Mid-Spring Festival

Mid-Spring Festival

April 30^th marks the beginning of the “mid-spring” or maiδyö.zarem festival in the Avestan calendar. Maiδyö.zarem literally means “mid-greening,” and refers to the “fresh golden green color of spring vegetation.” The festival lasts five days and ends on May 4^th.

The Avestan epithet of maiδyö.zarem is payan “milk, syrup, nectar;” and it is the appointed time of the year to celebrate “syrups, nectar of flowers and sweet sap of trees”.

(Compare Avestan payan with Lithuanian pienas “milk” Greek pion “fat,cream” Sanskrit payate/ pituh “rich liquid, syrup, sap, milk.”)

Maiδyö.zarem is the first thanksgiving festival of the religious year. In the Avesta, these thanksgiving feasts are called yaar ratö (appointed annual/yearly times for advice, counsel, reckoning, narration.”)

These thanksgiving feasts are called gahan-bar or gaham-bar in farsi, or “gatha/singing banquets.” During these thanksgiving feasts music is played, sacred verse/poems from the gathas of the prophet are recited, and participants enjoy seasonal agricultural produce bár (literally “what earth bears forth”) in a communal spirit.

In addition, gahan-bar banquets are offered as votive offerings to various divine names of GD or angels and holy spirits for securing a wish; OR are offered after the supplicant has received the fulfillment of wish for which he/she offered the gahan-bar in the first place.

The customs, various rituals and ceremonies associated with gahan-bars show striking similarities to shia moslem SOFRA ceremonies.

It appears that the custom of offering sofras to various holy figures among Iranian shias is a modified relic of pre-Islamic Iranian Zoroastrian ceremonies. (sofras are spreads/boards on which food and ceremonial objects are laid as beautiful offerings to holy spirits or saints.)

Beside fruit offerings, nuts, wine and syrup drinks; Āš (a thick soup comparable to French potage) is served during gahan-bar ceremonies. (Āš literally means to eat or delicious edible, Compare German essen, Lithuanian edu.)

An āš derives its name from the main ingredient, such as āš-e omāǰ (fresh granulated wheat flour), āš-e anār (pomegranate), āš-e ǰow (barley), āš-e čoḡondar (beet), āš-e rešta (noodles), āš-e zerešk (barberry), āš-e sabzī (green herbs), Āš-e māš (mung bean), āš-e somāq (sumac), āš-e ḡūra-ye tāza (fresh sour grape), āš-e kašk (whey), āš-e gandom (wheat),  or āš-e nārdāna (dried pomegranate).

Āš is most often served hot; some kinds, such as those made with yogurt, pomegranate, or sour grape juice, are eaten cold, especially in summer. The preparation of āš as votive offerings for gahan-bars along with other foods, drinks and sweets has survived among Iranians to the present.

In conclusion, I like to add that thanksgiving festivals are times to joyously celebrate nature and invoke the spiritual counsels of creation/ratüs. Gahan-bars are continuous RULES for spiritual guidance, generosity, giving, singing, music, and community unity.

ardeshir

The Beautiful Arda, asha, artha and Power to transform reality

The second month of the Avestan calendar is dedicated to ashá/arthá, and the third day of the month of Arda or Arda-vahisht “beautiful Arda,” when day and month names coincide, is the feast of Arda or ashá/arthá on or about April 22. It is a day to visit the shrines of fire and renew the hearth fire at home.

Ashá/arthá “virtue, excellence, superb artfulness,” appears more than any other Auspicious Immortals in the poetic gathas of the prophet. Auspicious Immortals are the thoughts of Ahura Mazda; his superb virtues and aspects of his genius.

Arthá- (Middle Iranian ard-), representing Ashá occurs frequently as an element in Iranian personal names such as Ardeshir or Arda Viraf.

