Zoroastrian Gatha: an interim Revelation in the context of Avestan/Vedic and early Aryans’ religious blunder

7/31/2019 Zoroastrian Gatha: an interim Revelation in the context of Avestan/Vedic and early Aryans religious blunder

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Zoroastrian Gatha: an interim Revelation in the context ofAvestan/Vedic and early Aryans religious blunder

By Dr.P.R.Palodhi

While Abrahamic monotheism was revitalizing the religion of God, a different development wastaking place in early Aryans religion. This especially reflected in the context of Indo -Iranianswho composed two great scriptures known as Persian Avesta and Hindu Rig Veda; and calledthemselves Aryans (Airya/Airyan in the Avesta and Arya/Aryanin the Vedas). Primitive Aryanshad intriguing kinship with mysterious race of gods which continued to prevail in theirlanguages: devas in Sanskrit (daevas in Persian), theos in Greek, deus in Latin, dewas inLithuanian, diain Irish, duyin Cornish, and diewsin old Prussian etc. When a section of Indo-Iranians began to worship their cherished devasby denying or even defiling the Creator Godagain a religious conflict became obvious. In this context an interim Revelation came by raisingPersian Prophet Zoroaster within among the Indo-Iranians. Prophet Zoroaster exalted byglorifying the Name of God that was waning due to waxing of theirdeva-worships.First O AHURA MAZDA, that I perform all deeds with Right, of the beneficent Spirit, with

wisdom of Good Thought, So I may serve the Soul of the Creation (Yasna, 28.1). [Theroot of the word Ahura (Asura in Vedic) is Ahu / Asu - meaning giver of life in bothtraditions [1]; and Mazda in Persian means: Supreme Wise/ Master.]

Prophet conveyed what God revealed as regard the root cause behind religious conflictsbetween pro-God and pro-devafactions within among Indo-Aryans:Now, these two primeval Spirits (Manyus) who are known as skilful twins, they both inthought and in word, and in deed are one Wise and the other Evil; and out of these two,indeed, the spiritually wise chose aright discernibly, not the evil one. When theseequally placed opposites (Manyus) met together (in a hostile manner) in the beginning,SAT (Truth that shall exist) and ASAT (Falsehood that shall not exist) were formed(Yasna 30: 3-4). [The word Sat is derived from the root Asfrom Asu; opposite is Asat].

Similar reminder came again in Quran: (6: 112-113): Likewise God has appointed unto everyprophet an adversary devils of mankind and jinn who inspire in one another plausiblediscourse through guile. If thy Lord willed, they would not do so; so leave them alone with theirdevising. That the heart of those who believe not in the Hereafter may incline thereto, and thatthat they may take pleasure therein. And that they may earn what they are earning.

In both Bible and Quran - the mention of Zoroastrianism remained tacit. Bible mentionedZoroastrian Cyrus the Great as Shepherd of Lord and his anointed Messiah (Ish. 44:28; 45:1);the name of Cyrus occurs 23 times, Darius 25 times, Xerxes 30 times, Artaxerxes 15 times,Medes and Media for 21 times. The Quran revealswaning and waxing of prophet ZoroastersLight in connection to those who say we believe in God - without really believing; and makemischief on earth by saying we only put things aright (Q, 2: 10-11). Then Quran goes to reveal:Their parable is like the parable of one who kindled a fire, but when it had illuminated allaround him, God took away their light and left them in darkness they do not see (Q,2:17). Though Persian Prophet Zoroaster is the most obscure of the Abrahamic line of Prophets,yet Zoroastrian history adds another dimension in humanitys quest for religious truths byunveiling some mysteries of the Aryans bygone past.


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A. PERSPECTIVE OF ARYNAS ORIGIN:

(i) Pre-historic antiquity: Revelations in Bible and Quran are basically focused upongenerations after Adam, and not the pre-Adamic races some of which continue to exist andmany of whom have exalted as gods and goddesses in the post Flood world. The ancestralroots of the Aryans go into those races of gods as we know from proto-Aryan folklores,

Persian Avesta and particularly in Indic Vedas via mythopoetic obscurantism of god (deva), man(manava) and demons (danava). Though these are myths but myths cannot rise withoutfootholds upon truths which become apparent when myths in diverging traditions bank uponsome common mentions. In Vedic theology, Vivasvant married Saranyu, the daughter of hisbrotherTvashtar, and gave birth to twins: Yama(son) and Yami(daughter) from Saranyu. ThenVedic seers carved a mythical birth ofManufrom Saranyus replica Suvarna(Brihaddevata 7/1).Now in context of these mentions, Mallory [2] noticed that: the proto-Aryan yem (twine)underlines the name of a god common to the Indo-Iranians (Indic Yama; Avestan Yima), NorseYmir, German Tuisto (Vedic Tvashtar), Celts Emuin all curiously meaningTwine whobecomes a progenitor of mankind in their exegeses. In Norse Aryan mythology, their version ofmankind is formed from remains of a giant whose name, Ymir, has also been derived fromproto-Indo-European word for twine. According to Roman sources, Tacitus in his Annals and

