Following the famous Yama or Yima whose reign ended ingloriously from both the Avestic & Vedic documentation; was one of the earliest Master-Philosophers (Kav-yas) :
Vere-thre-ghna (= Var-haran = Beh-ram Yazad):
Thrae-taona (Faridun[1] in Shah-name) or Thrita in Avesta (Yt. 13.113) is the same personage as Trita/Thrita of the Vedas. He is identified as the ancestor of Manus-chir/Mino-chehr (Manu of the Vedas) of the royal family of Philosopher- kings addressed as Kavyas. The modern name “Minoo” of the Parsis is derived from this.
Representing the triumph of Light over darkness, of Good over evil, of Reality (A-sha) over the deception and illusions (Druj) of life; Verethreghna, is referred to in Behram Yasht as “Verethragh-nem Ahura-dha-tem” meaning that powerful deceit eliminating strength instituted by Ahura Mazda.
Yasna 44.16: Ke-vere-threm jaa, thwaa poi Senghaa yoee hentee
What Powerful, (Verethrem) force, will overcome and offer protection from the forces of darkness; led by this snake (Vrita) whose coils have formed a barrier, blocking out Light (knowledge) and Waters (prosperity) for those of us (our fraternity) aligned to the Truth.
Vrita (later Azhi Dahaka) has been personified as a demon (a dragon-snake) with three mouths and three heads. A demonic chameleon, master of deception, who deviously hides his true evil self and strikes his victims surreptitiously. Vrita was said to have blocked the rays of sunlight (knowledge) and the flow of rivers (prosperity) into the Aryan lands.
The story of the battle between Thraétona and the snake Vrita (later Azi Dahaka) is very ancient and is mentioned in great detail in the Vedas.
His epithet Vr-tra-han, (Verethre-ghna in the Avesta) meaning slayer of Vrita, is found in every single Mandala of the Rigveda. In the khila-suktas and later Sama-hitas, & ofcourse in the Avesta (Behram Yasht) he is identified as Verethraghna.
(With Permission from A. Fantalov, 2001)
As per Dr Irach Taraporewalla: “Thrae-taona (Faridun in Shah-name) is specially associated with the curing of diseases with the help of mantras, and is the great physician and healer. These points are also associated with Him in the Atharva-Veda, where he is identified as Trita. In both traditions he bears the patronymic name of Athwya (from Atharwa, their priestly tribe) and is closely associated in both with Haoma and the preparation of this “Elixir of Immortality”. In the Yajur-Veda he is mentioned as granting immortality.
The Vedic tradition also identifies him as Traitana (which is nearer the Avestan name Traetaona) who had slain a mighty three-headed snake, the Azhi Dahaka, who had for ages oppressed the world. The same tradition, in almost the same words, is found in the Avesta.
In the later Persian 'Epic of the Kings' (the Shah-name) this three headed demon becomes the Semitic tyrant Zohak, from whose oppression Iran was freed by the Royal Shah Faredoon.
According to Yakubov (1996). A remarkable 5th century carved wooden gate at the entrance to a Zarathushti temple near Pendjikent in northern Tajikistan, excavated in 1957, gives incredible details of Zoroastrian history.
According to Saidmurad, the Persian poet Firdausi used the detail on this gate to compose his epic poem of Persian history the Shahnama. The panel, which was charred in a fire (as part of the Drujic campaign of destruction witnessed after the fall of the Persian Zoroastrian empire), shows the legendary giant, Shah or King Zohak - a figure, which abounds in ancient carvings and paintings in Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan and is also the name of an abandoned mountain and town close to Bamiyan. There are also paintings of Zohrak depicted as a frightening demon.
In latter times, after the separation of the Indo-Iranians, due to the Mazda Yasna-Daeva Yasna schism, this designation of Dragon slayer was usurped by Indra, the Vedic God.