Many Western scholars understood ashá/arthá, Vedic ṛtá- as cosmic order, moral order or “reality.” Yet, in all religions, philosophical systems, etc., the key terms have a special individual meaning that can be determined only by examining all the contexts in which those terms are attested.

The ancient commentaries are very clear that by ashá/arthá “virtue, excellence, ahüric artfulness/skill, right formulation and innovative arrangement” is meant.  ashá/arthá is thus the lord of fire and restoration, (See the hymn to the “beautiful Arda” in the Yasht collection.)

The connection between ashá/arthá and fire goes back to the poetic gathas, (See Yasna 31.3, 1^st rhymed verse line, Yasna 43. 4, 4^th rhymed verse line, Yasna 43.9, 4^th and 5^th rhymed verse lines.)

And by Fire, fire in all its manifestations is meant: from hearth and ritual fires to the sun, moon, stars (See Yasna 44.3, 3^rd rhymed verse line) and the fire of ordeal, prototype of the fiery renewal of the universe, (See Yasna 36.2, 3^rd rhymed verse line and Yasna 47.6, 4^th rhymed verse line.)

Fire is the symbol of perpetual transmutation and renewal. The fiery element is the expression of God; because it transforms a substance into another substance without being a substance itself. ashá/arthá is symbolized by fire because of fire’s transforming power.

It is this superb power to formulate/configure ever better, more artfully, and each time more brilliantly; that is called ashá/arthá in the poetic gathas. Thus we read in Yasna 44.2, 4^th rhymed verse line: of the giving/creation of arthá through the magical power (máyá) of superb spirit/mind.

In both the Rig Veda and poetic gathas; máyá is miraculous knowledge and power to transform. The ancient commentary adds: “Öhrmazd forthwith made the beautiful Ardá (ashá/arthá) the basis of all that is spiritual.”

It is the artfulness and marvelous skill of ashá/arthá that brings about the wondrous rebirth of the universe, and the creation of a new reality, (See Yasna 46.19, 1^st and 2^nd rhymed verse lines.)

The future saviors (saóshyánts-) of this world are those who bring about this new marvelous age with enterprise/actions inspired by ashá/arthá (Yasna 48.12, 1^st and 3^rd rhymed verse lines.)

The ancient commentaries of the poetic gathas and holy denkart through wordplay connect ashá to áish: “eye, ability to see and reshape the future reality,” (Compare to Sanskrit, akshi, Lithuanian akis, Old Norse auga, Gothic augo, German auge; See also Yasna 28.11, 1^st rhymed verse line and Yasna 31.13, 3^rd rhymed verse line.)

This Beautiful Ardá called arthá/ashá in the poetic gathas, is the ART to change the mundane life into life divine. It is the power to create all that the spirit has dreamed. arthá/ashá is the work of art, stamp of our visions on space and time.

ardeshir

Response to the statements of Dr. Khosro Khazai Pardis in a letter dated November 2011, to the Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians

Response to the statements of Dr. Khosro Khazai Pardis in a letter dated November 2011, to the Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians

Dr. Khosro Khazai states in his letter: In this age of darkness, some of us remembered the golden Zarathustra’s words: “to fight the darkness don’t draw your sword, light a candle”. So, we went to find the light able to fight this deep darkness.

The above statement is NOT from prophet Zarathushtra, but actually are the words of Chinese Philosopher Confucius.

There is NO single reference in the poetic gathas or the entire Zoroastrian lore that can trace the above statement to Prophet Zarathushtra. So to start with, let us quote the words of the ancient Aryan Prophet correctly and accurately and not attribute the quote of others to him.

Furthermore, Dr. Khosro Khazai unequivocally states: that the language and meaning of the poetic gathas were lost/forgotten till Western scholars deciphered them in the 18^th century. (Even though for 2000 years you had forgotten its language, you had the wisdom to create a sophisticated writing system to preserve at least the phonetics of these seventeen sacred songs. Finally you brought them with unimaginable sacrifices to the 18^th century where their language was deciphered.)