Histories informed how the early Germans were descendants ofMannusand Tuisto, the latter ofwhich again means twine. Among the Celts we have a tale relating to a myth in which Machagave birth to emuin (twine), again derived from yem. Analysis of all these tales indicates thatthese proto-Indo-Europeans believed that behind origin of mankind (of their version) theprogenitors were both man (Indic Manu, German Mannus) and god called Twine, the latter ofwhich was sacrificed and carved up by his brother to produce mankind.

Shahnameh mentioned: in the early centuries of Aryan migration to Iran the first kingdomestablished in Balkh and it was called Jam or Yimaa (also meaning as sea, Ocean). Zend

Avesta related a story in which Yimavanquished the daevaworshippers of Varena. This takesus to Vedic god Varunaunder whose friendship once Vedic Aryans hoped to dwell for hundredyears and who rules the realm of the blessed dead at the top of the universe as long as days

and dawns shall endure, as a stanza puts it (RV, VII. 88. 4). Varena is usually identified withthe Old Persian Varkana, the Hyrcania of the Greeks which was located southeast of theCaspian Sea. Malcoms History of Ancient Persia posits that for 2598 years some fourdynasties ruled over Persia (name was different) from Yima Vivanghao (Yama Vaivasvant inSanskrit) in whose time the Deluge commenced, i.e., in 9844 BC. In connexion to word Yima,the rule of these four dynasties ended therefore in approximately 7200 BC. By this time, KaiVishtaspabecame ruler of Persia. Sage Kaksivan (RV I. 122: 13) speaks of one Istasva. Thisking is supposed to have ruled for 120 years, and so his period can be fixed to about 7100 BC.The Avestan book of Vendidad starts with a list of sixteen nations (Chapter 1, 1-16), the firstbeing Airyanem Vaejo.


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Airyana Vaeja. Vendidad Nations

The Vendidad, and indeed the entire Avesta, does not mention Persia or Media.This wasbecause Persia and Media became nations after the Avestan canon was closed [3]. Webecome dependent more on Vedic accounts because there is an inexplicable gap in history ofMazdaism after the closing of the Avestan canon and the start of Median and Persian history(800 BC).

Brahminical myths suggest that Rig Vedic people were primarily descendants of Manu and godslike Tvashtar, Vivasvant, and Yima and also from marriage between sage Kashyapa (Persian:Kashaf, a descendant of Brahma of Hindu myth) and thirteen daughters of Vedic god Dakshas(from line of Agni in MBh) - who become the mother goddesses behind the procreations ofdevas (gods), daityas, danavas, manavas (humans). Among these daughters, Aditi was theprime mother-goddess of Vedic devas. Rig Veda sings the praise ofAditi: Aditi is the sky; Aditiis the air; Aditi is all gods...; Aditi is the Mother, the Father, and Son; Aditi is whatever shall beborn. (Rig Veda, I. 89.10). Another daughterDanuwas the mother of various men includingdanavas, gifted with great strength and vigour (among them were the great asuras). In fact, theterm Danu ordanavaappears to form the substratum of Indo-European identity at the base ofthe Hellenic, Illyro-Venetic, Italo-Celtic, Germanic and Balto-Slavic elements. And intriguinglythe names of the main rivers Don, Donets, Dnieper, Dniester and Danube have come from theIndo-European word Danus (Damos in Latin and Greek). The northern Greeks were calledDanuni; the Celts called themselves Tuatha De Danaan; Irish epic tells the struggle betweenthe Children ofDomnu, representing darkness and evil, and the Children ofDanu, representinglight and good. Vedic people called descendants of goddess Danu as danavas (an inimicalpeople like dasyu) who were generally enemies of the Vedic people and their gods. Hailing fromSu-Danus, Prophet Zoroaster denounced Vedic devas hence deva-asurasplit later becamemore obvious. Vedic apathy fordanavaspoints to the fact that, just as the split between deva -asuraorarya - dasyu/dasas (dasas i.e. servant of God) reflects the split between the Vedic


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Hindus and the Persians, likewise the deva - danava split reflects an even earlier divisionbetween the proto-Indian Aryans and the proto-European Aryans. Similar to Vedic pantheon, itsGreek, Germanic etc counterparts, continued with the clans of anthropomorphic deities as wellas deified natural phenomena. And like the wars between devas and asuras in Vedic, therehad been Germanic clashes between wealth mongering Vanir and warlike Aesir races ofgods.

