Behram Yasht is in praise of a ‘mazdadhate’ meaning a giver of knowledge. Knowledge which assists us to live in the way and within the Law of Ahura Mazda; and thereby vanquish all evil from within and around us and make us impervious to hurt and harm. In the Behram Yasht this omniscient knowledge is described metaphorically to take on different forms from the gentle breeze and growing over time into a great invincible warrior. The ten Kardas of the Behram Yasht speak in metaphors of the growing strength of the knowledge given by Behram  eternally safeguarding from all harm, the true believer and practitioner of Asha and Ashoi (rectitude) the Natural, Eternal Law of Ahura Mazda brought down to us by Zarathustra —– the ‘Ahuirish Jarthutrish’. Writers have often remarked that the ten forms of knowledge correspond to the ten avatars of Vishnu in the Puranas. I’d say, well, how different can the one and only truth and the greatest knowledge ever be?!

BEHRAM YASHT —- TRANSLITERATION

 Greatness of Hormazd!

(Pray Ashem Vohu)

In the name of Khoda Hormazd Sahib who promotes /gives progress!

May his splendour/majesty and a u r a (khoreh) increase!

Eternally victorious and vanquisher of enemies, Behram Yazad (the energy of Knowledge), beautiful celestial, ceaseless helper, come to my aid!

In this world, all the evil thoughts I may have brought to my mind, ill words that I may have spoken, bad deeds that I may have done, those that I have induced or I have begun or that I have encouraged — those sins of thoughts, of words, of deeds, of my body and soul, of this world, of the next world— for these I am remorseful and abstain from them, I do penance for these by observing the three intrinsic goodness ( good thoughts good words good deeds).

(Pray ‘Fravaraane Mazdsyasno’) translation on http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/zoroastrian-zen/avesta-translations/sarosh-baaj-translation/)

KARDO 1                                                            

1) Reverence to Behram, emanated from Hormazd!

Asked Zoroaster of Hormazd:

“Hormazd, from who emanated the spirit of bounty /progress during our sojourn in the corporeal world, giver of the spirit of purity/Eternal Law/Tao,

who is the most brilliant/brightest among the venerable energies (Mino Yazads)?”

Then said Hormazd, “Behram, the giver of knowledge, O Zoroaster of the Spitmaan family!”

2) “For this (to give bounty/progress) /for him (one sojourning on this earth), Behram, the giver of knowledge (mazdadhate), first takes wing in the form of the zephyr ( a soft, great joy-giving wind) the giver of knowledge (mazdadhate); having good luster/radiance/gloss/brilliance (noor) of goodness, mazdadhate; keeping the light of  spiritual strength (*khoreh), mazdadhate; remedies / cures  for the physical body and also having great strength.

3) Then, therein is the greatest might/power of triumphant aggression amongst strengths/powers of triumphant aggression (irresistible aggressive force);

Amongst those who smite resistance (**Verethre), the most successful/ victorious to smite resistance;

Amongst those having k h o r e h, the holder of the strongest khoreh;

Amongst the donors/dispensers of gifts, I am the greatest donor/dispenser/receptacle of gifts;

Amongst benefits/profits/welfare/ advantage, I am the most beneficial/advantageous;

Amongst the remedies /cures I am the most efficacious remedy/ cure;

4) Thus, all ills will be vanquished; all that causes pain/harm, of the demigods/demons (div), of mortals (mashyanamcha), of wizards (yaathvaam), of fairies, of despots/ tyrant (saathraam), of those who refuse to see the truth despite having good eyes (kaoyam), those who refuse to hear the truth despite having good ears ((karafanamcha).

5) For his brilliant light and majesty, thus I worship him with praise/reverence which brings him eminence. With the ritual #Baresman, Behram, emanated from Hormazd, we venerate/ propitiate/worship in accordance with the first Laws of Ahura Mazda.

(Pray ‘Yange Hatem’)

*KHOREH (Pazend) = (Avesta) Khvarenangh. Light/halo/aura/glory stemming from the spiritual strength built in sages and holy individuals; their faces radiate a brightness (noor or halo), which is the extension of their Khoreh.

