Life of our Prophet Asho Zarathushtra

Born 8,000 years ago in a town named Rae in Parents’ Name

• Father – Pourushasp • Mother – Dogdo Banu • Family Name - Spitaman Date of Birth

• Roj Khordad Ameshaspand • Farokh Farvardin

Popularly known as Khordad Sal Celebrations on the news of Birth • Light of the Sun, Moon and Stars increased • Waters of Sea, Rivers and Wells glowed • Plants, Animals and Human beings rejoiced • All creations of this world benefited Celebrations on the news of Birth (contd.) • Mother Earth thanked Dadar Mazda that an Athornan Asho Zarathushtra Spitaman was born for this world to wipe out evil and disturbance by reciting “Ushta no jato Athrava yo Spitamo Zarathushtra” Miracles during childhood • Smiles on Birth unlike every child who cries • Magician Durasrun brings poison to drink as medicine, but the bottle is brushed aside and contents spilled on the floor • Magician Durasrun comes with a dagger to stab, but his hand becomes motionless Miracles during childhood

• Magician Durasrun places Zarathushtra before a herd of wild cattle so that He may be trampled to death but rescued by Bahman Ameshaspand who features in the form of a cow spreading its legs over the child Miracles during childhood • Magician Durasrun places the child in a wolf’s den in the forest, wolf’s mouth is shut tight and its legs paralysed Miracles during childhood

• Magician Durasrun places Zarathushtra into a huge fire so that He may be burnt to Ashes but rescued by Ardibehesht Ameshaspand who transforms the burning fire to BED of ROSES Teacher’s name

• Dastur Burzin Kurush who performed Navjote of Zarathushtra • Imparted the knowledge of this world and spiritual world between the age of 7 to 15 years – holy hymns, spiritual knowledge of God

• Zarathushtra spent 10 years in meditation on mount Ushidaren between the age of 21 and 30 years to acquire the knowledge of Gatha • ‘Gatha vani’ is the food and clothing for the soul • He was engrossed in God’s prayers where He received God’s message through Sarosh Yazad The 5 Gathas

• Ahunavad :- Surrender to the will of God ; be contented, patient and happy in the condition in which God keeps us • Ushtavad :- Get happiness ourselves by giving happiness to others – “ushta ahmai yahmai ushta kahmaichit” • Spentomad :- Make the world prosperous The 5 Gathas

• Vohukshathra :- Power of the good mind Good power used on the path of righteousness to do noble needs, increases the prosperity and happiness besides doing good for the people • Vahishtoisht :- Obtaining best happiness Zarathushtra’s first disciple • Zarathushtra descended the Holy mountain of Ushidaren at the age of 30 and for around 10 years went about spreading the religion in Iran Zarathushtra’s first disciple

• He found his first disciple – Maediomah Arasp, his paternal cousin who was given a Nirang to pray

• By reciting this Nirang, Maediomah’s spiritual eye opened and He could see God Zarathushtra’s stay at King Gushtasp’s palace • Visited the kingdom (city of “Balkh”) at age 42 to spread and establish the Mazdayasni Zoroastrian religion Zarathushtra’s stay at King Gushtasp’s palace • Zarathushtra recited the nirang “Aa airyema ishyo rafedhrai” and created a fire (named Adar Burzin Meher) in his hand to prove He is the prophet Zarathushtra’s stay at King Gushtasp’s palace • Zarathushtra performed a Jashan using milk, wine, pomegranate, flowers, etc. • King Gushtasp drank milk after the Jashan and was able to see the beautiful heaven for 3 days and 3 nights Zarathushtra’s stay at King Gushtasp’s palace • King Gushtasp’s son Peshotan was offered wine to drink after the Jashan and thus he became a scholarly Dastur and immortal, reason for us to recite Dastur Peshotan ra in dua Tandarosti till today (after Thousand of years have passed) Zarathushtra’s stay at King Gushtasp’s palace • King Gushtasp’s another son Aspandiar ate seeds of pomegranate after the Jashan and his body became of Bronze • King Gushtasp’s trusted minister Jamasp sniffed the consecrated flower due to which he was able to see the past and visualise the future. The book of Jamaspi was thus written in those days and preserved till date Zarathushtra’s stay at King Gushtasp’s palace • Some more problems created by evil Durasrun by placing bones and skull under Zarathushtra’s bed and accusing Zarathushtra of being a magician • King Gushtasp imprisoned Zarathushtra wrongly for this act, however the prophet dealt with this calamity with extreme patience and confidence in Dadar Sickness of Aspesia

• Aspesia – King Gushtasp’s favourite horse • Asp = horse and sia = black Sickness of Aspesia

• Aspesia’s four legs were paraysed and withdrawn in his stomach • Many doctors called for treatment but to no avail Sickness of Aspesia

• Zarathushtra requested to be freed from prison and he could cure Aspesia Sickness of Aspesia

• Zarathushtra recited “Yatha Ahu Vairyo” prayer and passed his hand over the horse Aspesia and one after other all the four legs came out of the stomach • King Gushtasp felt ashamed seeing this miracle and sought forgiveness for wrongly imprisoning Zarathushtra Request to Dadar Ahura Mazda

• One day, Prophet Zarathushtra asked Dadar Ahura Mazda to gift him immortality to preserve Mazdayasni Zarthushti religion forever • The request was refused since Dadar Ahura Mazda had given away this gift through Zarathushtra to Dastur Peshotan who was made immortal Explanation for refusal of request by Dadar Ahura Mazda • One more powerful creation of Dadar Ahura Mazda was a heavenly comet/ meteor by the name “Tur Bara Tur”

• If “Tur Bara Tur” passes over any region, that place could get destroyed Explanation for refusal of request by Dadar Ahura Mazda • Dadar Ahura Mazda explained to Zarathushtra that this meteor is to come over Iran and if He grants immortality to Zarathushtra, the whole Iranian nation would be destroyed during his lifetime and all the efforts of the prophet would go waste Explanation for refusal of request by Dadar Ahura Mazda • Dadar Ahura Mazda reiterated that nobody except Zarathushtra can pull this powerful force and stop the destruction of Iran • Thus when the comet arrived in Iran, Prophet Asho Zarathushtra looked to Dadar Ahura Mazda for direction and pulled this powerful force into His divine light Death of Asho Zarathushtra • Asho Zarathushtra sacrificed His own life to save Iran and the Zoroastrian religion • He died at the age of 77 years on Roj Khorshed Yazad Mah Dae Dadar YAZDAAN PANAAH BAAD

• ATHA ZAMYAT YATHA AFRINAMI

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