THE Hallowed ANCIENTS: The Kavahs, the Magha & the Aryas.

According to Dr Irach Taraporewalla[i], in the Avesta the great Teachers of the Paoiryo-tkaesha (the Ancient Faith) have been invoked[1], and a good many of them have been mentioned by name[2]. This Ancient Faith was named the Mazda-yasna Faith; the Faith that worships Maz-da[3], the Great Lord of All, who rules through Wisdom. The Religion of our saviour Zarath-ushtra bears the same name, but with the epithet Za-rath-ush-trish (i.e. the philosophy formulated Zarathushtra[4]) added to it. This clearly shows that the Prophet built up his philosophy of Ethics on the glorious foundation of the ancient traditions of the indo-iranian tribes

In the Vedas, these ancient masters are called Pitaras or ancestoral Fathers, the blessed dead. The term as a rule applies to the early or first ancestors, who followed the ancient paths; seers who built the hallowed paths by which the recent dead go to join them.

Various groups of ancestors are identified, such as the Aathra-vans, (Angirasas & Bhrgus), who are identical in name with the priestly families associated by tradition with the composition of the Rig Veda & the Atharva-veda  Our Avesta itself being composed by the Spitama branch of the Aathra-van family.

Philogically, the term Mazda-yasna; becomes pitri-yana, meaning ancestral way of worship & in effect underlining the Aryan clan philosophical schism between Mazda-yasna & Deva-yasna.

This practice of remembering our ancestors & paying homage to their memories exists today in the form ritual prayers conducted 10 days prior to the New Year. The Gathas allude to this ancient practice through an ideal PRAYER TO THE DEPARTED:

Ys33.10:

All advanced-good souls are aligned with Thee,

Those that lived & those that are now existing, & those that shall be in future, O Great Creator, whose Rule is based on wisdom,

Indulge my desire to partake from the treasure trove of the divine waters of their essential purity,

Inspire me, with wisdom, to follow their hallowed path, through that strength of spirit derived from Love, Compassion & Faith.

 To live a life of selflessness; in symphony & in alignment with that Reality (Truth & Justice) that rhythm, by which the Universe functions.

In so doing, may my entire being sublimate into thy higher realms of light (knowledge) & truth.

In that time frame, the people were ruled by Philosopher Kings, addressed as Kavah[5]. These Kavahs' who considered “knowledge” as the real wealth & the source of strength, were trustees of the land, with very few personal physical possessions; as exemplified by the Gathic dictum:
Yasna 31.9: The Only wealth one needs to hoard is spiritual wealth, because without it one is unclothed.

Unlike the later day imposed idea of the King being a possessor of land & property; the monetary riches belonged to individuals specifically traders, merchants & businessmen identified as Dakhyus (vedic Dasayus) who financed the Sages & Temples they fancied. The Kavas were the custodians & dispensers of Light & Knowledge.

They are thus eulogized in the Atar-sh Neyash:
 Kavaya-cha Khvare-nangho Mazda-dha-tahe. : The Splendorous illuminating Aura (Light & Radiance of Truth) granted to the Kavas,  by Mazda, the master intellect.

These Kavas of Indo-Iranians times are identified in the Vedas as kavayah satya-sru-tah; meaning, "Seers who rule & inspire on the basis of Truth" (the Ones whose intellectual presence commanded loyalty; as opposed to the tyrant demanding blind obedience)

They discovered, in Man[6] a deeper, inner self enveloped by an outward physical shell (keherpaa). The combination of body, mind & soul being referred to as Self-----Atmaa.

They unraveled “Truth”, identified it as “Reality” (Sat’) behind the outward aspects of the universe and a methodology of realizing this Truth through Insight (Chisti[7]). This Truth (Asha/Rta) was their central objective (artha) that which anchored & co-ordinated a truth about oneself, a truth about the world around us, & a spiritual, inner Truth.

