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How to take the name of a deceased in any prayer

Roj Behram Mah Spendarmad, 1383 Yz.

Several readers of Frashogard have asked the question as to how should the name of a deceased person be taken while doing any prayer for them. Certain prayers, like the Stum no Kardo or the Patet Ruvan ni, have specific places where the name of the deceased is recited. But the question arises in other normal prayers which one may wish to recite in the memory of our deceased persons.

For example, many readers of Frashogard would like to pray the Lakh prayer during the Muktad, in the memory of a deceased relative. Now the Lakh prayer does not have any specific part or sentence where the name of the beneficiary is recited. So many may wonder – how does nature give the benefit – does it go to the person who recited the prayer or does it go to the Ruvan of the person intended?

To avoid this confusion, our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah N. Shroff revealed to us a beautiful method of taking the name of the deceased in any prayer – irrespective of whether the sentence of the name appears or not. This paragraph is taken from the prayer books of our Kadmi brothers and has got a beautiful resonance and meaning. Since the Manthras are in Pazend and have very powerful Mithra, Ustad Saheb advised that any Parsi – Shahenshahi, Kadmi or Fasli, could recite this paragraph and take the name of the deceased.

When and how should this paragraph be recited? There are two methods, depending on the prayer being recited. If one is reciting a Nyaesh or Yasht or any other prayer which has the ‘Roj nek nam, Roj Pak nam…’ paragraph contained within the prayer, then the following method should be used: The entire paragraph of Roj nek nam… upto Namaz Dadare gehaan daamaan’ should be substituted with the paragraph given below: For example, if we are praying the Haftan Yasht in the Havan Gah of Roj Ashtad and Mah Spendarmad for the Ruvan of the deceased Jamshed, son of Dinshaw, then the following should be recited:

Firozbaad khoreh avizeh vehdin Mazdayasnaan, Ashem Vohu 1: [repeat thrice]

Berasaad, bepaziraad, beniushaad. Ba-khshnudiye Daadaar Hormazd rayomand khorehmand avaa hamaa ameshaaspandaane firozgar; Ba-khshnudiye Dine Paak Yazdaan; Ba-khshnudiye Asho Ruvaane Zarathushtra Spitamaan Anusheh Ruvaan; Ba-khshnudiye Hormzad avaa gaahe se-Dae vispaeshaam;

Ba-khshnudiye Bahman o Maah o Gosh o Raam; Ba-khshnudiye Ardibehesht buland Aadar Sarosh varz Behraam; Ba-khshnudiye Shehrivar o Khur o Meher o Aasmaan o Aneraan Anagra roshan gaahe Khuda; Ba-khshnudiye Esfandaar o Aavaa Din Ard Mahrespand; Ba-khshnudiye Khordad o Teshtar Baad Fravardin; Ba-khshnudiye Amardad o Rashna o Aashtaad o Jamyaad;

Ba-khshnudiye Roje ASHTAD YAZAD Maahe SPENDARMAD AMESHASPAND Gaahe HAVAN;

Haftan Yasht pazirafte Hormazd o Ameshaaspandaan Baad;

Behzaade Asho Ruvaan e ‘Behdin JAMSHED Behdin DINSHAW’ rasaad;

Khudaa be Aamurzaad Aamurzaad-e baad, Ravaane ‘Behdin JAMSHED Behdin DINSHAW’ be nikaano niko-kerdaaraan berasaad. Ashem Vohu 1.

Namaaz daadaar-e gehaan daamaan. Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdao…and then the remaining part of the Haptan Yasht should be finished.

The important part to remember is to take the correct name of the prayer in the paragraph above, and the correct name of the deceased, along with the name of his father or her husband, as the case may be.

The second method of recital is for prayers which do not have the Roj nek nam paragraph included in them. For example, the Lakh prayer, the Framraot Ha, the Ashaunam Tasbih etc are all small prayers which do not have the Roj nek nam paragraph.

For such cases, the same paragraph as shown above should be used, but only the last sentence: Namaz Dadar-e gehaan daamaan. Khshnaothra Ahurahe Mazdao…should be dropped. To illustrate more clearly, let us take the example of a person praying the Lakh prayer in the Uzirin Gah of the third Gatha day, in memory of Gula, wife of Ervad Behram.

After the complete Lakh prayer has been finished, the following paragraph should be prayed:

Firozbaad khoreh avizeh vehdin Mazdayasnaan, Ashem Vohu 1: [repeat thrice]

Ba-khshnudiye Roje GEH GATHABYO GATHA SPENTOMAD Gaahe UZIRIN;

LAKH pazirafte Hormazd o Ameshaaspandaan Baad;

Behzaade Asho Ruvaan e ‘Osti GULA Ervad BEHRAM’ rasaad;

Khudaa be Aamurzaad Aamurzaad-e baad, Ravaane ‘Osti GULA Ervad BEHRAM’ be nikaano niko-kerdaaraan berasaad. Ashem Vohu 1.

It is important to note here that during the Gatha days, the name of the month in not mentioned in our prayers, but the day and month is merged together and called GEH GATHABYO GATHA (name).

