Remembering Dr. Saheb Framroze S. Chiniwalla – part 2

Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Gosh Mah Spendarmad, 1380 Yz.

In around 1931, Doctor Saheb received a large sum of money from the proceeds of a life insurance policy. He used this money to publish his first work, the Khshnoom Nikeez-e-Veh Din, a mammoth volume of 1400 pages. Those who were wondering what would happen after Ustad Saheb passed away in 1927 had their reply. This book firmly established the credentials of Doctor Saheb. Then started an unending flow – the second Nikeez – Doctor Saheb’s most difficult work, another 1400 pages, in 1935. The Yazashne book, where certain priests were surprised at the intricate knowledge of ritual possessed by a Behdin, in 1937. Then in 1938, Doctor Saheb published his Khordeh Avesta ba Khshnoom – a word by word translation of the whole Khordeh Avesta, along with detailed notes, whole essays on Tarikats, Atash and many other topics, 1100 pages full. In 1939, Doctor Framroze published his first book on the Gathas, taking up 211 pages to explain the few stanzas of Yasna 28! More Has were published in 1940 and 1941. Then came the mammoth Fravardin Yasht volume in 1941, taking 600 pages to throw new light on a completely mis-understood scripture.

In 1943, Doctor Saheb went to Poona for a short time. This was the time when the conversion controversy was raging within the community. Using his spare time, Doctor Saheb started writing, and finished, a 500 page book on conversion. In the first part he explained the detailed esoteric truth as why there was only one type of conversion in nature – from evil to good, not from one religion to another. In the second part, Doctor Saheb took on the translation of the over 50 paragraphs in the Avesta cited by the liberals as proof of conversion. Taking each paragraph and translating every word, Doctor Saheb, using Avesta grammar, displayed how each paragraph had a deeper meaning which had nothing to do with conversion. This book is undisputed even today.

Readers are requested to visit this page, where most of Doctor Saheb’s books are available in digital format alongwith a brief summary.

Despite all this writing, a intriguing picture emerges about Doctor Saheb from his choice of a pen name. Readers may be aware that Ustad Saheb wrote under the pen name of Khaksar (the embodiment of humility), a title bestowed upon Ustad Saheb by his Master, the Sraoshavarez Marzbanji Saheb. When Doctor Saheb printed his first book – the Nikeez volume I, he disclosed his pen name (Takhallus) as “Khushe Chine Ilm-e-Khshnoom”. The derivation of this term is fascinating because it shows the extent of humility within Doctor Saheb. The Persian term Khushe means ‘one who is so humble that his eyes are always cast down, to the ground.’ The term Chine is derived from root chindan ‘to glean (a field)’. What is gleaning?

Millet Gleaners

Gleaning is a technical term in farming. In the olden days, once a farmer had harvested his crop, there would still be a few earns of corn or wheat left behind in the field. These would lie few and far, making it uneconomical or unviable to go back and harvest. As a matter of human kindness, farmers would allow the poor and destitute persons, who had no land of their own, to roam on their fields and gather the left over crops. This process of collecting the left-over crops is called gleaning.

Thus Doctor Saheb, the most erudite and comprehensive of all Khshnoom writers, blessed with the benign gaze of the Abed Sahebs, chose to describe himself as a poor, humble fellow, eyes always cast on the ground, waiting to collect the left over crops from the field of Khshnoom! Thus Doctor Saheb considered himself as not one of the greats of Khshnoom, but rather held the view that the greats had all passed away, taking the first and excellent harvest of the Divine Knowledge with them. What they had left behind, he, a humble feckless fellow, was patiently gleaning from the field and presenting to the world! Dear readers, this is real humility and in that humility, truly Doctor Saheb Framroze displayed his true greatness.

A strange incident happened after the publication of Doctor Saheb’s first Nikeez which has not been in the public domain till now. A very important disciple of Sai Baba of Shirdi was a saintly person called Shri Upasini Baba Maharaj.

Upasni Baba

This evolved soul had set up an ashram at Sakori village, about 5 km from Shirdi. People of various faiths would come to this ashram for meditation and to listen to the discourses of Upasini Baba. In this ashram, there was a separate hut, built by a Parsi devotee, where Parsis would come to stay and meditate. After the publication of the first Nikeez in 1932, Mr. Ardeshir Toddywalla (the uncle of later Khshnoom speaker and ace astrologer Mr. Savaksha Toddywalla), a religious Parsi who had great faith in Ustad Saheb and Khshnoom, purchased the Nikeez and decided to go and stay at Sakori to read and meditate on it. At the same time, another Parsi, who was an avid Theosophist also landed up at Sakori in the Parsi hut. As is inevitable, when two Parsis meet, there must be some disagreement. The Theosophist laughed out aloud at the Nikeez book and ridiculed it. Ardeshir Toddywalla decided to make him keep quiet. Accompanied by the Theosophist, the two went to Upasini Baba, and presented the book to him, asking for his opinion.

The Baba was an evolved soul, who had understood the concept of Jiram or gradation of souls. To all his disciples he would always prescribe some verse from the scripture of the religion to which the devotee belonged. It is said that his soul was so advanced that he could even point out a mistake in the recitation of the Gathas, if a Parsi were reciting them. He took the book in his hands and turned a few pages. He then closed the book and held it still and shut his eyes. After a few moments, he opened his eyes, gave the book back to Mr. Toddywalla and said humbly: ‘If a person were to fall at the feet of the author of this book, his sins of many previous births would be washed away! Do not attempt to read this book. Take it home, place it in a pure and sacred place, preferably where you do the Divo. Once a day, take it out and bow down to it. That will earn your redemption.’ He then turned to the theosophist Parsi and said: ‘This is not for you’.

Mr. Ardeshir Toddywalla was deeply moved by this encounter. Some time later, he happened to come across Doctor Framroze in the bazaar in Surat. Remembering the words of Upasini Baba, Ardeshir immediately bent down and touched Doctor Saheb’s feet. Doctor Framroze became very upset and scolded him for this public display. Later on, both met privately and it was then that Ardeshir recounted his experience with Upasini Baba to Doctor Saheb. Taking a vow of silence, Doctor Framroze forbade him from ever mentioning this incident in public. This information was given by Doctor Saheb to his brother Jehangirji who disclosed it only many years after Doctor Framroze’s passing away.

In this manner, Doctor Saheb continued his divinely appointed mission, churning out book after book, article after article. Many times, Doctor Framroze was asked: ‘Saheb, who will read all this?’ Doctor Framroze would reply: ‘why should I bother? My task is to write.’ Realizing Doctor Saheb’s mission, his younger brother Jehangirji always ensured that Doctor Framroze was never disturbed or had to bother about mundane things. Jehangirji insisted on Doctor Saheb living with his (Jehangirji’s) wife Gulcheher, and his children Sohrab and Piroja (affectionately called Pinky), at his house at Chowpatty. Doctor Saheb’s needs were frugal – two meals to eat, a bed to sleep in, an endless supply of paper and ink, and a steel cupboard to store it all!

Many Khshnoom lovers would come to meet Doctor Saheb, mainly at his consulting room and some at Jehangirji’s house. He would discuss all kinds of intellectual things with them, giving answers to difficult questions and personal problems. Those few priests who realized his greatness would ask him endless questions on Pav Mahel and ceremonies and be amazed at his answers. Never could they even think of shortening a prayer or having a wink when they should be praying. Doctor Saheb’s descriptions of the effects of prayers was so graphic and intense that its imprint would be left on the Mobed’s mind forever.

We shall learn more about Dr. Saheb Framroze’s style of writing in the next post.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Dr. Framroze Chiniwalla, Zarathushtrian Miracles | 2 Comments

Remembering Dr.Saheb Framroze Sorabji Chiniwalla – part 1

Posted on Monday, July 25, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Khorshed Mah Spendarmad, 1380 Yz.

Today is Kadmi Khordad Sal, a day of great happiness and religious significance for the Kadmi families of our community. But for many Khshnoom lovers it is also a day of remembrance and great solemnity. For it is on this day, 49 years ago, that our beloved Doctor Saheb Framroze Sorabji Chiniwalla left this earth. I have written earlier on the miraculous events which occurred in the life of Doctor Saheb, but there is much more which needs to be placed in the public realm to enable Parsis to know what a colossus of a man resided between them for 82 years, but who remained unseen, unknown and unsung for most of his life.

