History of Zoroastrianism/Chapter 33

Miracles as credentials of a prophet's mission as God's messenger. Credulity creates miracles. They are due to man's hunger for the marvellous, his disposition to believe in the impossible, and his readiness to give credence to the incredible. They flourish where childlike innocence, ignorance is ready to be duped and deluded. The faith of the masses rests on the foundation of signs and prodigies, portents and miracles. Perternatural interference with the course of nature has been a commonplace everywhere. The omnipotent God, it has always been agreed, could change anything and everything at his own free will, and so he could set aside the physical laws that govern the universe. Miracles transcend natural laws. The prophets are believed to have been endowed with the power of producing supernatural events. The multitude always look upon them to work wonders that would establish their supernatural mission. The miracles strengthen the faith of the masses in the messengers of God. The movements of the prophets are devoutly magnified into miracles and credulous persons are always found to attest, as witnesses, the working of miracles. Buddha condemned miracles in most emphatic words, yet tradition has invested him with many more miracles than have been ascribed to any other prophet. Mohammed is asked to work miracles to prove the divinity of his mission as Noah and Abraham, Moses and Jesus had done. He is asked to cause the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the dead to rise, and to change the course of nature. Mohammed replies that the Koran itself is the greatest miracle and he cannot work other miracles. Yet pious credulity, during the second generation, credits him with several miracles.

Legend grows about the prophet of Iran that obscures his personality. The Pahlavi works that give us the account of the happenings in the life of Zaratusht have been written in about ​the ninth century, or about two thousand years after the passing away of the prophet. The holy figure has grown very distant and dim. The real events of his life have been obscured by the long centuries, particularly the five centuries of chaos that followed Alexander's conquest of Persia. The piety of the adherents of his faith has burnt so much incense in his sacred memory that his face has got almost beyond recognition. We know everything of the life of Mohammed; we know something of the lives of Buddha and Jesus; we know practically nothing of the life of Zoroaster. The materials that we have in the Pahlavi works relating to him are not historical and authentic; they are legendary and mythical. Portents herald his birth and archangels attend his nativity. Legendary accounts of the miraculous conception and birth and childhood of Zaratusht supersede the matter-of-fact information that the Gathas give. The Pahlavi writers have before them the examples of the legendary stories of the miraculous incidents connected with the lives of Moses, Buddha, and Jesus, circulated in Iran by the followers of these prophets. It is probable that their writings have been influenced by these foreign sources.

The Pahlavi works. The Spend Nask, which is lost, is said to have contained the account of the birth and childhood of Zaratusht. The materials that have been preserved in the Dinkard, the Selections of Zatsparam, and some scattered passages in other Pahlavi works make up the literature on the life of the prophet that came into existence during the Pahlavi period.

The classical writers of the period on Zoroaster. From the time of Porphyry, who visited Persia and wrote in the latter part of the third century, to the time of the late Latin writers, all who speak about Zoroaster reproduce in the main all that is written by the early Greek and Roman writers. Some of them have been influenced by what they heard from the Zoroastrian sectarians during their days. Porphyry, for example, quotes Eubulus and says that Zoroaster dedicated a cave to the worship of Mithra and adds that it is from the practice introduced by him that peoples conduct their holy rites in caves and grottoes.^[1] Photius, who wrote in the latter part of the ninth century, ascribes the Zarvanite doctrines to Zoroaster and ​says that he represented Zaruan as the author of Hormisdas and Satan.^[2] The fiction that magic originated with Zoroaster persists and is repeated from the classical and patristic works by very late writers. In the Faust-legend, Zoroaster figures as the prince of magicians whose book Faust studies so diligently that he is called a second Zoroastris. This book passes into the hands of Faust's pupil Wagner, who also studies it with as much diligence as his master did.^[3]

The date and place of Zaratusht. The Avestan works, we have seen, are silent over the question of the period when Zarathushtra flourished. Of the two main sources of information on this problem, namely the classical and the traditional, the latter is based on a few passages occurring in Bundahishn,^[4] Arda Viraf,^[5] and Zatsparam.^[6] The barest information we gather from these solitary passages is that Zaratusht opened his prophetic ministry in the thirtieth year of the fabulous reign of one hundred and twenty years of King Vishtaspa. The religion remained in undisturbed condition for three hundred years and in the three hundredth year of its foundation, Alexander invaded Persia. The Arabic and Persian writers reproduce this statement in their works. The repetition of this legend by a host of the later writers seems to have given it a semblance of historic data. Tradition which is oblivious of the existence of the most renowned Persian kings Cyrus and Darius and Xerxes, which confounds the later Achaemenian kings with the Kianian, which complacently accords a reign of one hundred and twenty years to Vishtaspa, which disposes of the rule of four hundred years of the Parthians in forty pages, which does not provide us with fifty pages of materials on the religious and social life of Zoroastrians during the five hundred years that intervened between Alexander and Ardashir, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty—this is not a safe guide to follow. Both the classical date 6000 B.C. and the traditional date 600 B.C. are not acceptable; one for its extravagance, the other for its unreliability. The date, as also the place of the birth and death of Zoroaster, will, probably, never be established with any certainty, for no data ​exist to enable us to determine them with any accuracy. These questions will, probably, ever remain questions. The safest course for a writer upon these problems is to imitate the Pahlavist and endorse the frequently repeated phrase he employs whenever confronted with any insoluble question; am lā roshan, 'I do not know.'