(ii) Primordial Conflicts between Mazda & devaworshippers in Persian scriptres: Persiansource [3] informed the beginning of God worship in Aryans as against devaworship which IndicVedas always tried to promote. From Persian Avest (verse 13.87 of the Farvardin Yasht) &Ferdowsi's Shahnameh we come to know that God worship in Aryans began from the time ofthe first Aryan king Gaya Maretan whose line descends as follows:

Gaya Maretan Siyamak Hushang Tahmuras Vivaghant (Sans: Vivasvant)

___________________________________________________________

Arenavachi Sanhavachi Yima (Jamshid) Abtin

(After Flood) -----

Feridoon (Thraetaona)

Gaya Maretan and his people were the first Mazdayasn meaning Mazda worshippers, theworshippers of God.Alongside in the Avesta's Aban (Avan) Yasht (5.94), we read of theDaevayasni, the daevaworshippers. In Vendidad's chapter 19, the Daevayasniare juxtaposedagainst the Mazdayasni. Unlike the invisible, non-anthropomorphic, and non-iconic Mazda(meaning Supreme Wise God), devas are represented and worshipped as idols or gravenimages. The kingdom of Gaya Maretan was attacked by divs led by Ahriman's son and killedGaya Maretan's son Siyamak. After a bitter period of mourning, Gaya Maretan assembled alarge army led by his grandson Hushang, and Mazda worshippers then defeated the devaworshippers in a second battle. While this second battle established the Mazdayasni as thedominant religious group, the two groups continued to live together in close proximity.

According to the Zend Avesta, Yima, son ofVivanghvant(Vivasvantin Vedic), was given chargeover the earth to maintain it, and when men had filled it to capacity; he was given charge tomaking it bigger. The ancient Avestan name for King Jamshid was Yima-Srira or Yima-Khshaeta, meaning Yimathe radiant. His abode was Airyanem Vaejah. The Vendidad tells usthat in the first part of his reign, legendary King Jamshid (Yima) had doubled the extent of hislands to accommodate a population increase. He was called Yama in the Hindu Vedas: Yamawas the first who found for us the route. This home is not to be taken from us.Those who arenow born, (go) by their own routes to the place whereunto our ancient forefathers emigrated.(Atharva Veda xviii.1.49 & Rig Veda x.14.1). The Hindu reverence for Yama (King Jamshid)grew at the same time when he lost favour with the Mazdayasni (predecessors of theZoroastrians); it is recorded that King Yimalost his grace, grew too proud and thought himself agod. The Vedic verses appear to state that the lands Yima acquired became part of thepermanent home of the Hindus. Following Jamshid's loss of grace, the vassal kings and lords ofAiryana Vaejawithdrew from the court of Jamshid and Airyana Vaeja. A hundred years later,weakened by internal dissention, Airyana Vaejawas invaded by an evil foreign king, Zahak (AziDahaka in the Avesta). That event marked the end of the first tragic epic cycle in Aryan s Godworship and also the end of the first part of Pishdadian royal rule. The foreign domination


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supported by the devaworshippers lasted for a thousand years until their liberation by Feridoon.At the end of the Jamshidi (i.e. Yimaera), dominance would shift to the devaworshippers, afterwhich it would move back and forth between the two groups. Nevertheless, until, theirseparation into the nations of Iran and India, they did coexist, possibly within a community or inadjacent communities.

(iii) Tryastriadevasand the asuras: Let us have a look into another story that scholarshave [4] unveiled from the bygone history: It is the Tryastria world, on the peak of MountSumeru, where the asurasformerly lived in with the other gods (devas) of that world. By usingtheir knowledge of the plants (producing wine) devasinitially could fool the asuras. When akra(a name of Indra) became the ruler of that world, the asurascelebrated by drinking a lot ofGandapnawine, a liquor so strong that akra forbade the other gods to drink it. Weakened bytheir drunkenness, the asurascould not resist when akra had the whole lot of them thrownover the edge ofTryastria into what would become the asura-world at the base of Sumeru.