However, According to Dr Mills, Trita was the original dragon smiter . Indra seemed to only re-enact the original victory which is mentioned in the Avestan Yasht. In Rig Veda Aptya is only an epithet added to the name Trita.
Parallel stories have been found in Baltic and Slavic mythologies, indicating common Indo-European roots.
http://www.iacm.bravehost.com/Yanchevskaya_Indo_Slavica.pdf
Invocation from the Behram Yasht:
“O thee of radiant splendour & brilliance, I dedicate this sonorous invokation (yasna), to Verethreghna, that powerful deceipt eliminating strength instituted by Ahura Mazda;
For strength, to come pouring down onto me like the divine waters (Zao-thro-byo) ; to gain victory through deeds performed, aligned to Truth Justice."
As mentioned earlier Verethreghna (Behram Yazad) is closely associated with Haoma and the preparation of this “Elixir of Immortality. However, whereas Hoama is considered a divine nectar, the ambrosia purifying mortality into immortality; we find that the early Rigveda is focused on the processing of Soma in the context of acquisition of material wealth and Indra consuming huge amounts of Soma (Hoama).
It is here that Hoama, said to produce spiritual intoxication-rapture (rafedra) in the devotee; takes on a degenerative (material interpretation), becoming a producer of physical intoxication, possibly through mixing with poppy seeds and other similar hallucinogens.
This could have also been a point of divergence between the Mazda-Yasnis & the early Vedics.
Thus when later Vedas (Hindu scriptures) dispensed with Indra and his excesses, it also dispensed with Soma (Hoama).
As per J Chatterjee, This concept of “Verejna”[2], the active warrior for good., was advocated by Zarathushtra as one common characteristic trait of the new faith. To actively and aggressively take the path of A-sha (Sk.Rt-am) Truth/Righteousness/rectitude/Justice.
This message is referred to as “Verezyedhai mantra”----the universal mantra of militant righteousness, a term repeatedly used in the Ardebehest Yasht and the Atarsh Neyash.
Ys46-6: He is wicked, who supports the wicked; and he is ethical, to whom the truthful are not dispensable at the alter of convenience.
Ys46-18: Who does me a good turn, a better turn to him; But an evil turn to him, who does me ill.
The idea of turning the left cheek, after the right has been smitten is totally rejected. Forgiveness is not to be confused with non-resistance to evil.
“Zarathushtra himself put this into practice, when at the age of 77 he died, defending the sanctity of a fire temple.” [3]
He therefore showed a better conception of martyrdom than what we find in later violence centric ideologies.
This militancy is reflected in the 3 weapons placed in the alter of the Atash Behraam, namely the sword, the shield and the spear, which represent the 3 manthravanis against all evil: The Yatha Ahu Vairyo, the Ashem Vohu and the Yenghe Hataam.
Incidentally these implements are also found in the post Vedic Satya[4] Narayana Puja; the only “puja” that is not dedicated to Gods (Devas).
We find this concept encapsulated in the Haftan Yasht:
“If one is aware of an aspect of the Truth, he should, without fear or favour, act according to it, and impart it to others”.
This concept, not found in the Vedas, finds an echo a few thousand years later in the Bhagwad Gita 2.31:
“For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil, the warrior confronted with such a war, should be pleased, O Arjuna; for it comes as an open gate to heaven. But, if you do not participate in this battle against evil, you will incur sin, violating your dharma and your honor”.
[1] From the Vanant Yasht:…”Pa name niv khwareh Faredoon, Faredoon Athawyan”…clap 3 times.
I invoke, thy mind stimulating powerful protecting Aura, O Athwyan Faredoon.
[2] Verejna is derived from the root "Vajra" meaning massive/strong/thunderbolt/erect spine; the pre-requisites of a "warrior".
