Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 577

II. Indo-Iranian
The language family designated as 'Indo-Iranian' includes the Old Iranian and the Old Indo-Aryan. It represents that stage in the linguistic development of a branch of the Indo-European which is the source-language for the Avestan and the Old Persian in Iran and the Vedic Sanskrit in India. A certain group of people speaking a certain variety of the Indo-European migrated from the original home of the IE towards the south and east. It is supposed to have settled down for some time to the north of Iran and Afghanistan from where one branch came down to eastern Iran and after some time migrated further south through the passes of the Hindukush to reach the north-western forntiers of India. Those who remained behind in the common home to the north of Iran and Afghanistan came later to western Iran and then even occupied the eastern Iran. It is in common home of the forefathers of the later Iranians and Indians that Indo-Iranian is supposed to have been spoken.
The Old Iranian of the settlers of Iran is represented by the Avestan, the language of the holy texts of the Zoroastrians and the Old Persian found in the inscriptions of the Achaemenian rulers of Iran. The date of oldest portions of the Gaths of the Avesta is likely to be c. 1000 B.C., while the old Persian inscriptions date from the 5th century B.C. The Iranian branch, like the Indian branch, can be conveniently divided into three stages -- the old, the middle and the new. The old Iranian is available in two dialects -- the western in the Old Persian inscriptions and the eastern in the Avesta, The middle Iranian is represented by various languages, chief among which is Pahlavi. The new Iranian is represented among others, by modern Persian in Iran, Pusto in Afghanistan and Baluchi in Baluchistan.
Some centuries after the fore-fathers of the Vedic Aryans left eastern Iran, the Iranian prophet Zarathushtra introduced certain radical reforms in the traditional religion and gave a new message to the people of Iran. He recognised one god, Ahura Mazda 'the wise Lord', as against the many in the religion inherited by him, and forbade the killing of animals and offerings of flesh together with those of a stimulating drink of haoma (Sk. soma) in religious worship. The linguistic impact of the revolution is seen in the meaning of the daeva (Sk. deva)'demon, evil spirit' and the establishment of a series of parallel pairs of synonyms, one of which was used in connection with the ahuras 'gods' and the other with the daevas demons'- withness the use of uš'ear', vayoana'head', zasta "hand', (Sk. hasta) etc. used with reference to Ahuric i.e. divine being and the use of karəna (Sk.karna)'ear', kamorada 'head (Sk. * ku.murdhan) and 'go','hand' used with reference to daevici.e. demoniac beings.
That the forefathers of ancient Indians and the ancient Iranians were at one time one people showing common culture and speaking one language is established beyond doubt due to the close affinity between Vedic Sanskrit and Avestan-an affinity so close as is
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