A tree grows there called Cittaptali; when the asuras saw it blossom, they saw that it wasdifferent from the Pricchattaka (Sanskrit: Priytra) tree which had grown in their old home,and they knew that they were dispossessed. They now meditated on war. In armor andweapons, they climbed up the steep slopes of Sumeru "like ants". akra set out to meet them,

but was forced to retreat because of their numbers. Passing through the forest where thegarudas live on his flying chariot, akra saw that his passage was destroying the nests of thegarudasand ordered his charioteer Mtali to turn back. When the pursuing asurassaw akraturn about, they felt certain that he must be coming back with an even larger army, and theyfled, ceding all the ground they had gained.Despite their many wars, there was eventually apartial concord between the Tryastria devas and the asuras. This came about becauseakra fell in love with Suj, daughter of the asurachief Vemacitrin. Vemacitrin had given Sujthe right to choose her own husband at an assembly of the asuras, and she chose akra, whohad attended disguised as an aged asura. Vemacitrin thus became akra's father-in-law.Traditionally inherited records thus unveil many events of bygone antiquity.

B. THE HISTORIC ARYANS & ARRIVAL OF THE PERSIANS:

Scientific investigations could trace back Aryans origin to a common ancestor in Eurasia some6000 years ago who occupied region around Dnieper river on the west and the Ural on the east.In later course of history, Aryans had established their settlements in northwestern Iran fromabout 2000 BC and that the Kassites and Mitannis had their rules between 1700 BC and 1400BC.The other two peoples of the same race that successively rose to great powers during firstmillennium BC were the Medes and the Persians. So close was their racial affinity that theBiblical and classical writers generally use their names as alternative terms. The Medes orMada are first mentioned by their names in the Assyrian inscriptions in the ninth century BC.Origin of the Persian goes back to Neo-Elamite period; it is characterized by a significantmigration of Iranians to the Iranian plateau. Assyrian sources beginning around 800 BC

distinguish the powerful Medes, i.e. the actual Medes, and the distant Medes that would laterenter history under their proper names, (Parthians, Sagartians, Margians, Bactrians, Sogdiansetc). Among these pressuring tribes were the Parsu, first recorded in 844 BC as living on thesoutheastern shore of Lake Urmiah near Caspian Sea, but who by the end of this period wouldcause the Elamites original home, the Iranian Plateau, to be renamed Persia proper.

We must draw attention to the Persians who proclaimed their Aryan heritage. Within amongIndo-Aryans there had been a Semitic line belonging to Prophet Abrahams lineage (from hiswife Katurah) that went east ward (Gen, 25: 6); they apparently lost Semitic identities but


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impregnated Aryan races with the Prophetic purports. Semitic character of Old Persianinscription was proved beyond doubt by Rawlinson [5]. But we find that the AchaemenianPersian Kings (700 - 330 BC) repeatedly proclaimed their Aryan heritage. This is aftermath ofthe cultural syncretism which has a parallel in Indias context. Pre-Vedic Saivites (adherent ofmonotheism) once had protracted religious battles against polytheist Vedic adversaries [6]; theorigins of both Saivism and Vaisnavism lay out side system of Vedic religion, but after cultural

syncretism they are so tuned in Vedic fold that now they have no identity beyond the terms ofVedic Aryans. But present Y-chromosome study is unveiling the existence of Semitic lineage inIndias religious tradition.

(i) Situation before Zoroaster: All Aryan tribes in very ancient time showed great respect forthe dead and they carefully distinguished man from the gods (Rig Veda, X: 56, 4); but laterdepiction ofdevashas obscured truth by mystifying them as the powers of Nature: the wind, firewater, sky, sun, earth, and a host of personifications. Beside Vedic gods, Mithra, Baal, Attis,Adonis, Bacchus and Horus etc were various conceptions of the sun-deity, which receivedworship respectively from Persia, Babylon, Syria, Palestine and Greece, which continuedbeyond the time of Zoroaster. As Aryans were plunging into paganism, some worshippedMazda God from the time of the first Aryan king Gaya Maretan (Farvardin Yasht, 13.87). The old

religion of the Magi, the elite priestly caste of Media in north-west Iran believed in the wholepantheon of supernatural beings daevas, who had fallen from grace because of theircorruption of mankind. There are clear indications in the Avesta that the religion of the Medesand Persians before Zoroasters time agreed in most respects with the Indian Aryans and in aless degree with the beliefs of the Aryans in general. Herodotus tells us that the Persians in histime worshipped sun, moon, sky, earth and water (i, 131). And many Persians worshipped fireas another son of Ahura Mazda. Especially the Avestan and Vedic heritages inherited acommon tradition of fire worship (andin this context relevant point is that the Jinns are createdfrom fire). Rig Veda begins: Agnimile Purohitam (Laud Agnithe chosen priest); and Sam Vedabegins: Agno a yahi beetoey greenano habyo datoye (O Agnicome for our pleasure...). Thesacred thread (Av. Aivyonhana/ Sans. Upavitam) around the body plays important part in bothtraditions, and so do charms, mantras, worship rituals and the thirty three gods ( Mitra/Mithra,