Dr. Framroze Chiniwala

Doctor Saheb Framroze Sorabji Chiniwalla was born on 20th April 1881 in the house of his maternal grandparents, the Bastawallas in Poona. The Bastawallas were a highly cultured and educated family, greatly driven in the pursuit of truth and ethical dealing, and most members were professionals in some field or other. Soon thereafter, Doctor Framroze shifted to the house of his paternal grandfather, Edulji Aspandiarji Dokawalla (photo given below) in Surat. Edulji owned a shop in Surat’s Chowk Bazaar dealing in European goods, glassware and crockery. He also owned the sole distributorship of the Standard Oil Company as well as licences to sell foreign liquor. Edulji was an immensely religious man and greatly believed in the blessings of the Fravashis of the departed. Edulji observed the Baj Rojgar for each and every deceased relative over the last seven generations, as a result of which there was always some Afringan or Farokshi being recited in his large house every day. He used to observe the Shahenshahi as well as Kadmi Muktad for dozens of relatives and the house was a veritable field of Avesta prayers. As a very prosperous businessman, Edulji enjoyed the respect of many non-Parsis too, and his sense of fair dealing and truth made him the first stop to mediate in any dispute between two parties.

Edalji Aspandiarji Dokawala

Doctor Saheb’s father, Sorabji, followed in his father’s business, and also imbibed the same love for Zoroastrian prayers and rituals from him. An immensely well built man, Sorabji had a superbly well maintained and muscular body and enjoyed wresting and physical exercise. From the age of 16, Sorabji was inspired to do the Farajyat in every Gah of the day, without fail – a practice he maintained till he passed away. Doctor Saheb’s mother was a lady of striking features, a stickler for Zoroastrian ‘chokhai’, who lived a Tarikat filled life. The Tarikats followed in the Chiniwalla household could easily rival, or perhaps even surpass the Tarikat-led life followed in priestly households of that time.

It was in these religious surroundings that Doctor Saheb grew up. He attended the Presbyterian Missionary School, headed by Manchersha Pallonji Kekobad – the man who was responsible for bringing out Ustad Saheb in public. After his schooling, Doctor Saheb attended Wilson college in Mumbai and completed his BA degree. Inspired to take up the medical profession by his grandfather, Edulji, Doctor Saheb enrolled in the Grant Medical college in Mumbai and completed his LM&S degree. He then specialised in ophthalmology, becoming a tutor at the Sir C. J. Ophthalmological centre and soon thereafter began practising as an ophthalmic surgeon. Within a short time, Doctor Saheb reached the pinnacle of his profession, becoming one of the three topmost doctors in the field, along with Dr. Duggan and Dr. Banaji. In his spare time, Doctor Framroze also developed a liking for a form of Japanese martial arts and advanced quite a few stages in this craft.

Doctor Saheb Framroze was introduced to Ustad Saheb by Manchersha Master in Surat very early in his life. Despite his studies in Mumbai, Doctor Saheb took time out to study Khshnoom and attended the Master’s classes in Mumbai without fail. At this time, the Abed Sahebs deputed Bahmanshah Hakim to Mumbai to study human anatomy, as well as draw Doctor Framroze closer towards his ultimate destiny. Bahmanshah revealed the sacred name from the 101 names of Ahura Mazda to be recited by Doctor Saheb in a specific manner, as advised by the Abed Sahebs. Despite the illness of his wife, Najamai, and her subsequent death, Doctor Saheb, after a brief break, kept on the recitation of the name, and soon thereafter, developed an uncanny ability to absorb the difficult topics of Khshnoom.

Doctor Saheb married again, but very soon lost even his second wife to illness. Overcome with grief, Doctor Framroze closed his consulting room and went back to Surat to reside at his ancestral mansion. Here he was reunited with Ustad Saheb, who too was grieving over the loss of his contact with Sraoshavarez Marzbanji Saheb after the Fasli Muktad issue at Behram Baug in 1921. Out of their common grief, there developed a deep and special bond of master and student, which very few are destined to experience. Through the power of his prayers, coupled with the blessings of the Abed Sahebs and the love and affection of Ustad Saheb, Doctor Saheb began the mission of his life – the writing of authoritative Khshnoom volumes on all subjects of the Zoroastrian religion. I have recounted in an earlier post how Ustad Saheb made Doctor Framroze tear up the first three drafts of his essay on cosmogony.

After the death of Ustad Saheb, Doctor Saheb returned to Mumbai and restarted his practice. Despite being a top notch surgeon and consultant, Doctor Saheb never displayed any attraction towards money. He treated most of his patients without taking any money, sometimes even handing out some of his own to a particularly needy person. Doctor Framroze had appointed an assistant to help out with his patients. Unmindful of the long standing tradition that the shop from which a person bought the spectacles from would send some money back to the Doctor as commission, Doctor Saheb was blissfully unaware that these small amounts were being quietly pocketed by the assistant. It was only years later that Doctor Framroze found out what was going on, by which time the assistant had pilfered away a very large amount. Rather than taking any action, Doctor Framroze merely asked the person to leave, never to return.

Doctor Saheb lived a very spartan life. He would get up much before dawn and after a bath, begin his prayers till about 9 am. He would then begin his study of Avesta till lunch. After the Gah Farajyat, Dr. Saheb would mostly be found at Dadyseth Atash Behram, doing some more prayers. After the Uzirin Farajyat, Doctor Saheb would attend to his consultation room, finally going home to study, read and write some more till about 10 pm. After his Aiwisruthrem Farajyat, Doctor Saheb would recite separate Sarosh Patet prayers for his deceased wives and his parents. At any available spare time, Doctor Saheb could be found either reading some volume or writing, one foolscap sheet after the other, filling file after file until a steel cupboard full of his writings was ready.

Doctor Framroze wrote in a very fast hand and it was very difficult to read his writing. Here is a sample of his writing from the unpublished works which are in my custody.

Dr. Saheb's writing sample

He had two assistants, a noble Parsi lady, Tehmina Dastoor and an elderly gentleman, Mr. Irani who, over the years, developed a knack for reading his writing. They would make fair copies of his writings, a sample of which is given below, and present them to Doctor Saheb for checking.

Fair writing sample

Doctor Saheb would then review then writing, and make suitable corrections to any errors, a sample of which is shown below.

Dr

Sometimes, he would feel the topic could be made more clear by adding a further note, which he would stick on to the main writing page. The sample below shows one such page.

Dr

But many times, the explanatory note would itself take a further three-four pages!

When it came to translating Avesta, Doctor Saheb would take each word, put a superscript over the Avesta word and then explain the word in Gujarati as depicted in the sample below.

Dr

The labour of this exercise can be imagined! Not content with explaining the word in Gujarati, Doctor Framroze would then undertake a detailed explanation of the Avesta grammar behind the word, going down to the root of the word, explaining the verb declensions, the tense or mood, the suffixes and prefixes, whether the word was in active voice or passive voice, comparing it to similar words. He would then take the Pahlavi translation of the same text and unravel the difficult to read Pahlavi words. Taking the Avesta line, he would compare it with the Pahlavi line of the same text, then do the same for the paragraph. Not content with that, Doctor Framroze would then give short notes about what other scholars had written about the same paragraph! He would then start the Khshnoomic explanation behind the word and paragraph and tie it properly with the preceding paragraph and link it with the one following!

Dear readers, Doctor Saheb did this exercise for almost all the extant Avesta scripture! Every Gatha Ha, every Yasht, Nyaesh, Vandidad, Yazashne, Vispered, the whole Khordeh Avesta! Doctor Saheb’s published works (in book form) amount to more than 11,000 pages. The published works in the Parsi Avaz newspaper amount to more than 2500 tabloid size sheets. The unpublished works are still contained in over 10 big files stuffed to the brim with his writings! How can one man write so much?

We shall continue our tribute to Doctor Saheb in the next post.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Dr. Framroze Chiniwalla, Zarathushtrian Miracles | 2 Comments

Zoroastrian Earth Day

Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Spendarmad Mah Spendarmad, 1380 Yz.

Today is Roj Spendarmad, Mah Spendarmad, a spiritually vital and important day of the Zoroastrian calendar. Long before the shrill cries of the eco-brigade began to be heard, the practices and precepts of our ancient faith were already attuned to green living, carbonless footprint and eco-sensitiveness.

Spendarmad (Avesta Spenta Armaiti) is the Amesha Spenta specifically designated to look after Mother Earth. Through her associates and co-workers, Geush Urva and Geush Tashan, Spenta Armaiti patiently bears the weight of the immeasurable levels of spiritual and physical pollution which is generated by man over the ages.

