Supplement No. 18

Instances of Allegory and Numerological Mysticism Expounded

Avesta abounds in allegory and other figures of speech. In most cases animals mentioned do not represent the quadrupeds, but their peculiar characteristics. Thus horse indicates (spiritual) power, Gao, Geush, Gava stand for blissfulness of the kine belonging to the 'live and help others live and advance' principle in Nature, as opposed to Khrafstric principle of 'kill or harm to live'; Lamb indicates innocence or harmlessness, camel stands for knowledge and so on. In Ysn. 44,18, the Prophet asks Ahura Mazda how he may get the prize of '10 horses/mares and a camel'? Here too horses/mares indicate spiritual power gained by the strict practice of Asha, holiness, camel stands for divine knowledge, and 10 in Zoroastrian numerology indicates perfection in Good or Evil.

Thus the prophet does not supplicate for getting those quadrupeds, but for perfection of spiritual power and divine knowledge for vanquishing the powers of Satan. In Azhi Dahaka (Ysn. 9,8) 'Dahaka' means literally 10 Evils, i.e., perfection of Evil. Similarly 'Dravand Bivarasp' (Afrin e Haft Ameshaspend. 8) literally means the Dravand possessing 10,000 horses. Here Dravand is the Satan, horses stand for (evil) powers, 10 shows perfection and thousand indicates innumerable viles of the Satan. Thus in Bivarasp 10,000 quadruped horses are not meant, but the expression indicates the Satan's dire illimitable destructive powers in perfection.

 

Gao, Geush, Gava, Gavan do not Mean Bull or Kine

Similarly, as stated already Geush, Gava do not mean the quadruped 'Bull' or the 'kine', but their blissful characteristics possessed by sub-angelic or saintly souls. 'Geush-Urva' (Ysn. 29,1) is not the 'soul of the ox' ("Dawn" - Zaehner - p. 76), but the sub-angelic potentiality appointed for the protection of the souls of the mankind on earth. Geush-Urva is the animated phantom of the collective White side - Gao _ of the totality of humam souls on earth, while Geush-Tashan has its seat on Upairi Dakhyu 'Geushaevo- datayao' is not the 'sole created Bull' but the potentiality which is the animated phantom of the collective White side - Gao – of the totality of the huge batch of Aka-.Chithra, wicked seeds (souls) exiled from the 8th heaven of the zodiac, and transferred to Dami (Ysn. 57,2), the Creation of the Space of the evanescent worlds for their purification.

'Keresani' the molester, i.e. Satain, is likewise the animated phantom of the destructive Dark side of the Aka Chithra souls, being the opponent of Geush-aevo-datayao. Gaush-Tashan on Upairi dakhyu and Geush-Urva on the earth both strive to combine, but Keresani hinders them from doing so. Geush. aevo-datayao, the White phantom, and Kereswni, the Dark phantom, chase each other incessantly, the former to persuade, the latter to devour, its opponent, their chasing each other representing the phenomena of day and night on earth.

In Meher Yasht; 15, Keshvars are allegorically referred to as 'Gava-shayana_ Gava-shitimcha' (literally meaning the centres and residing places of the kine) are the centres and residing places of the saintly souls progressing towards immortal worlds, which saintly souls possess beneficent characteristics as of the cow-kind, and hence expressed as Gava-shayana, Gava_shitimcha.

In Shah Nameh the intrepid Peshdadian and Kayanian fighters were not persons possessing mere muscular strength, but were great warrior-saints who had completely subjugated lust, and hence Firdousi sometimes refers to them as 'Gavan' ,protectors of Gava the White side in Nature, or warrior-saints who possessed sublime spiritual powers to fight against the sorcery and witchcraft of the demons of pre-Zarathushtra ages. Thus:

 

"Bepurseed Sharaz Nazade Kayan, Vazan Namdarane Farrokh Gavan",

i.e., inquired about the origin of Kayanian kings and illustrious warrior-saints -- Gavan – with glorious faces. Again,

"Cheharum sakhun kaghazi khasti,
Bamehere Gavan del beyarasti",

i.e., the fourth thing you desire to know is about the chiefs the warrior-saints – Gavan – with whom you have friendship.

