The Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore
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The Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore
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This page has been taken from http://www.power.inms.nrc.ca/bamji/zoroastrian.html. Please send your comments or suggestions to: soli.bamji@nrc.ca. The word Jashan means an important occasion. The communal ceremony performed
to commemorate or celebrate this occasion is also called Jashan. During this
ceremony we praise Ahura Mazda and invoke the Amesha Spentas and the Fravashis. Types of Jashan's
Implements Required for the Jashan
The seven Bounteous Immortals are the guardians of the seven creations of Ahura Mazda and they are symbolically represented by the materials used in the ceremony as follows:
The Jashan RitualThis Jashan ceremony can be performed by priests or laity and is generally performed by two to four persons. The principal performer of the ceremony is called ZOATAR. The other performer is called RASPI i.e. assistant from the Avestan root "rac", to help; or "Rathwi", i.e. an offerer from the root "ra", to give. The term "Atravakshi" meaning one who feeds (vaksh) the fire (Atar) is also used because during the ceremony this performer sits near the Afarganyu and feeds the fire.
The Zoatar recites all three prayers while the Raspi recites part A and only certain sections of part B. Each Afringan, of part B, is an aggregate of several Afringans and other prayers. The Afringan is a prayer expressive of love and praise and is recited for the "Khshnuman" of a particular Divine Being. The word "Khshnuman" comes from the Avestan root "Khshnu", to please, to satisfy. Usually three Afringans are recited, the first Afringan varies according to the occasion and is as follows:
The second and third Afringans are usually Dahm and Sarosh respectively. Each Afringan consists of the Pazend (the re- writing of the Pahalavi text into Avestan script) Dibache and the Afringan proper in Avestan language. The word Dibache is Persian and means preface. In the Dibache the reciter first announces the name of the Divine Being who is to be invoked during the Afringan. Then the Fravashis of the dead are invoked and famous Zoroastrians of the past are propitiated. Finally, the names of persons who directed (farmayashne) the performance of the ceremony are announced. Each dibache is followed by the Afringan proper during which the appropriate formula praising that particular Divine Being and its attributes is recited. Some parts of this prayer are taken from the Siroza Yasht. The general rule in reciting the Avesta prayers is that all portions in Pazend or in later Persian language, whenever they occur at the beginning or the end of the Avestan prayers, are to be recited in a loud tone. But when they occur in the midst of Avestan prayers or an aggregate of prayers, they are to be intoned in a suppressed voice called the Baj. Thus during the Jashan ceremony only the Dibache of the first Afringan is recited aloud. The dibaches of the second (Dahm) and the third (Sarosh) Afringans are recited in Baj. At least 24 flowers or petals are required for the ceremony. During each
Afringan the Zoatar takes 8 flowers and lays them in two columns as shown in the
Figure below. Flowers numbered 3 to 8 face each other while flowers 1 and 2 are
placed parallel to one another.
The Figure is taken from: "Zoroastrianism: An Ethnic Perspective" by Khojeste Mistree After reciting the Dibache, the Zoatar and the Raspi together pray the Fravarane (articles of faith) followed by the appropriate Gah and Khshuman (invocation). Then reciting three Ashem Vohus the Zoatar picks the first two flowers (1 & 2 in the Fig.) and then gives one to the Raspi who now stands up to receive them. The Raspi while receiving the flower receites the words "Ahurahe Mazdao Raevato Khareanghato" (Ahura Mazda Glorious and Brillant) and is joined by the Zoatar on the word "Afrinami" (Bless). The performers now begin to pray a portion from the Afringan of Burjog (pious begins, co-workers). Upon completion of this prayer they exchange the two flowers. In his book,"The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees", Dastoor Dr. Jivanji Modi says that this gesture symbolizes the exchange of lives between this world and the next. Both priests then recite a verse from Yasna 35 and upon the words "humatanam,
hukhtanam, hvarshtanam" the Zoatar picks three flowers (3, 4 & 5 in the
Fig.) from the upper right-hand corner moving downwards and gives them to the
Raspi who receives them while touching the right-hand side of the Afarganyu with
the chamach (ladle). The three flowers are supposed to represent Good Thoughts,
Good Words and Good Deeds. Then the same verse is repeated and the Zoatar picks
three other flowers (6, 7 and 8 in the Fig.), this time from the lower left-hand
column moving upwards, and gives them to the Raspi who receives them while
touching the left-hand side of the Afarganyu with the chamach.