Spenta Armaiti is also responsible for the fertility of the earth, working along with Khordad, who looks after the waters, and Amardad, who looks after vegetation and crops. These great forces of Ahura Mazda’s Divine Cabinet work silently in the background, to provide for those things which we take for granted today.

Roj Spendarmad, Mah Spendarmad is also the Day of the Farmer. A few decades ago, when many Parsis were engaged in agriculture, this day was celebrated with great solemnity and reverence. The Parsi farmers would call their family priests to their wadis to consecrate a special Baj, in honour of Spenta Armaiti, or perform a thanksgiving Jashan.

A more important spiritual practice followd by our ancestors was the writing of the special Nirang, or potent spiritual formula, called ‘Nirang-i-Khrafastar Zadan’. Spiritually evolved priests would collect some yellow paper, make special red ink using saffron and well water, take a nib pen and then sit down with all these implements in the Urvis Gah (the sacred place in the Fire Temple where the Pav Mahel ceremonies are performed). They would then take four Daran and consecrate the Baj of Teshtar Tir Yazata. After finishing the Baj, they would partake the Chasni, breaking off small bits from each Darun in a specific manner and eating them in a pure way. Then they would take the pen, dip it in the saffron ink and start writing the special Nirang in the Pazend script. Having finished the Nirang, they would hold it over the fire and fumigate the paper. These Nirangs were then given to the devotees who would affix the Nirang on top of the door of their houses.

This Nirang has great potency to stop the entry of any kind of noxious or evil influence into the house (which is why it was affixed outside the door and not inside). The words used in the Nirang describe how its sacred formula binds the mouths (that is, renders powerless) all kinds of wicked sorcerers, evil magicians, liars, cheats, evil-doers, serpent-like persons and any other evil influences. In doing so the Nirang takes the help of Shah Faridun Athavyan, the great Peshdadian monarch, Greatest Healer and Saheb of all Nirangs. Many of the Nirangs we use even today are ascribed to this very highly evolved spiritual monarch.

In addition to Shah Faridun, the Nirang calls for the help of four specific entities, which are translated by normal scholars as stars: Tir, Vanant, Satavas and Haptoiring. Ustad Saheb explained that these names may point to the physical stars of the almanac but they actually refer to the great spiritual and divine forces which are behind the working of the stars and planets. Thus, Teshtar Tir Yazata performs a vital function in the cosmos, a physical replica of which is found in the star Sirius in the East of the heavens. Similarly, Satavas works in the west, Haptoiring in the north and Vanant in the south. They are like four sentries at the four corners of the cosmos, keeping a watch on any evil activity and stepping in to ensure that things do not go out of hand.

Thus the Nirang affixed on the doors of Parsi houses invoked the help not only of Shah Faridun, but also these four great sentinels and provided the family with protection from any evil and untoward incident throughout the year. Every Roj Spendarmad, Mah Spendarmad, the old Nirang would be taken down and burnt in the house fire, or given to the priest and replaced with the new one.

Unfortunately today, this tradition has almost disappeared from our community. How many priests today can read or write in the Pazend script? How many are even aware of the significance of this day and the procedure to be followed? How many Panthakys offer this service to their Behdins?

At the Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff Daremeher, we have continued this important tradition and even today, nearly a hundred Parsis, from Behram Baug and even outside Mumbai came to the Daremeher and collected their Nirangs. This shows that there is a great demand within our community for spiritual guidance and help, which is not being met properly by our priesthood and leaders. This is also one reason why Parsis flock to other religions and their practices.

There exists a vast treasure of Nirangs and ceremonies which can help a Parsi in any kind of difficulty. But what is lacking today is two things: the spiritual calibre of our priests; and the totally un-Zoroastrian way of living of our entire community. Our greatest spiritual gifts of the Sudreh and Kusti and mangled into fashion statements. We take them off at the slightest excuse. We do not follow simple practices which nobody can stop us from following in the comfort of our homes. How can our Nirangs and ceremonies help, when the basic infrastructure needed for their success is absent?

Take a Divo, light it and it will radiate spiritual warmth and brilliance. Place it in a jar and cover it. What happens? As the oxygen is used up, the Divo starts spluttering and will ultimately go off. Is it the fault of the Divo, or is it the oxygen-less surrounding it was placed in which caused it to extinguish? We blame our prayers and our ceremonies for having no effect, but how can they be effective when we have sucked out the Zoroastrian oxygen from our lives?

Fellow Zoroastrians! Unless we inculcate a Zoroastrian way of life in our homes, there can be no spiritual progress. On this spiritually important day, let us resolve to inculcate more and more Zoroastrian values in our lives – truth, fair dealing, compassion, ethics and great love and devotion towards Ahura Mazda and His Prophet Zarathushtra. This is the only way towards salvation. As the Avesta says:

Aevo pantao yo ashahe, vispe anyaesham apantam

There is only one path – the path of Truth and righteousness; all others are non-paths.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Religion, Zarathushtrian facts | 16 Comments

Secret treasures in Hindu temples & Ustad Saheb’s prophecy

Posted on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Govad Mah Bahman, 1380 Yz.

Recent news reports have emerged of the finding of a fabulous treasure in the Hindu temple of Sri Padmanabhaswamy in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. With each passing day, the estimated figure of the treasure seems to keep on increasing, the latest amount being placed close to Rs. 100,000 crores (about $23 billion). The treasure was unearthed from secret chambers located within the temple complex following a Supreme Court order to make an inventory of the various precious items contained in the temple premises.

The Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple dates back to the 9th century and came into prominence about 300 years ago with its restoration in 1750 by Marthanda Varma, the powerful king of Travancore. This pious king offered his whole kingdom at the feet of Lord Vishnu and assumed the title of Padmanabhadasa (servant of Lord Padmanabha). Since that time, his descendants have followed this practice and given up all their earnings from taxes and other revenues to the secret chambers of the temple. Now, following the Supreme Court order, this magnificent wealth of the deity has been revealed for the first time.

It is worthwhile to observe the lifestyle of the King of Travancore. He begins his day with a visit to the temple and a special puja. If he is not able to make it to the temple, he has to pay a fine, which is entered into the temple records for posterity. When coming out of the temple, the Maharaja uses a cloth to brush off his feet and only then leaves the temple. The meaning of this practice is explained that the King has offered everything he has to the Lord. Hence while leaving, he makes sure that not even the dust of the temple leaves with him, hence the brushing of the feet. On one hand we have this kind of devotion and service to the Lord by a powerful ruler and on another, we have the shameful spectacle of fighting and corrupt electoral practices in our own community! What a contrast!

The riches of this temple, as well as some other famous temples in our country make some Parsis envious of them. Indeed, it is well known that many Parsis pay visits to these temples in the hopes of getting material boons. But do we know of the vast wealth which was held in our own Fire Temples – thousands of Agiaries and Atash Behrams spread over the Iranian empire at the time of the Zoroastrian monarchy?

Readers of Frashogard will be surprised to know that the treasures found in Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple pale into insignificance when compared to the treasures held in some of our Atash Behrams in Iran. We have historical proof of this. It is to be remembered that in the time of the Zoroastrian monarchy, the King and his government were directly involved in the running of the Fire Temples and the other spiritual institutions of the Zoroastrian religion. The Head Priests of these Atash Behrams were spiritually advanced Dasturs who tended to the spiritual needs of the millions of Zoroastrians who flourished at that time. Grateful devotees would make huge offerings to these Atash Behrams which were collected and properly recorded and stored for the use of the common good.

When the Iranian empire fell with the defeat of the last King Yazdegard Sheriar in 636 AD, the vast treasures which lay in the Atash Behrams throughout the Kingdom were systematically looted by the Arab invaders. Over the next 100 years, many forced conversions resulted in the near disappearance of the religious institutions. However, even in around 710 AD, there still existed thousands of Atash Behrams and Agiaries all over Iran. These were somewhat tolerated by the Caliphs – the new Islamic rulers of Iran, on payment of crippling taxes. However, in 717 AD, Caliph Umar II ascended the throne. A religious zealot, Caliph Umar ordered that all Fire Temples should be destroyed, regardless of how much tax they had paid.

