1.Heavenly bodies like the stars, sun and moon are mentioned in the Avesta and also in Pahlavi books like Bundahishna and Zadsparam. The Pahlavi literature also mention constellations and planets.

2. In the Zoroastrian calendar, the 13^th roj and the 4^th māh are dedicated to Teshtar Tir or Tishtrya who is the leader among all stars. In Avestan times, Tishtrya was recognized as the brightest star in the Eastern sky and was given the position of “leader of all the stars.” It is identified with the star Sirius in the constellation of Canis Major. It’s rising coincided with the arrival of rains and hence it was considered the bringer of rains.

3. Whenever Tishtrya is remembered, the stars of the other three directions, who are his associates, are also remembered. In all, these 4 stars are the guardians of the four directions: Tishtriya (Sirius) of the East, Satavaesa (Anatares) of the South,  Haptoiring (Great Bear) of the North,  and Vanant (Wega) of the West. These are not only names of stars, but also names of Yazads who preside over the stars.

4. Vanant Yazad is identified with Wega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra in the west. Vanant Yazad helps to overcome negative thoughts and protects against evil practices. He helps against moral and mental evil of all kinds like black magic, chants, sorcery and charms. He is victorious over evils and noxious creatures like rats, cats, snakes and wolves.

5. Haptoiring is identified with the Ursa Major or Great Bear constellation, which has seven main bright stars. The word Haptoiring means “having seven points”. It appears in the Northern sky. It is health and khoreh (energy) giving and helps keep away black magicians and sorcerors. It especially opposes Kewan (Saturn) and negates its ill effects.

6. Satavaesa is identified with the star Anatares in the South. In the Avesta it is further described as bright and having water content. Satavaesa as a Yazad is not invoked individually, but is always remembered along with Tishtrya.

1. Jivanji Modi was born in 1854. He was the only son of a priest who served as the first Panthaki of Seth Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agyari, Colaba. At the age of 11, he became Navar, and in 1871 he passed matriculation and underwent the Martab. In the same year, he succeeded his father as the Panthaki, where he formally served for 40 years till 1910.

2. Mr. K.R. Cama made him take up Iranian studies. He received a B.A. from Bombay University in 1876. He studied German and French in order to understand the works of  European scholars writing about Zoroastrian religion. He was elected a Fellow of Bombay University in 1887 and also a member of Bombay’s Anthropological Society and Royal Asiatic Society.

3. Jivanji was elected as Corporator of the Bombay Municipality in 1889. He was also appointed Justice of Peace in 1890. He received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Heidelberg and Bombay. The British government conferred on him the title Shams-ul-Ulema in 1893, and the Knighthood in 1930. The title Shams-ul-Ulemā literally means “Shining like the sun (shams) among the wise ones (ulemā).

4. In 1893 he was appointed secretary of the Bombay Parsi Punchayat (BPP), and served there for 37 years. He was associated with the K.R. Cama Oriental Institute for several years, in various capacities, like its President, secretary and editor of its journal. He was instrumental in having the ‘Sanjan Stambh (column) erected in 1917 at Sanjan to commemorate the landing of Parsis there.

5. Jivanji travelled extensively in the sub-continent, as well as in the United States, Asia (including Iran and Japan) and Europe. On some of his travels he attended international conferences such as the 7^th International Congress of Orientalists at Stockholm (1889). He was the sole Zoroastrian at the Parliament of World’s Religions at Chicago in 1893, where Swami Vivekananda also gave his legendary address.  Jivanji was a dynamic speaker, and  delivered over 350 lectures in his life.

6. Jivanji was also a prolific writer. He has written more than two hundred research papers and essays in English and Gujarati. He has also authored more than 100 books, 50 each in English and Gujarati, and also two books in French. He also composed some Monajats (devotional songs in Gujarati) and translated parts of the Shahnameh in prose as well as in verse form into Gujarati. His best known work, used extensively even today, is The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees.

7. He passed away in 1933 at the age of 79. He shines as an illustrious star in the firmament of Zoroastrian studies. He was a multifaceted personality, who was active not only in the academic field but also in the Community and society. His contribution towards Zoroastrian academics in light of comparative religion, literature and science, is unparalleled.  He may be considered one of the most decorated Zoroastrian priests and the most prolific Parsi scholar of modern times.

1. Though it sounds very unusual, and at the first sight there seems to be no apparent connection between fire and man, at further scrutiny, one realises that there are so many similarities between the two, that at the end of the examination, they start appearing like twins.