I have made a PDF file of the above prayer in both English and Gujarati using a sodapdf software for this. Once you take the printout of the file, the paper should be folded in half, such that the Gujarati prayer comes on one side and the English prayer comes on the other and then it can be laminated and used as a book mark for your Khordeh Avesta.

I hope readers of Frashogard will make full use of this very important prayer revealed by our Master and obtain the immeasurable blessings of their dear departed during the coming Muktad days. I would advise readers to once again go through the two very important posts:

What to do and pray during the Muktad – part 1

What to do and pray during the Muktad – part 2 published last year.

Frashogard will now be updated only after Amardad Saal and the end of the 18 day Muktad.

Anusheh ruvan para bookmark for downloading and printing:

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

2
AUG

Yasmin August 2, 2014

Ervadji, thank you for your valuable information. Ervadji just as priests pray the Baj, before any ceremony in the Agiary or Atash behram such as Afargan, Faroksi, satum and other prayer’s, which a normal behdin cannot pray, what prayer can a Behdin recite in the place of Baj. For example in one of my Avesta’s it is mentioned for a few Nyaish’s, if you cant recite them or dont have the time, you can pray certain number of Yatha Ahuvairyo’s and Ashem Vohu. Is there any such prayer or recital which can be done to replace the Baj which respected Dastoor’s pray in the Agiarie’s.
Hutoxi August 4, 2014

Thank you Er. Marazbanji, thank you very much. As always right on time to guide us.
rita August 4, 2014

Ervad saheb….please clarify whether only one name of the deceased can be recited or you can also add the other deceased family members…
Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram August 4, 2014

Only one name can be taken per prayer.
rita August 4, 2014

Thank you….
Sarosh May 17, 2015

Dear Marazban,
During Muktad and Gatha days Can i take the name of the departed person in our normal fradjyat prayers like Khorshed meher Nyaish , Sarosh Yasht Hadokht and sarosh yasht Vadi , ava yasht etc etc prayers?
Patet RAVANI IS the only prayer which is AVoided am i right saheb???? can rest all prayers be recited with the names of our departed ones ?
thanks…
Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram May 18, 2015

@Sarosh
That is correct. However it is more beneficial to pray the special prayers for the Muktad during those days. See https://www.frashogard.com/what-to-do-and-pray-during-the-muktad-part-2/
Sarosh May 21, 2015

Dear Marazbanji ,
1.Iam bit confused i read in one post about not to pray ahmai raescha and kerfeh Mazda when praying in Vadi . IS it also not to be prayed in prayers like satum , afringhan ,jashan as well when its for departed?
2, Can i pray Ahmai raescha and kerfeh mozda when praying for departed for other Nyaishes and Yasht?
3. SInce ruvan ni Patet cant be prayed in Muktad days . WHat do priest pray when people offer Ruvan ni niteye Machi in agiaries during muktad time in boi ceremony?

4. Can one offer Ruvan ni Niteye Machi in bio ceremony when someone has recently expired? where his name is remembered in Patet ruvani?on the first second and third day of the person who just died?
Can machi be offererd for such a departed person?
Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram May 21, 2015

@Sarosh
1. For any prayer relating to the departed they should not be prayed
2. See above
3. Stum no Kardo
4. Only after Chaharum.
Sarosh May 21, 2015

Thank you Marazbanji , for the above replies was very knowledgable.
1.Does one have to even pray Half jas me avanghe mazda when praying for departed? that is till upartato . and start again from Thwashe khadate . and ALSO omit AR and KM in that while praying for departed in our nyaishes yasht and all other ravan ni kriyakam?

2. In my above post point number 3 as you mentioned satum no kardo is prayed instead of patet ruvani when machi is done . Does one have to put a satum khumchi with rice and milk food and pray satum or can directly pray it in front of adarian saheb without putting any khumchi . Also can one priest sit down in a corner on the chair and pray satum without any food offerings.?
Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram May 21, 2015

@Sarosh
1. Yes
2. No. there is no need for food. The prayer can be recited without anything.
Sam October 26, 2015

Dear Marazban saheb. Have a few questions:-

1.When someone dies Can one offer a Ravan Ni Machi at the day on his Chahrum on the fourth day in Haven Gah ravan ni Machi and in remaining Gahs also .specially in havan gah ?

2. sarosh ni kushti if done than is it necessary to pray sarosh baj again before doing gah fradjyat? or directly pray the gah after kushti?Pls advice?

3. In kadmi kushti we dont have sarosh baj in book than what procedure is to be followed ? We directly perform kadmi kushti and pray Gah . Want your advice . Thank You.
Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram October 27, 2015

@Sam
1. It is very beneficial to offer the Machi in the Havan Gah on the Chahrum day. It aids in the onward flight of the soul to Chinvat. Even the other Gahs are OK, but Havan is best.

2. Yes. Sarosh Baj has to be prayed.

3. For Kadmis the Hamazor Bim is to be prayed. No Sarosh Baj.