Asho Zarathushtra's birth

by Aban B Colabewalla


1) Asho Zarathushtra's Birth

A human body has two main things, the soul (Ruvan) and the body. Ruvan makes the body alive. Asho Zarathushtra was not an ordinary man like us. Ahura Mazda had made him in a special way. His Ruvan was brought down to earth by Bahman and Ardibehesh Ameshaspands in the juice of the branch of sacred Haoma tree and kept in the bird's nest. As instructed by them, Paurashaspa (Zarathushtra's father) took the branch home doing certain prayers and ceremonies. The branch was then kept in a vessel containing water from the holy river Daitee.

Now as regards our body, it develops from the very first cell, which in our religious language is called "Boon" (the reason we insist on "Boonak Pasbani"). In the story of Asho Zarathushtra written in an old book called "Dinkard", the word used for "Boon" of Asho Zarathushtra is "Tanu-Gohar". "Tanu" means body and "Gohar" means Jewel. Asho Zarathushtra's Gohar was first with Ahura Mazda, made by Ahura Mazda with his own light. The holy books have described how Asho Zarathushtra's Gohar was sent by Ahura Mazda, to be formed inside his mother, Dougdo. On its journey down to earth, the Gohar passed through certain unseen places in the Light-World of Ahura Mazda and then entered into a cloud of rain. The cloud broke into rain water over the holy land where Daugo and Paurushaspa were living. The Gohar entered into the plants which had freshly shot up from the ground. Daugdo and Paurushaspa were in prayers and became aware of this incident. Paurushaspa went into the field full of green plants, reciting the prayer when the two Ameshaspands appeared before him. They instructed him to bring his six white cows with yellow ears and make them eat those plants. They said that the cows will eat the plants which will then go into their milk. Dougdo will then take out the cows' milk.

Now as directed by the two Ameshaspands, Paurushaspa asked Daugdo to give him the Haoma branch which contained the Ruvan of Asho Zarathushtra (which was kept in the vessel containing water of holy river Daitee). Paurushaspa then sat down to do certain ceremonies on that branch, pounding the green branch while saying Avesta prayers and pouring the holy water of Daitee river on it. He thus made a liquid containing the "Ruvan" of Asho Zarathushtra and then mixed it up with the cows' milk which contained the "Gohar" of Asho Zarathushtra. Both of them drank the holy mixture and thus Asho Zarathushtra began to be formed inside Daugdo's body.

(Above explanation is given courtesy "PARSI PUKAR" which is publishing Asho Zarathushtra's story in detail since January 1997. Maybe, some of you have read Porus Havevalla's book "Saga of the Aryans - The Advent of Asho Zarathushtra" which is also worth reading).

2) As regards 'NASKS", you have just mentioned "He requested Ahura Mazda to bestow him with the knowledge of the twenty-one Nasks". The children do not know what these "NASKS" are and hence an expalantion is necessary. "NASKS" are volumes/books. As mentioned in the book "Dinkard", the entire AVESTA (including Yasna, Vendidad, Yashsts, Gathas etc) was contained in the 21 Frashusho-Manthra Nasks which was revealed by Ahura Mazda to Asho Zarathushtra. Each of these 21 Nasks (volumes/books) were based on the 21 varied "staot" (cosmic resonance) embodied in the sacred Ahunavar Manthra (Yatha Ahu Vairiyo prayer). (This explanation is given courtesy Pervin J Mistry's article "THE GATHAS" given on TZML Internet on 17-8-99. I very much appreciate her efforts in presenting the important issue of "Gathas" in its right perspective. It reveals to us the shallow, destructive and sacrilegious approach of the "Gatha Alone Cultists" who are trying their best to bring about changes to suit their likes and dislikes. It now rests with staunch traditiional Zarathushtris to spread the true knowledge of "Ilm-e-Khshnoom" and increase our numbers to put an end to the movement of "Gatha Alone Cultists" misguiding our youth).

3) Miracle of King Vistasp's horse, Aspe-Siha

You have narrated the incident of Asho Zarathushtra curing the horse's legs but have not taken the trouble to explain the hidden meaning behind it. Those who have read this story, please note that when events are described in terms of animals in our religious books, i.e. cow, horse or camel, they mean something else. It requires special knowledge to understand the real hidden meanings. For example, a cow denotes the habit of being helpful to all persons and things. A horse shows speed to become good and powerful, to run towards God. To run towards God means to be good to all. Thinking, speaking and doing good means to run to God. A camel denotes knowledge of God. The word 'ASHO" means holy (shining with Ahura Mazda's light) and Zarathushtra ("Ushtra" meaning Camel) means the highest being in knowledge and wisdom.