The Arab Governor of Iraq (which was part of the Iranian empire at that time) appointed a commissioner to oversee the destruction of Zoroastrian Fire Temples. The clever commissioner was very aware of the vast amount of treasure which existed in our Fire Temples. He therefore began collecting bribes from those temples, under threat of demolition. Desperate to ensure the survival of the Padshah Sahebs in those Atash Behrams and Agiaries, the Head Priests of the temples gave whatever they had to the corrupt commissioner. Within a short time, the commissioner extorted the staggering sum of 40 million Dirhams! [see Boyce, Mary: Zoroastrians - Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979]

Dear readers, we are talking of just one province of Iran, in the years after the sun had set on our Zoroastrian empire. If a few temples could manage this sum, what would have been the wealth of all the Atash Behrams and Agiaries put together within the Iranian empire? Indeed this makes the figure of Rs.100,000 crores look small in comparison! Where did all this wealth go? Ustad Saheb revealed that while much was looted by the invaders, many Atash Behrams and Agiaries were supervised by Abed Sahebs of the highest calibre. These advanced souls could perform miraculous feats. When they realised that the future of their spiritual institutions was bleak, they would recite certain powerful prayers, which would draw protective circuits around the entire temple complex. Within these spiritual boundaries, the Sacred Padshah Sahebs would be interred in the ground using special prayers, such that they would remain burning – without fuel or priests for many hundreds of years.

Ustad Saheb revealed to us that there are many such powerful Atash Behrams which lie buried even today within the sacred earth of the areas of the Iranian empire. Along with the Padshah Sahebs also lies buried the great treasure and wealth of Iran. When Shah Behram Varzavand re-establishes the Zoroastrian monarchy in Iran, these great spiritual institutions will re-emerge from the ground!

But what did Ustad Saheb say about the hidden treasures in Hindu temples? Here begins a fascinating journey for us. Readers of Frashogard are aware of the prophecy of Ustad Saheb relating to the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand. Ustad Saheb revealed that before the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand, there will many cataclysmic changes in India. The democratic setup of the country will give way to the emergence of a Hindu Kingdom. Ustad Saheb revealed that a Hindu King, descended from the genealogy of Maharana Pratap of Udaipur will arise and establish a true Hindu Kingdom which would usher in peace and prosperity in the country after many years of war and destruction. Ustad Saheb revealed that in order to do this, the Hindu King would require vast sums of money and gold to help establish his monarchy. Nature makes preparations for events hundreds of years before the event is to happen.

Ustad Saheb revealed that the Sahebs of Demavand had told him that there exist several areas in India where vast sums of gold and precious gems have been collected and stored over hundreds of years, for the express use of this young Hindu monarch in whose reign is destined the advent of shah Behram Varzavand. When this prince emerges, he will commander this staggering wealth to establish his monarchy and pave the way for the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand.

Readers of Frashogard! Times are changing very fast and events are moving at a speed which defies our analysis. Parsis are of course too busy attending free lunches and collecting microwave ovens to bother about all this. We are eating our way to our destruction, while nature is preparing fast and furious for the arrival of the Promised One! The news of the vast treasure of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple should not come as a surprise to a serious student of Khshnoom. It only proves what we have been told all along. There are many such hidden treasures, which will remain hidden till the time comes for their proper use to prepare for the advent of the Saviour! May that day come soon!

My dear readers! Tomorrow, July 7, we observe the 84th death anniversary of our beloved Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff. Even though so many years have elapsed since his passing, his message and guidance to us is as fresh as ever. With every passing day, our minds are filled with his words of wisdom and warning. The time comes near when we will all have our faith put to the strongest test ever. The time comes near when great cataclysmic changes stare at our community, our country and indeed the entire world. Our civilization, based on immorality and rapacious greed, will soon fall with the weight of its own weaknesses. A new dawn is set to begin. But before that, the night will be long, dark and full of suffering.

Those of us who have placed our faith in Ustad Saheb and the Abed Sahebs of Demavand and who are trying desperately to follow the age old traditions of the faith will surely survive to see the brilliant dawn. The rest are doomed. On this 84th Baj of Ustad Saheb, let us all pray together one Ashem Vohu to hasten the advent of the Promised One. Let us also pray one Ashem Vohu in the memory of our beloved Ustad Saheb. May his Ruvan progress further and further and may it guide our community to its glorious destiny!

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Religion, Zarathushtrian Miracles | 7 Comments

The Wondrous Circle of Life – part 5

Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Meher Mah Bahman, 1380 Yz.

Where does the Ruvan fly to on the dawn of the fourth day? What and where is Chinvat? To be able to answer these questions satisfactorily, we need to have a look at the cosmography of the universe. The Zoroastrian mystic revelation of Khshnoom teaches us that there are two main Cosmoses. One is immortal, divine and perfect. In this cosmos, time and space are united. This cosmos is called Hasti. We shall leave Hasti where it is.

Our main interest lies in the second cosmos, which is mortal, moving towards divinity (some parts of it are divine) and imperfect. This cosmos is called Nisti, where time and space are separated. The entire Nisti cosmos can be furthered sub divided into various regions. It is difficult to give a two dimensional view of the Nisti cosmos when it is actually made up of several dimensions. However, to give a rough idea, the drawing below gives an imperfect view. Serious students are requested to download this image and print it out and then read the description given below for a clearer understanding of the topic.

Download the jpg file here

Nisti Cosmos low res

The main feature and defining structure of the Nisti cosmos are the 7 Dakhyus or planes. The names of the Dakhyus are found in the Meher Nyaesh. From top down, the seven Dakhyus are named:

1. Aiwi
2. Antare
3. Aa
4. Upairi
5. Adairi
6. Pairi
7. Aipi

The 7 planes of Nisti are like concentric globes one within the other. However, each plane is also connected to the others through many dimensions which cannot be shown on the map. Moreover, within each plane, there are seven inter-plane regions, which are called Zamrirs. On each Zamrir there exist millions of planets and stations like our earth, each having its own unique role to play. Taking the 7 planes as the x-axis, the Zamrir and the planets therein are located on the y-axis, thereby making up an entire globe.

The entire Nisti cosmos is surrounded by a vast expanse which is known as Miswan-e-Gatu. The Miswan separates Nisti from the perfect Cosmos Hasti. There are many other interesting areas within the Miswan which we shall leave alone for now. The Nisti cosmos can be further segregated into the following six groups:

1. Nisti-e-Avval
2. Nisti-e-Myana
3. Arvahi-e-Ala
4. Arvahi-e-Adna
5. Geti
6. Patal

Nisti-e-Avval is the starting point of Nisti. It is composed entirely of Stoat – i.e., beneficent vibrations. There is no matter or physicality here. Nisti-e-Avval contains:

i. the first three Dakhyus: Aiwi, Antare and Aa;
ii. the 7 inter-plane Zamrir regions between Aiwi and Antare Dakhyu;
iii. the 7 Zamrir between Antare and Aa Dakhyu; and
iv. the inter-plane below Aa Dakhyu.

Within the Nisti-e-Avval, are drawn 6 star shaped forms, which are the 6 Keshwars or special cosmic regions. Another important cosmic station is found in the Zamrir below Aa Dakhyu, which is called Dadar-e-Gehan. There are several other locations of deep import in this region but we will leave them for now, since our attention is to be focussed on Chinvat.

The most important region for our current study is located in the second part of Nisti, called Nisti-e-Myana. This region is composed of the Upairi Dakhyu, and the 7 inter-plane Zamrir regions below Upairi Dakhyu. This entire region – the 7 Zamrir between Upairi and Adairi Dakhyus is generically called the region of Chinvat. The Chinvat region can be further divided into three main sections.

1. The lowest part of Chinvat, which begins from the inter-plane just above Adairi Dakhyu (the seventh Zamrir), and extends to the sixth and fifth Zamrirs is called Gangdez.

2. The middle part of Chinvat, which begins from the fifth Zamrir and extends to the fourth and third Zamrir, is shown rising higher than the Gangdez region, and is called Kangdez.

3. The highest point of the Chinvat region, called Varzamkard, begins from the third Zamrir and extends to the second and first Zamrir. At the first Zamrir, the region of Varzamkard forks out into two paths. One path goes higher towards the region drawn in the map called Pahlum Ahwan, while the other path is a slippery slope which will lead down, back to the lower Dakhyus.

Immediately below the Chinvat regions lies Adairi Dakhyu and below it the 7 inter-plane Zamrir. This is the region of Arvahi-e-Ala where reside the Ulvi Arvahi – great spirits of the white side. Their entire civilization, and spiritual progress is different from man. We have no connection with them and this region is best left alone for the present. Within the Adairi Dakhyu there exist many millions of stations where the spiritual progress of the souls of humans belonging to other religions takes place.

