desire is not to ascend/overcome” anymore (nöit eresh vishyátá; Compare Avestan eresh with Proto Indo European ereð, “to mount, ascend, high, lofty” Old Irish ard)

Limitations and agony will be overcome through the ages of this world and through the trials of time and space. Añgrá “agony, frustration, limitation and stagnation” is trapped in this material universe to be undone. (añgrá is equivalent to Old Norse angr “distress, grief, sorrow, affliction.” It also means “narrow, constricted.” Compare with Lithuanian ankstas. While speñtá mainyü is the “splendid, bright, auspicious spirit/mind energy;” añgrá is “the beaten, limited, afflicted and broken spirit.”)

Zarathushtra’s ONE Gd is Mazdá; and Ma(n)zdá is all the wisdom/foresight that the spirit will master, all the wondrous, powers of mind that will be unleashed, all the new horizons and unknown splendors that will be realized through the unseen powers of the spirit/minoo.

Mazdá or more accurately Ma(n)zdá is the same as Greek Metis and Vedic meðá, but above all is very similar to the rune Mannaz of the Vikings of old.

Mannaz is the spirit/mind-power of the worlds; the ever-unfolding spirit/mind in earth, mortal men and cosmos. Mannaz is the rune of Mimir’s well, the rune of wisdom and insight into the deepest mysteries of Life, as well as new knowledge and new visions waiting to be discovered.

Through “the wisdom, foresight and mind-power” of Mazdá/Ma(n)zdá, mortals will pass their limiting horizons into spheres of ever-expanding realization, crossing threshold after threshold, conquering limitation after limitation, to the stature of the divinity.

In the poetic gathas, the highest heaven is “garö demánæ” or the house/abode of music and songs. In garö demánæ every melody, every song is a new creation, a new luminous vision and realization.

Zarathushtra’s great promise is the gigantic event to come, the frashö kereití or a “fresh new creation;” an age of eternal progress when all the agonies, limitations and frustrations of spirit/mind are finally vanquished.

Frashö kereití is not only a fresh, new creation but a fresh creating and splendid bringing forth of a new spirit/mind with amazing new creative powers. As the consciousness evolves there will be a new body and and a new matter. The gathas call it “at kehrpem utayüitish” or eternal youth in corporeal form (German Körper).

Zarathushtra calls himself a seer/prophet in his poetic gathas, but NOT infallible. Zarathushtra has ascended to a much higher level of consciousness/insight, beyond time and space. Thus, his teachings have become timeless.
Indeed, he was a true prophet/seer and visionary, a bridge between mortal men and god-men that will walk this world one day, to usher in a fresh, new age of eternal progress.

ardeshir

Copyright: @2013 Ardeshir Farahmand. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Yasna 28.7

Give me asha (luminosity, brilliance, excellence) that formidable knowledge; through the delightful discovery or abundant resources of vohü-man (awe-inspiring, superb spirit/mind)
{That is grant me that formidable knowledge that in the tangible form that will come to pass/future body, I will not die/be slain once more}

Give You me, serene flow of thoughts/calm meditation; The wish of Vishtásp (to be among the greatest magnets of wisdom and learning) and to those that are mine (To my disciples give the gift of greatest learning and wisdom also)

Give You me Mazdá the gift of exalted kingship (like Vishtásp;) So that when your mantra/mind formulas are sung, (When Your vision/insight is expressed in melody and song) harmonious order is established.

dáidí ashá tánm ashím
deh-am asha-vahisht án í tars-ákásíh

Give me asha (luminosity, brilliance, excellence) that formidable knowledge

vang.hé.úsh áyaptá man.ang.hö
pah vohü-man ávádíh (küm tars-ákásíh í aitünö dahád í pah tanö í passinö báz na aváyand zadan)

Through the delightful discovery or abundant resources of vohü-man (awe-inspiring, superb spirit/mind)
{That is grant me that formidable knowledge that in the tangible form that will come to pass/future body, I will not die/be slain once more}

Áyaptá is the same as Old Norse æfa, “power to do, perform, produce in abundance.” Farsi yáftan “to find, delightful discovery” comes from the same root.

dáidí tü ármaitæ
ma-rá dehíh tü spend-ármad

Give You me serene flow of thoughts/calm meditation

tü means “You”

ár-maitæ is made up of two parts; ár meaning “serene flow” maitæ “to meditate, think, reflect.” ár-maitæ is the “serene flow of thoughts, calm meditation.”

víshtáspái íshem maibyá-chá
án í az víshtásp khvahishnö (Magöpatán Magöpatíh) ud maníkánich í rá (hávishtán í man ashán Magöpatán Magöpatíh deh)

The wish of Vishtásp (to be among the greatest magnets of wisdom and learning) and to those that are mine (To my disciples give the gift of greatest learning and wisdom also)

Íshem from ísh means “desire/wish,” the Middle Iranian translates it as khvahishn. Compare khvahishn to Proto Germanic khoraz “one who desires

dávs-tü mazdá khshayá-chá
ma-rá dehíh stáyídár pádakhshah ahúrmazd (víshtáspö)

Give You me Mazdá the gift of exalted kingship (like Vishtásp)

The ancient commentary by a word play reads dávs-tü as dáv-stü; “give me the gift of exalted kingship.”
Stü means “to cause to stand, or to stand up;” stü is literally “a standing or rising up” in other words it means “to praise highly, to exalt.”

khshayá is “sway, power to rule, kingship” Old Norse sveigja; Compare also with Greek krasthai “to acquire, gain power/control over.”

ýá vé mánthrá srevímá rádáv
i kih án í shümá mansar sráyiní (kü dinö shümá sráyand) áráyishn dehad (kü rübák vádünyin)

So that when your mantra/mind formulas are sung, (When Your vision/insight is expressed in melody and song) harmonious order is established.

Compare Mánthrá with Greek mentor “wise advise/counsel, formulas that unleash the powers of spirit/mind.
Srevímá from srú; “to sing, melodious singing”

Rádáv is a compound of “rád+dáv;” Compare rád to Old Norse raða and Greek arithmos; the first part rád means to “understand the proper arrangement, interpret the symmetry, meaning of, configure.”Dáv means to establish, set in place.

ardeshir