2. Although priests are referred to as Āthravan, that is, “protectors of fire”, fire and humans depend on each other for their physical and spiritual sustenance and survival, and one is always incomplete without the other. There are several striking similarities between the two:

a) Both are living, breathing entities requiring oxygen for survival.

b) Both require food to survive. The food of fire is fuel, especially wood. Man can find his own food, but fire cannot, so the fire has to depend on man for its food.

b) Both have hierarchical status. There are different grades of fire like Dadgah, Adaran and Atash Behram, and there are several levels of humans from ignorant, to knowledgeable and evolved. However from the outside all look similar and it is not possible to know about the hierarchical status from outside, both of fire and of men.

c) Both have physical and spiritual constituents. Man has a body and soul. The fire too has a physical body and a spiritual consciousness.

d) Both are links between physical and spiritual worlds. Man takes prayers to the divine world, and fire gets divine energy (khoreh) from the spiritual realms.

e) No two are ever the same. Though any two may appear similar, no two human beings nor any two fires are ever the same.

f) Both are able to create another like them, which, though similar, is unique. A human can give birth to another human and a new fire can be ignited from an existing fire.

g) Both can be used for good or evil. A man can create, nurture and produce, and also destroy, annihilate and end. So can a fire be used to cook, create and give shape, but if not used carefully and wisely, it can destroy life and property.

h) Both are considered Ratheshtars, that is, fighters and warriors against evil.

i) Both are Ahura Mazda’s favourite creations as they have been assigned the special task of fighting evil and bringing about Frashokereti – the final renovation. 3. The above similarities show the close co-relation between fire and man, as both have been created as the favourite creations of Ahura Mazda. It is thus very meaningful, that in the Avesta fire is figuratively referred to as the “son (puthra) of Ahura Mazda” and Ahura Mazda is mentioned as the “father (pitar) of man.” fff

1. In the Avesta, the rooster is known as paro-darsh, which literally means “he who foresees the coming dawn.” Its main function is to crow at dawn to scare away Bushyãsta, the demon of sloth and laziness.

2. While the demon Bushyãsta makes people drowsy and puts them to sleep, the rooster wakes up people by crowing. While crowing at dawn it seems to say “Oh men! Wake up. Sleeping for long is not good for you.” However, lazy people do not appreciate the rooster waking them up. So they rebuke it by calling it Kahrkatas “a croaker.”

3. Being an opponent of an evil being, a rooster naturally becomes an ally of the good divine forces of the Universe. It has a special connection to Sarosh Yazad. It is said to be the keenest and most faithful follower of Sarosh Yazad, and is considered one of his closest allies.

4. It is believed that the rooster protects the world from the evils of Zohak, who is bound under the Demavand mountain and is waiting to unleash his evils on the world by trying to free himself. Tradition has it that throughout the night Zohak tries to free himself by licking at his chains making them thin, but as they are about to snap, dawn draws near, and the crowing of the rooster foils his attempts to escape and his chains resume their thickness. Actually the crowing of the rooster indicates the rising of the sun, and it is the good energy of the sun that neutralises the strength of evil collected during the night.

5. Another oral tradition associated with the rooster in Parsi culture is that one should not eat a rooster, the reason being that it is a representative of Sarosh Yazad and an opponent of Bushyāst dev.

6. The rooster is highly regarded at the Pier-e-Banu Pars in Yazd, Iran. When princess Banu Pars was fleeing the Arabs, night came on, and the exhausted princess went to sleep on the mountains. In the morning, the tired Banu Pars was not able to wake up and the pursuing Arabs came close to her. It was at that time that the rooster crowed and woke her up, and she was able to escape the clutches of the Arabs.

1. As to the significance of the Vendidad ritual, the meaning of the word Vendidad, is indicative of its purpose. The word Vendidad means “regulations against evil.” The performance of the Vendidad is expected to curb the power of all types of evils in the world, especially the spiritual. Thus, its performance renders great service to God and nature as it strengthens the good forces and weakens the evil. The benefit of the performance of the ritual goes to the soul in whose memory the ritual is performed. Hence it is very meritorious to have a Vendidad ritual performed in memory of a departed person.

2. The Vendidad ritual is performed for various purposes.  It is mainly performed in memory of the deceased. It is also performed as the culmination of the Nirang-din ritual, for the Maratab initiation and in several sets of rituals like consecration of Agyaris and Atash Behrams and performance of the Hama Yasht. 3. There are several reasons why the Vendidad ritual seems expensive. One is that it requires the services of two priests of the highest calibre.  Secondly, it takes 24 hours of the priests’ time. And lastly its actual performance takes almost six hours at an unusual time after midnight. h

1. The Vendidad is the longest and the most exalted of the present Zoroastrian rituals. In this ritual, the text of the Vendidad scripture is recited along with the texts of the Yasna and Visparad.

