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Our deeds are reflected in our minds and in our conscience. Internal calm and brilliance,
or darkness of the conscience and torment are
caused by our inner selves. The result of our
bearing will bring endless pain or happiness of the spirit.

Death and the Afterlife in the
Zarathushti Religion

Prophets are people who received divine revelations from God. Throughout human history there have been many who have heard the divine calling but only a few of them have taken up the challenge of spreading God’s message. Of them, one of the most ancient is the Prophet Asho Zarathushtra (Zoroaster in Greek). Asho is a title given to the prophet of the Zarathushti faith (Zoroastrianism) which means righteous. The name Zarathushtra literally translate to he who drives camels, but the figurative meaning is often seen as one of the golden light.[1] Within the confines of this paper I shall paint an in depth depiction of the eschatology found in the Zarathushti religion.
There is no absolute date as to when the prophet Zarathushtra lived but scholars have placed his birth in between the years of 1500 and 1200 BCE. He received his first revelation in his thirtieth year during the reign of the ancient Iranian king Goshtasp. Most scholars place his birth in western Iran, modern day Azerbaijan. He was the middle child of five, all brothers. He would go on to have three sons and three daughters of his own. While there are questions about when and where he was born, one cannot argue his message.

The major and most basic facet of the religion that Zarathushtra preached was the existence of one divine being, Ahura Mazda (Lord of Wisdom); although He is not omnipotent, He is omniscient. The Zarathushti religion is infamous for introducing the aspect of an evil power that opposed God. This evil power was Angra Mainyu (the Evil Spirit later known as Ahriman). For all eternity there has been a cosmic battle between good and evil. It is believed that Ahura Mazda created man with free will to choose the path of righteousness or fall down the path of destruction. In His wisdom He knows that man shall eventually choose the path of righteousness and overcome all evil.
In order to illuminate these aspects, it is best to quote the Gathas directly:
Listen with your ears the highest truth, consider them with illumined minds carefully and decide each man and woman personally between the two paths, good and evil; before ushering in of the great day, or the day of judgment, arise all of you and try to spread Ahura's words. The twin spirits which appeared in the world of thought in the beginning were good and evil in thoughts, words and deeds. The wise will choose rightly, but the unwise shall not do so and go astray. When these two spirits reached together life and not life were created. The followers of untruth and wicked persons shall face the worst mental situation but the followers of truth and righteous persons shall enjoy the best mental state or mental comfort. This situation shall continue for eternity. Of these twin spirits, the false ones did choose the worst deeds but the holiest spirit, the one having pure mind and being clothed with the imperishable light of knowledge chose the truth. The person who performs meritorious deeds with full faith for pleasing Ahura Mazda shall choose the truth as well. The followers of Daeva (devil worshipers) did not choose the right path, because they were in doubt and were deceived. Hence, they did not choose the right path but followed the worst thought, the devil or anger, which is the cause of all evil deeds, so as to destroy the mental life of the people. One who is gifted with spiritual strength, good thought, truthfulness and purity, the Armaiti or love and faith shall grant him firmness in the life’s ordeal and shall be regarded, O my Lord, as Thy good servant. When sinners receive punishments of their sins, O Ahura Mazda, they will then realize Thy power through Vohuman (good thought). They will learn this truth as to how they should strive for casting away falsehood and untruth, and aiding the victory of truth and purity (Gathas: Yasna 30:2-8).[2]

This portion of texts is filled with many examples of the freedom to choose right and wrong. The first one to note is the distinct reference to the freewill of men and women (because the language of the time did not distinguish between genders, the message is thought to be equally inclusive to both sexes). In the very first line, the Prophet pleads with his followers to use their freewill to choose the path of righteousness. The second aspect of this text depicts a system of rewards for the righteous. “The followers of truth and righteous persons shall enjoy the best mental state or mental comfort.” By following the righteous path here in this life, a Zarathushti will be able to experience spiritual bliss in this world and the hereafter. A final aspect of this text is the existence of a punishment for the unrighteous. The text speaks about punishments for a sinner’s sins, “the followers of untruth and wicked persons shall face the worst mental situation” a clear depiction of punishment for the wrongdoer.
This concept of a good place for the good and a bad place for the evil is prominent throughout the Gathas. Jalaleddin Ashtiani writes in his book the five different references to heaven: garo-demana (the home of song), man-gaire (the highest realm), vangheush demana manangho (the home of good thought), hushitish vang (the realm of peace and joy) and vahieshtem manu (the best manna). He also lists the three references to hell: drujo demana (the real of lies), achishtem demana manangho (the realm of worst manna) and achishtem manu (the torture of conscience). These titles are used interchangeably throughout the Gathas for heaven and hell. They are not physical locations but they are spiritual and internal. It is fair for one to say early in the religion there was no physical heaven and hell rather the reward of eternal bliss or endless pain. As it was taught; Liars and wicked persons shall face age long punishment but the pious and righteous ones shall enjoy ever-lasting prosperity (Gathas: Yasna 30:11).[3]

Our deeds are reflected in our minds and in our conscience. Internal calm and brilliance, or darkness of the conscience and torment are caused by our inner selves. The result of our bearing will bring endless pain or happiness of the spirit.[4]

The Younger Avest divides hell into four parts: dushmata (evil thought), dushhukhta (evil word), dushhavarshta (evil deed) and angra temah (endless darkness). Finally in the Pahlavi texts, hell takes an actual geographical location, under the Chinavat Bridge (to be discussed later). In hell there is nothing pleasant.

