THE MEANING OF
MAZDA AND AHURA

IN THE GATHA

Fariborz Rahnamoon

Most scholars and translators of the Gathas believe that the words
Ahura and Mazda in whatever form represent the name of the one and only God
Ahura Mazda.   I beg to differ.

Pouruhs Aspa was the father of Zara Thushtra, Visht Aspa was the king and Jam  Aspa
a learned Vazir. As we can see, all these names have
two parts. Each part has a distinct meaning and when put together it becomes a
proper name. Never has one part represented the full name nor have these names
been inverted. We have never heard or seen Thushtra Zara or Aspa Visht
being used.

Some argue that, the Gathas being poetry, the need for rhyme and
rhythm encourages the break up of the name of Ahura Mazda. In Yasna Ha 28, Zarathushtrai (28.6) Vishtaspai
(28.7) and Ferashaoshtrai (28.8) are used without
breaking them up. While the components of the name Ahura Mazda which is used
twelve times in Ha 28 has been broken up or inverted every time but once. A
question that arises is whether the respect for the name of God is more
important or rhyming the poetry. More over would not a good poet whose main
purpose is to promote his God, change some other words in the poem to bring
about the required effect instead of every time mutilating the name of the most
important character in his Gathas. Again as far as the syllables are concerned
both the word Ahura and Mazda is made up of equal number of letters, that is
five each, when written in Din Dabireh Script which
has a letter for every sound.

Gathas are the teachings of the Great Teacher Zarathushtra. It
is in the form of a poetry composed in the ancient Avesta language. Avesta is
only as old as Sanskrit, but because it has not been in use for a long time it
has been forgotten. Around 500 BCE when the Persian kings left inscriptions of
their deeds they were written in what scholars call Old Persian. This means
Avesta has not been commonly used for at least 2500 years.

Zarathushtra was a man without prejudice; he looked at things in
a new way. He did not invent any thing new, he simply discovered The Truth.
What he discovered is as shocking today as it was then. To understand his teachings you have to put aside your prejudices put
aside your beliefs and you have to put aside your preconceived ideology. You
have to look at things as they are.

Zarathushtra in his Gathas does not want to propound a certain
philosophy or a certain belief. He does not give a list of do’s and
don’ts. His approach is totally different, he does not teach us what to
see but he teaches us HOW TO SEE and HOW TO SEE CLEARLY. He wants us to be able
to see the TRUTH for ourselves, he does not give us a
list of ready-made truth for easy reference.

The thinking and philosophy of the World today is based on a
combination of the Old Testament and the Roman beliefs. Thus what Zarathushtra
says is contrary to all our beliefs, to all our so-called moralities. To
understand him you have to have a clear mind free of preconceived philosophy,
preconceived theology, preconceived ideology. You have
to transcend yourself, acquire the innocence of a child and only then will you
be comfortable and fearlessly understand the teachings of this Great Teacher.

Scholars have endeavored to translate the Gathas but their
preconceived beliefs and fear have stopped them from seeing the truth. In the
name of grammar, rhyme and rhythm and in the name of simplifying the language
they have turned and twisted the Gathas to suit their beliefs.

Zarathushtra
in his Gathas talks of Mazda as Wisdom and Ahura as Creation, Mazda Ahura - the
Wisdom in Creation and Ahura Mazda the Creator of Wisdom - GOD.

In Yasna Ha 28 Zarathushtra talks of Ahura Mazda only once, when
in 28.9 he says “ANAISH VAO NOIT AHURA MAZDA.’’ “These,
you, not Ahura Mazda”

- don’t blame
it on God.

These, you, not Ahura Mazda

Asha also brings fury

Mind also is the best

That which strives to create good
guidance

For you to be worthy

Mighty, satisfied, also worthy of praise

Zarathushtra - Gatha Yasna HA 28.9 (FR)

Now lets face the reality of the real
world. Vohu means good, Ahri means Bad and Mana means
mind. So Vohumana is the Good Mind and not an angle. Ahrimana is the Bad Mind
and not the devil. Personification was Greek the ancient Persian culture and
religion had no place for deities and angles. Herodotus says; “The
Persian religion is not anthropomorphic like the Greek.”