 

Exposition of 100 Horses, 1,000 Bulls and 10,000 Sheep in Aban Yasht

In several paragraphs in Aban Yasht there are references to worship of Ardvi-Sur with 100 horses, 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep by different saintly kings and warriors (against monsterdemons). These expressions indicate development of spiritual power a hundredfold, blissful characteristics of a thousand bulls put together, and innocence or harmlessness of ten thousand sheep collectively. Thus the mention of these animals and figure groups indicate the degrees of spiritual development just as in modem times, the University degrees after a person's name indicate the degree of scholastic learning.

The spiritual powers cultivated as referred to above were to fight against the monstrous demons and their highly destructive powers of Darkness that existed in pre-Zarathushtra times, which monsters were smitten by the prophet or their evil cerebral plexuses (Chakhra) were transmuted into beneficent ones (Yt. 13,89) or those devils who, walked on the earth disguised as bipeds were buried underground (Ysn. 9,15). Thus Prof. Zaehner will understand how misguided he is in his criticism in "Dawn & Twilight" (p. 146) which runs as under:

"... . the goddess (Ardvi Sur) demands from her worshippers the sacrifice of a hundred stallions, a thousand bulls, and ten thousand heads of sheep - a scale of sacrifice that even the most 'catholic' of Zoroastrians could scarcely have deemed 'moderate'?"

In all paragraphs (17, 21 etc.) in Aban Yasht where the verb 'yazata' is used in connection with 100 horses, 1000 bulls, 10,000 lambs, it (Yazata) always means 'worshipped; adored; invoked' as given in Kanga Avesta dictionary and not 'sacrificed'. According to Zoroastrian rules of purity, the offerings in holy ceremonies are of fruits, flowers and the like possessing superior aura, and never of the massacred quadrupeds or other living beings. Besides, in the Avestan texts of the above paragraphs, there is no word for 'heads' which is inserted by Prof. Zaehner in his above translation with a view to create the meaning of massacre, to defame and ridicule the Zoroastrian religion, which is much to be regretted.

It is a pity highly learned scholars cannot display some superior or ennobling ideas in their guesswork, but they must imagine immoral incest in Khaetvadatha or the barbarous massacre of thousands of innocent blissful animals in worshipping Ardvi Sura that imparts purity and knowledge to a devotee. If there be any idea of sacrifice here it is the saintly worshipper who offers, i.e., sacrifices to Ardvi Sura the sublime powers gained by him to obtain the desired sublime boon.

It is natural the learned scholar, with his knowledge merely of surface meanings, could not unravel the true hidden sense in the above passage. But it is most indiscreet to rush to nonsensical criticism when literal translation sounds revolting to common sense. A great scholar like him ought to be able to realize that there must be some mystified meaning.

While Prof. Zaehner is thus trying to ridicule Zoroastrian Scriptures as above according to his characteristic predilection, it would not be out of place to quote the following:

". . . a religion whose followers were forbidden to kill even animals wantonly at a time when the ancestors of the French and English nations were accustomed to sacrifice human victims to their sanguinary Deities such a pure and venerable religion is one which must always command respect of the civilized world, and of which a Parsee may well be proud".

(Intro. p. xiv seq. - Dr. Bleeck - Spiegel's Avesta).

It is just possible Prof. Zaehner's belief of 'sacrifice' is drawn from the above barbarous custom existing in England and France in ancient times.

 

Exposition of Numerological Expressions

In Zoroastrian numerology every cardinal numeral from 0 to 9 has its own significance in certain places.