Soma/Homa, Indra and Agni) etc, are common to both early Indo and Perso Aryans. Theancient Persians 26th of the Haoma Yasht states that God has given a natural star-studdedgirdle (it is actually the Milky-way) orthe belt of Orion - this is Haomato Persian & Somaof theIndians; which has turned into presiding deity of the Vedic theology. Thus the procreativepowers received excessive adorations that ultimately led to utter religious corruptions: equatingdevaswith Supreme God by self-fancies, setting terms of worship and imposing caste systemfor their personal gains.

C. ADVENT OF PROPHET ZOROASTER:

In above mentioned background, Persian Prophet Zoroaster was raised within among Indo-

Persian line of Su-Danus descending from sage Kashyapa. In Hindu mythologies,Kashyapa (Persian: Kashaf) is the son of Marici who is again amongst the six mind-born sons(manas-putra) of Brahma (Hindu Brahma has striking similarity with Prohet Abrahamwhich Jesuits have pointed at first. This will be discussed in another article). He is known tohave born in Mazar-I-Sharif, which is now in Afghanisthan. Zoroastrian Mazda-Worship isknown as Mazdayasni Ahura-Tkaesha(Farvardin Yashts verses 89 & 90). Prophet Zoroastersreligion was a continuation of Abrahamic monotheism in Aryan world. Early Magis used to callZarathrustra as Ibrahim Zardusht (see: dHerbelots Bibliotheca Orientalis, 1697). Zoroastrianscripture Dasatir-14 has mention of Abraham and prediction about coming of the Final Prophet


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(i.e. Muhammad) [7]. He arrived to restore the Abrahamic monotheism i.e., submission to theSupreme God and shunning the worship of false gods and wayward religiose cults that equateinfinite God with His own finite creations. After A. H. Anquetil Duperrons publications (1771)based on original manuscripts collected from Parsees of India, we come to know more abouttheir scripture. Let us reflect to the Zoroastrian Gatha (Sassanian period) possessed by theIndian Persees from where we could trace out common roots of Abrahamic religion with regard

to Adam and the Satan Iblis(as mentioned in Quran) in mutilated forms (Yasna 30-6):Ay (of these two Manyus) nit(not)r (properly) viyt (discriminated)Dav-cin (Deva race from) hya(because) (Cupid)dbm (?).

Prsmang(those in contact) up-jasa(weakened together).

[ and dbm existed in a mutilated form. has been translated as Cupid i.e. Satan whodeceives. (In Quran he is Iblis).dbm is not a form of verb, had it been a verb it wouldhave been dbhm. Geldner has noted many variants in its texts which show that there weredoubts and differences of opinions about the origin of this word.] Source: (Ardeshir FramjiKhabardar, p. 247) [1]

Prophet Zoroaster came with a message to a nation whose adoration was centered on fire.

And later, Prophet Muhammad came with the Universal message to the world of polytheism thatworshipped everything in nature - the sun, the moon, the stars, water, air, trees and so forth.There has been a misconception about Zoroastrians that they are worshipers of sun, instead ofGod. True Zoroastrians did not equate sun with God; Prophet Zarathrustra was ordained with atask of establishing a solar observatory on an island on Helmand Lake in Eastern Iran in orderto establish the correct time of the Spring Equinox. It was used to measure the exact time ofNoRuz, the Persian New Year, which would be the equivalent of an astronomically preciseEaster. Since very ancient time Indo-Europeans are known to observe in the spring the NewYear, NuRoz(means New Day). As to the Winter Solstice, the Indo-Europeans celebrated aYule tide festival at mid winter. The early followers of Zarathrustra, or perhaps even Zarathrustrahimself used to observe a Mid WinterGahan Bar, but either because of a renewal of the earlytradition, or for other reasons, it got mixed up with the Yule tide and became what is now

known as Yalda. These festivals were concentrated on studying preaching and singing theGathas for Five Gathas Days.

In spite of the decline of Persian Empire and eventual near-extinction of Zoroastrianism, sogreat was this religions vitality and so appealing were many of its conceptions and precepts thatmuch of Zoroasters creed lives on in the religions of Israel and C hrist. According to Max Mullar,if the western march of the Persian Empire had not been stopped at the decisive battles ofMarathon and Salamis, Zoroastrianism would have been the prevailing religion of Europe andthe Americas.