Thus their scientific discoveries of astronomy, the sciences & the algorithms (formulae) that guide the powers of Nature, were all deduced as “Reality”. This “Reality” being uniquely aligned to Truth was thus identified by Zarathushtra as Asha (Vedic Rta); the inviolable Universal Law that affects both the operation of the universe as well as mans destiny (the Law of Consequences).

Keeping in mind that devotion to the cause of Truth had to be achieved by free personal, reasoned choice, not compulsion; the Gayatri Mantra, like our Ahunaver mantra, both espouce the concept of “free choice”.

Thus “Yatha Ahu Vai-ryo the Mantra Mazishtem (greatest mantra) of the Gathas, &

“Tat Savitr Veren-yam”, of the Gayatri Mantra (the greatest Vedic mantra),

both declare their dedication to the Creator by Choice (Vr = to choose independently)

Complementing the Kavas, were the Magi, a fraternity of advanced souls (much like the post Vedic Rishis) well versed in philosophy & the sciences.

The term Mag[8], was originally used to define a society/fraternity of intellectual giants, spiritually advanced masters well versed in astronomy, medicine, the sciences & mathematics. It is to they, who Zarathushtra addresses first as the natural devotee of the system of ethics that he espouses.

Ys33.7: That thy message, O Ahura Mazda, be successfully spread far & wide beyond the Magha brotherhood.

Little wonder then, that this ancient priestly term became “Ma-gush” (& the name of Modern Merv) ; “Ma-gav/ Mow-bed” of Pahlavi; “Mogh/Mo-bad” of modern Persian & “Mobed” of Gujarati.

Finally, there is the term Aryan, who is identified by his gentlemanly characteristics.
Although brought into disrepute by Nazi's it is important to note that this term which appears in both the Avesta & the Vedas, the 2 mother languages of the Indo-European group of languages, long precedes its use in any modern language.
The word Arya expressed a particular ethical and social ideal, an ideal of well-governed life, candor, courtesy, nobility, straight dealing, courage, gentleness, purity, humanity, compassion, protection of the weak, liberality, observance of social duty, eagerness of knowledge, & respect for the wise and learned. Anything that departed from this ideal, anything that tended towards the ignoble, mean, obscure, rude, cruel or false, was termed un-aryan or anarya (colloq. Anari, stupid). It was not a race or a tribe. 
The Vedic expression jyotir-agrah  describes the Aryans as the noble people led by Light –of knowledge. 
Nowhere in the Vedas or the Avesta, is this word Arya  used in a racial or ethnic sense. As such the word Arya[9] is an epithet of respect, reflected in designations such as Sri or Shree in India & what we call a gentleman today.


In the Avesta, the Arya-maan, sometimes translated as a close friend, personifies hospitality & household. One may note that Zarathushtra always addresses Ahura Mazda as his close friend. Aryaman  thus presides over matrimonial alliances & being the protector of tradition, custom & faith is invoked during marriage ceremonies.

From the Atar-sh Neyash: Airyanaam khvareno Mazda dhatanam

The ethical radiance of the Aryans, whose actions exemplify Mazdas’ Postulates


The Gathas themselves pay tribute to the ethical prowess of the Aryas; as is seen in the following invocation.

AA AIRYEMAA ISHYO

(The Fervent Wish of the Noble Aryans……………..an Ideal  Humbandagi)

Recite Ahunavar (1)

AA  Air-ye-maa  Ishi-yo, rafedhraai jantu,

Naar-e byaas-chaa, Naai-ree-byaas-chaa, Zarathushtraa-hey

Vangheush Rafe-dhraai manangho,

Yaa daena Vairim, hanaat Mizhdem,

Asha-yaa yaa-saa A-sheem,

Yam ishi-yaam Ahooraa ma-sa-taa Maz-daao (to be recited 4 times)

Percolate to us, O Noble Aryan character, igniting, a rapturous, ecstastic rejoicing,

For us Men & maidens, who follow Righteous Zarathushtra,

For that bliss-ecstasy (Rafedra) attained by that victorious soul, firmly bonded to Love & Compassion (Vohu Manah),