2. The Vendidad ritual takes about 6 to 7 hours to perform. It can be performed only in the Ushahin geh, that is after mid-night. It is an inner ritual and hence can be performed only within the pāvis (furrows) in a ritually clean precincts of a Daremeher, Agyari or Atash Behram.

3. Though the actual Vendidad ritual requires about 6 hours to perform, its preparation starts right from the morning. Two priests of the highest calibre are required for 24 hours each for the performance of the Vendidad ritual.

4. The preparation for the ritual starts by the performance of a Yasna ritual in the morningby two priests. This is called the khub and is meant to give ritual and spiritual power to undertake the higher ritual of Vendidad at night. After performing the Yasna ritual, the priests are expected to stay in the fire temple throughout the day, and observe certain restrictions, so as not to vitiate their ‘ritual power’.

1. Ancient Iran, being largely a desert region, camel was the main mode of transport and hence was considered a very valuable animal. Special shelters were built for housing camels. The camel was described as “having a high hump, abundant thinking power, swift runner and carrier of heavy loads.”
2. The word for camel in Avesta is ushtra. It is most probably derived from Öus- “to tame.” Two other words are used in the Avest to describe a camel, both of which refer to a camel’s hump. They are stvi-kaofa, literally meaning “having a large mountain” and saeni-kaofa, literally meaning “having the peak of a mountain.”
3. A camel was regarded as the most valuable domestic animal, more valuable than a horse, a cow, an ox and an ass. When compared with special metals gold and silver, a horse was compared to silver whereas a camel was compared to gold.
4. In the Avestan times, wealth of a person was often ascertained by the number of camels they possessed. Those who owned camels were considered wealthy and had great respect in society. Camels were desired as gifts and granted as a boon by Yazads.
5. Some proper names in the Avesta had the word ushtra in them. For example, Zarathushtra “possessing mature camels”, Frashaoshtra “possessing excellent camels”, Ratushtra “possessing the leader among camel” and Ranghushtra “possessing healthy camels.” Ushtra by itself was also used as a name.
6. The word ushtra is also used metaphorically in the Avesta to denote higher consciousness, since another derivation of the word ushtra is from Öush– “to burn, to shine.” In that context the meaning of the name of prophet Zarathushtra is “one having a brilliant and high consciousness.”

1. When we read a Parsi ‘Who’s Who’, we come across personalities connected to politics, military, business, theatre, medicine, science, law, arts and sports. Rarely do we read about a person who has contributed to and changed the religious life of people. In this column, we will see some people who have immensely contributed to the religious life of the Parsis and to whom we Parsis owe a lot, but have forgotten to express our debt of gratitude.
2. If we properly understand all our prayers and Avestan texts today, it is largely due to the efforts of late Ervad Kavasji Edalji Kanga and others like him. Er. Kanga was born on 4^th June 1839. He practiced for some time as a priest in Navsari. He became one of the greatest indigenous scholar of Avesta, Pahelvi, Persian and Sanskrit languages and was also knowledgeable in some European languages like Latin, English, German and French.
3. He studied at Elphinstone Institution and later taught at Elphinstone High School. He studied elementary Indo-Iranian languages under Ervad Erachji Sorabji Meherji Rana and the grammar and philology of Avesta under Mr. Kharshedji Rustomji Cama. He was among the first batch of pupils of Mr. K. R. Cama, along with other stalwarts of his time like Ervads S.D.Bharucha, T.D.Anklesaria, E.K.Antia, J. Nadirsha and K. Kateli.
4. In 1863 he joined Mulla Firoz Madressa, an institute teaching Indo-Iranian languages, as a teacher of Avesta and Persian and the very next year he was appointed its Head Master, where he served for 41 years till the end of his life. In 1885 he was appointed a Fellow of the Bombay University, and then was appointed an examiner of Avesta for B.A. and M.A. exams at the University.
5. His greatest contribution towards the field of Iranian languages in general and Parsis in particular are his translations of the entire Avestan into Gujarati, most of them word to word, a work which is unparalleled as yet in the history of Avestan studies. Books of his translations, like Khordeh Avesta Ba Maeni, Yasht Ba Maeni and Gatha Ba Maeni are the most sought after books by people who want to understand Avesta prayers, even after more than a hundred years. His translations were totally unbiased, objective and close to the text. Another of his unparalleled contribution are the Avesta grammar book and two dictionaries – Avesta to English in 1900 and English to Avesta in 1909, which are still very actively used.
6. In all, he produced 11 invaluable books in Iranian languages. He was by nature humble and an introvert. He carried on his Avesta studies in solitude without any fanfare. Mr. K.R.Cama said about him, “He was one who knew a lot but showed a little. All of his pupils should emulate this quality of his.”
7. He donated much of his meagre wealth to his beloved Mulla Firoz Madressa. He passed away at the age of 65 on 10^th March 1904. A month after his passing away, Dastur Kaikhushru Jamaspji suggested in the newspapers to all priests to recite his name at all public ceremonies. A public condolence meeting was held for him by his friends, admirers and pupils, on 9^th April 1904 under the chairmanship of Mr. K. R. Cama.

