SUPPLEMENTS
(continued)
Yenghę Hâtâm
284th Day
Transliterated Text: Yęnghę
hâtâm â-at yesnę paiti vanghô, Mazdĺ Ahurô vaęthâ ashât hacâ
yĺnghâm-câ. Tâns-câ tĺs-câ yazamaidę.
Translated Text:
Indeed Mazda Ahura, the
Wise God, knows better any person among men and women for his or her
veneration. We, on our part, venerate all such men and women.
Commentary:
The Good Religion holds men and women as equals in
all respects. They may surpass one another in righteousness only. It is
their service to God and the creation that counts. Not the sex. The more
a person serves the living world in which we all live, the nearer he or
she draws to God and the more God knows him or her as a better person.
We, on our part, also join in and express our respects to such deserving
persons.
In the 'Vohu Khshathra' Gatha, stanza 22, Asho
Zarathushtra praises such persons in almost the same words -- a fact
that shows that Yenghe Hatam is a later paraphrase in prose of
the Gathic idea. There the Divine Teacher says:
"The Wise God knows better any person of mine
for his or her veneration done in accordance with righteousness. I
shall, on my part, venerate such persons, passed away or living, by
their names, and shall lovingly encircle them."
This extraordinary love and respect shown by
Zarathushtra initiated the beautiful tradition of commemorating
outstanding men and women for their services on the Memorial Day, the Farvardegân
or Muktâd, at the end of the year. The Farvardin Yasht, an early
post-Gathic text in the Avesta, venerates the names of some 250 men and
women for their 'conviction' because they joined Asho Zarathushtra in
his divine mission and served the cause of the Good Religion during the
initial period of its establishment. It also venerates the 'conviction'
in the Good Religion of all men and women of the world.
Yenghe
Hatam, often repeated in some daily prayers, is an expression of
continuous gratefulness to
the people who truly serve God and the living world.
Hadhaokhta
The Voice-to-Listen
285th Day
(Yasna Chapter 56)
Note:
Hadhaokhta means “With -the-Word.”
It refers to “Seraosha,” the Divine Voice within us.
The prayer, a repetition of sentences, lays emphasis that the
Gathas, the Message of Zarathushtra, should guide us throughout our
life. The first stanza says that the Voice is to venerate God Wise
throughout one’s life. The second says that the Voice is for the
guidance of all righteous people. The third and fourth stanzas add that
the Voice guides all good men and women.
Transliterated Text:
1. seraoshô idhâ astű
ahurahę mazdĺ ýasnâi sevîshtahę ashaonô ýę- nĺ ishtô hyat
paourvîm tat ustememcît, avathât idhâ seraoshô astű ahurahę
mazdĺ ýasnâi sevîshtahę ashaonô ýę-nĺ ishtô.
2. seraoshô idhâ astű
apăm vanguhînăm ýasnâi ashâunămca fravashibyô ýĺ-nô ishtĺ
urvôibyô hyat paourvîm tat ustememcît, avathât idhâ seraoshô
astű apăm vanguhînăm ýasnâi ashâunămca fravashibyô ýĺ-nô
ishtĺ urvôibyô.
3. seraoshô idhâ astű
apăm vanguhînăm ýasnâi vanghush vanguhînăm ameshanămcâ
speńtanăm huxshathranăm hudhĺnghăm vohunămcâ vanghuyĺscâ
ashôish ýasnâi ýâ-nę âraęcâ erenavataęcâ ashanghâxsh,
seraoshascâ idhâ astű apăm vanguhînăm ýasnâi vanghush ashivĺ
hyat paourvîm tat ustememcît.
4. avathât idhâ
seraoshô astű apăm vanguhînăm ýasnâi vanghush vanguhînăm
ameshanămcâ speńtanăm huxshathranăm hudhĺnghăm vohunămcâ
vanghuyĺscâ ashôish ýasnâi ýâ-nę âraęcâ erenavataęcâ
ashanghâxsh, seraoshascâ idhâ astű apăm vanguhînăm ýasnâi
vanghush ashivĺ!
Translated Text:
1. May Seraosha, listening
to the Divine Voice, be here for the veneration of Wise God, the Most
Beneficent because we have wished it for ourselves from the beginning
until the end of our lives. May Seraosha, listening to the Divine Voice,
be here for the veneration of Wise God, the Most Beneficent because we
have wished it for ourselves from the beginning until the end of our
lives.