He further adds that but these Western translations were real “fields of ruin” made in the context of linguistic studies, forgetting often their living spiritual massages. These translations had no soul, no life, no beauty until the likes of Dr. Ali Akbar Jafarey entered the gathic field of studies and in essence revealed their true meaning.

Such statements are nothing short of laughable and a true travesty of justice. Such statements are not only grossly inaccurate but are the products of colonial thinking in disguise.

In fact, the poetic gathas have a very ancient tradition of extensive commentary and exegesis that goes back to the ancient Avestan age, as is evidenced by numerous passages in Yasna and Vispered. (Yasna and Visperd are the most ancient parts of the Avesta.) This ancient tradition of exegesis has faithfully reached us via the ancient commentaries of the poetic gathas, and most importantly in the vast volumes of holy denkart.

Their faithfulness and accuracy can be objectively verified by comparative linguistic and religious studies of other ancient Aryan traditions such as Vedic, Old Norse and Gaelic.

Compare to the vague and rambling translations of Mr. ali akbar jafarey and other mutated translations following his footsteps; the ancient commentaries of the poetic gathas; show extreme depth, accuracy, faithfulness and originality. Above all, the ancient commentaries can be substantiated and are not outright inventions.

The “gatha cult” promoted in a seemingly flattering language by Dr Khazai has first of all NOTHING TO DO with the real poetic gathas, and in all reality is nothing more than a cult of self-worship and mechanical pseudo-science using only gathic terminology and labels with extremely flawed logic.

To say that Zoroastrianism has no historical philosophical tradition, till Westerners first deciphered it in the 18^th century and more importantly till the likes of mr. ali akbar jafarey truly discovered their meaning; defies basic logic, sound reasoning and goes against all the evidence.

Such hollow talk gives license to the likes of mr. alexnader bard to spew the following words on or about January 8, 2010: “We, or rather Western scholars compiled The Gathas, and chose to attrubute these texts to Zarathushtra.”

Any philosophy or school of thought grows only when it has rules and structure. Gatha cultists erroneously advocate; no do’s and don’t's, dislike of rituals, an anything goes approach and a mechanical worldview based on pseudo-science and faux reasoning.

I should emphasize that the above positions of the gatha cultists have nothing to do with the real poetic gathas and reflect only the ideals of the boomer generation of the 50’s and not the ancient wisdom of the Aryan prophet Zarathushtra.

 Let me conclude by saying: Please read between the lines and do not buy into empty sweet talk, no matter how beautifully worded.

ardeshir    

 

The status of Women in the poetic gathas and Avesta

Gender equality is firmly rooted in the teachings of the Aryan Prophet Zarathushtra, as is evident in his poetic gathas and the Avesta.  The equal status of both sexes has attributed to the powerful status of women within the Zoroastrian community throughout the ages.

Yasna 27.15 is one of the three most prominent manthras of the poetic gathas. In its 3^rd rhymed verse line; prayers are offered to both male and female saints, and the worship of holy/divine females who have ármaiti (“flow of brilliant thoughts, serene meditation”) at their head, is offered to the Auspicious, Bright Immortals.

In Yasna 30.2, 2^nd rhymed verse line, heroic males and females are both asked to exercise their will power and choose wisely like a wizard/sage (Avestan vichi, compare with old English wicca.)

The attribute used for heroic men and women in Yasna 30.2, 2^nd rhymed verse line is narém-narem. It is an epithet of the gods or god-men in the Rig Veda, and comes from the root nar, Proto-Indo-European root nḗr “powerful, heroic, courageous;” Cognates include Ancient Greek ἀνήρ (anēr) Lithuanian nóras “will power” Old Irish ner, Welsh nêr Latin neriōsus “firm, resolute, powerful.”

The term nar/náir, from the same root is used throughout the poetic gathas to designate courageous heroes of both males and females.

