Supplement No. 17

Nine Constituents of a Human Being, Mentioned in Avesta

In Yasna 55, 1 we meet with the names of nine constituents of a human being. They represent three triads of three categories. Thus the first three terms Gaetha, Tanu and Azdebish belong to the physical body and as such are gross or tangible and subject to expansion and contraction in course of time. The next three Ushtan, Kehrp, Tewishi which are also subject to expansion and contraction are subtle pertaining to the ultra-physical worlds above. The last three, Baod, Urvan and Fravashi, are, unlike the former six, immortal, i.e., permanent and not subject to variations or expansion or contraction. Several of these names are not correctly understood in philology as will be seen from the philological and Khshnoomic significances of those nine terms given below side by side.

Serial No.	Avestan Name of the Constituent	Philological Rendering	Correct Khshnoomic Interpretation
1.	Gaetha	Landed riches	Vital organs of the body;
2.	Tanu	(One's) person	Outer bodily form with skeleton;
3.	Azdebish	Bones	Subtle oily skeleton; or subtle oily counterpart of the physical form;
4.	Ushtan	Tissues (Mills) life (Kanga)	Subtle internal life-energy;
5.	Kehrp	Form	Subtle form or body;
6.	Tewishi	Forces	Desire-forces;
7.	Baodangh	Consciousness	Perfect Divine Knowledge;
8.	Urvan	Soul	Soul; and
9.	Fravashi	Fravashi	The sublimest constituent

1. Thus it will be noticed that Gaetha does not mean 'Landed riches' but the vital orgaris of the body.

2. Tanu signifies outerbodily form with skeleton, drawn from the soul itself (derived) from Tan, to draw). The term that is most misleading and defying philological scholars is Azdebish, which is made up of Azde, bones, and bish, double. Thus it means the subtle duplicate or replica of bones. Dr. Mills has rendered it only as 'bones' (Azde), thus leaving out 'bish', meaning 'double' evidently because he could not understand what that could mean.

3. Azdebish is subtle oily-type skeleton or the subtle oily counterpart of the physical form. It is also called the 'etheric double' i.e., the exact replica of our physical body in fine ethereal state called 'Aabi'. At death this Azdebish gets contracted with the physical body.

4. Ushtan is the spiritually vital energy poured down from above and joined with each soul, which contributes to the thinking, speaking and acting powers of the soul, and besides to the will-power, consciousness and divine wisdom, which all is collectively named Ushtan in Khshnoomic parlance.

5. Kehrp, which comprises 16 Chakhras, plexuses, is the subtler oval body of variegated invisible colours; in the centre whereof the physical body is formed in the mother's womb, and in which each soul has to reside just after death. For explanation of Chakhras please see Supplement No. 20.

6. Tewishi is another term, which is half rendered by Dr. Mills. It is a compound term made up of Tu, force or strength; and -ish, wish or desire. Hence Tewishi literally means desire-forces. This Tewishi is the centre of higher and lower emotions and feelings, i.e., good and evil desire forces of a soul. There is incessant contest between these two good and evil desire-forces called 'Ranoibya' (Ysn. 51,9) (the two contestants), the arena of which is at the umbilicus. Had Dr. Mills understood this term Tewishi he would have been able to render '-yaokhedra', internal conflict, occurring in Yasna; 12.9 as 'Fraspa-yaokhedram', terminator of internal conflict. But since he could not understand it, he altered 'y' into 'v', making it '-vaoknedra', thus corrupting the orthography by his erroneous imagination (vide S.B.E. Vol. XXXI).

8. Urvan is the soul or ego.

7. Baodangh incorrectly rendered in philology as 'intellect' is the brilliance of the light of spiritual knowledge.

9. Fravashi is a still higher constituent than Baodangh, here signifying 'Farohar', light of Paourva Fravashi proportionate to the soul's goodness.

It is enjoined in Zoroastrian religion to mould one's life in accordance with the immutable laws of Nature, and most rigorous are the canons of purity, taught by the Holy Prophet to be observed in leading the life in pursuance of its physical constitution.