We shall show thee the darkness and confinement and ingloriousness and misfortune and distress and evil and pain and sickness and dreadfulness and fearfulness and hurtfulness and stench in the punishments of hell, of various kinds, which the demons and sorcerers and sinners perform (Ardi Viraf Nameh 5:8).[5] At the entry of hell, the sinful souls are met by demons. Then the sinful souls are chained physically and tortured. There is also the conception of an intermediary place within the religious tradition. This place is in between heaven and hell for those who have an equal amount of good and bad deeds stored up. The place is called Misvana Gatu (the place of mixing) and is said to exist in between the stars and the earth. Its climatic conditions are very much like those of earth: hot in summer and cold in winter. There is no mention of mental agony and the soul exists as it had in the physical world.[6] However, there is salvation within the religion, even for those who have been damned into drujo demana.
It has been taught that when man does overcome all evil time will simply cease to exist. Could this foreshadow a worldwide nuclear holocaust? I certainly do not believe so; it is more likely that humans will collectively choose to generate only good thoughts, words and good deeds, and shun evil in every possible way. But there are many questions as to what will happen when this time comes. It is believed that a messiah known as Saoshyant will be sent by Ahura Mazda some fifty seven years before the end of time. He will appear in the world and will complete the triumph of good over evil. Thereafter Ahriman will be rendered ineffective, during this period the Last Judgment shall commence. It is said that the sun will stand still at noon (not to be taken literally) and when all the souls, both from good and evil, will have to pass through the allegorical river of molten metal and be purged of any remaining imperfection or impurity.[7] Therefore, there is no concept of eternal damnation in the Zarathushti faith. At the end of time all men are liberated from their state of torture, or righteousness.

Death, in the Zarathushti religion, is caused by Ahriman, the devil. It is a function of evil and when the body dies it is considered impure. Many question this idea of death in the religion because most world traditions see death as part of the natural process of life. However, in the Zarathushti faith death, tragedy and disease are all aspects of evil attacking mankind. The reason for this dualistic view of death stems from the idea of a righteous God. In the 9th century CE Mardan Farrokh outlined the Zarathushti theological position. He argues, because Ahura Mazda is good and righteous; tragedy, disease and death cannot be his manifestations. For how could Ahura Mazda be a good God if he was to kill his own creations? Would he not be violating his own divine order? In his treatise, Farrokh stated that any imperfection in terms of excess, deficiency or indeed death was perpetrated by an agency outside of Ahura Mazda’s realm, for otherwise it would imply that there was an inherent imperfection within Ahura Mazda. It has therefore been rationalized through the tradition that death is not an aspect of the righteous Ahura Mazda, but rather a facet of evil. For an imperfect God who at times creates and on other occasions destroys, is an unpredictable and irrational being who within the Zarathushti paradigm is not worthy of worship and therefore ceases to be God.[8]

A common misconception is that those who die are evil—this is not true. People face death not because they are evil, but because they are attacked by evil. It is the process evil uses to infect people and bring them away from their ultimate goal; overcoming and defeating all that is evil. When good finally conquers evil, death will cease to exist and time will become a thing of the past. While death is inevitable, it is not something Ahura Mazda does to his creations. It is one of the many reckless attacks by Ahriman in his attempt spread chaos. Another misconception is the theory of reincarnation. This ideal is not part of the Zarathushti religion and contradicts most of the religion’s teachings. This goes back to the concept that a just and righteous God would not put people in positions of disadvantage. The inequalities of this world are not deemed to be God ordained, but are held to be random attacks of evil on the creations of Ahura Mazda.[9] Moreover, reincarnation was a facet of societies which lacked social mobilization, whereas in classical Iran there was little regulation of this.

The Zarathushti religion has strong belief in keeping all the creations of Ahura Mazda in an environmentally friendly state; therefore, the disposal of the body within the traditional context is quite unusual. In ancient Iran, when one died, the impure body was taken and placed on top of dakhma (Tower of Silence). Here the body would be laid while vultures and the sun’s rays disposed of the remains. Because the body is contaminated, burying it in loose mother earth or throwing it in a river would be seen as a great action of misdeed to the earth. Furthermore, cremation is out of the question for fire is extremely sacred in the tradition (as a crucifix is to a Christian). However, with modern advances in cremation techniques there is a way to burn the body without directly using the flame. But this is a topic still in debate in many circles. Dakhma’s are still used in India and Pakistan. The method is extremely clean and sanitary so they are often located in nice areas. For a vivid depiction of a dakhma it is best to quote Mobed Shahzadi at length:

