History of Zoroastrianism by Maneckji Nusservanji Dhalla High Priest of the Parsis, Karachi, India idha apãm vijasâiti vanghuhi daena mâzdayasnaish vispâish avi karshvãn yâish hapta. "Henceforth from now may spread The Good Mazdayasnian Religion Over all the zones that are seven." NEW YORK OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON TORONTO, 1938 TO KHAN BAHADUR KAVASJI HORMASJI KATRAK, O.B.E. at hvo vangheush vahyo nâ aibijamyât ye nâo erezush savangho patho sîshoit ahyâ angheush astvato mananghaschâ haithyeng âstîsh yeng â shaetî ahuro aredro thwâvãns huzentushe spento mazdâ. "May that man attain to better than the good Who helps teaching us the upright paths of blessedness Of this material world and that of the spirit -- The veritable universe wherein pervades Ahura -- That faithful, wise, and holy man is like unto thee, O Mazda." Zarathushtra CONTENTS PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY xix ABBREVIATIONS xxix INTRODUCTION xxxi PRE-GATHIC PERIOD From the earliest times to about 1000 B.C. CHAPTER I. THE SOURCES 3 The data of information -- The Avestan Nasks -- The Pahlavi, Pazend and Persian sources -- Parsi- Sanskrit and Gujarati sources -- Oriental sources -- Occidental sources -- Inscriptions, coins and tablets as the last source of information. II. AIRYANA VAEJAH 8 The Stem-land of the Aryans -- The Indo- Europeans -- The Indo-Iranians. THE GATHIC PERIOD About 1000 B.C. III. ZARATHUSHTRA 11 Zarathushtra doubts to know -- Zarathushtra seeks silent, solitary seclusion -- Zarathushtra yearns to see Ahura Mazda -- Zarathushtra longs to commune with Ahura Mazda -- Zarathushtra is fined with an intense fervour of enthusiasm for prophetic work -- People marvel at the new prophet -- Zarathushtra definitely breaks with the religion of his forefathers -- The hostile Daevayasnian priests -- Friendless and forlorn, Zarathushtra flees to Ahura Mazda -- Zarathushtra's teachings win the ear of the royal court -- Zarathushtra's mission. IV. TOWARDS MONOTHEISM. 27 Gods in evolution. V. AHURA MAZDA 30 Ahura Mazda is the name Zarathushtra gives to God -- Ahura Mazda is the Being par excellence -- The nature of Ahura Mazda -- The transcendental immanence of Ahura Mazda -- Ahura Mazda is the creator -- Ahura Mazda is the lord of wisdom -- Ahura Mazda is the law- giver and judge. VI. SPENTA MAINYU 36 Spenta Mainyu is the self-revealing activity of Ahura Mazda. VII. MAZDA'S MINISTERING ANGELS 39 Amesha Spentas in the making -- Vohu Manah -- The first in Ahura Mazda's creation -- Vohu Manah is Ahura Mazda's Good Thought. VIII. PRAYERS AND RITUALS 68 IX. LIFE IS A BLESSING 75 X. EVIL 81 XI. LIFE AFTER DEATH 96 XII. THE FINAL DISPENSATION 108 THE AVESTAN PERIOD From about 800 B.C. to about A.D. 200 at the latest INDIA LEAVES INDO-IRANIAN RELIGION XIII. 115 BEHIND IRAN GOES BACK TO INDO-IRANIAN XIV. 125 RELIGION PROMULGATION OF THE FAITH OF XV. 129 ZARATHUSHTRA ZARATHUSHTRA IN THE YOUNGER XVI. 139 AVESTA XVII. THE YOUNGER AVESTAN RELIGION 145 XVIII. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE MILLENNIUM 150 XIX. AHURA MAZDA 125 XX. SPENTA MAINYU 125 XXI. AMESHA SPENTAS 162 XXII. YAZATAS 173 XXIII. FRAVASHIS 232 XXIV. PERSONIFIED ABSTRACTIONS 244 XXV. BAGHAS 246 XXVI. PRAYERS AND RITUALS 248 XXVII. EVIL 257 XXVIII. DEATH AND BEYOND 278 XXIX. THE RENOVATION 288 THE PAHLAVI PERIOD From the third to the ninth century ZOROASTRIANISM UNDER THE FOREIGN XXX. 293 YOKE XXXI. THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY 298 XXXII. MITHRAISM 302 XXXIII. ZARATUSHT IN THE PAHLAVI WORKS 309 ZOROASTRIANISM AS TAUGHT BY THE XXXIV. 318 PAHLAVI WORKS XXXV. THE ACTIVE PROPAGANDA OF THE 325 FAITH XXXVI. SECTS 330 XXXVII. HERESIES 338 XXXVIII. OHRMAZD 350 XXXIX. AMSHASPANDS 357 XL. IZADS 368 XLI. FAROHARS 375 XLII. PRAYERS AND RITUALS 379 XLIII. EVIL 384 XLIV. LIFE AFTER DEATH 407 XLV. THE RENOVATION 423 A PERIOD OF DECADENCE From the seventh to the eighteenth century DOWNFALL OF THE SASANIANS, AND XLVI. 437 THE AFTERMATH XLVII. EXODUS TO INDIA 423 ZARTUSHT DURING THE PERSIAN XLVIII. 449 PERIOD XLIX. PERSIAN WORKS ON ZOROASTRIANISM 457 L. MYSTICS AND MYSTICISM 461 LI. RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES 470 AN EPOCH-MAKING ERA IN THE LII. 472 HISTORY OF ZOROASTRIAN RESEARCHES PROSELYTIZING COMES TO BE VIEWED LIII. 474 WITH DISFAVOUR GUJARATI LITERATURE BEARING UPON LIV. 477 ZOROASTRIANISM A PERIOD OF REVIVAL Nineteenth century and after LV. MODERNISM VERSUS TRADITIONALISM 481 THE REVIVAL OF LEARNING AMONG THE LVI. 483 PARSIS INTRODUCTION OF THE WESTERN LVII. METHOD OF IRANIAN SCHOLARSHIP IN 486 INDIA CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES ATTACK LVIII. 491 ZOROASTRIANISM LIX. THE REFORM MOVEMENT 495 LX. PARSI THEOSOPHISTS 502 LXI. CONCLUSION 509 [xix] BIBLIOGRAPHY Aerpatastan. Translated from the Avesta-Pahlavi texts by S.J. Bulsara. Bombay, 1915. Andarz-i Atarpat-i The Pahlavi text, edited and translated by Peshutan Dastur Behramji Maraspand. Sanjana. Bombay, 1885. 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