There is a reference in history that the four legs of Shah Vistasp's horse which had gone deep into the stomach, were removed out by Asho Zarathushtra. The hidden true meaning of this incident is:

"Asp" means horse and "Siha" means black. Four legs of the horse are four directions of the world. The four legs going deep into the horse's stomach means that darkness prevailed in all four directions of the world, i.e. there was evil everywhere. Asho Zarathushtra brought an end to this darkness, i.e. evil, and the world became full of ocean of light once again.

4) You have mentioned that Zarathushtra had three wives (one after another) and several children. How could you reduce the status of our Paigambar, a YAZAD, to such a low level of ordinary human beings like us? We should always keep in mind that Asho Zarathushtra, a YAZAD, was selected by Ahura Mazda to incarnate on earth to aid spiritual progress of human beings. Thus you should have presented to the readers the hidden meaning as explained in "Zarathushtra Nameh". I explain same below:

The three wives are his YAZADIC POWERS or YAZADIC ENERGIES going around inside His Body. These powers/energies are :

  1. HAVOVI - Inexhaustible purity
  2. URVISHT - Capable of Divine Consciousness
  3. AIVISH-BARDAR - Altertness against evil onslaughts

His three Sons are His Spiritual Strengths -

  1. ISTAVASTAR - All-knowing
  2. UDHARTNAR - Power to perform miracles
  3. HAVERECHITHRA - Possessor of "NOOR" of the highest grade

His daughters are His other Spiritual Powers -

  1. FRENY - Conduct worthy of highest praise
  2. THRITY - Power to sacrifice, power to maintain unity of Soul
  3. PAURUCHISTI - Light of inexhaustible wisdom

This is the reason we refer to Him as "Vakshure Vakshuran Ramzgo Asho Spitman Zarathushtra".

5) You have made Asho Zarathushtra die like a mere mortal, after being stabbed in the back by Tur-bar-Atur. How can a YAZAD die like a human being? Asho Zarathushtra is said not to be "dead" but "VIKHIZ", i.e. "to disperse" or "fission". Asho Zarathushtra is known to have defeated the archdemon "Angre Mainyu" himself. According to the 'VENDIDAD", the demon fled in fear of Asho Zarathushtra's immaculately pure soul. Is it then possible to believe that an average Turanian soldier, named Tur-bar-Atur, killed Asho Zarathushtra by stabbing him in the back while Asho Zarathushtra was praying? How can this soldier succeed when the archdemon fled in fear?

The hidden meaning behind this story, Dear Readers is that, Tur-bar-Atur personifies a catastrophic cosmic event which might have posed imminent threat to the survival of humanity at that time. Being a YAZAD, Asho Zarathushtra, through His Divine Powers, averted the bleak event for humanity by saving it from Tur-bar-Atur. "Tur" means dark or evil, "bar" means forms/forces and "Atur" means evil/fiery energy. Asho Zarathushtra contained this "Tur-bar-Atur"/ evil energy by establishing a force-field "Kash" as personified by the "Tasbih" (prayer beads) He threw at it. Hence Tur-bar-Atur is not a mere soldier but a tremendously powerful energy generated by the collective evil thought forces of the humanity at that time.

Asho Zarathushtra, being a YAZAD, a Divine Being, did not possess a physical body like ours and so there was no question of his dying. When His mission in this world was completed, Asho Zarathushtra left this world by simply disappearing from this world. This disappearance is known as 'VIKHIZ". The "death" of Asho Zarathushtra is allegorical. It indicates the disappearance of His "Tanu" (Body as described above in Point No.1) which He, as a Divine YAZAD, had to use for his Mission on Earth. The "Dinkard" mentions that Asho Zarathushtra's body was made of Celestial Light "Veer-tan-Kard" (as indicated by the ball of fire emanating from the palm of His hand) and not the kind of physical matter we ordinary humans possess. Asho Zarathushtra re-ascended to "Akhvaan Pahloom", the Abode of the Endless Light where Ahura Mazda Himself resides. (This explanation on 'VIKHIZ" is given courtesy Pervin J Mistry's article "ATOMS AND ATLANTEANS" given on TZML Internet dated 29th May 1999. It is very enlightening and worth reading. To learn more on "VIKHIZ", I would request you all to read this article).