1, Thug 1 stands for AHU, the Absolute One in Oneness, the Supreme Deity over Ohrmazd and Ahriman;

2, {Numeral} 2 stands for the fundamental Duality of Good and Evil;

3, {Numeral} 3 stands for the three-stage Ahunavar Plan, which is expressed allegorically as the 3-legged 'ass' (Bd. 19_1); or as 12,000 years of the Universe and 12,000' years of the earth in which 12 = (1 plus: 2 =) 3; in the three ciphers (000) the cipher in the third digit stands for creation, the second cipher for the working of the Plan, i.e., exile of wicked souls i.e., souls with deficiency of divine knowledge from the immortal worlds to the evanescent world (the Space) for their Reformation or purification; and the third cipher for 'Repatriation' of saintly souls back to the planetary worlds and thence to their sidereal Home in the 8th heaven of the zodiac.

4, The numeral 4 represents the Sun as Spentotemo-Mino, the executor of the above three stage Plan, who (Sun) is the divine deputy of the Ameshaspends; 4 also represents the four elements;

5, {Numeral} 5 stands for Baodanghs, the lights with brilliance of perfect divine knowledge which Baodanghs, possess Asha, perfect holiness. Of the seven Zarvan a Akarana, seven cycles of Boundless Time that constitute Yavaecha-Yavaetat, the present is the fourth in which there is mixed-sway of Ohrmazd and Ahriman, but in the fifth Zarvana Akarana (Boundless Time) totality of souls will display virtuous propensity and become elevated to the Saintly state, whereby they will gain 'Tane-Pasin', lit., last body, which is of a fiery type, and they will be exalted to the level of Baodanghs, i.e., souls possessing perfection of divine knowledge, and the whole Universe will gradually be of Baodanghs only. At this stage the Satan will be extinct.

6, Numeral 6 stands for the six Gahambars, six growths or stages in which a wicked soul becomes Evil-free and returns to its sidereal Homp in the 8th heaven of the zodiac, from which it was originally exiled and trailed down to the earth for its Reformation. When a soul takes birth as a child in this material world or a seed sprouts; it is its first Gahambar; in the second, the child grows up; in the third, it assumes proper shape; in the fourth, it attain_ maturity of age, and becomes fit to lead a worldly life with all the responsibility and weal and woe attendant on it; and in the case of a plant, it becomes fruit-bearing.

Owing to the transgressions of Nature's laws in life besides the soul's innate propensities for wickedness, the soul has to undergo numerous repetitions of birth and death, and develops, though very slowly, Rae i.e., inward self-enlightenment as the result of dire retributive sufferings.

Now the soul takes a turn from vice to virtue, with which begins for that soul the operation of 'Zarathushtri Daena', the deified Law of Unfoldment of Spirit from Matter, otherwise called 'Ahura-data', 'where '-data' means 'law'. But before this Unfotdment takes place, the soul has to effect Retributive Compensation and Universal adjustment with every visible and invisible object and force in the Universe. During life on earth the soul of a person naturally comes in contact with, and incurs obligations of other human beings, animals, vegetables, minerals and besides of different Yazadic (angelic) Intelligence. All these obligations have to be compensated and adjusted before the soul can enter the planetary world.

Besides the balancing of obligations as above, the soul concerned which is now turned saintly, re-absorbs, according to the Law of Dispensation ('Bagho-Bakht'), its own particle-souls (which were erstwhile disintegrated from it into animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms), in order to make itself a perfected individual Whole so far as its sex is concerned. When the counterpart soul of the opposite sex also gets likewise purified and comes up being delivered from its physical body, the two counterparts meet and become 'Khaetva-datha' i.e. each 'gives itself up' (-datha) to its 'own relative' (Khaetu), the two counterparts forming by their blending together, one perfected asexual whole soul called 'Magavan' (Ysn. 33,7).

On accomplishing such 'spiritual bargaining' ('Kharid- Farokht') the exalted soul (Magavan) is said to have entered the fifth Gahambar called 'Maidyarem', which is the transition stage on the path of the soul's speedy and unhampered advancement onward. When the Magavan soul ascends further on its 'repatriation' journey through the planetary world, and at last arrives in his sidereal Home in the 8th heaven of the zodiac, it constitutes the soul's sixth Gahambar Hamaspath-maedem. This exaltation of the soul is the result of the power of Anasar, the elements of the physical body.