**VERETHRE = literally meaning “smiting of resistance” against the Law, which is the hypostasis (underlying-state) of ‘victory’. Therefore, Behram/Verethregano is also translated as Victorious.

# BARESMAN: The Baresman is the sacred bundle of twigs we see in frescos and pictures of religious worship. The barsam is considered “a conduit for the archetypal principles and powers to manifest their presence and receive the offerings.” it is a ritual necessity to solemnize religious ceremonies.

NOTES:

Jashme Avange Mazda is the last prayer amongst those prayed when tying the Kusti. Jashme Avange Mazda is prayed immediately after the three rear knots of the Kusti are tied by a Zoroastrian. After the Zoroastrian has promised his faith and loyalty to the practice of monotheism, in this ultimate Kusti Prayer, the Jashme Avange Mazda, he reiterates his faith in the religion, and admits to the world at large that he follows the Path of Ahura Mazda

THE TRANSLITERATION

O Dadaar Hormazd, come to my aid! I am a Mazdayasne (believer in the religion of the Mazda Yasnis , monotheist, as against the Dev Yasni, polytheists), as a Mazdayasne Zoroastrian, as one who raises his voice in praise and one who invokes faith, I love you/ my preference is you.

I laud the thoughts that are thought by the  pious (Nek vichaar), I laud the words that are spoken by the  pious, I laud the deeds that are done in piety, I laud the Mazdayasni Din that vanquishes  all hostility, that causes men to relinquish their weapons, instills self confidence and makes them follow the Path ( Raasti).

Of all the religions existing today or those that will come hereafter, *Hormazdi Zoroastrianism (Av: ‘Ahuirish Jarthutrish’) is the greatest, best and purest.

I acknowledge openly that all nature/ creation is from Hormazd.

To know this is to praise the Mazdayasne Din.

*‘Ahuirish Jarthutrish: The ultimate object of a Zoroastrian life is to strive towards world order, progress and ultimate perfection of the world through the three tenets —

1) Good thoughts good words good deeds;

2) There is no path other than the path of Asha i.e. Raasti. There are always the two opposing forces both in cosmology and morals; the idea is to choose the Raasti, the Path of Ashoi;

3) Do the right not because one derives material advantage from it but because it is the thing to do including, protecting the Environment.  Zoroastrians believe that everything He created is pure and should be treated with love and respect.

Zoroastrian Mazdayasni faith believes that there is one, and only one, universal, transcendent, supreme being, Ahura Mazda meaning ‘the Wise Lord’; Almighty but not omnipotent. He is the creator ‘Asha’, truth/order justice. — The Creative force in the cosmos.

Ahriman, the destructive force in the Cosmos and the morally evil ‘Druj’, chaos, falsehood and disorder, does not emanate from Ahura Mazda. In fact, He creates no evil; consequently, the much debated idea of cosmological dualism in Zoroastrianism among scholars. Angre Mainyu and his Akem Mana (evil thinking) is the opposite of Spenta Mainyu. The entire cosmos, including each and every human being (read Zoroastrian), has a role to play in the resulting conflict between this good and evil. Ahura Mazda has manifested his supreme victory over Ahriman by articulating the Ahuna Vairyo.

The Zoroastrian divinity is a being within the limits of possible experience or knowledge, this has given rise to some scholars describing the religion ‘as a belief in an immanent self-creating universe with consciousness as its special attribute’. Thereby causing Zoroastrianism to be defined as pantheistic, a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe.

Ahura Mazda works through the Spenta Mainyu , good spirits/bounteous immortals. The creation, in its turn, experiences this created Universe through the seven primary Ameshaspends and the entire host of the Yazads (Worthy of Worship) guided by Ameshaspends. Each Yazad is founded on a moral or physical aspect of creation.

It is these Ameshaspends and Yazads (that stand under and support the Zoroastrian Wise Lord, Ahura Mazda) and the host of energies that is the foundation of the Zoroastrian divinity.

Zoroaster, himself is not worshiped. To the Zoroastrians, he is the prophet of God who taught man of Asha and Raasti.