Immediately below the Adairi Dakhyu lies the region of Nisti called Arvahi-e-Adna. This is contained within the Pairi Dakhyu and its 7 inter-plane Zamrirs. This most frightening region is populated by the Sefli Arvahi – very powerful sprites who work for the dark side of nature. This region also holds many millions of stations for the spiritual progress of souls of humans belonging to other religions. This area is also the place where lost souls, and souls who are trapped by the very powerful Sefli Arvahi are forced to work in most ghoulish conditions.

Readers are aware that there exist many malevolent sciences and secret orders in our society today. These secret societies use what is traditionally known as black magic and voodoo, or Tantra to make contact with the Sefli Arvahi in the hope of harnessing the immense power that these evil spirits have for material gains. The Sefli Arvahi are always on the lookout for such persons. Through their power, the Sefli help such humans do amazing things to impress other citizens and go against the laws of nature.

In their lifetime, these humans have it good. But their payback comes once they die. As their souls leave the earth to go on their onward journey, the Sefli Arvahi wait for them in this region. Here the favours given by the Sefli are to be repaid million fold by the hapless soul, who has nothing to offer – but its own services. Much like the poor farmers who are trapped by moneylenders in a never-ending dept repayment, the souls of those humans who used the Sefli in their life time are now enslaved by the evil sprites to do their nefarious jobs – for many hundreds of years. Such is the pitiable condition of those who delve into the black arts. This region is most difficult to cross and a veritable minefield for all souls.

The Zoroastrian soul, which has to fly on the day of the Chaharum, from the earth to the lowest region of Chinvat has to compulsorily pass this vast region. If any of the four boosters mentioned earlier are not properly done, or if the Zoroastrian has, during his life time, meddled with the dark forces, the Zoroastrian soul is also in danger of falling into the hands of the Sefli Arvahi or one of the orphaned souls who roam this region – waiting for their deliverance.

Finally below the Pairi Dakhyu lies the last Dakhyu – Aipi and its inter-plane Zamrir regions. It is between the Pairi and Aipi Dakhyu Zamrir that our earth – called Geti – is located, which is shown in the diagram. Below this region lie vast oceans of molten earth, supercharged air, and superheated water. In the very centre of this lies Patal – the grossest part of the cosmos.

I request reads to go through these confusing levels a number of times to properly comprehend the cosmography of Nisti and this will help to make our wondrous circle of life journey easier to understand.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Circle of Life | 9 Comments

Was Prophet Zarathushtra murdered?

Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Avan Mah Dae, 1380 Yz.

I still vividly remember that evening more than 20 years ago. I was 18 years old and sitting at Batliwalla Agiary in the evening after saying the Uzirin Gah prayers when a lady walked in and requested for a ceremony. I went to the Panthaky’s desk, opened the big daily prayer list book and asked the lady for the name of the deceased and the day. She told me, ‘Khorshed Roj’. As I waited for further details, she looked uncomfortably and whispered: ‘Evan nu khoon thayelu tenu bhanvanu’ (Prayers for his murder!). I gave her a weird look, still not getting it. She looked at me as if I was really dumb and said: ‘Arre apra Zarthosht saheb nu bhanvanu, su joya karoch!’ (Prayers for Zarathushtra, don’t you understand!) I apologized and entered her name in the book on Roj Khorshed Mah Dae. As you may know, tomorrow, Roj Khorshed Mah Dae, is observed by Parsis as ‘Zarthosht no Diso’. Diso comes from Old Gujarati ‘disi’, meaning ‘day’ and is commonly used to signify the Roj of death of a person. Thus, Zarthosht no Diso is supposed to mark the day that Zarathushtra died.

But how did Zarathushtra die? Many of us must have heard the story from our grandmothers, or read in the Amar Chitra Katha series: Zarathushtra was 77 years old and praying in a Fire Temple. An evil sorcerer by the name of Turbaratur quietly sneaked behind the Prophet and stabbed him in the back with a dagger. As the Prophet fell down, He threw the Tasbih (rosary, prayer beads) which was in His hands on the murderer. As the Tasbih fell on Turbaratur, he too perished.
While this is a quaint little story, it is totally unbelievable. There are several inconsistencies in the story. For example:

1. In the entire Avesta we have, there is no reference to this story! The Pahlavi book Dinkard, which has the complete life story of the Prophet, never uses the term ‘death’ in its entire narrative. It merely states that the Prophet attained ‘Vikhiz’ and He went up to ‘Pahalum Ahwan.’

2. The same Dinkard, which has great and intimate details about the entire life and many miracles of Prophet Zarathushtra makes absolutely no mention about what happened after His alleged death. Where did the death take place? Who performed His Paidust prayers, His Uthamna? In which Dakhma was His body placed?

3. In an era where Zarathushtra was the foremost person in the Kingdom, how come no guards were present around Him?

4. How did a Turanian manage to enter a Fire Temple, which restricts access only to Zoroastrians?

5. One of the foremost disciples of Zarathushtra was Jamasp, to whom Zarathushtra revealed the entire future over the next many eons. How could Zarathushtra, the teacher of this entire future, not know and be forewarned of His own death?

6. If Zarathushtra’s rosary was powerful enough to kill the murderer, was not Zarathushtra powerful enough to know who was sneaking up behind Him?

As usual our so-called scholars and experts have no answer to these queries and play around with words or build up fanciful theories. It was only when our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff appeared and revealed the knowledge of Khshnoom that we were able to understand the mystery behind this fable.

To properly understand the riddle behind the Prophet’s death, we must first realize His mission. Many Parsis and an overwhelming majority of scholars think that Zarathushtra was an ordinary mortal philosopher and poet, roaming from country to country till he finally managed to convince King Vistaspa and established the religion after doing some hocus-pocus and curing the King’s favourite horse! Many modern Parsis, especially those settled in the permissive western countries, believe that the Prophet was a great ‘reformer’, whose entire teaching can be summarized thus: ‘listen to what I am saying, but decide what you want to do yourself.’ This gives them great license to do what they may please, what may be convenient and suitable for the time.

But is the view consistent with what our scriptures say about Zarathushtra? Absolutely not! The Avesta describes Prophet Zarathushtra as a Yazata – a Divine Being, with His own special prayer! It ranks him even above the Amesha Spentas and very firmly declares that there is no one even remotely close to His Divine stature (He is called ‘aevo’, the foremost, unique in the Gathas). How can we run down such a uniquely Divine Being to the status of a common man, wandering from country to country in search of his first disciple! Only we can denigrate the status of our own Prophet! My blood boils and I feel really sick when I attend grand conferences in India and abroad and hear so-called experts run down our own Prophet as some common philosopher! Any other community would kill such experts, but our own community applauds them and gives them life time awards! And some become Trustees of the BPP! Wow, way to go Parsis!

What were the times like when Zarathushtra was born? The Avesta says that it was a time of great spiritual, physical and moral oppression. The levels of evil on the earth had reached such proportions that the very existence of earth was in question. The soul of the earth (Geush Urvan) cried out to the Creator to send someone who could lift this crushing load from her drooping shoulders. At this time, Ahura Mazda declares His plan to Geush Urvan of sending down Zarathushtra to rid the world of its accumulated evil and to establish the Zoroastrian faith, which was to be the supercharged version of the Mazdayasni faith which existed at that time. Do you think at such a time, a Prophet would come down and then tell the people: ‘hey, listen to what I am saying, but then do as you please!’ Then why do we need Him? Why is common sense so uncommon amongst us Parsis?

What type of evil was present in the age when Zarathushtra descended on this earth? Ustad Saheb explained that there were three main sources of evil.

1. Giant evil spirits who descended on earth from other parts of the cosmos and caused massive destruction.

2. Great followers of such evil spirits, whose level of science and technology was so advanced that they could manipulate any element at will.

3. The evil within common men and women of those times, who had succumbed to the attractions and charms of the evil science.

In earlier posts I have explained the concept of Kerdar. Every thought, word and deed of even the smallest speck of creation leaves behind an imprint. The summation of such imprints gather in different parts of the cosmos. The sum total of all good thoughts, words and deeds makes a powerful, divine formation which gathers in the southern area of the cosmos, called Dadar-e-Gehan. (This is why we turn to the south at the end of every Nyaesh and Yasht after praying ‘man aano avayad shudan.’ ‘I have to go there.’) The accumulated good forms the Kerdar in Dadar-e-Gehan, from which beneficent blessings descend on the entire earth.

