History of Zoroastrianism/Chapter 40

The angels. Izad is the Pahlavi equivalent of the Avestan word Yazata, and is similarly employed as the designation for an angel. These angels are immortal and invisible;^[1] and some of them, who were pre-eminently the genii of the living in the Younger Avestan period, have by this time been transferred more particularly to the sphere of the dead. For example, Srosh, Rashn, and Mihr, three of the most prominent Izads of the Avestan period, have changed their sphere of activity. In the Avestan period they were the genii exclusively of the corporeal world, but now they are converted into the judges of the dead. In the Pahlavi time, the faithful, rather than looking to them for protection and help in this world, solicit more especially their favour for the next world. Srosh still retains some of his earthly functions, but he becomes the genius of the dead first, and of the living afterwards. The angels Hom and Din have extended their sphere of activity by joining Tishtar in his work of producing rain.^[2] Certain qualities that were attributed in the Avestan texts to one angel are now loosely ascribed to another.

The Izads are the loving guides and protectors of men. They first expounded the faith of Ormazd to Gayomard, the primeval man;^[3] and they are ever ready to fulfil the behests of Ormazd, who has created them for the welfare of his creatures.^[4] They most frequently visit the sacred temples consecrated to the fire Bahram.^[5] They help man,^[6] and instruct him in goodness.^[7] It is through their aid that man learns to know God, to dispel demons, and to liberate his soul from the future torments of ​hell.^[8] Man's knowledge of them enables him to enter into relationship with his creator;^[9] for he is unable to progress morally without their assistance.^[10] If man remembers them, he receives their favour and prospers in both worlds.^[11] Through their wisdom, moreover, he becomes illustrious,^[12] and attains to spiritual wealth through them.^[13] They hasten to help the man who practises righteousness and abstains from wickedness;^[14] such a man wins their favour by invoking them.^[15] It was for this very reason that the prophet Zaratusht prayed to them to grant him the power of spiritual leadership.^[16] They keep off Druj from the body of man, and guard him against the miseries of both the worlds.^[17] As a physician removes bodily illness, or as a farmer cleans corn of all impurity, so do the angels remove harm from man.^[18] They keep up this relation with man as long as he practises goodness, but they give up his company when he falls into sinful habits.^[19] They lodge in the body of a righteous person, causing him joy,^[20] and instruct the faithful in spiritual matters;^[21] moreover, sin flees from him in whom they dwell.^[22] They help and protect a pious man, even as a loving master would lead a calf to the pasture land and prevent it from going to a place of harm.^[23] Like loving parents who prohibit their children from partaking of some unwholesome food, the angels prevent man, even against his will, from doing that which they foresee, through their superior knowledge to be of eventual harm to him.^[24] Persons who befriend the righteous in this world find angels as their friends in the next;^[25] the good leave name and fame here, and are blessed with the company of the angels there.^[26]

Sacrificial offerings made to the angels. We have already seen that meat formed a conspicuous article among the sacrificial gifts made to the heavenly beings in the Avestan period. ​Meat viands are the special feature of the sacred feast during the Pahlavi period. The Pahlavi treatise Shayast-la-Shayast explains what particular parts of a slaughtered animal are to be specifically dedicated to the various divinities in ceremonies. The angel Hom's right to receive the tongue, jaw, and left eye, recognized by the Avestan scriptures, remains still undisputed.^[27] The head and neck, shoulders and thighs, loin and belly, kidneys and lungs, liver and spleen, legs and tail, heart and entrails are all distributed among several different beings; until at last the tailbone falls to the lot of the august Farohar of Zaratusht, and the great archangels have to content themselves merely with the residue.^[28] Decomposed meat is not to be consecrated to any angel;^[29] nor is any meat at all to be used in any ceremony for the first three days after the death of a person, but milk, cheese, fruit, eggs, and preserves are to be consecrated instead.^[30] It is stated that if the relations of the deceased person were to consecrate and eat fresh meat within three days after his death, another death might perchance occur in the family.^[31] Yet on the fourth day they may slaughter a goat or a sheep.^[32] A short formula is to be recited by the man who slaughters this animal.^[33] It is desirable that the head of a slaughtered animal should be consecrated before being eaten; but if it is not possible to consecrate the head, one kidney at least must necessarily be consecrated.^[34]

In our treatment of the Izads individually, which we shall now undertake, we shall deal only with those that are discussed at any great length in the Pahlavi works.

His activity. The whole earth, or more especially, Arzah and Savah, two of the zones, are the abode of Srosh.^[35] Three times every night he comes to the world.^[36] According to the Pahlavi texts, precisely as was recorded above for the Avestan scriptures, the cock and dog are his associates in routing the demons.^[37] He helps the man who in the midst of temptations ​practises virtue;^[38] for he makes his abode in the body of a righteous person; and the man in whose body he is a guest becomes the more polite in his utterances of welcome.^[39] Again we see Srosh inspiring an intelligent man to speak good words, as also an unintelligent one who listens to the teachings of the high-priests.^[40] When the prophet child was thrown into the lair of a wolf for destruction, Srosh and Vohuman brought a sheep with udder full of milk to the den for the babe's nourishment.^[41] Srosh, likewise, escorted Viraf in his journey to heaven above and to hell below; and at the time of the final restoration of the world, Ormazd will depute him with Neryosangh to arouse the sleeping hero Kersasp and fire him with the spirit to kill the accursed Zohak.^[42] Srosh, in the final struggle between the angels and the demons, will smite his adversary Eshm.^[43] He will then join in officiating with Ormazd in celebrating, once and forever, the final destruction of evil.^[44]