Let them who have seen an angle or deity in real life personify
Vohumana and the Am Asha Sepantas and say “Oh Vahumana my lord”.
Otherwise lets come down to the real world for a moment and call a spade a
spade.

Once we do that, the whole character of Zarathushtra changes
from a confused person pleading for help, into a knowledgeable person giving
direction for the world to follow.

Truly the knowledge derived

By the good mind

Never before known

Among the Wise and all creation (Mazdam
cha Ahurem)

With it bring make rule, never waning

And make society Righteous

Leading us toward perfection

Zarathushtra -Gatha Yasna HA 28.3 (FR)

Zarathushtra tells us in very clear earthly terms to
use our mind fully in the good way and understand the Wisdom in Creation and
use it to make good rules to guide our path toward perfection. Thereby
converting this planet Earth into a Paradise
where everyone lives a full life in peace and heavenly tranquility.

No, he does not join his hands and pray and plead for help. No,
he does not stretch his hand and plead for a boon. On the contrary he says God
has done his duty, each one of us already has that what is required to become
perfect and so each one of us is responsible for what happens to us. “ANAISH VAO NOIT AHURA MAZDA.’’

Zarathushtra says it is you and your thoughts not the will of
Ahura Mazda that brings evil or good. Ahura Mazda created the Wisdom in
Creation and it is taking its course. The sun the moon the planets the stars
the galaxies are all moving ahead some are dying while others are being born.
The blackhole the wormhole all have a roll in this
great creation, there is no manager managing the daily affairs, changing the
course, punishing and rewarding.

Ahura Mazda set into motion The Wisdom in Creation -
Mazda Ahura - THE BIG BANG, the self propelled system, the energy in the ever
expanding never ending universe of which we humans are just one of the
products.

Certainly I shall acquire

The Wisdom in Creation (Mazda Ahura)

Through Good use of the Mind

I shall master them all

Physical and that of the mind

Gaining through Knowledge

Whereby desiring and getting perfection

Zarathushtra - Gatha Yasna HA
28.
2  (FR)

Perfection is what Zarathushtra professes. The aim in life
should be perfection. He says, use your Vohumana, your good mind, get to the
truth, Asha Vahista, understand the wisdom in
creation and go hand in hand with it, not against it. Your aim in life should
be perfection in your profession, in what you do best. That is what will make
our lives worth living on this planet; we can either create a heaven or a hell
right here on this Earth. Zarathushtra’s Heaven
and Hell are right here on this planet.

Truly with
these facts

We shall
keep our thoughts good forever

In tune
with the Wisdom in Creation

I instruct
that

You all
declare your mind's findings

Through
the word of mouth

Whereby
creation first comes into being

Zarathushtra - Gatha - Yasna 28.11 (FR)

In my endeavor to translate the Gathas I have avoided to move
words around under the pretext of grammar or rhyme and rhythm or to make it
understandable. The Avesta sentence has been repeated in English except where a
little improvement would not change the meaning of the sentence. To see the
truth for yourself, please compare these few verses with whichever translation
of the Gathas you have handy and see the difference, find the real Zarathushtra
for your self. Is he the confused one who is calling for help or is he the one
that knows the Truth and is giving direction? Please judge it for yourself.

And of these shall I speak to those eager,

That quality of wisdom (Mazda) that all the wise wish

And call creative (Ahurai) qualities

And good creation of the mind

The all powerful truth (Asha)

Truly and that more & better ways are discovered

Towards perfection

Zarathushtra - Gatha - Yasna Ha 30.1 (FR)

Listen with your ears to the supreme facts

Consider with open mind

Between the paths before deciding

Person by person for his own self

Before greatness of the message

Is truly spread understand each one

Zarathushtra - Gatha -Yasna Ha 30.2 (FR)

Khordad Baad

Fariborz Rahnamoon

This article is in
response to the following question.

In the Gathas Yasna
Ha 28 which consist of 11 verses.
We notice that only once is the word Ahura Mazda mentioned together.
Does the word Mazda and Ahura used alone or in a different order mean any thing
different?

TIMES              Ha’s

MAZDA                                     FOUR
1          5
6         7

AHURA                                     TWO
6
8

MAZDA AHURA                         THREE
2          10         11

AHURA MAZDA                         ONE
9

MAZDAM CHA AHUREM           ONE
3

MAZDAO AHURAH                    ONE
4