His heart beat with love for his creed
Farid Shoulizadeh: Deen Izad Day of Bahman month, equal to 18 Bahman (7 February) is the demise anniversary of one of the most compassionate men of the Zoroastrian community, Dastoor Ardeshir Azargoshasb. Azargoshasb had full knowledge of the Avesta, Pahlavi and Pazand languages. His proficiency in English language was an asset that helped him to do indepth research in the works of many Parsi and European scholars. There are many books left from him as follows: ‘Zoroastrian Navjote Ceremony’, ‘Fire in Ancient Iran’, Zoroastrian Burial and Funeral Ceremony’, ‘Ancient Iran festivals’, ‘The role of Women in Ancient Iran’, ‘Respond to Accusations’, ‘Zoroastrian Religious ceremonies and Customs’, ‘Zoroastrian Calendar’ (the complete solar calendar), ‘Zoroastrian Marriage Customs’, ‘Translation and Interpretation of the Holy Avesta’ (the valuable footnotes of this translation are worth noting), ‘Pahlavi
Guidebook’ (the guide book of Azarpad Mehr Espandan and the Advices of Khosrow Qobadan), and many articles and research papers in the field of Zoroastrian religion and culture which were all printed in Iran and abroad.
A remarkable feature that I found, after studying all the writings of Azargoshasb can be summarized in these few words: “The writings are, in content and richness of religious knowledge, comprehensive and thorough and at the same time short and sweet and understandable for all.
Reviving the ideology of such a lofty and elevated religion which survived after all these centuries of hardships, generation after generation and by word of mouth is the duty of every religious human being and Dastoor Ardeshir Azargoshasb was one of those who performed this duty full-fledged. Dastoor Ardeshir Azargoshasb writes: “The duty of a true Zoroastrian mobed, according to our religious books, is to teach the religious rules and spread it and protect it from superstitions and illusions.”
I believe that the life of Mobed Azargoshasb was exactly as he preached. If we look at his life with the criterion of religious knowledge, we will find him a scientist and religious priest with all the required criteria and truly a great religious leader of our time, who spent his full life in his efforts to keep the true philosophy of our religion alive and thriving. He spent most of his life in guidingZoroastrians in their knowledge of the religion. A great religious leader is one who is able to feel the difficulties of the common people around him with his flesh and bones and be a true confident of his community. He should try to solve the problems of the needy. Dastoor Ardeshir Azargoshasb writes: “I take God Almighty as witness that in my life and my books I have always kept in mind this principle: “The heart is either to keep grudge or faith in it”, and have never closed my eyes on facts and the truth.
An important characteristic of a great religious leader is the power to transfer knowledge of religion to all classes of intellectual spectrum. He should be able to present his knowledge of religion in an understandable way for the common people as well as in a completely specialized way in the form of indepth religious research to scholars in religious studies. His life style and philosophy of life should be an example for other followers. As the depth and the spirit of one’s thoughts increase and his love for the Creator expands, he will find himself closer to the eternal light of the divine truth and righteousness. At the same time, automatically, his virtues and insight and his outer modesty will increase. This applies to the famous saying: “The tree that has more fruit on it will bend more”, and this is what I found in the radiant features of Dastoor Ardeshir. His simple life style, modesty and austerity and even his simple
demise ceremony (a very modest and ordinary grave in Qasr Firoozeh Cemetry is witness of his life philosophy), is an outstanding characteristic of heavenly men which epitomized in the lofty thoughts of Dastoor Ardeshir Azargoshasb
The master of divine doctrine, the great Dastoor, the pure and magnanimous man, died on Deen Izad Day of the month of Bahman, 3731, equal to 18 Bahman 1372, equal to 7 January 1993 and was uplifted towards paradise. May his soul rest in peace, in eternal paradise.