A judge of the dead. Srosh is one of the judges who take accounts of the souls of the dead at the Bridge of Judgment.^[45] If a man, during his lifetime, performs the three nights ceremonies in honour of Srosh for the future welfare of his soul, the angel will not forsake him for the first days after his death.^[46] At the dawn of the fourth day after the death of a righteous person, Srosh accordingly helps to conduct his soul across the bridge.^[47] Ceremonies are therefore to be performed in honour of Srosh for the first three days and nights after death, in order that this divine helper may protect the soul from the attack of the demons during this period,^[48] and may serve in its favour at the seat of judgment.^[49] Specially distinct praise and reverence are to be bestowed upon Srosh, and even the names of the archangels should not be associated with him.^[50] In addition, it may be noted, regarding Srosh's relation to mankind, that when ​children under seven years of age die, their souls accompany in the hereafter those of their parents, to heaven or hell, wherever the parents happen to be. On the other hand, invocation of Srosh in the name of the child enables its soul to separate itself from those of its parents.^[51]

Lord chief justice of the heavenly tribunal. Though retaining his appellation of being the lord of wide pastures, Mihr (Av. Mithra) no longer appears as a pastoral divinity; neither is he seen driving in his chariot to the battlefield as a war angel. He has chosen a quieter realm of work, and now occupies a seat in Ormazd's privy council in heaven. He administers justice at the heavenly court, and is one of the celestial judiciaries that make up the reckoning of good and evil deeds of the souls at the Bridge of Judgment.^[52] All mankind has to appear before this lord of truth and justice.^[53] In his trial of the dead, as the ancient divine personage presiding over truth, he exposes those guilty of breach of promise.^[54] Great is the distress of every soul at the Bridge, but Mihr saves those souls that have belonged to truth-speaking persons.^[55]

Morning time is the proper time for the ceremonials to be performed in honour of Mihr;^[56] and the old idea has never been lost, that none should lie unto him.^[57] That law remained ever supreme.

At the time of Renovation Mihr will help Peshyotan, who has lain asleep, tradition repeats, from ancient times only to help in confounding the Evil Spirit, who will flee back to the darkest recess of hell.^[58]

He holds the balance of judgment in the celestial court. This Izad of the Avesta, who traversed all earthly regions and presided at the ordeals, in regard to mankind, is transferred in ​the texts of the Pahlavi period to the celestial world. As genius of truth, Rashn now sits in the heavenly tribunal for judging the souls of the dead.^[59] He holds in his hands the golden balance and weighs the good and evil deeds of the souls.^[60]

A sacred cake is consecrated to Rashn, as an angel, on the dawn of the fourth day after the death of a person.^[61] The proper period to commemorate him is at dawn.^[62]

The sun. The entire creation of Ormazd longs for the rising of the sun in order to escape the brood of darkness, the demons and fiends, sorcerers and wolves, noxious creatures of hell, the wicked and the hordes. The faithful pray that the resplendent sun may continue to shine from its loftiest position, for it is due to its light that the earth created by Ormazd exists, the creation does not die owing to excessive cold, the fruits of trees gain life and sweetness and the earthly creation gains help and protection and growth. The prayer concludes with a pious wish that the sun may shine with greater glory and greater brilliance and be a more beneficent host to the earth created by Ormazd.^[63]

Khurshed's message to mankind. Man should invoke this personification of the sun three times every day. He should completely resign himself to Ormazd, and expiate his sins; he should also daily interrogate his own self as to whether he has lived that day in the pious service of Ormazd or in the accursed bondage of Ahriman.^[64] Khurshed delivers three messages of Ormazd every day to mankind In the first, or the message of the morning, Ormazd desires that mankind be zealous in doing meritorious deeds, so that, by Ormazd himself, their condition in this world may be made better. Secondly, at noon, men are reminded to marry and have children; and are likewise exhorted to co-operate with each other in doing good deeds that will prevent Ahriman and his brood from freeing themselves out of bondage until the day of resurrection. In the third, or evening ​message, mankind are reminded to repent of sins they may have unconsciously committed as in that case they would be forgiven.^[65] One should reverence the sun during the day, for not to do so is sin.^[66] It is proper to invoke it even if it is not visible owing to cloudiness;^[67] otherwise by not thus reverencing it, the good works that a man does that day lose their value for him.^[68]

He retains his position as the genius of rain. The Pahlavi writers reproduce the account of Tishtar's fight with Aposh from the Avestan Yasht 8, which celebrates his work.^[69] The Yasht spoke of the help that Ormazd gave Tishtar when he was routed in his first combat with his adversary and invoked the Supreme Being for help and strength. The Dadistan adds that besides Ormazd the archangels and the guardian spirits also carried help to him.^[70] Vohuman, Ardvisur, Vat, Hom, and Din are spoken of as his associates.^[71] Tishtar seizes rain water from the ocean,^[72] carries seeds of plants with it and scatters them all over the world. This angel of rain removes the hot winds that parch the dry lands and spreads prosperity all around by means of his fertilizing waters.

Ormazd has created the glorious Tishtar, the giver of profit and prosperity, the maker of rain for the help of the stars that further the creation of Ormazd. He is invoked to further the growth of trees and plants upon the seven Zones by abundant rain to prevent the harm that the Evil Spirit and his infernal crew bring upon earth.^[73]