2. May Seraosha, listening
to the Divine Voice, be here for the veneration of the firm belief
because we have wished it for our souls from the beginning until the end
of our lives. May Seraosha, listening to the Divine Voice, be here for
the veneration of the firm belief because we have wished it for our
souls from the beginning until the end of our lives.
3. May Seraosha, listening
to the Divine Voice, be here for the veneration of the immortal
progressives who are noble rulers and beneficent persons. May it be here
for the veneration of the beneficence of good men and women who are our
guides in righteousness. May the Divine Voice be here for the veneration
of those who have been rewarded good from the beginning until the end of
our lives.
4. Henceforth, may Seraosha,
listening to the Divine Voice, be here for the veneration of the
immortal progressives who are noble rulers and beneficent persons. May
it be here for the veneration of the beneficence of good men and women
who are our guides in righteousness. May the Divine Voice be here for
the veneration of those who have been rewarded good from the beginning
until the end of our lives.
Pondering Point: The
Gathas, the Divine Voice, are “the Guide in Life.”
Fshusho Mânthra
(Day 286th)
YASNA - Chapter 58.
Note: Fshusho-Mânthra
is the prayer of “thought-provoking of prosperity,” the Divine
Message contained in the Gathas. The
prayerful venerate the first rehabilitator, Zarathushtra, who founded
prosperous settlements. Then progressive immortals, the foremost men and
women converts, are venerated. And then the settlers base their life on
the creative mentality of good thoughts, words and deeds They look at
the bright universe with clear eyes, eyes that see every thing as it is.
Not with tinted superstitious eyes. They dedicate themselves and their
wealth to lead a good prosperous settled life. This they pray while
facing Fire and the Sun, symbols of divine light, warmth and energy.
Finally they pay their respects to the Gathas and the Haptanghaiti.
Transliterated Text:
1. tat sôidhish tat
verethrem dademaidę hyat nemę hucithrem ashish-hâget
ârmaitish-hâget ýenghę nemanghô cithrem humatemcâ hűxtemcâ
hvarshtemcâ.
2. tat nę nemę
nipâtű pairî daęvâatcâ tbaęshanghat mashyâatcâ, ahmâi
nemanghę âvaędayamaidę gaęthĺscâ tanvascâ nipâtayaęcâ
nishangharetayaęcâ harethrâicâ aiwyâxshtrâicâ.
3. nemahî shyâmâ
ahuramazdâ nemahî usęmahî nemanghę vîsâmaidę nemanghę
âvaędayamaidę gaęthĺscâ tanvascâ nipâtayaęcâ
nishangharetayaęcâ harethrâicâ aiwyâxshtrâicâ nemanghô â
ýathâ nemę xshmâvatô.
4. fshűmĺ astî
ashavâ verethrajâ vahishtô fshűshę carekeremahî, hę-ptâ
gęushcâ ashanghâcâ ashaonascâ ashâvairyĺscâ stôish haithyô
vanghudĺ ýenghę vę masânascâ vanghânascâ srayanascâ
carekeremahî, hęcâ-nâ fshűmĺ nishangharatű hę aiwyâxshayatű
hadâ ashâcâ vâstrâcâ frârâticâ vîdîshayâcâ ainiticâ
âthrâcâ ahurahę mazdĺ.
5. ýathâ-nę dâtâ
ameshâ speńtâ athâ-nĺ thrâzdűm, thrâzdűm nę vanghavô
thrâzdűm nę vanguhîsh thrâzdűm nę ameshâ speńtâ huxshathrâ
hudhĺnghô, naęcîm tęm anyęm ýűshmat vaędâ ashâ athâ-nĺ
thrâzdűm.
6. pairî manĺ pairî
vacĺ pairî shyaothanâ pairî pasűsh pairî vîręńg speńtâi
manyavę dademahî, haurvafshavô drvô-gaęthâ drvafshavô
drvô-vîrâ drvâ haurvâ ashivańtô dathushô dadushô dadűzhbîsh
raocębîsh hăm-vaęnôimaidî ýâish ahurahę mazdĺ.