(i) Time of Zoroasters Gatha: In Atharva Veda (XV: 6-12) we find a mention of Gatha. But anymention of Veda or other Hindu books are absent in Zoroastrian scriptures. This shows thatGathas are of an earlier date than the Sanskrit Vedas. Persian Avesta and Indic Vedas wereevidently written long after Abraham when pictorial languages of the old world had already welldeveloped into alphabetic languages. The meter of the Gatha hymns is historically related to theVedic Tristubh-Jagatifamily of meters. Hymns of these meters are recited, not sung. Languageand poetry in metrical structure are the common traits of Hindu Vedas, Iranian Gathas andGreek lyrics, but unknown to the ancient pictorial languages of Mesopotamians and Egyptians.We are thus acquainted with old Vedic related three dialects of ancient Persian: (i) a specialform of Cuneiform inscription; (ii) the Gathic part of Yasna, and (iii) the remaining portion of

Avesta.


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When Zarathrustralived, the clans of Indo-Iranians or Persians did not have the same script thatwe find in their later scriptures; for many centuries their religious works were handed downorally. Estimates of antiquity of Zoroastrianismvary widely depending upon the source used.Extensive work of Mary Boyce [8] on the history of Zoroastrianism dates time of Zoroasterbetween 1400-1000 BC; The Bundahisn or Creation, an important text within religion cites the

time of Zoroastrianism as 258 years before Alexanders conquest of Persia in 330 BC (i.e., 588BC). But again Xanthus of Lydia, a historian of 500 BC put him 600 years before Xerxes (486-465 BC) which would take him back to 1100 BC. Archaic language of Gatha is no waysuggestive of 600 BC; rather it suggests the antiquity more than 1000 BC. Iranian proper namesand place-names start being mentioned in the cuneiform documents of Assyria and Babylonia inthe 9th century BC. Median, spoken by the tribes who founded the first Iranian empire (673-549BC), is only scantily and indirectly known.

(ii) Formalization of scripture: The Gathas (Gs) of Zoroaster are the most sacred texts ofthe Zoroastrian faith which but lack original languages of the Prophet. The ancient Indo-European Gathic language is long extinct. But from what we know of the Zoroastrian scripts, it

could have been done long after that the Sassanians (560 AD) canonized Avesta into 21 nasksin Pahlavi language. When the Yasnas were collected during the Sassanian period someconfusion crept in to the order of Gatha either due to ignorance or by some other causes. Afterthey learnt writing through the native Elamites, Assyrians and Babylonians, Persians inheritingZoroastrianism through the Midian sources have compiled Avesta during the Achaemenianperiod (550-330 BC). Achaemenian Empire was devastated by Alexander (321 BC); afterwardsscattered records of Avesta texts were recollected by the Parthians (250 BC). The theocraticSassanian Empire (651 AD) collapsed and only after 10th century AD the Avesta has beenreshaped into more than six books. Zoroastrian doctrine exists via later age traditions of Zend

Avesta and the sectarian Dasatir. The earliest part of Zoroastrian teachings is Gatha. The 17hymns of the Gathas consist of 238 verses, of about 1300 lines or 6000 words in total. Theywere later incorporated into the 72-chapter Yasna (chapter: haorhad, from the Avestan ha'iti,

cut), which in turn is the primary liturgical collection of texts within the greater compendium ofthe Avesta. The Gathic Staota Yesnya, the Divine messages of Prophet Zarathrustra haveremained greatly in tact in between the chapters because every generation of priestshave had it well in memory. The Gatha of Zoroaster is presumed to have begun from28th Yasna. The 17 hymns are identified by their chapter numbers in the Yasna, and aredivided into five major sections: Ahunavaiti Gatha, Ushtavaiti Gatha, Spenta Mainyu Gatha,Vohu KhshathraGatha, and Vahishto IshtiGatha. The six books are:1) Yasna (veneration) - with 72 haiti(chapter):2) Vespered (all- festivals);3) Yashts (venerated);4) Vendidad (Vi-daevo-datai.e. law against daevas- evil deities);5) Herbadistan & Nirangistan (book of priests and rites);

6) Fragments;7) Khordeh Avesta (smaller Avesta, a book of daily prayers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bodleian_J2_fol_175_Y_28_1.jpg


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Yasna 28.1 (Bodleian MS J2)

(iii) Separation of Mazdaism and Vedism after Zoroasters teachings:The Avestan and the Vedic heritage have descended from sage Kashyapa hence they own auniquely common root. The earliest hymns in the Zoroastrian Gathas use the six-lineMahapanktimeter, which is also found in the RigVeda. Aumprayer of Veda is Ahunaprayer of

