FAQ
Dravant is an Avesta word which means 'a wicked person'. He is the one who deviates from the path of Asha or righteousness.There is a clear-cut distinction between an Ashavan or a holy man and a dravant or a wicked man.
Butparasti is a Persian word which means idol worship which is castigated by the Zoroastrian religion.To offer prayers before any image made of stone or wood or any other material is against the spirit of Zoroastrianism,which categorically declares that the supreme god Ahura Mazda is the most invisible and hence cannot be represented by any material image.
Maachi is derived from Sanskrit manch which means a throne. While feeding the fire of the first grade fire-temple viz.Atash Behram, six pieces of sandalwood are placed on fire. The highest grade of fire is regarded as a king. Hence six pieces of sandalwood should be placed on it to make a kind of throne, pairs of two pieces one above the other.
The religion of Zarathustra first came into existence in ancient Iran,because Zarathustra is spoken of as famous in Iran Vej(Yasna 9-14).
Before Zarathustra the religion of ancient Iran was Poryotkeshi Mazdayashni.
The meaning of Poryotkeshi Mazdayashni is the foremost creed of the worship of Mazda or the Omniscient.
The word Saoshyant means benefactor of mankind.
They were Gayomard,Hoshang,Tehmurus,Hom,Jamshed,Faredoon,Kay kaus and Kay khusru.All these Saoshyants followed Mazdayashni religion.
There were many good elements in the Poryotkeshi Mazdayashni religion,so Zarathustra accepted it.It was a powerful deterrent against Daevayashni.
Zarathustra preached his religion against the Daevas who refused to worship the one Omniscient Lord and were rooted in evil mind.
King Gustasp of the Kayanian dynasty,who ruled at Balkh in ancient Iran,first supported the religion of Zarathustra after putting it to test in the assembly of the wise and the learned from different countries who put to the prophet several questions.
The first disciple of Zarathustra was his own cousin Medyomah.
After his acceptance of the Zoroastrian religion King Gustasp sent prince Asfandyar to propogate it in distant lands.
Alexander the great, after conquering Persia in the 4th century B.C. burnt the library of Zoroastrian writings at Daz-i-Nipisht, at Persipolis, and the writings which were deposited in another library, named Ganj-i-Shapigaan,fell into the hands of Greeks,who took them to Greece and translated them into Greek.
King Ardeshir Baabegaan, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty in the 3rd century A.D. made commendable efforts to rejuvenate the Zoroastrian religion and literature with the help of his high priest Tansar. Thereafter other Sasanian Sovereigns like Shapur I, Shapur II and Noshirvan Adil made efforts in various directions to reorganise and revitalize the Zoroastrian religion and literature.
Zoroastrian scripture is written in Avesta.
Originally there were 21 Nasks or books of the Zoroastrian religion divided into three classes as per their contents viz. Gaasaanik or religious, Daatik or pertaining to laws and handhmaansrik or the intermidiate between the two,each group consisting of seven books.
The extant Avesta literature is in a very small quantity.It consists mainly of Yasna,Visperad,Vendidad,Yasht and Khordeh Avesta.
Yasna has 72 chapters and contains prayers with offerings unto Ahura Mazda and other divine spirits like Amesha Spentas, Yazatas and other spiritual entities presiding over divisions of time.
Visperad has 23 chapters and contains prayers in praise of all the divine entities presiding over the creation.It is recited on the occasion of Gaahambaars or seasonal festivals.