7. nemase-tôi âtarę
ahurahę mazdĺ mazishtâi ýĺnghăm paitî-jamyĺ mazę avah'yâi
mazę rafenôh'yâi dâidî haurvâtĺ ameretâtĺ!
8. sraęshtăm at tôi
kehrpęm kehrpăm âvaędayamahî mazdâ ahurâ imâ raocĺ barezishtem
barezimanăm avat ýât hvarę avâcî.
9. haurvăm hańdâitîm
staotanăm ýesnyanăm ýazamaide apanôtemayâ paitî vacastashtâ.
staota ýesnya ýazamaide ýâ dâtâ anghęush paouruyehyâ!
Translated Text:
1. We offer this gain and
victory, the prayer of good foudation and attached to goodness and
serenity, because it is based on Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good
Deeds.
2. This prayer saves us
from the harm done by false deities and their men. We pray for the
safety, security, protection, and guardianship of our spirit and
body.
3. O Wise Lord, we enjoy
our prayer and say what we wish in it. We turn to prayer for the safety,
security, protection, and guardianship of our spirit and body. [We do
this keeping in view the Gathic stanza (Song 8.1)] of “How shall I
reverently pay You Your homage?”
4. The righteous
rehabilitator [Zarathushtra] is victorious and the best.
We venerate him. He is the guardian of the living world, the
righteous principles, the righteous people and the righteous seekers. It
is through him that we venerate your greatness, goodness, and sublimity
of Yours. May the rehabilitator protect and guard us, through the “Fire”
of Ahura Mazda, protect us with righteousness, settlement, generosity,
wisdom, and kindness.
5. The way you, O immortal
progressives, O good men and good women, gave us the Doctrine, give us
protection. Protect us, O
immortal progressives, good and beneficent people. “We know none other
than you. Protect us through righteousness.” [Gathas: Song 7.7]
6. We dedicate our
thoughts, words and deeds, and our animals and people to the [divine]
progressive mentality. We dedicate all prosperity, healthy animals, and
healthy people enjoying health and wholeness (to the progressive
mentality). We should look at the creation of the Creator, the Wise
Lord, with all its luminaries with clear eyes.
7. Homage to you, O Fire of
Ahura Mazda! Come to our unlimited joy on this greatest event of our
life. Grant us wholeness and immortality.
8. Wise Lord, of these
lights, the highest of the high, Called the Sun, we declare the
sublimest of Your splendors.
9.
We venerate the collection of the Staota Yesnya (the Gathas and
Supplements) with its highest stanzas. We venerate the Staota Yesnya,
the Primal Principles of Life.
The Choice Of
Religion
(Days 287th to
293rd)
287th Day
16. fravarâne
mazdayasnô zarathushtrish vîdaęvô ahura-tkaęshô, hâvanęe ashaone
ashahe rathwe ýasnâica vahmâica xshnaothrâica
frasastayaęca, sâvanghęe vîsyâica ashaone ashahe rathwe ýasnâica
vahmâica xshnaothrâica frasastayaęca, rathwăm ayaranămca
asnyanămca mâhyanămca ýâiryanămca saredhanămca
ýasnâica vahmâica xshnaothrâica frasastayaęca. ýathâ
ahű vairyô zaotâ frâ-mę mrűtę, ýathâ ahű vairyô ýô
zaotâ frâ-mę mrűtę, athâ ratush ashâtcît haca frâ ashava
vîdhvĺ mraotű!
17. frastuyę
humatôibyascâ hűxtôibyascâ hvarshtôibyascâ măthwôibyascâ
vaxedhwôibyascâ varshtvôibyascâ, aibigairyâ daithę vîspâ
humatâcâ hűxtâcâ hvarshtâcâ, paitiricyâ daithę vîspâ
dushmatâcâ duzhűxtâcâ duzhvarshtâcâ.
18. ferâ vę
râhî ameshâ speńtâ ýasnemcâ vahmemcâ ferâ mananghâ ferâ
vacanghâ ferâ shyaothanâ ferâ anghuyâ ferâ tanvascît hvah'yĺ
ushtanem.
19. staomî ashem,
ashem vohű vahishtem astî ushtâ astî ushtâ ahmâi hyat ashâi
vahishtâi ashem.
