Frashogard: The definitive blog on Zarathushtrian Mysticism

Roj Asishvangh Mah Ardibehesht, 1379 Yz.

The change of century – from 1899 to 1900 brought far reaching changes all around the world. It was a time of great scientific and medical progress, ‘rationalism’, becoming ‘modern’ and throwing out all that was considered ‘old fashioned’. The English Raj was at its peak and India was being systematically bled by the British who used their divide and rule tactic to take over all of India. At the same time, a more sinister movement was afoot. Hordes of Christian missionaries of all kinds – Catholics, Protestants, Presbyterians, Irish and many more were descending in the cities and villages of India with a single purpose – to rid India of her ‘pagan’ religions, to ‘redeem’ Indian souls and send them to heaven by the only way possible – by making them Christian! In their unholy haste to convert India, the missionaries used many tricks and tools – education, literacy campaigns, medical help, welfare societies and good old ‘scholarly studies’. The Hindu scriptures were ‘studied’, faults found and then compared to the pristine Bible. How could anybody reach heaven without accepting that Christ was the only Saviour?

Within the Parsi community also, there were great changes happening. Always at the forefront to adopt anything from the British, the leading Parsi families of that time began aping the British at all levels. Fancy mansions, non-Parsi cooks and butlers, giving up the practice of segregation, abandoning the Parsi dress and wearing the British coat and tie – all these and more were being picked up by members of our community. The British, known for the shrewd behavior, encouraged this aping, heaping awards and titles of Rao Bahadur and Khan Bahadur on prominent Parsis, the walls of whose houses were adorned with the photographs of the King and Queen Victoria!

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Roj Dae-pa-Meher Mah Ardibehesht, 1379

Fasli Meherangan

After this debate, a Muslim gentleman who had a unique power came on to the stage. He had developed a relationship with a low level spiritual entity (Jin) which enabled him to get things from afar in an instant. He would ask people to put money on the table and ask for something, say from another city. As the money was put on the table, the man would pray something and the money would fly off. In a few seconds the item which had been asked for would appear on the table. Ustad Saheb went on watching this tamasha for some time and then made a sign to his friend Hakim Jalalshah. Now a person in the audience put a rupee on the table and asked for some sweets from a famous mithai shop of Delhi. Ustad Saheb concentrated his thoughts and began staring at the rupee coin. The magician started his prayers but nothing happened. The more he prayed, the more steady the rupee remained on the table! Soon he realized that there was a person more powerful than him in the audience. With his developed eyes, the magician saw Behramshah staring at the rupee and realized his game was up. He came up to Behramshah and requested him to lift the gaze. As soon as Behramshah looked away the rupee flew off the table and a few moments later, the famous sweets from the mithai shop of Delhi appeared on the table.

The assembled scholars were appreciative of this Parsi gentleman’s unique knowledge and power and at the end of the Jamaat, Ustad Saheb was presented with a walking stick with a silver head, which is considered a mark of great distinction in their scholarly circles. The presence of Behramshah in the Jamaat remained a topic of discussion for many years in the scholarly circles of Moradabad, because many years after this incident, a person seeking Behramshah came to Surat, asking everybody if they knew the “ilumdar Behramshah”.

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Roj Tir Mah Ardibehesht, 1379 Yz.

The dynasty of Mewar is one of the oldest in India, if not the world. The dynasty claims descent from the Sun God Himself and are hence called “Suryavanshi”, stretching back to around 4000 BC! The historical records are available from around 600 AD and show an unbroken line of succession from those days. A unique feature of this dynasty is that they do not claim to Kings, rather they call themselves custodians of the Divine Kingdom of Shri Eklinji, a manifestation of Lord Shiva. In the long history of India, where various outsiders came, attacked and conquered, the House of Mewar was one of the few, if not only which did not bow down to any of the attackers, fiercely maintaining their territory and also their distinct family lineage. They refused to give their ladies to outsiders, married within themselves and hence have succeeded in maintaining their racial identity till this day. Despite the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s best efforts, Mewar refused to bow down to him, giving rise to one of India’s most celebrated heroes, Maharana Pratap. Even during the British empire, Mewar was one of the few princely states which did not bow down to the British. They maintained a strict aloofness from the British, never visited them or attended their fancy Durbars.

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Roj Dae-pa-Adar Mah Ardibehesht, 1379 Yz.

It was late in the afternoon one pleasant day in Firdaus, Behramshah was in the house of one of the resident farmers, chatting with the family, when a message was sent that the Sraoshavarez wanted to see Behramshah. The eager student immediately set off to meet the Master, who had just emerged from his afternoon prayers. Taking Behramshah by his side, the Sraoshavarez began to speak to him in a very kind and gentle voice: “My dear son, nearly three and a half years have passed since you were brought to Firdaus. In this time you have won our hearts and minds with your innocence and cheerfulness. But now the time has come for you to leave us and return home not only to your beloved mother who waits anxiously for you, but also to begin the most important part of your life’s mission.”

It was as if a dagger had pierced through Behramshah’s heart. He fell at the feet of his Master and began sobbing uncontrollably, begging him not make him leave this pure paradise. My dear Parsis, just writing these words brings tears to my eyes as I try to picture that scene nearly 150 years ago when Behramshah realized that his time in Demavand was drawing to a close. Who, in his right mind and senses, would want to leave paradise and come back to the material world of treachery and lies? Who would want to move even one step away from the august presence of a Sraoshavarez? Who would want to stop breathing the pure, spiritually charged air of Firdaus in exchange for the pollution filled air of the outside world? The Sraoshavarez picked up Behramshah and comforted him: “You shall always be in our hearts, and whenever you need us, we will always be there for you, Behramshah. I have made arrangements for everything.”

