AMARDAD : Ameretat
The seventh one is AMERETAT or AMARDAD AMESHASHPAND
Ameretat is the Avestan name; Amardad – the Pahlavi name; Undyingness or immortality is its virtue and Plants are its Creation.
“Remembrance of the White Hom – Gaokeren”
Thought –
The blossoms fresh, the fruitful trees, fall into Amardad’s domain,
Immortal, fresh and evergreen, let my life so also remain.
Ameretat or Amardad means immortality. Man’s soul is immortal and after physical death upon this earth, the soul continues to live. The quality of the new life, however, depends upon the deeds performed in this life. Ameretat is the guardian and protector of plants.
Immortality or Amardad is the twin of Khordad. Perfection and immortality go together. What is perfect is immortal and vice versa. These twin virtues are important for us to understand because we are neither perfect nor immortal. However, we can surely do something that is immortal. We cannot save the world but we can save a few lives. We can be charitable not only in giving money but also in giving help and in spreading joy. We can stop being stingy and start giving more.
Each one of us carries something special that Ahura Mazda has given us. We need to recognise it and make full use of it. The good works we leave behind stand in good stead in the afterlife.
It must be remembered that our food, vegetables that we get from plants is due to the overseeing by Amardad Ameshashpand. In our sacred rituals, we use the branches or leaves of several sacred trees, e.g. in the Yasna ceremonies we use the Homa twigs and leaves of date palm as also branches of pomegranate. It is therefore very necessary to care for the soil, i.e. mother earth, think of agriculture or growing cereals and pass that idea to others because cereals are the food for animals of the universe. Sacred trees are planted near the house to purify the air and health is obtained.