YASNA OF THE
CHOICE OF RELIGION
287th to
293rd Day
Chapter 12.
The
Initiation Ceremony
Aryan Age of Majority
Since the day humans consolidated their primitive
bonds into a well-knit society, they have evolved a process to admit the
matured young as adult members. The initiation rite is therefore as old
as human society, the acceptable age being as low as nine years among
certain primitive tribes and as high as 21 years in certain more
advanced societies. It has even branched into various modern graduation
ceremonies in education, training and achievements, which are generally
not restricted by age limits. Other initiations into a social order or a
religious fellowship are also not governed by age limits. The initiation
may be a simple or an elaborate ceremony, depending on the people and
their times.
The
ancient Aryans, ancestors of the people of Iranian culture, considered
fifteen years as the age of attaining majority and consent for both the
sexes. It was the right age when a boy had learned most of the trades of
agriculture and animal husbandry from his father, and the girl had
acquired most of the skills of homemaking and housekeeping from her
mother. The two became fully qualified to take their respective
responsibilities in the household and society.
The
initiation ceremony was simple. The initiate had to receive a work band
from an elder 'to gird the loins' and make a solemn vow that, once
girded, one would serve the family and the folk. Prayers by an elder and
blessings by the attendees made the ceremony more significant.
The
antiquity of the ceremony, later tradition says, goes back to Yima
Khshaeta (Middle Persian Jamshed, modern Persian Jamshid), a legendary
leader of the southward migrating Aryans of the ice and post-ice ages,
from 8,000 to 15,000 years ago. It
may be even older. The phrase "to gird" in almost all the
Indo-European languages meaning, "to
prepare for action," "to undertake a task," and "to
invest with authority," proves its origin in a hoary past.
Original Zoroastrian Form
Zarathushtra came to found a monotheistic religion
of Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds, and to eradicate
ignorance, superstition and both spiritual and social ills. However, he
did not interfere with the daily life and the way of living of an
industrious people. Rather, he Purified and beautified it. His famous
sermon on the "Freedom
of Choice" and the "Great Event" (Yasna 30.2), and the
eventual turni"9 point in one's life through this prudent choice,
is further illustrated by his mentioning of certain major initiations:
The day King Vistaspa joined "the Great Zoroastrian
Fellowship," and the occasions on which Ferashaoshtra was granted
"the best bliss of righteousness,” and sage Jamaspa "united
with righteousness." He speaks of his cousin Maidyoimaha and other
near relatives joining the Fellowship (Yasna 46.14-15, 49.9, 51 16-19).
His last song states that his best wish had been fulfilled because all
those who chose the new order were initiated into the Fellowship and
even his earlier opponents had learned the words of the Good Religion
and acted accordingly. (Yasna 53.1).
How
the initiation was actually performed, his ever-guiding sublime songs,
the Gathas, do not elaborate. However, Haptanghaiti, the Avestan songs
chronologically next to the Gathas, shows the "greatest event of
decision" was held in a fire-enclosure, the earliest prototype of
today's temples and the ceremony was performed facing the fire-altar (Yasna
36)~ Another text, Fshusho Manthra (Thought-provoking Message of
Prosperity--Yasna 58), also in the Gathic dialect, breaks into a prayer
for the prosperity of the settled industrious people and their useful
animals, and ends with the same stanza of Haptanghaiti by asking for
"perfection and eternity”... of initiation in an agricultural
settlement.
The term yâh (from the root yah, to strive)
is translated as "the event of decision or choice.” It is
mentioned in three places in the Gathas (32.2, 46. 14, 49 9).
It occurs twice again in post-Gathic Avestan pieces. Sraosha
(Listening to the divine voice) is "the true word most victorious
in the event of decision, (because) the Mazdayasna Religion is the true
law among all the good and righteous principles." (Yasht 11.3). And
"Righteous Zarathushtra, leader of the material world and the head
of mankind, revered the Choice of Religion in all the events of
decision" (Yasht 13.41). It shows the continuations of the ceremony
long after the passing of Zarathushtra and his companions.