Avesta (Vedic: a-u-m; Persian: a-u-n) - that we know as Hindus sacred Gayatri orOmkarMantra. In 7th stanza of 29th Yasna, Ahura Mazda c learly gives reference to Ahuna prayer. Itsays: Ahura joined Asa (Divine Law) and composed Ahuna mantra for the world to keep it inorder. Then Spenta Mainyus (Holy mind) gave it to the Soshyantas (Prophets) and inspiredthem to translate in this material world. Tat savitur varenyam (Sanskrit) means same asYatha ahu vairyo (Avestan). Notably, ahu of Avesta is replaced by savitur in Vedic. Inpresent Veda (RV: III.62) one from the four lines of scared Gayatri Mantra could be traced,which has been used in chanting for devas (Indra-Varuna, Brihaspati, Pusha, Savita, Soma,Mitra and Varuna) rather than a real prayer of AUM i.e. to the Lord of this world and worldbeyond. In fact deva-centric Vedic heritage never accepted Avestans God-centric essence ofAUMprayer; hence till today there is no uninamity in Vedic tradition as regard the meanings ofAUM.

Zoroastrian tradition maintained that (Kabardar) [1] devaand masakyaclans were responsiblefor introducing evils among their kinsmen Su-Danus and harassed them with black magic.Eduljee [3] informs: in the chapter 32 of the Gathas, Zarathushtra speaks about the daevaasevil and the lie (Yasna.30.6). In Yasna 32.3 Zarathushtra states:"At yush deava vispaonghaakat manangho sta chithrem." (But all you daevaare the progeny of wicked thoughts). TheShahnameh has listed in nine principle vices called divs:Az- greedNiaz- desireKhashm- wrathRashk- envyNang- dishonourKin- vengeanceNammaam- tell-taleDo-ruy- two-facedNapak-din- heretic

In Gatha (Yasna 32) we find that Prophet had to face great opposition from deva clan forrevealing the Divine message. Despite the fact that both Indo-Aryan Rig-Veda and Perso-Iranian Avesta evidently knew Asura as the highest God (R.V: 1, 35:7; 3, 29:14; 5, 41:3; 10,10:2; 10, 67:2 etc) -the Vedic heritage gradually began to reject both Supreme God Asura and

His followers (Zoroastrian asuraclans) and started vilifying Asura as demon; thus Vedic godAgni (RV. VII. 13. 1) and also Indra (RV. VI. 22. 3) turned into asuraslayers, but again thesedevas (e.g. Varuna) were also equated with Asura. The trends of Rig Vedic hymns clearlyshowed that deva clan rejected prophetic wisdom of Zoroaster and willfully embraced deva-worship via syncretism with the Supreme God. In Gatha (Yasna 30: 7) Prophet declared that:The Cupid(Satan) had enticed deva people and had thrown them in the pit of vice; andmade them weak and dull that they joined the side of Angra Manyu (i.e. evil spirit); andwere incapable of judgingbetween Good and Evil.In retaliation we find in Veda: O, Lord


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of prayers, Brihaspati, O Indra, with thy hot bolt split through Asuras men. As thou ofold didst smite with daring furyso smite today, O Indra, that fell fiend(RV. I, 131).AndZoroastrian Gatha, Yasna (32: 3) writes: Your kindred, O ye devas are seeds from the mindof polluted; who praise unto you most offers, with deed of the lie deceiveth; Advancedyour stratagems are, renowned in the sevenfold earth.

After Prophet Zoroaster, in later course of Aryans history we found two significant changes one with the Indo-Iranians and other in the Greek contexts. We know about the great respectfelt for Zoroaster by the certain Greeks, especially Pythagorean and Platonic schools, when

Aristoxenus (the most eminent of the Aristotles pupil) during 320-300 BC wrote aboutZoroaster as their ultimate source of wisdom [9].Socrates, Plato and Aristotles works helpedmankind greatly to distinguish between the Divine Goodness and the cults of demigodsthrough examination of human thought process. Assyrians and Persians were assimilated intoChristianity and Islam; in sharp contrast, religion ofdevascontinued to flourish in Indian Vedism.

