Indian Antiquary Vol 38

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 10

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1909.
Sraosha. Even Sraosha, a word which several times is employed in its ordinary connotation of obedience, ocenpies but a very modest place as a genius in the Gathas. He is a messenger between the terrestrial and the celestial worlds, is despatched by Mazda with Vohu Mano to his favourites, distributes together with Ashi, the bestower of riches, blessings among men, leads the pious on to the eternal domains of the beneficent Spirit along paths, which, starting from righteousness, conduct. to the seat, where is Mazda Ahura enthroned, and he is even called the Way to Godhead." Sraosba seems to have been in the beginning only & clearly defined heavenly figure, and to have acquired only at a later period great importance as the representative of divine revelation.
Airema.
The Aryan god Aryaman, in the Veda the companion of Varuna and Mitra, retained his place of honour also with the Zarathushtrians. At least they recognise a genius in whom he is concealed, Airema Ishyo, the desired friend. In one of the oldest prayers, which bears his name, the wish is expressed that he might come in order to delight the men and women of Zarathushtra by his presence, to which is joined another prayer that Mazda may shower his blessings upon those who deserve them through righteousness.
These are the higher beings who were obviously acknowledged in the most ancient Zarathushtrian doctrine and who were revered by the early order. Partly deities of an earlier epoch, but afterwards substantially modified and reduced to harmony with the principles of the new teachings. Properly speaking they are none of them gods at all, with the single exception of Mazda Ahura. Most of these figures are more personifications than persons; in fact are neither more nor less than concepts appearing in the shape of divine beings whose real significance was nevertheless perfectly clear. Here and there they occur as mere manifestations of the existence of the supreme Deity, the effectuation of His spirit,
Some times two of them, as a rule the two that are pre-eminent, Vohu Mano and Asha, are united to Mazds in an almost indissoluble Trinity. Asba's will is in the most complete accord with Mazda's. Later on this is said of all the seven Amesha Spentas. That early in this period the seven were known as closely combined and elevated to higher rank than other Yazatas cannot be proved. On the contrary Sraosha, Geush T'ashan, Aryaman, but above all the first, are held in no less esteem than, for instance, Hsurvatat and Ameretat. And, however hostile the new preaching was to the Dreva worship, that it had its roots in the elder faith, and that it was a reformation of it, is evident from the harmony between Mazda Ahura and Varuna, and the conservation of the older gods, after peculiar modifications, such as Aramati and Aryaman, and the ancient prevailing beliefs, such as those in Asha and Ameretat, and from other circumstances to which we shall refer further on.
One of the most important features of this reform is the tendency it shows to Monotheism. Too little valge has been hitherto attached to the fact that even the most exalted celestial beings stand by no means on the same footing with Mazda. He alone is properly God, of whose being created or born there is no mention anywhere, except in an heretical doctrine promulgated centuries later. The rest of the spirits are all created or have come te birth. They are the creatures or the progeny of Mazda, and by consequence distinct from him, not only in rank, but in their very essence. As a matter of fact, as well as in actual practice, the system of Zarathushtrian religion in its most ancient form known to us was monotheistic,