It is Fravarti, the "Choice of Religion"
text (Yasna 11.17 to 12.9), again in the Gathic dialect, which provides
a clearer picture of the early form of the ceremony. It is a long piece
of eleven stanzas in which the adult initiates renounce their previous
beliefs and professions— polytheism, superstitious cults, sorcery,
arbitrariness, robbery, and other "mental and physical
illnesses," each far oneself, and join the Zoroastrian Fellowship.
In doing so, they declare they are following Zarathushtra, who in his
communions with the Only God Omniscient (Ahura Mazda), renounced false
gods and chose to believe in God and His good creation. They declare
that they make their choice, as did Zarathushtra. King Vishtaspa,
Ferashaoshtra and Jamaspa, and as every other truth-practicing righteous
beneficent person does, to follow the Good Religion which
"overthrows yokes, sheaths swords, promotes self-reliance and is
righteous."
It must have been an impressive ceremony.
Fravarti Text, An
Exposition
This text of eleven stanzas contains the main part
of the Fravarti, the Choice of Religion formula and a collection of
common and personal declarations made by adults who joined the
Fellowship. Here are the two transliterated forms of the text and a free
translation of the collection, minus repetitions, given stanza by
stanza.
Transliterated Text:
Frastuyę
humatôibyascâ hűxtôibyascâ hvarshtôibyascâ măthwôibyascâ
vaxedhwôibyascâ varshtvôibyascâ, aibigairyâ daithę vîspâ
humatâcâ hűxtâcâ hvarshtâcâ, paitiricyâ daithę vîspâ
dushmatâcâ duzhűxtâcâ duzhvarshtâcâ.
ferâ vę râhî ameshâ
speńtâ ýasnemcâ vahmemcâ ferâ mananghâ ferâ vacanghâ ferâ
shyaothanâ ferâ anghuyâ ferâ tanvascît hvah'yĺ ushtanem.
(Yasna
11.17 & 18)
1. nâismî daęvô,
fravarânę mazdayasnô zarathushtrish vîdaęvô ahura-tkaęshô
staotâ ameshanăm speńtanăm ýashtâ
ameshanăm speńtanăm, ahurâi mazdâi vanghavę vohumaitę vîspâ
vohű cinahmî ashâunę raęvaitę hvarenanguhaitę ýâ-zî cîcâ
vahishtâ ýenghę gâush ýenghę ashem ýenghę raocĺ ýenghę
raocębîsh rôithwen hvâthrâ.
2. speńtăm ârmaitîm
vanguhîm verenę, hâ-môi astű, us gęush stuyę tâyâatcâ
hazanghatcâ, us mazdayasnanăm vîsăm zyânayaęcâ vîvâpatcâ.
3. ferâ manyaęibyô
rĺnghę vasę- ýâitîm vasę-sheitîm ýâish upairî âya-zemâ
gaobîsh shyeńtî, nemanghâ ashâi uzdâtĺ paitî avat stuyę, nôit
ahmât âzyĺnîm nôit vîvâpem xshtâ mâzdayasnîsh aoi vîsô nôit
astô nôit ushtânahę cinmânî.
4. vî daęvâish
akhâish avanghűsh anaretâish akô-dâbîsh sarem mruyę hâtăm
draojishtâish hâtăm paoshishtâish hâtăm avanghutemâish vî
daęvâish vî daęvavatbîsh vî ýâtush vî ýâtumatbîsh vî
kahyâcît hâtăm âtarâish vî manębîsh vî vacębîsh vî
shyaothanâish vî cithrâish, vî zî anâ sarem mruyę ýathanâ
dregvâtâ răxshayańtâ.
5. athâ athâ côit
ahurô mazdĺ zarathushtrem adhaxshayaętâ vîspaęshű ferashnaęshű
vîspaęshű hańjamanaęshű ýâish aperesaętem mazdĺscâ
zarathushtrascâ,
6. athâ athâ côit
zarathushtrô daęvâish sarem vyâmrvîtâ vîspaęshű ferashnaęshű
vîspaęshű hańjamanaęshű ýâish aperesaętem mazdĺscâ
zarathushtrascâ, athâ azęmcît ýô mazdayasnô zarathushtrish
daęvâish sarem vîmruyę ýathâ anâish vyâmrvîtâ ýę ashavâ
zarathushtrô.
