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ZARATUSHT IN THE PAHLAVI WORKS

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.[1] 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.[2] He leaves the house of his parents in search of knowledge and righteousness.[3] 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.[4] 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

  1. ↑ Zsp. 20. 4, 6, 10, 11, 14–16; Jackson, ib., p. 32, 33.
  2. ↑ Zsp 20. 12, 13.
  3. ↑ Zsp. 20. 7.
  4. ↑ Zsp. 21. 1–3; Jackson, ib., p. 40.
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