THE GATHAS ZAF RELIGIOUS CLASS JANUARY/FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2016 HOVI SHROFF PH. D

AGENDA  JASHNE SADEH  THE GATHAS  GATHA ACTIVITY  HAMA ZOR HAMA ASHO BED

JASHNE SADEH  Sadeh means hundred,  Jashan means celebration  Celebration of the one hundred days before Navroz.  is a mid winter feast that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Iran.  It was a festival to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold.  Celebrations involve the reciting of prayers, dancing around the fire and eating fruits, nuts and candy. 

WHAT ARE THE GATHAS?  THE GATHAS ARE:  SONGS  HYMNS  CHANTS  THEY ARE 17 hymns believed to have been composed by Zarathustra himself around 1200 BC.  They are the most sacred texts of the Zoroastrian faith.  They are arranged into five groups based on their meter:  There was a young lady named Hannah,(1)  Who slipped on a peel of banana.(1)  As she lay on her side,(2)  More stars she spied(2)  Than there are in the Star-Spangled Banner.(1)

THE GATHAS  The Avesta's texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage.  The principal text in the liturgical group is the Yasna, which takes its name from the Yasna ceremony, Zoroastrianism's primary act of worship, and at which the Yasna text is recited.  The Gathas are the most important portion of the Yasna texts(written in the Old Avestan or Gathic They are arranged into five groups based on their meter:  Each of the 5 Gathas comprise of one to seven Yasnas  Ahunavaiti/Ahunavad Gatha (Y28, Y29, Y30, Y31, Y32, Y33, Y34)  Ushtavaiti/Ushtavad Gatha (Y43, Y44, Y45, Y46)  Spentamainyush/Spentomad Gatha (Y47, Y48, Y49, Y50)  Vohukhshathra Gatha (Y51)  Vahishtoishti Gatha (Y53)

5 GATHAS AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT  28–34 Ahunavaiti Gatha “Good V/S Evil” 100 stanzas, (3 verses, 7+9 syllable meter)  43–46 Ushtavaiti Gatha 'Having Happiness', 66 stanzas (5 verses, 4+7 syllable meter)  47–50 SpentaMainyush Gatha 'Bounteous Spirit', 41 stanzas (4 verses, 4+7 syllable meter)  51-Vohukhshathra Gatha 'Good Dominion', 22 stanzas (3 verses, 7+7 syllable meter)  53-VahishtoIshti Gatha 'Best Beloved', 9 stanzas (4 verses, two of 7+5 and two of syllables)

THE CONTENT OF THE GATHAS  The main messages of the Gathas are very clear:  The importance and role of the Fravashi  The struggle between good and evil, people of truth (ashavans) who worship Ahura Mazda, struggling against the people of the lie (drugvants).  The benevolence /friendship of Ahura Mazda  The importance of Asha and Vohu Mana  Need for support by those who manage/raise livestock, against those who disrupt their labors by stealing what they want.  Importance of the reciprocal relationship/partnership with Ahura Mazda  Importance of offerings, fire, and rituals.  Importance of the family, household, society and judicial system

DEFINITION OF THE FRAVASHI  Fravashi, in Zoroastrianism, is the preexisting external higher soul or essence of a person (according to some sources, also of gods and angels).  It is also sometimes referred to as ones own Guardian Angel.  Fravashis are associated with Ahura Mazdā, the supreme divinity, since the first creation, they participate in his nature of pure light and inexhaustible bounty.  By free choice Fravashis descend into the world to suffer and combat the forces of evil, knowing their inevitable resurrection at the final glory.  Each individual’s Fravashi, is distinct and guides him in life toward the realization of his higher nature. On the path of Righteousness.  The saved soul is united after death with its Fravashi. Cosmically, the Fravashis are divided into three groups—the living, the dead, and the yet unborn.

RECITATION OF THE AHUNAVAD GATHA GATHAS BY ERVAD RAMIYAR KARANJIA

THE AHUNAVAD GATHA TRANSLATION ( Y28, Y29, Y30, Y31, Y32, Y33, Y34)  I praise remember and invoke the good, the heroic and beneficent Fravashis of the righteous people and I sing their glory.  We worship the Fravashis of the house, the street, the town and the province and the highest priests.  Among all of these Fravashis we worship here the Fravashi of our creator Ahura Mazda who is the highest, the most excellent, the most courage giving, the wisest and the one that practices good deeds of the highest order and is our Supreme holiness.

THE USHTAVAD GATHA TRANSLATION (Y43, Y44, Y45, Y46)  We worship the good, heroic and beneficent Fravashis of the righteous people. We worship the Fravashis of the Amesha Spentas and the Holy immortals, the rulers who act according to the laws of Ahura Mazda and who are immortal and righteous.  Here we also worship the life conscience, intelligence and the soul of righteous men and women who were the first acceptors of our religion and who fought with success for the fulfillment of the path of righteousness

THE SPENTOMAD GATHA TRANSLATION (Y47, Y48, Y49, Y50)  We worship the Fravashi of the righteous Gayomard (first man according to Zoroastrian scriptures)  We worship the Fravashi of his holiness Zarathustra Spitaman  We worship the Fravashi of the righteous Vishtaspa  We worship the fravashi of the righteous Isat Vaastra, the eldest son of Zarathustra who all fought with success for Righteousness.  We worship the righteous men and women who have departed, along with the righteous men and women who ae still living and also the progressive Saoshyants who will be born in the future.

THE VOHUKHSHASTRA GATHA TRANSLATION (Y51)  We worship here the Fravashis of the souls of the departed ones  We worship the Fravashis of next of kin, teachers and disciples, both men and women.

THE VAHISTOISH GATHA TRANSLATION (Y53)  We worship the Fravashis of all the holy young ones  The ones who think good thoughts, speak good words, and do good deeds  We worship the Fravashis of the Righteous people among those who inhabit this land and also other lands  We worship the Fravashis of the righteous people who come from Gayomard to the victorious Saoshyant, the maker of renovation and repair who is yet to come.

ACTIVITY 1  WRITE YOUR VERY OWN GATHA IN WHATEVER METER YOU LIKE AND TELL US WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT ZOROASTRIANISM OR  WHY YOU LOVE BEING A ZOROASTRIAN.

ACTIVITY 2 LET’S ROLL THE DICE!  Based on what you learned today in class:  If you were with your friends how would you explain the following to someone who knew nothing about your religion.  YOU HAVE TO ANSWER BASED ON THE NUMBER YOU ROLL ON THE DICE!  The Fravashi  The Gathas in general  The Ahunavad Gatha specifically  The Ushtavad Gatha specifically  The Spentomad Gatha specifically  The Vohukhshatra Gatha specifically  The Vahistoish Gatha specifically

LET’S GREET EACH OTHER  HAMA ZOR  HAMA ASHO BED  MAY WE UNITED  MAY WE BE UNITED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS!  ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT