Supplement No. 14

Khanirath Bami, the Only Terrestrial Keshvar, the Birth-place of Zarathushtra and Cradle of the Aryan Race

Khanirath Bami, literally meaning golden or shining shore (Yt. 10, 15) is the only terrestrial Keshvar. According to the Avesta our earthy globe is divided into two sections on spiritual lines, one of which is Thrishva (Yt. 13, 3), literally meaning 'onethird' which is holy, that is, almost Satan-free, and hence called Khanirath Bami located in the Arctic region towards the North Pole. This Thrishva has been buried under mountain-deep snow since over 10,000 years, and hence its existence and true geography are unknown to philological scholars. The then impending blockade by snow was foretold to king Jamshid as under by Ahura Mazda (Vd. 2,22):

"O fair Yima_ son of Vivanghat, upon the material world the evil winters are about to fall, that shall bring the fierce deadly frost........... ,shall make, snow-flakes fall thick even as aredvi deep on the highest tops of mountain."

(S.B.E. Vol. IV).

The other section of the earthy globe is our known material world, which is wicked, and hence called Drujo-deman (Ysn. 46,11), literally the abode of Evil, and hence also called Daozangh, hell (Vd. 19,47).

Thrishva is particularly important because Airyana Vaeja (Vd. 1,1) the birth-place of holy Zarathushtra is situated there. Airyana Vaeja literally means the land bearing noble seeds engendering righteousness and philanthropy. In this Airyana Vaeja is the sacred mountain called Haraiti-Barsh (Yt. 19,1) or Mt. Alborz. On the top plateau at the altitude (Bala) (Bd. 24,3) of the mountain (Zbarahe) in Airyana Vaeja was the 'Vara' on which was situated the prophet's father Pourushaspa's mansion where Zarathushtra was born (Vd. 19,4 and 11). Here on this plateau flowed from the far heights of the planetary world Asha-Chithra, Vaha-Chithra, the vibrationary currents bearing seeds of holiness and goodness. This flowing of such sublime vibrationary currents is allegorically depicted as the river 'Drejya'. .

On the slopes of the sides of the above Haraiti-Barsh, there are several plateaus on each of which, in those distant ages, there were felicitous markaz, residential places called 'Vara', such as Demavand, Pairi-daz, Pamar, Siraz, Firdaus etc. built by illustrious saintly kings of the Paoiryo-tkaesha class. On its first plateau called Pamar was king Jamshid's Vara, which was subterranean (Bd. 32,2). Vara is a talismanically protected area either sub-terranean or on the surface of the earth so sanctified that Satan cannot find entry there and desecrate it.

Coming now to the Keshvar Khanirath Bami or Thrishva, according to the mysterious curriculum of Nature for the Reformation of the sinful souls our known material world which is called Drujo-deman, the abode of Evil, runs its course for a fixed period of 81,000 years, which is referred to in Avesta as Zarvanedaregho- khadat, literally, long (cycle of) Time. These 81,000 years is the total of the varied periods of rulerships of the seven planets in the heavens ranging between 4000 and 17,000 years each. These planets control our earth. On the termination of the above period of 81,000 years there is World Deluge. However, before the Deluge actually comes over, a Saviour named Soshyos or Astavat-Ereta (Yt. 13,128), who in rank is next only to holy Zarathushtra, and styled as his 'son' carries to safety the excellent pairs of all genuses, 'Varena, (Ysn. 49,3) of mankind and animal and plant life. The human pairs thus saved from the waters of the Deluge are known as 'Maabadians'. The indestructible height of safety to which they are removed is called Mt. Alborz.

These Maabadians and their descendants followed more or less the Ten Commandments of the Creator, that is, they led a life of purity, and hence the work of emancipation, that is, liberation from the physical body, is easy and expeditious on Khanirath- Bami. The above type of noble life of purity in Airyana Vaeja continues for an average period of 27,000 years. After this period inferior souls begin to descend there. Side by side, as stated in Vandidad 2,22 "fatal winters that make snow flakes fall thick" render living there impossible, except to certain Ashavans, holy souls. Consequently, the population moves down to the plains on the known material world from Airyana Vaeja in different batches, whose first king was Gayomard. With the intense cold the Thrishva or the Khanirath Bami again gets buried under snow as it has been since some 10,000 years past, and hence the existence and geography of Airyana Vaeja and Khanirath Bami are unknown to scholars. On the Khanirath Bami getting buried under snow, the known material world begins its new run once again for 81,000 years that constitute a Zarvan e-daregho-khadat.