Yasna 35.6 commands study and pursuit of knowledge for worthy men and women alike (ná vá náirí vá). Besides being educated, women (as well as men) are expected to discuss, deliberate and expound the wisdom/knowledge of the divine truth (vaædá haithím.)  The term haithím from the root hath, is the same as Sanskrit satyá, Old English soð, Old Saxon soth, “oracle, true vision, divinely inspired wisdom, manthra.”

Elsewhere, in the Avesta in Hērbedestān.5, the topic of who is eligible to receive education for priestly studies is discussed. The text states that either a worthy lady (náiriká-) or the lord/protector of the house (nmánö .paiti-) may go forth for this—the chosen party being the one who has the “highest esteem for virtue, excellence” and is less needed for managing the household.

Nēyrangestān. 22.2 permit “any worthy male or female or young youth who knows the sacred manthras to act as a zaötar-, or invoker priest in the ceremonies. With the emphasis that the qualifying factor is mastery and the knowledge of the inspired poetry and not sex or age.

In Vispered 3.4, the express desire to appoint a “courageous woman” is paralleled in the same verse by the wish to appoint a “courageous man” (nar-) who knows, is wise in the pristine faith, first will/choice, vistö.fraórəiti. -

In Yasna 37.3, 3^rd rhymed verse line; the guardian angel/fravashis of both heroic males and females is lauded (tém asháunám fravashísh narám-chá náirinám-chá.)

Also, in Yasna 26.7, the guardian angels or fravashis of scholar priests and their students, male or female is lauded (aæthra-paitinąm aæthrya-nąm narąm náirinąm.)

This verse is echoed in Yasht. 13, verses 139-42, wherein the fravashis of various venerable women, and verses 143-44 wherein the fravashis of virtuous, luminous women and of virtuous, luminous men in the various lands is praised.

In Yasna 39.2, the souls (urunö) of virtuous, worthy men and women, wherever they may have been born is adored (kudö zátanąm chīt̰ narąm-chá náirinąm chá.)

So too in the Avestan fragment FrD.3, both sexes are explicitly cautioned: “He has not won anything who has not won (anything) for his soul. She has not won anything who has not won (anything) for her soul” (nöit̰ cahmi zazva yö nöit̰ urunæ zazva. nöit̰ cahmi zazushi yá nöit̰ urunæ zazushi.)

In Yasna 51.13, 1^st rhymed verse line; the malice of both the treacherous men and women in distortion is reckoned.

Yasna 53.6, 1^st rhymed verse line is about “the manifest fate/future becoming of courageous men or women verses evil males or females” (ithá í haithyá narö athá jə̄nayö.)

In hymn to the bright star Tištriya (Yasht. 8, 59) both the “evil man” (mairyö) and the “evil woman” (jahika) are banned from partaking of the ceremonials.

In Yasna 41,2, prayer is offered for the reign of a good ruler, heroic male or female (ná vá náirí vá), to reign in both existences” (khshaætá uböyö aŋhvö). Hence, women, as much as men, are considered equally capable of kingship/leadership in both the corporeal and spiritual planes of being.

In Yasna 53.8, 3^rd rhymed verse line, the prayer/heartfelt wish is for the good leadership of male or female rulers who will remove bloodshed, and bring peace and happiness to the villages and settlements.

In Yasna 38.3 talk is of the divine females in relation to life giving waters.

In Yasna 38.1, bounty of the land and fruitfulness of women is compared. The word used for woman is gená in the verse. Compare Avestan gená, with Greek gyné, Sanskrit gná “wife of a god, a goddess;” Old Church Slavonic zena, Old Prussian genna, Gothic qino “a woman, wife;” qéns “a queen, Proto Indo European gwen.

Old English cwen “queen, female ruler” comes from the same exact root. The word gená is used again in Yasna 46.10, 1^st rhymed verse line; where both strong, noble men and women pass the portal/bridge to other dimensions (chinvatö pərətüm.)