Again, according to Dastoor Dr. Jivanji Modi this process symbolizes that a soul has to come down to this physical world, move about in this world and then pass away to the next spiritual world with the triad of good thoughts, good words and good deeds. Making sure that the chamach is touching the Afarganyu the Raspi transfers the chamach from one hand to the other and thus completes the circuit between himself and the fire. The Zoatar holds the chipyo (tongs) in his right hand with which he touches the Afarganyu and simultaneously with his left hand he touches the tray of fruits. The ritual circuit is completed by both participants touching the Afarganyu upon which burns the fire. At this point the Zoatar represents the pillar of doctrine while the Raspi represents the pillar of practice. The prayers are then intoned in a suppressed voice i.e. recited in Baj. After completing the Baj both performers recite aloud one Yatho Vairyo as the Zoatar touches the four points of the water beaker with his chipyo, in an up-down, right-left motion, then touches the other implements and finally the Afarganyu to complete the circuit. Next, they recite one Ashem Vohu as the Zoatar touches the same water beaker with the chipyo at the four cardinal points, the implements and finally the Afarganyu. The symbolism of this gesture is to generate spiritual energy from the water and it is believed that through this gesture the spirits bless the food offerings which are consumed by the members of the congregation at the end of the ceremony. The Raspi hands back the seven flowers to the Zoatar as they recite two Yatho Vairyos. The Raspi does a ritual handshake with the Zoatar while reciting, in Baj, the words, "Hamazor Bead Hamo Asho Bead" which means let us be one in strength (Righteousness). In olden days the Raspi would then exchange this greeting with a member of the congregation and the greeting was generally exchanged among those present. The Raspi then sits down and the performers recite a section from Yasna 35 to end the first Afringan. As mentioned earlier, the dibaches of the next Afringans are prayed in Baj because these are in Pahalvi language and they occur between two Avestan prayers. However, the structure and the rituals for these Afringans remain the same as the first, except the words in some portions of these prayers vary accordingly, The exchange of flowers (using the next set of eight) is repeated during each Afringan. After the completion of the Afringans, the Zoatar alone recites the Afrins. The word Afrin literally means benediction or blessing. In the first section of the Afrin the worshipper prays that the spiritual strength of the ceremony and ritual may reach all. The following words are repeated several times throughout the Afrin: Pa ganje Dadar Ahura Mazda rayomand khorehmand (For the treasury of creator Ahura Mazda (who is) radiant and glorious). This means that the prayers of the worshippers are to go to the treasury (ganje) of Ahura Mazda from which they may be distributed to all. This suggests that the influence of even one worshipper is far reaching because his prayers are not for his own self but for all fellow human beings. Finally, the Doa Tan Doroshti is recited for the health, happiness and prosperity of those who had the ceremony performed and for the well being of the community and mankind. This
page has been taken from
www3.sympatico.ca/zoroastrian.
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Fruits, nuts and malido (wheat pudding), placed in metallic trays, are used
in this ceremony. The fruits are washed and partially cut so that the Fravashis
from the spiritual world may sample their essence. A beaker of water, a pot of
milk, a glass of wine and flowers are also used. The ceremony is performed on a
white sheet spread on the floor. A Divo (oil-lamp) and an Afarganyu (Fire-vase)
in which a fire is kept burning with Sukhad (sandlewood) and Loban (incense,
frankincense) are employed in this ceremony. Chipyo (metallic tongs) and Chamach
(metallic ladel) are used to tend the fire.
The following prayers are recited during the Jashan ceremony:
