WZSE – Weekly Zoroastrian Scripture Extract.
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Daily Zoroastrian Prayers Recorded in mp3 format:
Hello all Tele Class friends:
After all our Jashan Prayers, the Joti – the lead Mobed recites the Aafrins – Benediction Prayers.
Gahambar Jashans performed during the 6 Gahambars including the last Hamaspathmaedem Gahambar during the last five days of our 10 day Muktad ceremony are the special important Jashans and we have a special Gahambar Aafrin for it. (I may add sadly that many Mobeds in NA and other diaspora countries and even in Mumbai do not pray this Aafrin during a Gahambar Jashan and substitute the regular Aafrins instead! A sad story indeed!).
So after all other Jashans, Joti alone prays traditionally three Aafrins – Aafrins of Ardaafravash, Buzorgaan and Hafta Ameshaashpands. (here again, let me again sadly report that many Mobeds all over Hafta Keshwar Zamin just pray the first two Aafrins for shortening the Jashan prayer! We can all look into our own Jaam-e-Jamsheed – Crystal Ball – and see what’s coming in 20 or so years from now!!)
The middle Aafrin is called Aafrin-e-Buzorgaan (Buzorg = wise old man)! In it, we remember many of our Peshdaadian and Kyaanian Dynasties’ Religious stalwarts made immortal by Ferdowsi and wish that we become like their best known traits in our Iranian history, such as “Be strong as Rustom”, be well-known like Zarathushtra, etc. The immortal Persian Poet Ferdowsi made all of them famous in his epic historical opus, Shahnameh! His vivid descriptions in Persian especially of all the battles of his hero Rustom are the gems of poetry anywhere in the whole Hafta Keshwar Zamin!
All our ex-students of M. F. Cama Athornan Institute as well as of Dadar Athornan Institute learnt the stories of Shahnameh by attending a compulsory class for all at least once a week for an hour! We covered all these stories of Shahnameh from the famous Gujarati translations in verse by well-known Persian scholars Kutar brothers! In addition, each year an open Shahnameh recital competition was held and we were given a few verses in Persian as well as in Gujarati which we had to learn by heart and then we had to travel to Mumbai at an appointed place for the competition. Almost every year, Dasturji Kutar was the examiner and each participant would be required to sing these verses both in Persian and in Gujarati and three boys were selected for the First, Second and Third places. And then one day, at the Cawasji Jehangir Hall near Kala Ghoda in Mumbai, at the annual Shahnameh function, all participants were invited to attend and the prizes to the first three places were given out by Dasturji Kutar and the Guest of Honor! And then we had an annual feast of listening to Dasturji Kutar (I may add the same narration each year) when he regaled all of us with his narration in flowing poetic manner of the life history of Ferdowsi and how he composed Shahnameh! What a wonderful experience that was for all of us!
So let us present to you verses 2-4 of Aafrin-e-Buzorgaan:
Aafrin-e-Buzorgaan – Benediction in the names of our early Religious Stalwarts made immortal by Ferdowsi – Verses 2-4
(Please hear the attached .mp3 file for its recitation)
(2) Kaam anjaanm bade chun Ahura Mazda Khodaay pa daamaan-e-kheesh!
Furkhoh wa paashumtar bade chun Ka-e-Khushroo!
Khup-meher bade chun Meher Yazad!
Dushman-zadaar bade chun Zareer!
Hu-deen bade chun Syaavuksh!
Baamee bade chun Beezun!
Ashoo bade chun Vishtaaspashaah!
Zor-mand bade chun Saam-e-Narimaan!
Aojawaanwar bade chun Rustom!
Neezehwar bade chun Aspandyaar deen-yaawar!
Gooyaa bade chun Jaamaasp pa daanasheh zeech!
(3) Awar-wezaan bade chun Ardaafrawash!
Raad bade chun Tishtar!
Charw bade chun Waaraan!
Weenaa bade chun Khursheed!
Wesh-kerfeh bade chun Zarthosht!
Dehr-zeewashnee bade chun Zarwaan Paadshah!
Baro-mand bade chun Spendaarmad Zameen!
(4) Wesh-paewand bade chun Rod-e-Naawadaa!
Wesh-hambaar bade chun Zamestaan!
Khurrum bade chun Bahaar!
Hu-boiy bade chun Mooshk!
Awaasahee bade chun Zar!
Rawaa bade chun Dehrum!
Kerdaar bade chun Ahura Mazda Khodaay pa daamaan-e-kheesh!
Aafrin-e-Buzorgaan – Benediction in the names of our early Religious Stalwarts made immortal by Ferdowsi – Verses 2-4
(2) May you be like Daadaar Ahura Mazda Saaheb for granting their wishes to all!
May you be like Ka-e-Khushroo as welcoming and greatest!
May you be like Meher Yazad as always good and truthful!
May you be like Zareer as defeating your enemies!
May you be like Shyaavukhsh as of good religion!
May you be like Beezun as full of glory!
May you be like Paadshaah Gushtaaspa as righteous!
May you be like Saam-e-Narimaan as strong!
May you be like Rustom as full of overpowering strength!
May you be like supporter of good religion Aspandyaar as a great archer!
And also may you be like Jaamaaspa as speaker with knowledge!
(3) May you be like Ardaafravash as becoming great with innocence!
May you be like Teshtar (Tir Yazad) as generous to the whole creation!
May you be like Rain as full of sweetness!
May you be like Khurshed as all looking!
May you be like Zarthosht as great doer of good deeds!
May you be like Zarwaan (Time) Paadshah as full of long life!
May you be like Mother Earth of Spendaard as very fruitful!
(4) May you be like voyageable River as having close contact with the whole nature!
May you be like Winter as full of freeze!
May you be like Spring Season as very happy!
May you be like Musk with full of good fragrance!
May you be like Gold as world known!
May you be like Deerum as always current!
May you be like Ahura Mazda Saaheb in his creation as one doing always good deeds!
(English Translation by me from Kangaji Gujarati Khordeh Avesta – Pages 433-434)
SPD Explanation:
1. I may add that by my sheer luck, I was gifted by an anonymous Parsi couple friend of ours with all 10 volumes of this famous Gujarati Shahnameh of Kutar brothers for which I am eternally in their debt!
2. It is a shame that Ferdowsi who toiled hard for many years to bring our Zoroastrian Dynasties stories’ in his world famous Shahnameh is forgotten among our children! In this case, I congratulate Pearl Balsara and her associates in teaching Shahnameh stories to their children Religious Class in ZANT, Dallas, TX! Pearl! Please keep up your wonderful work in this respect! We salute you all in Dallas!
3. In our next weekly, we will present a surprise for you that is similar to Aafrin-e-Buzorgaan that we all have almost forgotten! What is it you may ask? Well you have to tune in to our next weekly coming tomorrow with a great surprise for our upcoming Valentine’s Day on Monday! Hope you join in tomorrow!
May the Flame of Fellowship, Love, Charity and Respect for all burn ever eternal in our hearts so we can do HIS work with humility, diligence and eternal enthusiasm!
Atha Jamyaat, Yatha Aafrinaamahi! (May it be so as we wish?)
Love and Tandoorasti, Soli