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Roj Ardibehesht Mah Ardibehesht, 1379 Yz.

The education of Behramshah continued at an intensive level, given his short stay. The following description may seem a little complicated some of my readers but I am going into some deep details to give you an idea about the depth of knowledge which was imparted to Ustad Saheb.

According to the Zarathushtrian mystic revelation, the all-encompassing knowledge or Ilm, can be grouped under four main categories:

• Ilm-e-Simia
• Ilm-e-Kimia
• Ilm-e-Rimia and
• Ilm-e-Limia

All knowledge, whether discovered in this current Zravane Daregho Khadata or not, falls under any one of these four categories. A brief description of each of these four categories is given below.

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Roj Rashne Mah Fravardin, 1379 Yz.

The effects of the pristine environment of Firdaus, and the cleansing effect of the Nahns soon began to influence Behramshah in a positive manner. His own personal habits were changed by monitoring the daily observances of the general population, in particular the great emphasis they laid on the ‘Tarikats’ or spiritual disciplines of the Zarathushtrian faith. After these preliminaries, the Sraoshavarez asked Behramshah what he would like to learn in particular, to which Behramshah disclosed a preference for studying Avesta. He was then placed under the tutelage of Banu Tanaz, a lady Abed, who started teaching Behramshah the script and primary grammar in a most loving and perfect manner. However, due to his inadequate schooling and slow grasping power, Behramshah’s progress was most mediocre.

The Sraoshavarez knew that Behramshah’s time in Firdaus was limited, yet he was to be entrusted with a lot of knowledge to help him in his later mission. A specific day was chosen by the Sraoshavarez to perform a special Afringan, in which Behramshah was also made to sit and recite some Manthras. After the ceremony was over, the consecrated Sherbet of the Afringan was given to Behramshah to drink. As soon as he drank the Sherbet, Behramshah realised that his stammer had been almost totally cured, and his ability to absorb and remember things increased manifold. His physical as well as mental faculties were energised and their limitations diminished. The great Iranian trait of always speaking the truth was now deeply ingrained in Behramshah’s consciousness.

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Roj Spendarmad Mah Spendarmad, 1378 Yz.

In his three and a half year stay at Demavand, the Abed Sahebs took Behramshah to various expeditions in the regions of Firdaus. Within the Kash, or spiritual boundary of Demavand there exist various regions protected by their own separate Kash, which remain out of bounds even for the residents of Firdaus. One such area situated in a remote and very high region of Firdaus is home to the Atash Behram of Demavand. The Padshah Saheb enthroned in this Atash Behram is of very old lineage, and has both a visible Fire as well as a hidden core. The Atash Behram, along with its accompanying Atash Adaran, Atash Dadgah, the Urvisgah (consecrated area for performance of Pav Mahel ceremonies) the Bareshnum Gah (where the nine-night long Bareshnum Nahn is administered) and other support areas are all part of a separate Kash within Demavand. The entrance to the Kebla of the Padshah Saheb is very low, making one bow before entering. There are strict rules for visiting and viewing the Padshah Saheb and only very advanced Yaozdathregars (qualified priests) are allowed to tend the Holy Fire. The entire complex is situated in a hilly region and the Atash Behram structure itself is hewn out of a single hill of black rock.

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Roj Aneran Mah Bahman, 1378 Yz.

So what is the general area of Firdaus like? How many people live there and what do they do? Ustad Saheb gave his disciples detailed knowledge of the surroundings where he was destined to stay for about three and a half years. The secluded enclosure of Demavand is situated in the region of Mount Demavand, about 45 miles northeast of Tehran. Mount Demavand is actually an extinct volcano and, at 18602 ft, the highest peak of the Elburz mountain range, which runs along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea and which marks the northern end of the Iranian plateau. Although the mountain has been climbed by a few explorers, it is supposed to be a difficult peak to surmount, with very high passes and terrifying crevices. The peak is perennially snow capped. The area of Demavand is however, not visible to the outside world as it is protected not only by the high cliffs and very deep valleys, but also because there is a spiritual kash – or boundary drawn around it by the sages residing there, using specific Avesta Manthras which makes the whole area invisible to the naked eye.

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Roj Asman Mah Bahman, 1378 Yz.

While we have now partly understood the reason for the young Behramshah to be taken to meet Sraoshavarez Marzbanji Saheb, just who are all these strange persons, roaming around in Pathan clothes in the lawless North West Frontier Province? What is Demavand and where is Firdaus? It all seems a bit unclear and almost fairy-tale like.

In the Avesta and Pahlavi Pazend scriptures, as well as in the history of Iran, the name of Demavand has a special significance. As youngsters, I am sure many of my readers’ grandparents must have told them the story of King Jamshid, the evil Zohak and Faridun. For those who missed out, the Shah Nameh tells the story of King Jamshid, who introduced the golden age in Iran, many thousands of years ago. It is said that his kingship was so perfect and in synch with the laws of nature that there were no deaths in his kingdom, no disease, poverty or unhappiness. However, it seems later on King Jamshid developed an ego and his pride caused his fall. His place was taken by the evil Zohak, a most ignominious character, whose rule was as disgraceful as Jamshid’s was perfect.

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