The birth of Zaratusht. Long before the advent of Zaratusht, King Yima forewarns the demons that he will come to fight them.^[7] A marvellous ox, in the reign of Kaus, likewise, foretells the coming of revelation through Zaratusht.^[8] Preparations are made in heaven for bringing about the birth of the prophet. The Kingly Glory descends upon earth and enters the house in which lives the woman who is destined to give birth to the prophet-child. It mingles with her when she is boin. Owing to the Glory that has descended upon her, she is surrounded by a luminous light. The demons mislead her father into the belief that she is bewitched. The father thereupon sends her away to the clan of the Spitamas. When she came of age she married Pourushasp.^[9] The demons struggle at every step to bring harm upon them, but are baffled in their vile attempts by the intervention of the heavenly beings. Vohuman, Artavahisht, Khurdad, and Amardad miraculously bring about the mingling of the Glory, spirit, and body of the child in the womb of the mother.^[10] For three nights did a hundred and fifty demons rush to the house where Dughdo lived and they struggled to destroy the child in her womb, but owing to the fire burning in her abode they failed in their foul purpose,^[11] For three nights before the birth of the child, the village of Pourushasp became all luminous and people marvelled at it.^[12] The struggle between the powers of light and darkness continues, marvels and wonders take place one after another, a divine light flashes forth from the house and in the midst of universal joy, the child is born, laughing outright at birth.^[13]

​Zaratusht's childhood. Pourushasp is afraid and consults the wizard Durasrob about the extraordinary child. Durasrob conspires with his wicked companion Bratrakresh to kill the child. He stretches out his hand to strangle the child but finds to his dismay that his hand is miraculously withered.^[14] Durasrob works upon the superstitious fear of Pourushasp and frightens him with evil consequences to himself and his family if the child should grow to age. The credulous father becomes of one mind with him. A great fire is kindled and the child is thrown into it. A great wonder is manifested to the people for the fire does not burn the child.^[15] Durasrob devises other means of destruction and throws the child one day at the feet of oxen and another day at the feet of horses, but when he is baffled in his evil intent and the oxen and horses do not kill the child, he approaches the lair of a wolf and when the mother has gone out he kills the cubs and puts the child near them. The wizard is confident that when the wolf will find on her return her cubs killed, she will mangle the child in revenge. Srosh and Vohuman guard the child and the wolf stands amazed at a distance with her mouth closed and fails to hurt the child.^[16] Durasrob persists in his evil work of causing injury to the child, by practising witchcraft upon it.^[17] At his tender age, Zaratusht enters into controversy with Durasrob and condemns him and his associates for their evil practices.^[18] Durasrob is ultimately baffled, acknowledges his defeat and retreats, and when he has gone a little distance, he falls from his horse and expires.^[19]

Zaratusht's youth. The Avestan and Pahlavi works declare the age of fifteen as the proper time of puberty for both boys and girls.^[20] When Zaratusht was fifteen years of age he passed through the ceremony of the investiture with the sacred girdle.^[21] In all ages when everybody lives for himself there is somebody ​who lives for all. That somebody in the settlements of Pourushasp was Zaratusht, who chose to live for all. From childhood, kindliness, sympathy, mercy, and generosity had written their marks on his face. He radiated benevolence around him. He shed joy and happiness on all who came near him, and communicated his goodness to them. He had boundless sympathy and love for all the poor and could not bear to see them suffer. He had keen ears for the suppressed sighs and silent sorrows of suffering humanity. He practised liberality and generosity, he nourished the poor, and gave fodder to cattle, he saved the lives of those in peril of losing it.^[22] According to the custom of the times, his father Pourushasp selected a bride for him, but he requested that he should himself see her face to face and converse with her.^[23] He leaves the house of his parents in search of knowledge and righteousness.^[24] The Pahlavi texts do not give us any details of the years that he spent in acquiring wisdom and practising righteousness. He thought and inquired and studied and began to live the heavenly life upon earth and piously strove to become the ideal expression of Ormazd in bodily life.

Zaratusht meets Vohuman. In the thirtieth year of his life Zaratusht was one day going to attend the celebration of the season festival. Weary of walking he rested awhile on a solitary plain, when he saw in a vision a concourse of people headed by his cousin Medyomah come victoriously to greet him.^[25] One morning he happened to cross four channels of the river Daiti in order to fetch water for the performance of the Hom ceremony. As he came out from the water and was putting on his clothes, his sight fell upon a handsome man in resplendent raiment bearing in his hands a spiritual staff, emblematic of religion. He was Vohuman, the heavenly premier of Ormazd. He accosted Zaratusht and asked him who he was and what was his desire. Zaratusht thereupon gave him his acquaintance and said that he was in search of righteousness and added that he was not only in quest of righteousness but also of the very source from which righteousness originates. Vohuman readily acquiesced and said that he would take him to the most beneficent lord who was the heavenly father of both of them. Then they ​marched onward, Vohuman walked first and Zaratusht followed. As they walked together, Zaratusht saw that Vohuman was as tall as three men's spears and that he had to take ninety steps to cover the space that Vohuman did in nine steps. As they came within twenty-four feet of the Amshaspands, Zaratusht could not see his own shadow on the ground, for so great was their brilliance.^[26]