After schism with Zoroastrians, Brahminical Hinduism invented heresy via false etymology bytaking A of Asura as primitive; the word Sura (opposite of Asura) was coined for god; inRamayana of Valmiki. (1.44, 22-23): the gods (Suras) drank wine (sura), while the others, whorefused to drink the wine, became Asuras. This is also explicit in Sankaracharya s gloss

(Sankara on Chandyagya Upanishad (1.2.1): The gods, called devasbecause they shine forth(div); the demons are opposed to the gods and are called Asuras because they delight in (ra) oflife (Asu). Encycl. Brit. [10] writes: To Vedic mere aesthetic pleasure (rasa) was supreme Godand any of who was enjoying it perfectly - became God to others. This idea of god-hood hasbecome quite explicit in AV (X.8.44): akamodhiro namrtahsvayambhu rasen trpto na kutaseanonah.

CONCLUDING REMARK:In Zoroastrian context we have seen: how religious darkness creeps in under the auspices ofangra mainyu after God takes back the Light that was given to them before. The DivineInspiration has been stopped after the death of Prophet Muhammad. And till God resumes it

again with the second coming of Prophet Jesus scripture bearers (Sabians, Judeo-Cristiansand Muslims) have to cope with the dark powers of angra mainyu that always tend tojeopardize Prophetic Truth by steering - primarily from within the tradition and secondarilyfrom outside.

[Republished from my publication: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/zoroastrian-gatha-an-interim-revelation-in-context-of-avestanvedic-and-early-aryans-religious-blunder-6051351.html]

References:1. Ardeshir Framji Khabardar. 1951. New lights on the Gathas of Holy Zarathustra, (Bombay).

[This book deals with all the stanzas of the seven Yasnas of Ahunavaiti Gatha and theirtranslation in English and Gujarati prose and Gujarati verse, together with their transformation inthe pre-Vedic written language with full notes, explanation, grammar etc, and Vedic timemeanings in English and Gujarati of every word and its Vedic form. Also deals with the origin ofthe Mantric speech in the Gathas, the definition of Ashoi in the Gathas, the Astrologicalfoundation of the Gathas and their philosophy, the birth-era of Asho Zarathushtra and its remoteantiquity, a glossary of Gathic words found in the Vedas, the peculiarities of Avestan alphabetand the principal difference between Gatha and Sanskrit phonology, and with copious notes inregard to the deep and vast researches made in respect of the Zarathushtrian religion.]


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2. Mallory. J.P, 1991. In the search of Indo-Europeans, p. 140. (Thames and Hudson)

3. Zoroastrian Heritage (by K.E. Eduljee) [http://www.zoroastrianheritage.com/]

4. [Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism (Textual Sources for the Study of Religion) ISBN

0226618471 Ch.3-4, pp.53-71 University Of Chicago by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty; 2.Herrenschmidt, Clarisse & Kellens, Jean (1993), "*Daiva", Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 6, CosaMesa: Mazda, pp. 599-602; 3. Hale, Wash Edward (1986), SURA in Early Vedic Religion,Delhi: Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass; 4. Insler, Stanley (1993), "Review: SURA in Early VedicReligion by Wash Edward Hale", Journal of the American Oriental Society 113 (4): 595-596; 5.Thieme, Paul (1960), "The 'Aryan' Gods of the Mitanni Treaties", Journal of the AmericanOriental Society 80 (4): 301-317]

5. Rawlison, H.C. 1846/7-9. The Persian cuneiform inscription at Behistan, deciphered andtranslated. JRAS 10; i-lxxi, i-349 (chapters 1-5); 1850a. Note on the Persian inscriptions atBehistan. JRAS 12: i-xxi.; (Rawlinson, Henry (1847) "The Persian Cuneiform Inscription atBehistun, decyphered and translated; with a Memoir on Persian

Cuneiform Inscriptions in general, and on that of Behistun in Particular", The Journal of theRoyal Asiatic Society, vol. X).

6. Bhattacharya. B. 1993. Saivism and the phallic world, vol.I (p. 94); vol.II, p. 297. (MunsiramMonoharlal Pub, India)

7. Vidyarthy, A.H. 1990. Muhammad in world scriptures, pp.45-46, (Adam Publisher, Delhi)

8. Mary Boyce. A History of Zoroastrianism, Vols. 1-3, (E.J. Brill, Leiden) 1975-1991; andBarnabe Brisson. p. 188, De religion Persarum principatu.

9. Mary Boyce. 1991. A History of Zoroastrianism volume three: Zoroastrianism under

Macedonian and Roman Rule, pp. 363 370.

10. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1974, Vol.I, p. 161

11.http://en.wikipedia.org/wki/File
http://en.wikipedia.org/wki/Filehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wki/Filehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wki/Filehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wki/File

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Zoroastrian Gatha: an interim Revelation in the context of Avestan/Vedic and early Aryans’ religious blunder