7. ýâ varanâ âpô
ýâ varanâ urvarĺ ýâ varanâ gâush hudĺ ýâ varanô ahurô
mazdĺ ýę găm adâ ýę narem ashavanem ýâ varanô as zarathushtrô
ýâ varanô kavâ vîshtâspô ýâvaranâ ferashaoshtrâ jâmâspâ
ýâ varanô kascît saoshyańtăm haithyâvarezăm ashâunăm tâ
varenâcâ tkaęshâcâ mazdayasnô ahmî!
8. mazdayasnô
zarathushtrish fravarânę âstűtascâ fravaretascâ, âstuyę humatem
manô âstuyę hűxtem vacô âstuyę hvarshtem shyaothanem.
9. âstuyę daęnăm
mâzdayasnîm fraspâyaoxedhrăm nidhâsnaithishem hvaętvadathăm
ashaonîm ýâ hâitinămcâ bűshyeińtinămcâ mazishtâcâ
vahishtâcâ sraęshtâcâ ýâ âhűirish zarathushtrish, ahurâi
mazdâi vîspâ vohű cinahmî. aęshâ astî daęnayĺ mâzdayasnôish
âstűitish!
Translated
Text:
1. "I glorify
good thoughts, good words, and good deeds for my thinking, speaking, and
working. I approve all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. I
discard all bad thoughts, bad words, and bad deeds.
2. "
Progressive immortals, I dedicate to you my reverence and love with my
thoughts, words and life; rather with my very body and soul.
3. "1 do hereby
eliminate the false gods. I do hereby choose for myself to be a
worshiper of the Wise One, a Zoroastrian, void of false gods and a
believer in the Divine Doctrine. I am a praiser of the progressive
immortals, an adorer of the progressive immortals. I attribute all that
is good to Lord Wise, the Good, endued with Goodness. He is righteous,
glorious, and majestic. From Him are the best things; from Him is the
living world; from Him righteousness and light, and from Him emanate the
lights with bliss.
4. "1 do hereby
choose the progressive serenity for myself. May it be mine. I shall
cleanse the world from theft and violence. I shall guard the home of the
worshipers of the Wise One against harm and destruction.
5. "1 shall
give the wise people, who live on this earth with their cattle, full
freedom of movement. With a prayer of righteous sincerity, I declare
that I shall not rise to harm and destroy the home of the worshipers of
the Wise One, and I do not intend to hurt any body or soul.
6. "1 renounce
the wicked, no-good, unrighteous, evil genius gods. I renounce the very
false, very rotten, very wicked false gods and their devotees. I
renounce sorcerers and their devotees. I renounce each and every mental
malady and physical ailment. I renounce these falsities and malignities
in thoughts, words, and deeds, in my very essence.
7. "This is
what Omniscient God wished to show Zarathushtra in all the consultations
and communions the two had.
8. "This is how
Zarathushtra wished to renounce the false gods in all the consultations
and communions the two had. I, too, a worshiper of the Wise One and a
Zoroastrian, renounce the false gods, just as the Righteous Zarathushtra
did.
9. "With
conviction in waters, with conviction in plants, with conviction in the
bountiful world; with conviction in God Wise who created the living
world and the righteous man--the conviction Zarathushtra had, the
conviction King Vishtaspa had, the conviction Ferashaoshtra and Jamaspa
had, and the conviction any of the truth-practicing righteous
beneficents have, it is with the same conviction and doctrine that am a
worshiper of the Wise One.
10. "1, with my
appreciations and convictions, choose for myself to be a worshiper of
the Wise One and Zoroastrian, appreciate good thoughts, appreciate good
words, and appreciate good deeds.
11. "I
appreciate the Good Religion of worshiping the Wise One which overthrows
yokes yet sheaths swords, teaches self-reliance, and is righteous.
Therefore, of the religions that have been and that shall be, this is
the greatest, best, and sublimest. It is divine and Zoroastrian. I do
attribute all good to God Wise."
(Yasna
12: 1-11)
The
last two stanzas (l0 and 11) are considered to be the main formula of
the "Choice of Religion." It is this formula that forms
the culmination point of one's decision, the turning point in life, the
"Great Event."
A NOTE on the Later Avestan
Age
The
period called the Later Avestan age followed the Gathic period. It is
estimated to have begun some three hundred years after Zarathushtra.