In Yasna 54.1, or the powerful á.airyémá ishyö manthra, in its 2^nd rhymed verse line; Airya-man, or the noble fellowship is invoked for the wish fulfillment of the courageous men and women of Zarathushtra” (nərəbyas-chá  náiribyas-chá  zarathúshtrahæ.)

In conclusion, I shall add that the elaborate purity laws are common to both sexes in Zoroastrianism (e.g., the correct disposal of hair- and nail-clippings, see Vendidad. 17.) Yet women are subject to supplementary purity regulations concerning mainly their procreative functions such as menstruation (Vendidad. 16.4-7) and stillbirth (Vendidad 5.48-56.)

It is worth noting, that men too are bound by gender-specific purity rites, (see Vendidad. 18.46.)

Last but not least, in the Zoroastrian jurisprudence men and women inherit equally and inheritance laws do not favor one party over the other because of their gender.

ardeshir

Pristine wisdom/word, the origins of Greek Logos and a beautiful example of word play in the poetic gathas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ardeshir

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ardeshir

Zoroastrian New Year, Romulus Calendar and the gift of Colorful Eggs

According to Yasna and Vispered, the 2 most sacred and ancient parts of the Avesta, the beginning of the New Zoroastrian Year is Vernal equinox, “hamas.path. maiðya” or “hamaß .path. maiðya” in Avestan.

The Avestan term refers specifically to the moment when the center/middle position (maiðya ) of the Sun is in the same/equal (hama) position/passage/path (Avestan Path) as the Earth’s midway line. It is specific to the moment when such a passage happens and when the celestial points/paths of intersection are at an equal/same length (hama) from each other, hence Equinox.

Spring Equinox is the celebration of a splendid new dawn and new light or “nauv-rooz,” the springing up of new hope and new life. It is a union with triumphant spring and powers of new light and growth, a time for flowering plants, fruitful vines, and fertility in man and the universe. It is about the triumph of the bright and auspicious spirit and the wondrous adventures of life.

Spring Equinox is also the start of the astrological year. Zoroastrian or Ancient Iranian New Year has much in common with Ôstara spring celebrations of the ancient Germanic tribes.

Ôstara is the spirit of new light, the glorious rising sun and radiant fresh dawn that brings much joy, happiness, and new bursting life energy. In fact, the concept and meaning behind Ôstara is the same as Avestan úshtá.

The 19th century scholar Jacob Grimm traced the name to a Proto-Indo-European goddess of the dawn Ausṓs, from which descends the common Germanic goddess of new dawn Ôstara, Greek Eós and Vedic úshás.

Also, the original Roman calendar called “Romulus” started with the Spring Equinox. The names of months such Septembris from septem September meaning the 7^th month; Octobris from octo meaning October or the 8^th month; Novembris from novem meaning November or the 9^th month; and Decembris from decem meaning December or the 10^th  are reminders that the year once started with the renewal of Spring.

The beautiful Bonfires before Spring Equinox and other pleasant rituals of the Zoroastrians such as dances of joy and three joyful leaps around the fire, the holy and healing spring water drawn on the first dawn after the Spring Equinox, all have parallels in other ancient Indo-European traditions.

And let us not forget the importance of painted or colored eggs. The sculptures on the walls of Persepolis show people carrying eggs for Nauv-rooz celebrations and gift-giving. For to give the gift of a painted or colored egg, is to give a gift of renewed life. That is why the egg must be whole and colorful.

Similar and even more elaborate rituals exist among the Ukrainians. The pysanka eggs symbolically assure good fortunate life and protection. The word comes from the verb pysaty, “to write.” (Compare pysaty with middle Iranian ni-pyshtan, Farsi ni-vyshtan, “to write down.”)

Spring Equinox is about the re-making of a new world, into wonder and fresh, new adventure and that is why it marks the beginning of the Zoroastrian New Year.

ardeshir