1. Sarosh-no-Kardo or Sarosh-nu-Patru is an after death ritual which is performed on the first, second and third days following death, at the beginning of the Aiwisruthrem gāh, after sun-set. It could be performed either at the Doongerwadi, Agyari/Atash Behram or in any other ritually clean place.
2. This ritual cannot be performed at the Bangli in the presence of the dead body, when the body is lying in the Bangli. Hence, if Paydast is on the second day, the Sarosh-nu-Patru will not be performed on the first day. In cases when the body is not in the Bangli and yet not disposed, for instance, if it is in the morgue or has yet not arrived from abroad, then the Sarosh-nu-Patru can be performed.
3. For this ritual, two priests perform a specialised Āfrinagān ritual in honour of Sarosh Yazad. They sit on the mat face to face on either side of the Afringan (Pātra or Pātru for holding the fire, hence the name of the ritual) and first recite the Sarosh Baj, then the Aiwisruthrem Gah followed by Sarosh Yasht Vadi, its Nirang and the Doa Nam Setayashne.
4. The Zoti, that is, the senior priest, has a metallic tray (khumcho) before him, which contains a metallic container (karasyo) of clean water and a few flowers, eight of which are arranged in a particular order. The other priest sits on the opposite side. The Zoti begins the Afringan with the recitation of the Dibache (lit. introduction), in the Pazand language, wherein he invokes Sarosh Yazad, the name of the deceased is mentioned over here. After the Dibache is finished, both priests recite the Afringan Kardeh aloud in which the seventh Kardeh (section) of Srosh Yasht Vadi is prayed. The ritual ends with both priests reciting the Pazand prayer Patet ravan-ni.

1. Five, seven or nine priests participate in the ritual. They are mostly in odd numbers. A Dasturji may join in as a special mark of respect to the deceased. The priests first perform the Pādyāb-Kusti ritual, then go to the place where the ritual is to be performed, and assemble on the carpet in two rows.

 

2. In the afternoon Uthamna, priests stand on the mat (Shetranji) facing West. Nothing else is kept on the mat at that time. First they recite Khorshed and Meher Nyash for themselves. Then they repeat Khorshed and Meher Nyash for the deceased, followed by Doā Nām Setāyashne and Char dishāno namaskār.
3. Then priests arrange chādar (a white cloth), afarganyu and other requirements of the ritual on the mat, and sit down in two rows facing each other. They recite Uziran geh, Sarosh Yasht Hadokht and Doā Nām Setāyashne. One priest (two priests if Jorānu Uthamnu) stand up for Dhoop sārana part of the ritual, which is recited with the invocation of Sarosh Yazad, in which, at a particular point, the standing priest mentions the name of the deceased.
4. The Dasturji or the senior-most priest, facing west, starts Patet ravān-ni, rest of the priests join in from ‘okhe avākhsh pashemān’ and complete the recitation of Patet ravān-ni. At the end all priests recite the Doā Tandarostī.
5. In the Uthamna in the Ushahen geh, all priests are seated. They recite the Sarosh Baj, Ushahen geh, Sarosh Yasht Hadokht, Mah Bokhtar Nyash, Atash Nyash (Standing), Doā Nām Setāyashne, Patet Ravān-ni, Dhup Nirang prayer and Doā Tan-Darosti.
6. After either of the Uthamna, an attendant takes around a tray of flowers – white flowers and rose petals, in one hand and a rose-water sprinkler (gulābāz) in the other. The attendant moves about the attendees with the tray of flowers and the attendees hold their hands above the tray. Then the attendant sprinkles some rose water on the hands. At this point, the people may make a mental pledge to perform some charity or have some rituals performed in memory of the deceased.