[3] Jackson- “Zoroaster”, P127
[4] One may note that Sat-ya = Truth Reality is none other than the Avestic A-sha and Nara-yana, the perfect man is the same as Khordad the man who achieved perfection in a single life time)
Vere-thre-ghna (= Var-haran = Beh-ram Yazad):
Thrae-taona (Faridun[1] in Shah-name) or Thrita in Avesta (Yt. 13.113) is the same personage as Trita/Thrita of the Vedas. He is identified as the ancestor of Manus-chir/Mino-chehr (Manu of the Vedas) of the royal family of Philosopher- kings addressed as Kavyas. The modern name “Minoo” of the Parsis is derived from this.
Representing the triumph of Light over darkness, of Good over evil, of Reality (A-sha) over the deception and illusions (Druj) of life; Verethreghna, is referred to in Behram Yasht as “Verethragh-nem Ahura-dha-tem” meaning that powerful deceit eliminating strength instituted by Ahura Mazda.
Yasna 44.16: Ke-vere-threm jaa, thwaa poi Senghaa yoee hentee
What Powerful, (Verethrem) force, will overcome and offer protection from the forces of darkness; led by this snake (Vrita) whose coils have formed a barrier, blocking out Light (knowledge) and Waters (prosperity) for those of us (our fraternity) aligned to the Truth.
Vrita (later Azhi Dahaka) has been personified as a demon (a dragon-snake) with three mouths and three heads. A demonic chameleon, master of deception, who deviously hides his true evil self and strikes his victims surreptitiously. Vrita was said to have blocked the rays of sunlight (knowledge) and the flow of rivers (prosperity) into the Aryan lands.
The story of the battle between Thraétona and the snake Vrita (later Azi Dahaka) is very ancient and is mentioned in great detail in the Vedas.
His epithet Vr-tra-han, (Verethre-ghna in the Avesta) meaning slayer of Vrita, is found in every single Mandala of the Rigveda. In the khila-suktas and later Sama-hitas, & ofcourse in the Avesta (Behram Yasht) he is identified as Verethraghna.
As per Dr Irach Taraporewalla: “Thrae-taona (Faridun in Shah-name) is specially associated with the curing of diseases with the help of mantras, and is the great physician and healer. These points are also associated with Him in the Atharva-Veda, where he is identified as Trita. In both traditions he bears the patronymic name of Athwya (from Atharwa, their priestly tribe) and is closely associated in both with Haoma and the preparation of this “Elixir of Immortality”. In the Yajur-Veda he is mentioned as granting immortality.
The Vedic tradition also identifies him as Traitana (which is nearer the Avestan name Traetaona) who had slain a mighty three-headed snake, the Azhi Dahaka, who had for ages oppressed the world. The same tradition, in almost the same words, is found in the Avesta.
In the later Persian 'Epic of the Kings' (the Shah-name) this three headed demon becomes the Semitic tyrant Zohak, from whose oppression Iran was freed by the Royal Shah Faredoon.
According to Yakubov (1996). A remarkable 5th century carved wooden gate at the entrance to a Zarathushti temple near Pendjikent in northern Tajikistan, excavated in 1957, gives incredible details of Zoroastrian history.
According to Saidmurad, the Persian poet Firdausi used the detail on this gate to compose his epic poem of Persian history the Shahnama. The panel, which was charred in a fire (as part of the Drujic campaign of destruction witnessed after the fall of the Persian Zoroastrian empire), shows the legendary giant, Shah or King Zohak - a figure, which abounds in ancient carvings and paintings in Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan and is also the name of an abandoned mountain and town close to Bamiyan. There are also paintings of Zohrak depicted as a frightening demon.
In latter times, after the separation of the Indo-Iranians, due to the Mazda Yasna-Daeva Yasna schism, this designation of Dragon slayer was usurped by Indra, the Vedic God.
However, According to Dr Mills, Trita was the original dragon smiter . Indra seemed to only re-enact the original victory which is mentioned in the Avestan Yasht. In Rig Veda Aptya is only an epithet added to the name Trita.