The True Pathway to Enlightenment (Daena), that precious reward (Mizdem)

Grant (Ish-em) of that blessed condition of life-- clear acquisition of that ideal existence ; earned through a continuous improvement cycle, of intelligently performed, ethical actions in harmony with the Universe (Asha), & unison with Ahura Mazda

Airya-manem ishim yazamaide,

Amavantem, Verethraa-janem, Vit-baeshanghem, Mazishtem, Ashahe Sravang-haam,

Gathaao Spentaao, Ratu-Kshthraao ashaonish yazamaide;

Staota Yasna Yaza-maidey,

Yaa dataa angheush pouru-yehyaa

Ashem Vohu (1)

Yenghe hataam (1)

We recite the Arya-maan Ishyo mantra, that Powerful Mantra empowering the Ethical; the application of which makes us Victorious (Un-assailable) against all opposition (like the hero Verethreghna),

That Mantra that focuses our strength through alignment with the pure rhythm of the Universe,

O Divine Gathas, stimulator of strength within us, aligners with the forces of Nature (Truth & Justice), We invoke thee,

Through incantation of the Staota (devotional invocations) Yasna hymns

 which thou have declared the first & foremost & the very breath of our souls.

This small Mantra, written by Zarathushtras’ immediate followers; packs a lot of information & highlights a number of Zarathushtri concepts, all encapsulated into 2 verses.

It calls on the Airyanaams , to carry out deeds of selflessness,with strength (Kshaatraa);  based on intelligent, ethical & reasoned plans, in order to be aligned with the Universal Truth (Asha);

& get the reward of being un-assailable……like Vere-thre-ghnaa. (Thrae-tona)

It reinforces the thought processes underlined by Zarathushtra in Ys32.9; wherein Zarathushtra reiterates his decision to resurrect the lost heritage of Light & Truth, that had suffered a setback under an unashamedly materialistic dispensation.

[1]  Ys 51.22: (From Gathas by Dr Taraporewala): “ That Person indeed, who makes his every act

An act of worship, aligned to Asha’s (TRUTH) law, Is deemed as best by Ahura Mazda;                                    

Each one of these, who have been and who are, With reverence will I recall by name,

And strive to emulate their holy deeds”

[2]  Farvardin Yasht.

[3] Maz= Maah (vedic) = Great; & Daa = rule that is wise & based on knowledge (vedic “Dha”)

[4] Za = ha (divinity invocation) + Rath (Chariot) + Ush = to burn (with knowledge) + Traa = conflence/concentration of

[5]  Cognate with the modern Parsi  name “Cawas”

[6] That mental capability granted (to man)  by Ahura Mazda; Capability to discern/reason/analyse; the building block of character.

[7]  Note this term “Chishti” meaning Insight is of Avestic origin & appropriated in later times by islam.

[8] This designation of Magha ended up getting perverted in western Iran, so that as per: http://www.britanica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,51294+1+50079,00.html

“It appears that the Magus constituted a priesthood serving several religions. The magi were a priestly caste during the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods; later parts of the Avesta, such as the ritualistic sections of the Videvdat (Vendidad), probably derive from them. From the 1st century AD onward the word in its Syriac form (magusai) was applied to magicians and soothsayers, chiefly from Babylonia, with a reputation for the most varied forms of wisdom. As long as the Persian empire lasted there was always a distinction between the Persian magi, who were credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge, and the Babylonian magi, who were often considered to be outright imposters."

In India, the Bhojak or Shrimali or Maga Brahmins are said to be descendents of Iranian Magi priests. Settled around Kathiawar & Kutch; They trace their origin from the land of Sakas or "Shaka-dvipa. 

[9]  Proper names derived include: Aryana, Iran-dokht (Aryan Daughter), Arayn, Aryan-Pur, Aryaramne

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[i]    The Gathas of Zarathushtra. Irach Taraporewala., B.A., PhD., 1962