The Bundahishn

Knowledge from the Zand

1897 | 25,140 words

A collection of texts related to Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology. The contents focuses on the Zoroastrianism's creation myth, and the first battles of 'Ahura Mazda' and 'Angra Mainyu'. Most of the chapters of the compendium date to the 8th and 9th centuries. The Bundahishn ("Creation"), or Knowledge from the Zand. Translated by E. W...

Chapter XVII - The Nature Of Fire

On the nature of fire it says in revelation, that fire is produced of five kinds, namely, the fire Berezi-savang, the fire which shoots up before Ohrmazd the lord; the fire Vohu-fryan, the fire which is in the bodies of men and animals; the fire Urvazisht, the fire which is in plants; the fire Vazisht, the fire which is in a cloud which stands opposed to Spenjargak in conflict; the fire Spenisht, the fire which they keep in use in the world, likewise the fire of Warharan. Of those five fires one consumes both water and food, as that which is in the bodies of men; one consumes water and consumes no food, as that which is in plants, which live and grow through water; one consumes food and consumes no water, as that which they keep in use in the world, and likewise the fire of Warharan; one consumes no water and no food, as the fire Vazisht. The Berezi-savang is that in the earth and mountains and other things, which Ohrmazd created, in the original creation, like three breathing souls (nismo); through the watchfulness and protection due to them the world ever develops (vakhshed).

And in the reign of Tahmurasp, when men continually passed, on the back of the ox Sarsaok, from Xwaniratha to the other regions, one night amid the sea the wind rushed upon the fireplace -- the fireplace in which the fire was, such as was provided in three places on the back of the ox -- which the wind dropped with the fire into the sea; and all those three fires, like three breathing souls, continually shot up in the place and position of the fire on the back of the ox, so that it becomes quite light, and the men pass again through the sea. And in the reign of Yim [Jamshed] every duty was performed more fully through the assistance of all those three fires; and the fire Adar Farnbag was established by him at the appointed place (Dadgah) on the Gadman-homand ('glorious') mountain in Khvarizem, which Yim [Jamshed] constructed for them; and the glory of Yim [Jamshed] saves the fire Adar Farnbag from the hand of Dahak [Zohak]. In the reign of King Vishtasp, upon revelation from the religion, it was established, out of Khvarizem, at the Roshan ('shining') mountain in Kavulistan, the country of Kabul (Kabul), just as it remains there even now.

The fire Adar Gushnasp, until the reign of Kay Khosraw, continually afforded the world protection in the manner aforesaid; and when Kay Khosraw was extirpating the idol-temples of Lake Chechast it settled upon the mane of his horse, and drove away the darkness and gloom, and made it quite light, so that they might extirpate the idol-temples; in the same locality the fire Adar Gushnasp was established at the appointed place on the Asnavand mountain.

The fire Adar Burzin Mihr, until the reign of King Vishtasp, ever assisted, in like manner, in the world, and continually afforded protection; and when the glorified Zartosht was introduced to produce confidence in the progress of the religion, King Vishtasp and his offspring were steadfast in the religion of God, and Vishtasp established this fire at the appointed place on Mount Revand, where they say the Ridge of Vishtasp (pusht-i Vishtaspan) is.

All those three fires are the whole body of the fire of Warharan, together with the fire of the world, and those breathing souls are lodged in them; a counterpart of the body of man when it forms in the womb of the mother. and a soul from the spirit-world settles within it, which controls the body while living; when that body dies, the body mingles with the earth, and the soul goes back to the spirit.

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