Similarly the sum total of evil thoughts, words and deeds of each and every aspect of creation gathers in a specific, northern part of the cosmos, called Apakhtar. This is the reason for the prohibition of facing north while praying. This collective cloud of all evil forms a Kerdar in the Apakhtar area of the cosmos. When this cloud of evil breaks, it wreaks havoc on the earth in the form of not only great natural disasters but also inflicts great and unbearable suffering in the form of epidemics. This Kerdar is called Tur.

However, the accumulation of evil in the time when Zarathushtra descended on this earth had taken on such an ominous and dangerous form that it was no longer called Tur, but was called Tur-bara-tur: the very pinnacle of all evil!

When Zarathushtra descended on the earth, His mission was manifold. Not only did He establish the Zoroastrian faith and the Divine Pav Mahel from which we draw strength and sustenance even today, He also laid the foundations for the future emergence of other faiths. This is why he is given the title of Vakshure Vakshuran in Pahlavi (Prophet of Prophets.) He then systematically destroyed the great spirits who were roaming the earth freely and made sure they could not enter the earth’s area. He created the Divine Fshusho Manthra Nasks – the most potent prayers containing the entire body of knowledge past, present and future. He then formed his Inner Circle of great spiritual disciples, who condensed the Fshusho Manthra Nasks and put them in a language which we could utter.

All these and many more aspects of the Prophet’s mission were completed by Him. In the end, only one major item was left – the destruction of the evil Kerdar of Turbaratur which had formed in the Apakhtar area above the earth’s atmosphere and which was literally choking the population and threatening to destroy the earth. But this was not an easy mission. Zarathushtra could of course easily destroy the Kerdar. But as it was destroyed, its reaction would be so violent that the entire earth would quite simply disintegrate by its force! It was here that the great spiritual grandeur and majesty of the Prophet was used. Even though the Prophet had descended on the earth, His body was not composed of normal Anasers like ours. His Great Yazatic Light was contained in a special capsule of super charged super-Anasers. Ustad Saheb revealed that such was the luminosity of the Prophet’s supercharged container that a normal person could not even approach within a mile from Him!

Now as the mission of Zarathushtra was drawing to an end, He had no need of this super-charged capsule. His Yazatic Light was free to fly back to the Immortal Cosmos from where it had descended, to save the earth and to establish our religion. Thus Zarathushtra began his last mission, concentrating the force of His powerful Fshusho Manthra prayers on the Kerdar Turbaratur. As the potent Manthra began to tear apart the accumulated cloud of evil, a great reaction began. Just as the recoil of a powerful gun can overthrow the shooter if he does not position the barrel properly, so also the recoil from the destruction of Turbaratur began to threaten the axis of the earth, and its position in the solar system. At this point, Zarathushtra, through His great Yazatic Light and Divine Aura distracted the recoil of Turbaratur from the earth, to His own super-charged body.

As the recoil of the disintegrating Turbaratur hit, its violent effect was cradled by the supercharged body, thereby saving earth from total disintegration. In this way, Zarathushtra completed His final mission on earth. As the evil of Turbaratur was destroyed, and its recoil absorbed by the supercharged body of Zarathushtra, His Yazatic Light was now free of all confines. There was now no need for the Yazata to remain on earth. His mission completed, Yazata Zarathushtra left the earth, and ascended to the part of the cosmos called Pahalum Ahwan, where he would complete another part of His mission.

This is the deeply mystical and beautiful revelation of the mystery behind the ‘murder’ of Zarathushtra! Thousands of salaams to His Asho Farohar! And thousands of Dua to the Ruvan of our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff – who explained to us this miracle. And where would be without the guidance and protection of the Abed Sahebs of Demavand, who drew Behramshah to their secret field and taught him the mysteries of our religion!

Readers of Frashogard know that our beloved Ustad Saheb was a great favourite of his teacher, the Sraoshavarez Marzbanji Saheb. In his childishness, Ustad Saheb repeatedly requested Marzbanji Saheb to give him a Sezda (spiritual vision) of the Yazatic Light of Zarathushtra. The Sraoshavarez pointed out to Behramshah that this was not only an exceedingly difficult task but also dangerous since a normal person could not stand the exposure to the Prophet’s Khoreh. When Behramshah insisted, the Sraoshavarez gave him a Nirang to recite for a period of time. Behramshah enthusiastically pursued the Nirang and after a short time, subtle changes took place in Behramshah which enabled him to be ready for the vision.

On a chosen day, Sraoshavarez Marzbanji performed a Jashan and then offered the Sherbet from the Jashan to Behramshah. After drinking the Sherbet, Ustad Saheb drifted into Sezda. As he drew Behramshah into the Sezda, the Great Master displayed upon Behramshah’s shut eyes, a pale shadow of the Yazatic Light of Zarathushtra! As he came out of this vision, Behramshah’s body, although prepared through the Nirang and the supervision of his teacher, could not stand the great shock and Ustad Saheb fell down unconscious. Thereafter, Marzbanji Saheb passed his hand over Ustad Saheb’s forehead and slowly brought him back to consciousness. Such was the great destiny of my Master, Ustad Saheb – to have a brief vision of the Yazatic Light of Prophet Zarathushtra. Yet, today, how many Parsis will believe what I have written, and how many will perhaps joke about it.

My dear Parsis, the times we are living today are a mini replica of the time before the advent of Zarathushtra. Human beings are raping and pillaging our earth in their mindless pursuit of materialism and science. Everywhere there is immorality, dishonesty and wickedness. The good are oppressed, the wicked are having a field day. Our own community is going to the dogs. There are no real leaders, only charlatans. There are no spiritual guides, only fakes. There are no real priests, only men in white who cheat without any thought. But remember, my dear Parsis, the promise of Ustad Saheb got from the Abed Sahebs of Demavand. The time draws close for the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand! The time draws close when the wicked will be punished and the good will get respite. There is only a short time left to decide on which side we want to be! It is still not too late. Awake, Parsis, wear the Sudreh and Kusti, recite the Avesta, follow your Tarikats and prepare to welcome the advent of the Promised One!

May the Asho Farohar of Vakshure Vakshuran Asho Spitaman Zarathushtra shower His blessings on our troubled community on this day of great spiritual remembrance!

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Zarathushtra the Yazata, Zarathushtrian Miracles | 16 Comments

The Wondrous Circle of Life – part 4

Posted on Monday, May 9, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Din Mah Adar, 1380 Yz.

Let us briefly understand the esoteric meaning behind the Tana ceremony.

The hammering of the 301 nails, and the passing of the consecrated Tana thread through these nails results in the creation of a gigantic circuit. The entire process of the Tana ceremony is to make a supercharged powerhouse, called Talesam – or Talisman, within the boundaries of the Dakhma. It is important to note that the number 4 and its multiples play a central role in the Tana ceremony. There are 301 nails in all. 4 nails in each of the corners, 32 nails around the perimeter, 8 rows of 32 nails each in the four gutters. 101 strands of the wool are made into one and then two such are merged to form the Tana thread (101×2). This recurring figure of 4 and its multiples is essential to break down the physical body into the 4 main Anasers – Atash, Baad, Ab and Khak.

The circuits formed though the Tana ceremony are present in each and every Pavi of the Dakhma. The circuits of the Talesam in the Dakhma begin to work as soon as the body of a deceased Parsi is placed in the Pavi. The Anasers contained in the physical body of the deceased begin to separate from their physical confines. The work of the vultures aids in this process. As the physical body is broken down, the spiritual circuits of the Tana break down the Anasers to their basic forms – Atash, Baad, Ab and Khak. As these Anasers get separated, they are lifted by the parallel rays of the sun which fall into the Dakhma. The powerful rays of the sun, along with the spiritual energy of Khurshed and Meher Yazatas, attract the Anasers, which get fastened on to the physical rays of the sun. They begin the slow but steady journey from the Pavi of the Dakhma to the special place where they are supposed to go and collect.

On the dawn of the fourth day after death, as the priests begin the performance of the Daham Yazad Jashan, they are in fact handing over the charge of the Anasers – which should have been broken down to their individual parts by now, to the Yazata Daham. It is the primary function of Daham Yazata to be the guardian and custodian of the Anasers of deceased Parsis. As the Anasers rise up from the Dakhma and are taken to the realms above by the combined forces of Khurshed and Meher Yazatas, Daham Yazata oversees the process and guards the Anasers of the deceased.