7, The numeral 7 indicates sway of good or evil forces.

8, Numeral 8 represents Urvans, souls with deficiency of divine knowledge.

9, {Numeral} 9 indicates excellence or perfection. Urvans from their, state of deficiency of divine knowledge represented by 8 have to ascend to the perfection of 9, which is indicated by 81, where 8 plus 1 make 9.

 

Exposition of The Mansion of 1,000 Pillars of Sarosh, and 1,000 Channels of Ardvi Sur

Sarosh Yazad is the Lord of the 8th heaven of the zodiac called 'Anaghra Raochao', Endless Lights (Yt. 12,35). From here all souls trail down for transmutation of their Drvao, Evil, into Gao, Goodness. This heaven contains all materials for the creation of the worlds below, each at its right time in Nature. Sarosh is the generic name for all the Yazadic Intelligence functioning for Ahura, whose work is to cause purification of souls through the creation of the Universe.

Ardvi is a potentiality of Avan Yazad which exalts a soul by delivering it from the impurities of lust, etc. It is the 'Ap' lustre of the Endless Lights in the heaven of the zodiac, which Ap changes into various forms in the planetary and evanescent worlds (the Space) before it appears on the earth as the element of water possessing the blissful qualities of that lustre. This lustre called 'Gohar' depicts the subtlety and potentiality of Yazads and of luminous immortal heavens. Ahura directs to the planetary world the blessings contained in the lustre, and collects them (blessings) in the store-house of 'Apam-Napat' (lit. fountain-source of water) in the planetary world.

In Apam Napat the lustre begets the quality or power of creating 'Anasar', elements. Then on the earth it (lustre) flows as 'Ab-e-Rawa', subtle power that can raise the elements to light. The varied currents of Ap, lustre, are said to be distributed through 1001 channels or mediums or agencies, that is to say, these 1001 mediums of Ap, lustre, guided by Ardvi will lead souls to their emancipation. When running water gets the power of even one, out of these 1001 channels of Ardvi, that water becomes holy, and capable of destroying germs.

For leading souls to exaltation, Sarosh is said to have rendered certain souls Drvao-free or Evil-free, and exalted them to perfection. This perfection is represented by the numeral 10. Through these perfected souls other souls of slightly lower category were led to their exaltation. These latter are also nearly perfected, but compared to the former, they are lower in grade. Such souls are known as of 'Gava-Chithra' class, (lit. blissful seeds), represented by '01'. The perfected souls represented by 10 are called '33 Ahus' or Yazatas, and those represented by 01, '33 Ratus', which two groups (of 10 and 01) combinedly give 1001, which form the allegorical Mansion of Sarosh of 1001 pillars, in which 1 in the first digit stands for Sarosh.

The above 33 Ahus and 33 Ratus are ordinarily known as 33 (Si-u-se) Ameshaspends, i.e., 33 immortals invested with (3 plus 3 = 6) the significance of No.6 which represents the powers of six Gahambars viz., power to create, destroy and reform. These two categories forming 1001 then commenced acting for the uplift of souls of still lower category. For this they set the seven Asmans, heavens, into motion. Hence these seven heavens constitute the 1001 channels or mediums or agencies of Ardvi- Sur. Now souls of lower grade are led to the seven heavens with the help of the 8th heaven of the zodiac.

Thus aided, the souls that possessed varied degrees of Drvao, Evil, accommodated themselves in one or the other suitable heaven. Here they were divided by the law of decimals_as the result of which some reached the perfection of 10, and joined with the souls of the Ratu class represented by 01, i.e., below that of Ahu.