Zaratusht confers with Ormazd. When Zaratusht approached the august assembly, he paid homage to Ormazd and the Amshaspands and took his seat among the inquirers. In the conversation that follows, Zaratusht puts questions and Ormazd gives his replies. Ormazd explains to him the excellence of the triad of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds and the mode of best conduct. Ormazd further acquaints him with the existence and nature of the two primeval spirits. Zaratusht gets the beatific vision of the omniscient wisdom of Ormazd three times during the day and the remaining six Amshaspands exhibit to him the three ordeals by fire, molten metal, and knife. He is made to walk three steps on fire reciting the words, 'good thoughts, good words, and good deeds,' and he is not burnt. Hot metal is, likewise, poured on his chest and he is not hurt. In the third ordeal, the vital parts of his body are cut with a knife so as to let the blood flow from the wound, which is healed by passing hands over it. These ordeals, Zaratusht is told, are to be undergone by the leaders of religion to prove the steadfastness of their faith when occasions demand it of them.^[27]

Zaratusht's seven conferences with the Amshaspands. When Zaratusht returns from his conference with the Amshaspands, he opens his ministry and begins to unfold his divine message to mankind. The Kiks and Karaps opposed him and he rebuked and repudiated them in strong terms. The disbelievers clamour for his death, but the Turanian Aurvaitadang saves him.^[28] Ahriman and the demons assail Zaratusht and contemplate his death. Zaratusht routs them and buries them in the earth by the recital of the Ahunvar.^[29]

During the first decade of his ministry, Zaratusht had alto​gether seven conferences individually with each of the Amshaspands at different places. In these conferences, each Amshaspand exhorts Zaratusht to teach mankind to preserve and protect the particular material creation that is under his protection. Vohuman thus pleads for the proper maintenance of animals, Artavahisht for fire, Shatravar for metals, Spandarmad for earth, Khurdad for water, and Amardad for plants.^[30]

Zaratusht at the court of king Vishtasp. At the tenth year of his ministry and at the close of his conferences with the Amshaspands, Zaratusht wins his first convert.^[31] Greater triumph, however, is now in store for the prophet of Ormazd. He is led by Ormazd himself to the court of king Vishtasp, where he succeeds in winning over the king and his courtiers by means of his persuasive preaching, the presentation of the testimony of the Amshaspands for the truth of his doctrines and by the working of many miracles.^[32] The Kiks and Karaps at the court of Vishtasp were alarmed at the prophet's success. They challenged him to prove the truth of his utterances and propounded thirty-three questions to him. Zaratusht answered them to the satisfaction of all present and to the utter embarrassment of the disputants. The unscrupulous priests of the old faith thereupon tried to ruin Zaratusht's influence at the royal court by intrigues. They arraigned him before the king and succeeded in getting him imprisoned. Zaratusht worked a wonder upon the favourite horse of Vishtasp and obtained his release.^[33]

Ormazd then sent Vohuman, Artavahisht and the Fire Burzin Mitra to the court of Vishtasp to plead on behalf of the prophet and his religion. Confusion and terror overtook the king and courtiers and they began to tremble at the sight of the august personages. But the Fire of Ormazd assured them that they were not the emissaries of Iran's enemy, Arjasp and the Khyons, come to demand tribute from them, nor had they come to rob the king of his possessions, but they were deputed by Ormazd himself. The heavenly envoys advised the king to extend his royal patronage to the new religion. They promised ​him a long reign and a long life of one hundred and fifty years and an immortal son. They warned him at the same time of the evil that would fall upon him if he did not embrace the faith. In pious obedience to the divine behest, Vishtasp adopts the religion of Zaratusht. Ormazd thereupon commands Neryosang to hasten to the court of Vishtasp with the elixir of life and asks Artavahisht to hand it to the king. The archangel puts the elixir in a beautiful saucer and asks the king to quaff it. On drinking the lifegiving potion, the king falls in a trance and sees marvellous things of the celestial world. He now asks his royal consort to accept the faith, which she readily does. The triumph of the new religion is achieved.^[34] Faithful to his undertaking, Vishtasp lives and works and fights for the religion. His brother and sons go to India and other distant places to propagate the new faith.^[35]

The passing away of the prophet. Zaratusht lives for forty-seven years after he receives the revelation. He spreads righteousness, puts down witchcraft, and fights wickedness.^[36] The texts say he possessed the knowledge of medicine, law, and all kinds of earthly and heavenly wisdom.^[37] He visualizes the future of his religion in a trance.^[38] He had children by holy wedlock. Of these three will be miraculously born in the future as millennial prophets.^[39] Bratraresh, the Turanian foe of Zaratusht and his religion, killed him when he was seventy-seven years of age.^[40]