As this is happening, a great event begins to unfold at the place where the Ruvan of the deceased has been resting these three days after death. In the last 80 minutes of the third day and just before the dawn of the fourth day breaks, the Baodangh and Fravashi awaken the Ruvan from its drowsy state and draw its attention to the sacred Manthras being recited by the Priest performing the Dhup Nirang (the concluding part of the Uthamna). In the last paragraph of this beautiful prayer, the priest recites: (free translation)

“May the glorious rule of the righteous Mazdayasni Daena spread throughout the 7 Keshwars of the cosmos, as the smooth flowing waters! May the Laws of the Daena result in the spread of beneficence and selflessness! May the Laws of the Daena result in righteous Kingship and beneficent rulers! May the Laws of the Daena bring about enlightenment, awakening and spiritual rejuvenation! May the entire creation move towards goodness, righteousness and the praise of the Lord! May the evil science of materialism, which gives rise to great malevolence, collapse! May those who indulge in such evil perish! May it be so!”

“O Mazdayasni Ruvan! If, during your current life, you have partaken in such evil sciences, if you have tasted the evil fruit of temptation, selfishness, irreligiousness and untruth, then beware! You shall come back here! If you are one who remembered the solemn promise you gave to your Creator when you were born and followed the Laws of the Daena; if you are one who remained true to your religion and its Prophet, then you shall not come back! Because of your accumulated goodness and virtue, may the Lord of the Wide Fields – Meher Yazad, who is the Most Righteous Judge of All, come here quickly and before time, to take you further towards the House of Ahura Mazda! O Mazdayasni Ruvan, offer Patet for all your sins! May the Patet be accepted, through the power of this Ashem Vohu!”

Readers of Frashogard! This paragraph makes it all so clear! Of the many endless controversies in our religion, the one relating to reincarnation is prominent! It is true, there is no reincarnation for a TRUE Mazdayasni Ruvan. But the operative word is TRUE! The lives we lead are so far removed from the commandments and precepts of our religion. For our Ruvans, there is no choice but to be born again. The words of the Dhup Nirang are very clear! Live a life of purity, piety and truth – and Meher Yazad shall Himself lead you to the House of God. But live a life of materialism, untruth and filled with the temptations of the physical senses, and we are doomed to come back here again!

These poignant and most solemn words fall on the ears of the awakened Ruvan as it arises from its slumber and climbs into a special vehicle, fashioned by its Baodangh and Fravashi as it prepares to begin its long and momentous journey towards that place where the Judgement will take place! This vehicle can be most appropriately compared to the massive rockets which propel the space shuttles towards the moon or the international space station. Just as those rockets have different sets of boosters which propel the rocket skyward and break the attraction of gravity, so also the vehicle which will take the Ruvan to its appointed place consists of four boosters. These boosters are dependent on the proper execution of four critical elements:

1. The Sachkar
2. The Geh Sarna
3. The Talesam of the Dakhma; &
4. The first four days ceremonies in honour of Sarosh Yazad

As each of these four critical elements is completed and executed perfectly, the vehicle which will take the Ruvan towards its destination gets prepped up and ready to fly. But should any one of these four be left out, or not be executed in a perfect manner, then the vehicle will definitely lift off, but whether it will reach its destination or drop off midway is open to question.

Unfortunately, we have committed spiritual suicide by systematically destroying some of these elements ourselves. The way the Sachkar is done today by the Nasseh-salaars leaves much to be desired. The Geh Sarna does get done reasonably well even today. But what about the Talesam of the Dakhma? We have ruined it! People other than Nasseh-salaars enter the Dakhma as if it were a tourist spot! Rascals have entered to photograph the insides of the Dakhma and cause immense pain and anguish to our community. Even the Nasseh-salaars themselves do not follow the rules of purity which they are supposed to. When was the last time any one of them took the Nahn which they should after every Paidust?

We have destroyed the spiritual work of Khurshed and Meher Yazatas by putting mirrors on the Dakhma! Those wise ones who installed this totally un-Zoroastrian system do not realise that the mirrors focus the parallel rays of sunlight into one concentrated beam which hits the body at one spot and results in the body getting charred or burnt! Are these Dakhmas or solar crematoriums? How can the Anasers be separated and handed over to Daham Yazad when we invert the work of the parallel rays of the sun! If this were not enough other foolish experiments like passing ozone gas and spraying some chemical/herbal powder to get rid of the stench of accumulated bodies have been tried out. Where is the sanctity of the Dakhma and its Talesam in all this? The Dakhma is a sanctified and consecrated place! That is why we have the prayer called Namaz-e-Dakhma!

For the last nearly three years, we have been asking the Trustees of the BPP to open the huge Banaji Dakhma, which is on the right hand side as soon as we begin ascending the climb which leads us to the Sagdi. This Dakhma has been lying unused for many years since a new skyscraper came up which provided its residents with a partial view of the inside. A plan was submitted to the Trustees to construct an iron screen such that the Dakhma insides could not be seen. An alternative was proposed to raise a bund of earth and plant fast-growing trees which would block the view, without blocking the sunlight from falling in. After his election as Trustee, Mr. Khojeste Mistree took a few of us traditional people for a stroll on the grounds of Dungerwadi and showed us the various works in progress. At that time, Mr. Mistree had indicated that the Dakhma would be opened “soon”. It is now nearly three years and we are still waiting for a clean Dakhma on the Doongerwadi premises for use without any gadgets or gimmicks.

I will not even begin to speak of the way the first four days ceremonies are being performed in many Agiaries in Mumbai and on Dungerwadi itself. I am ashamed to say that many Panthakys have totally lost all sense of morality and truth and simply do not perform the many ceremonies which should be done in every Gah of the first three days, yet have no compunction in making long and fictitious bills. They can fool devotees all they like, but what will they answer when they stand in front of Meher Yazad on the fourth day after death? Will they try to pull a fast one on Him too?

What is our destiny? Doomed to live a non-Zoroastrian life in our lifetimes, and doomed to be unable to take the benefit of our spiritual institutions set up by the Prophet! So is all lost and over for us? NO. It is in these times, when every institution of the Zoroastrian religion is facing corruption and decline, that the Hidden Masters of Demavand come to our aid! It is the word of our Master Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff, that the Abed Sahebs help all such souls who are in danger of falling into wicked hands, whose boosters are not enough to enable the Ruvan to reach its destination. Thousands of salaams to these pious Masters! May they help us too when our time comes!

In our next post we shall examine where exactly the soul has to reach to receive its Judgement.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Circle of Life, Religion | 5 Comments

New Afarganyu for the Padshah Saheb

Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Adar Mah Adar, 1380 Yz.

Readers of Frashogard would recall that I had written about the deeply mystical significance of the Afarganyu which holds the Atash Padshahs in our Agiaries and Atash Behrams when detailing the life story of Dastur Mulla Feroze. The wisdom displayed by Dastur Mulla Feroze and Mulla Kaus while constructing the Dadyseth Atash Behram at Mumbai was described in detail in that post.

Ever since I wrote that article, there arose in me a great desire to replicate the copper Afarganyu for our Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff Daremeher. This was made all the more necessary since the existing Afarganyu, which had been fabricated in German silver was of poor workmanship and also shook violently due to improper levelling. The task was made difficult because there are very few fabricators left who agree to work in copper.

Thanks to the efforts of our colony resident Mr. Homi Zaiwalla, who works in Godrej Industries, we managed to get a good fabricator in Mr. Ramesh and his brother Raju Panchal, based in Vikhroli. I took the design inspiration from the 250 year old copper Afarganyu lying in the hall of the Dadyseth Atash Behram and made some changes therein. We then made the necessary drawings and entrusted the task to the Panchal brothers. Over a period of nearly 2 months, the brothers fabricated a superb piece using 100% pure copper of a very thick gauge. The following photographs show the various different pieces of the Afarganyu in the raw copper stage.

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After the design was approved with some minor changes, the final assembled Afarganyu in the raw copper stage looked like this.
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Thereafter, the insides of the Afarganyu were treated with tin (Kalai work) to make it receptive to the intense heat that would be generated. The outside part of the Afarganyu was brushed and buffed and then nickel plated, to give a long lasting shine and glow. Finally the completed Afarganyu was delivered to the Daremeher on Sunday, 17th April 2011. The photograph below shows the Agiary staff receiving the Afarganyu with a traditional Parsi welcome.

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The Afarganyu was thoroughly cleaned and washed by our volunteers and thereafter taken inside for consecration.

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The total weight of the Afarganyu is 65 kilos, which gives readers a fair idea of its sturdiness and high quality.

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The ceremony to consecrate the Afarganyu was performed by me on Roj Dae-pa-Adar, Mah Adar ; Saturday 23rd April in the morning. The Afarganyu was consecrated in the name of our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff. After the second Havan machi on that day, the consecrated Afarganyu was transferred by two priests to the inner sanctum room (Kebla) and placed near the existing Afarganyu to begin the process of absorption of the divine energies present in the old Afarganyu.