Thus souls of higher grade help those of lower grade in their upliftment. In this way the two groups of souls under 10 and 01 combinedly form 1001, which, as we know now, represent the souls of the two classes of Ahu and Ratu_ which become the 1001 channels i.e., mediums of Ardvi Sur, through which, souls of still lower category are reformed. The allegorical mansion of Sarosh of 1001 pillars being situated on the 8th heaven of the zodiac (which is highest in the Universe except the empyrean which is 9th and topmost) is regarded as 'Har-Berez', high mountain, called Mt. Alborz.

Similarly, when a human being becomes the 'Snaithish', instrument of Sarosh, by the practice of holiness,. Sarosh builds his House of 1001 pillars on the Har-Berez or Mt. Alborz of that person. The cerebral plexus called 'Lahian' is the sublimest of the 16 Chakhras, plexuses of the Kehrp (invisible body) of a person, is also called Har-Berez, Mt. Alborz of that person. When a masculine soul attains perfection of 10, and helps its Khaetu, feminine counterpart soul to reach the second grade perfection of Ratu represented by 01, they become 'Khaetvadatha', i.e., give themselves up to each other, and merge together into one perfected whole soul called 'Magavan', who is asexual and a passionless birth.

Thus Sarosh builds his house of 1001 pillars on the Chakhr-e-Lahian also, which is the sublime cerebral plexus, the Mt. Alborz in a human body.

 

Exposition of 99999 Fravashis Protectng Zarathushtra's Seed

In Farvardin Yasht; 62 it is stated that 99999 Fravashis guard or protect the 'Khshudra', seed of Zarathushtra.

The holy Prophet though born of a mother was not an ordinary worldly sinful person. He was a sub-angel - SUPER MAN. He was the only one who laughed at his birth unstricken by the Most fiendish demons with all their devilish might of sorcery and witchcraft. His body gave a shock when touched. He could assume body at will, or become invisible by rarefying it. Thus in all respects he was exceptional. So his Khshudra, seed was also exceptional. His body being of a fiery-type, his Khshudra kept circulating all aver the body. It was not the ordinary generative fluid secreted by worldly males.

In worldly males this generative fluid indicates a man's virility or strength. In the above Avesta passage the physical strength is not meant, but the spiritual. With this exceptional type of spiritual strength Zarathushtra could shatter the mightiest inflated body of Darkness called 'Tur-bara-Tur', enigmatically referred to in Pahlavi as an ordinary Tur (Turk), and with that unique spiritual power he framed the 21 Nasks (books) of the Avesta. Such civilization is allegorically referred to as his Khshudra, seed.

This Khshudra is stated to have been guarded or protected by 99999 Fravashis. Here Fravashi stands for Ashaunam Fravashis_ which indicate Baodangh, divine Wisdom '(not 'intellect') and which Fravashis are in perfection of divine knowledge and Wisdom. In Zoroastrian numerology this perfection is represented by the numeral 9 in units, and Baodangh, divine Wisdom by the numeral 5. Consequently the numeral 9 is expressed five times as 99999.

Thus it will be understood that Zarathushtra's Khshudra was not ordinary generative fluid secreted in males, but indicates sublime seeds of spiritual knowledge and holy spiritual practices connected with Ahura-data, the divine Law of Un-foldment of Spirit from Matter, and 99999 does not represent the normal significance of that figure group, but has the mystical meaning shown above.

Dr. Mills not understanding the above numerological mysticism, criticizes the same as under in his book "Our Own Religion in Ancient Persia" (p. 20 footnote):

"Compare this drivel with the grandeur and simplicity of the Gatha, S.B.E. XXXI, pp. 1-194."

Here the learned scholar in his unawareness renders 99999 as myriads in doing which he misses the technical and mystical meaning of the numeral 9, expressed five times in the figure group 99999.

As stated above, the figure 9 stands for perfection, and this perfection represented by numeral 9 occurring 5 times, stands for Baodangh, the divine Wisdom. Thus it will be understood how imprudent it is on the part of the learned scholar to indulge in uncalled for and ignorant criticism of holv scriptures from mere superficial meaning of a passage.