Dear Yezdi, hope you and the readers have understood above explanations.

Additionally, I refer to the article of Noshir Dadrawala on "Ustad Saheb Behramshah N Shroff" given by Zenobia Patel on TZML Internet on 4-6-1999. Ustad Saheb taught "Ilm-e-Khshnoom", the authentic mysticism of the Zarathustrian Daena. Those interested in knowing about him in detail may read the book "Life of Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff (including an outline of 14,000 years' History of Iran and coming of Shah Behram Varzavand) edited by Mrs Meher Master-Moos. As mentioned in the last paragraph of this article, Ustad Saheb's desciples, Framroze and Jehangir Chiniwalla and Masani brothers continued the work of spreading "Ilm-e-Khshnoom". We are fortunate to have a treasure-trove of their writings, mostly in Gujarati, (available with K R Cama Oriental Institute and Mazdayasni Monasterie) benefit of which our current generation is unable to avail of as they have not bothered to learn "Gujarati", the language we adopted as our mother tongue in place of our original mother tongue Persian. Actually, if one tries, it is an easy language to learn. Anyway, such Parsees interested in gaining true religious "Ilm-e-Khshnoom" knowledge, can read (besides "DEEN PARAST") "PARSI PUKAR" edited by Ervard K N Dastoor since 1995. It is a monthly magazine, cost of which is only Rs 50/- per year. For foreign subscribers it is US$ 10/- OR UK P.Stg. 7/-.

Before concluding, I would like to say a few words on the notation "Marry within our community and SAVE our religion" that has been appearing at the end of some of the messages on TZML Internet. However, so far, besides giving this notation, nobody has given any explanation as to why any human being, especially Zarathushtis, cannot inter-marry. To get an insight into the reason WHY we cannot marry outside, every Zarathushti has to understand WHO HE/SHE IS, I.E. WHAT KIND/GRADE OF SOUL HE/SHE HAS. The current generation brings the argument that all human beings are equal and therefore inter-marriages are OK as per their thinking. They very much need to learn that as per the Divine Universal Natural Laws, there are differences in degrees of spiritual evolution (different grades/status of souls), differences between religions (to suit the needs of different grades/status of souls). We have to gain the knowledge on how and why these differences occur under the Divine Universal Natural Laws relating to JZHIRUM.

Many Parsees do not know what JZHIRUM is. JZHIRUM is the Divine/Celestial Light Vibrational Energy Source of the Spiritual World. The five great religions of the World, i.e. Zarathustrian, Hinduism, Muslim, Judaism and Christianity have their own respective JZHIRUMS to which souls belonging to these religions are linked. Ustad Saheb's teaching on this mystical/spiritual side of nature has been published by Mazdayasnie Monasterie, titled "COSMOGENESIS" - Knowledge given by Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff on "JZHIRUM" (edited by Mrs Meher Master-Moos). I feel the only way to prevent our youngsters from marrying outside our community is to make them understand the working of these Divine Universal Natural Laws and how going against these Laws affects/harms our SOULS. They have to understand that the SOUL is more important than our body and just as our body needs to be kept clean and pure, our SOUL also hungers to become more pure and more shining in each birth until it attains FRASHO-KEREITI, i.e. to be free from the cycles of life and death in this world. To understand this very important matter, it is a must for every Parsee to read the book "COSMOGENESIS".

To bring about this turn around in the outlook of our currrent generation, to make them completely faithful to our Great religion, respecting the tenets of our scriptures, we need more and more persons like Ervard K N Dastoor, Roni K Khan, Porus Havevala, Noshir Dadravala, Adi Doctor, Mrs Meher Master-Moos, Pervin J Mistry. Pashmina M Contractor and Zenobia Patel to give them true religious education of the spiritual understanding of our religion and as Pashmina has said in her article "Understanding our Daily Prayers" in Jam-e-Jamshed dated 8th August 1999, to start a yearning in their hearts for more and more knowledge about our glorious Zarathurstian religion.

So Yezdi, I finally end my letter now. It has taken me a long time to do it because of continuous work load at the office.

With all the best wishes to you and everyone,

Aban B Colabewalla
Tata International Ltd
Mumbai, India.

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