Finally, after the Ushahin Gah machi, the ceremony to enthrone the Padshah Saheb on the new Afarganyu was performed. A metal chain was used to create a Paiwand between the inner Pavi, the old Afarganyu, the new Afarganyu and a marble pedestal. Then with the chanting of the Yatha Ahu Vairyo, four priests lifted the Sarposh (the deep tray on top of the old Afarganyu on which the Holy Ash and the Padshah Saheb rest) and placed it on the marble pedestal. Two priests lifted the old Afarganyu from the Khuan (marble stone) and placed it on the side. Working quickly, the new Afarganyu was placed on the Khuan accompanied by the loud chanting of the Yatha Ahu Vairyo. Finally, the Sarposh was lifted from the marble pedestal and placed gently on the new Afarganyu, thereby formally enthroning the Padshah Saheb on His new throne.

The Paiwand chain was then lifted and removed and the Pavi properly cleaned and isolated again. Thereafter all the priests recited the Atash Nyaesh in a loud and sonorous voice, finishing off with a Tandorasti for the Padshah Saheb and the Hama Anjuman. In this manner, the Padshah Saheb was presented with a new throne in advance of Roj Adar Mah Adar. At 6:15 am the Hama Anjuman Machi of 5kgs was offered to the Padshah Saheb in the presence of over 50 colony residents who had gathered to witness the first Machi of the Padshah Saheb on the new Afarganyu.

I am thankful to Mr. Homi Zaiwalla and Mr. Parvez Karbhari, both employees of Godrej who worked and coordinated tirelessly with the vendor to deliver a superbly crafted Afarganyu on time. I am also grateful to the 26 residents of Behram Baug who silently gave generous sums of money to defray the cost of the Afarganyu. In keeping with our philosophy of silent and anonymous charity, no inscription or wordings have been etched on the Afarganyu. Instead two small copper plates were placed inside the Afarganyu which state the Roj and Mah of the consecration and enthronement, in Gujarati and English. In the future, if the Padshah Saheb is ever lifted, then whoever does so would realise how and when the Afarganyu was made.

May the new Afarganyu offer faithful service to the Padshah Saheb for many years to come.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Events, Religion | 10 Comments

Book on the life of the Master released

Posted on Sunday, April 3, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Rashne Mah Avan, 1380 Yz.

Last Sunday was a day of hectic events. Roj Khorshed Mah Avan marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff Daremeher. From the previous day and early morning, volunteers were seen making last minute cleaning and festooning each door of the Daremeher with garlands. At 6:30 am the Havan Gah Machi weighing 5kgs was offered by the Trustees of the Zoroastrian Radih Society to the Padshah Saheb. The Salgreh Jashan was held at 10:00 am and saw a very large turnout of colony members. Here is a photograph of the freshly painted and renovated Daremeher in the morning.

USBNS Daremeher

The evening function started at 6:30 pm with a Humbandagi. Thereafter the Panthaky, Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram gave a short introduction and welcome to the invitees. Seen in the photograph below are (left to right) Mr. Nariman Mody, Mr. Roossi Talati, Ms. Pilamai Lalkaka – all Trustees of the ZRS, Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram and Boywalla Ervad Percy K. Bhadha.

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Thereafter, the main speech of the evening on the Advent of Shah Behram Varzavand was delivered by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram. A detailed report on the speech will be posted later on. A record crowd of over 300 guests both from within the colony and outside listened in rapt attention to the over 90 minute speech. Here are photographs showing the crowd.

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Prominently seen in the front row (third from left) is the grandson of Ustad Saheb Behramshah N. Shroff, Mr. Nariman Kotwal, who resides in the colony.

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After the main speech the volunteers who toiled for nearly 6 months to clean, renovate and repaint the Daremeher were felicitated. The photo below shows Mr. Soli Kodia being thanked by the Trustees of the ZRS.

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After closing remarks and Humbandagi, the guests heartily partook of a lavish dinner catered by Mr. Kurush Dalal, son of late Katy Dalal.

Tuesday, 29th March marked the Fasli Salgreh of the Daremeher. On this day, after the Havan Gah Machi in the morning, the Salgreh Jashan was held at 10:30 am. After the Jashan, a function was held to release the book on the life of the Master. Speaking on the occassion, Mr. Hormuzdiar H. Suntoke, Trustee of the ZRS explained the difficulties faced by the Trust in reclaiming the land which was illegally acquired by the government many years ago and the sterling services provided by senior solicitor Mr. Sorabji Morris of Little & Co. who was also present for the function despite his very advanced age.

Thereafter, I spoke a few words describing how the book on the life of the Master took shape and the various difficulties faced in printing the book. After these remarks the book was officially released at the hands of Mr. Sorabji Morris. Here is a photo of the book cover.

USBNS Book cover

Thanks are due to the Trustees of the ZRS for bearing the heavy cost of printing 1000 copies of the book. One copy was given free to each flat owner of Behram Baug. Additional copies are available for sale at Rs. 75/- each from the following places:

1. The Zoroastrian Radih Society, Vatsa House, Janmabhoomi Marg, Fort Mumbai. Contact Mr. Gustad Irani.

2. N. D. Moolla & Sons, the sandalwood and religious items shop next to Wadiaji Atash Behram. Contact Mr. Noshir Moolla.

3. Boyce Agiary, Tardeo. Contact Mr. Marzban Palsetia.

4. Ustad Saheb Behramshah N. Shroff Daremeher, Behram Baug. Contact Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram.

Overseas Parsis interested in buying the book may send an email to me: marzban@hathiram.com with their address and I will mail them the expected courier costs.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Events, Life of the Master | 1 Comment

10th Anniversary of the Ustad Saheb Behramshah N. Shroff Daremeher

Posted on Monday, March 21, 2011 by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Roj Spendarmad Mah Ava, 1380 Yz; Fasli Roj Hormazd Mah Fravardin, 1380 Yz, JAMSHEDI NAVROZE

Heartiest Jamshedi Navroze greetings to all readers of Frashogard! May the coming year be one of great success and spiritual enrichment. May you witness a life-changing and momentous event which will reveal to you the true beauty and inner depth of our religion!

I am happy to announce the programme to mark the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of the Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff Daremeher at Jogeshwari.

The Salgreh as per the Shahenshahi calendar will fall on Roj Khorshed Mah Ava, Sunday 27th March 2011.

The day will commence with a Hama Anjuman Machi offered to the Padshah Saheb by the Trustees of the Zoroastrian Radih Society – the owners of Behram Baug.

The Salgreh Jashan will be held at 10:00 am.

The evening function will commence at 6:30 pm with Humbandagi. After introductory comments from the Trustees of the Zoroastrian Radih Society, I will deliver a talk on “Shah Behram Varzavand: when will He come and what will He do?”

Post the talk, there will be a felicitation program to honour the selfless service given by a team of Parsi volunteers led by Mr. Bomi Mistry who have painted and renovated the Daremeher premises over the last 6 months. We will also honour the few colony residents who joined hands with Mr. Bomi Mistry and helped us bring the Daremeher back to its pristine condition.

After the felicitation, the Trustees of the Zoroastrian Radih Society will announce the release of the book: “A Wondrous Life: The True story of Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff.” Readers of Frashogard are aware that I had written 30 posts on the life of the Master on this blog and had promised that the same would be released as a book. I am thankful to the Trustees of the Zoroastrian Radih Society for bearing the cost of printing 1000 copies of the book. This book, which has been priced at Rs. 75, will be available for sale from the 29th of March.

After the book release announcement and concluding remarks, members of the Colony will join other invitees to a sumptuous dinner, catered by Mr. Kurush Dalal.

The Fasli Salgreh of the Daremeher will be observed on Fasli Roj Adar, Mah Fravardin, Tuesday, 29th March 2011.

The day will commence with a Hama Anjuman Machi offered to the Padshah Saheb by the Trustees of the Zoroastrian Radih Society – the owners of Behram Baug.

The Salgreh Jashan will be held at 10:30 am.

After the Jashan, the book on the life of the Master will be formally released. A copy of the book will be distributed free of cost to every household in Behram Baug Parsi Colony. Details about availability of the book in other places will be communicated separately.

Readers of Frashogard will join me in praying for a long and spiritually beneficent life of the Padshah Saheb of the Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff Daremeher.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

Posted in Events, Zarathushtrian facts | 5 Comments