Parallel stories have been found in Baltic and Slavic mythologies, indicating common Indo-European roots.
http://www.iacm.bravehost.com/Yanchevskaya_Indo_Slavica.pdf
Invocation from the Behram Yasht:
“O thee of radiant splendour & brilliance, I dedicate this sonorous invokation (yasna), to Verethreghna, that powerful deceipt eliminating strength instituted by Ahura Mazda;
For strength, to come pouring down onto me like the divine waters (Zao-thro-byo) ; to gain victory through deeds performed, aligned to Truth Justice."
As mentioned earlier Verethreghna (Behram Yazad) is closely associated with Haoma and the preparation of this “Elixir of Immortality. However, whereas Hoama is considered a divine nectar, the ambrosia purifying mortality into immortality; we find that the early Rigveda is focused on the processing of Soma in the context of acquisition of material wealth and Indra consuming huge amounts of Soma (Hoama).
It is here that Hoama, said to produce spiritual intoxication-rapture (rafedra) in the devotee; takes on a degenerative (material interpretation), becoming a producer of physical intoxication, possibly through mixing with poppy seeds and other similar hallucinogens.
This could have also been a point of divergence between the Mazda-Yasnis & the early Vedics.
Thus when later Vedas (Hindu scriptures) dispensed with Indra and his excesses, it also dispensed with Soma (Hoama).
As per J Chatterjee, This concept of “Verejna”[2], the active warrior for good., was advocated by Zarathushtra as one common characteristic trait of the new faith. To actively and aggressively take the path of A-sha (Sk.Rt-am) Truth/Righteousness/rectitude/Justice.
This message is referred to as “Verezyedhai mantra”----the universal mantra of militant righteousness, a term repeatedly used in the Ardebehest Yasht and the Atarsh Neyash.
Ys46-6: He is wicked, who supports the wicked; and he is ethical, to whom the truthful are not dispensable at the alter of convenience.
Ys46-18: Who does me a good turn, a better turn to him; But an evil turn to him, who does me ill.
The idea of turning the left cheek, after the right has been smitten is totally rejected. Forgiveness is not to be confused with non-resistance to evil.
“Zarathushtra himself put this into practice, when at the age of 77 he died, defending the sanctity of a fire temple.” [3]
He therefore showed a better conception of martyrdom than what we find in later violence centric ideologies.
This militancy is reflected in the 3 weapons placed in the alter of the Atash Behraam, namely the sword, the shield and the spear, which represent the 3 manthravanis against all evil: The Yatha Ahu Vairyo, the Ashem Vohu and the Yenghe Hataam.
Incidentally these implements are also found in the post Vedic Satya[4] Narayana Puja; the only “puja” that is not dedicated to Gods (Devas).
We find this concept encapsulated in the Haftan Yasht:
“If one is aware of an aspect of the Truth, he should, without fear or favour, act according to it, and impart it to others”.
This concept, not found in the Vedas, finds an echo a few thousand years later in the Bhagwad Gita 2.31:
“For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil, the warrior confronted with such a war, should be pleased, O Arjuna; for it comes as an open gate to heaven. But, if you do not participate in this battle against evil, you will incur sin, violating your dharma and your honor”.
[1] From the Vanant Yasht:…”Pa name niv khwareh Faredoon, Faredoon Athawyan”…clap 3 times.
I invoke, thy mind stimulating powerful protecting Aura, O Athwyan Faredoon.
[2] Verejna is derived from the root "Vajra" meaning massive/strong/thunderbolt/erect spine; the pre-requisites of a "warrior".
[3] Jackson- “Zoroaster”, P127
[4] One may note that Sat-ya = Truth Reality is none other than the Avestic A-sha and Nara-yana, the perfect man is the same as Khordad the man who achieved perfection in a single life time)
1 comment:
this is really interesting, the comparisons between Vedic and Avestan histories-the fight against evil and defence for the side of the good comes out well in these stories
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