Although the texts on initiation of this period are also as scanty as
those in the Gathic period, we can see the initiation has taken a more
institutionalized form.
Vaetha
Nask, an Avestan text surviving in fragments says that if a person
of alien faith, to whom the Good Religion of Mazda-worship appears
agreeable, wants to loin the Fellowship by accepting the principles of
Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds, Zoroastrians should admit him
when he makes the necessary vow. Such a person then stands equal to any
other Zoroastrian. A feast and a final recitation of the Gathas follow
the declaration by the initiate.
By this time, the religion had spread to almost all
the lands of the Aryans. The number of children born by Zoroastrian
parents and who were reaching the majority age of fifteen was also of
great significance when compared to the number of those embracing the
religion. We see that Tir Yasht, an Avestan poem eulogizing the rain
star Tishtrya (Sirius) says that fifteen is the age for a youth, full of
vigor and fervor, to be inverted for the first time with a girdle.
The Vendidad, a late Avestan book of purification and hygiene,
warns that a man or woman of fifteen years walking without the sacred
girdle and the shirt would fall an easy prey to demons and would become
instrumental in destroying the righteous world. It shows the concern the
elders had about their youth assuming their duties to God and to society
by having their initiation performed at the appropriate age.
Thus the old texts provide enough information on the
open ended age of initiation, as well as acceptance of adults from alien
cults and religions and young people born in Zoroastrian families as
community members after the initiation had been performed.
Pahlavi and Persian
Scriptures on Initiation
The
composition of the Pahlavi literature dates from as early as the
Parthian period (approximately 3rd century BC). However, the bulk of the
literature belongs to the 9th century CE, an era during which there was
a temporary renaissance and certain Zoroastrian scholars found an
opportunity to reflect on whatever they could salvage from the
devastation that followed the Arab conquest of Iran and the conversion
of large numbers of Iranians to Islam. Most of the Avesta pieces cited
earlier have their Pahlavi translations and commentaries. The
commentaries elaborate certain points and sometimes give different
opinions of more than one authority on a point, generally concerning a
customary practice of a ritual.
Fifteen
years remained the age for majority, but with two reservations. Shâyast
ne Shâyast, quoting an Avestan source, says that the nine months in
a mother's womb are to be counted and, therefore, the initiation
ceremony should take place on the day the child is fourteen years and
three months old. While translating an Avestan quotation, Vichikard-i
Dînîk adds that the initiation could take place at the age of
seven.
Although
emphasizing that a person of fifteen must not go without a shirt and
girdle, the extant Pahlavi writings appear to take the initiation
ceremony, whether for a growing youth or an adult desiring to join the
fellowship, for granted. Nevertheless, the initiation is a must for both
the sexes, because "man and woman are equal in the good work (of
initiation), ... there is no good work more ample than ... performing
the initiation ceremony." Shayast ne Shayast writes: a man of
fifteen years, and a son and brother of Mazdayasnians, who undergoes
penitence and purification rites and learns to chant the five Gathas,
should have the initiation ceremony performed in order to become a
mature youth.
From
the "rivâyat" brought from Iran about 500 years ago,
by Nariman Hoshang an Indian merchant, we learn that should indentured
boys and girls of Indian Zoroastrians "have faith in the Good
Religion, then it is proper to have them invested with koshti."
There
is no indication anywhere in the Zoroastrian scriptures against
acceptance into the Zoroastrian fellowship of mature individuals who
sincerely wish to follow the teachings of Zarathushtra. This is a very
significant point, because as a general rule, closed societies take
serious precautions to save the community by issuing more negative
directives of "don't do this" and "don't do that, "
and less positive directives of "do this" and "do
that". Therefore, were acceptance a taboo in the Zoroastrian
religion, one should have seen several empathetic commandments of
"Do not accept any person of alien faith into the Good Religion,
" and "Never marry a person of alien faith."
PONDERING POINTS:
Since the the above text of Choice of Religion provokes some deep
thoughts in one mind, I would leave it to the readers to contemplate on
it and see how many pondering points they find. I have left it to the
reader for one full week and will be pleased to discuss to respond on
Z-List any points raised on the subject.
Let us stimulate a subject which relates once final decision to
choose the Good Religion of Zarathushtra.