The dakhma (Tower of Silence) is an above surface well with a paved platform about 250-300 feet in circumference. The platform has a pit in the center, connected to four deep underground channels which allow any liquid to drain off from within the central pit. The floor of the platform is divided into three rows of concentric-laid receptacles to hold the deceased body. These receptacles decrease in size from the outer to the inner ring. The outer and larger receptacle is used to place the body of males, the next for females and the inner and smallest receptacle is used for children. The receptacles are separated from each other through a net-work of furrows cut into it leading to the pit in the center of the platform. The furrow channel helps to wash down any liquid or water flowing into the pit. The large bones are allowed to dry for thirty days and are then swept into the dry pit where they turn into dust as the pit is lined with natural lime.[10]

Once a person dies the soul continues existing. The urvan (soul) is the spirit within the body which generates both good and evil thoughts words and deeds. It is believed that the soul was created first and then the body, for the soul directs the functions within.[12] Therefore all actions are directed by the soul. This includes physical actions as well as thought and word. After death the urvan does not immediately leave the body. For three days it remains near the final resting place of the body. During this time period the urvan recounts all its past deeds. If it had led a righteous life, the soul experiences a period of peaceful transition. On the contrary, if the urvan was wicked, it experiences three days of torment and suffering as it recalls all its evil actions. During the first night the urvan dwells on all its good and bad words. The second night, it experiences all its good and bad deeds—if one had murdered, it would experience murder and so on. Finally, on the third night, the urvan lives through all its good and bad thoughts. As stated above, if one was righteous, these days would prepare him for the glories of heaven, but for the wicked this is an awful experience.

On the dawn of the fourth day the urvan starts its journey to the next world. It begins at the Chinavat Bridge which spans the abyss of hell and leads to paradise on the other side.The judicial peak is that of the middle of the world, the height of a hundred men, on which the Chinavat Bridge stands; and they take account of the soul at that place. (Bundahism 12:7)[13]If the urvan had led a righteous life, then the bridge would be wide enough to fit a modern day semi truck. If it had been evil, the bridge shall be razor thin and the urvan will not be able to cross; plummeting to hell. At the bridge, the urvan is met with its daena. The daena of a righteous person appears in the shape of a beautiful maiden and takes the persons urvan toward the Abode of Good Mind. On the way, the righteous urvan inhales the most refreshing sweet-scented air.[14] In contrast, the sinner is met by the personification of his conscience in the shape of an ugly woman.

Once the soul enters into heaven it joins the rest of the righteous souls in a place of peace and harmony. They come down to this world during festivals of the religion. One of the most important times is during No Ruz. Literally translating to “new day” it is the celebration of the new years in the Zarathushti faith. Because there are three different calendars in the religion, the date of this can be disputed; however, most Iranian Zarathushtis celebrate this on March 21st—the spring equinox. The five days prior to this date are known as the time where the deceased return to this world in order to receive sacrifices and gifts from their families. This is done through the construction of a hafseen table.

A hafseen table is found in the households of all Iranian families, whether they are Zarathushti or not. It is a special place set aside in one’s home to remember those who have passed away. Silver vases dedicated on this occasion to the dead are kept filled with fresh flowers. Prayers and ceremonies are offered daily in remembrance of the dead. Fruits and other traditional Iranian treats are placed on the table in order for the dead to feast on. Zarathushti’s also have a fire on the table to resemble the purity of their offerings (usually represented through a candle) and each day they read passages from the gathas. Thirteen days after the New Year’s families all go out for a picnic outside where they take the flowers that were offered for the deceased and throw them into running water. This is to symbolize the removal of bad luck and is to restore the family with good fortune.

The Zarathushti religion is one based off a stark dualism that plays an important aspect from the cosmic battle between good and evil up to the very aspect of bodily death. The constant struggle of man’s inner self with evil is provided by his capability of choosing his own path; freewill. It is a central tenet in Zarathushti theology and is universally understood. Death is a small aspect of the religion with many customs. It is caused by the evil forces in the world and when it occurs men are judge by their thoughts, words and actions. These weigh on ones soul and are all relived before one enters into his resting place—heaven or hell. However, there is no eternal damnation for Zarathushti’s as in the end of time Ahura Mazda will purify all the passed souls of any evil they have committed. Granted those who have been more evil will suffer during this purge, there is still hope for them to live in everlasting peace. Death is a fascinating aspect in the religion and it is truly seen as the beginning of a new existence. Although none can personally vouch for its actual existence, one can say that living with the principle of Humata good thought, Hukhta good words and Huvarshta good deeds can advance all men and women in the world today.

[1] Mobed Farlborz S. Shahzadi, The Zarathushti Religion. The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (Hinsdale: 1998) p.1
[2] Mobed Firouz Azargoshasb, Translation of Gathas, the Holy Songs of Zarathushtra from Persian into English Third Edition. Council of Iranian Mobeds of North America (San Diego: 2006) pg. 9-11
[3] Mobed Firouz Azargoshasb, Translation of Gathas, the Holy Songs of Zarathushtra from Persian into English Third Edition. Council of Iranian Mobeds of North America (San Diego: 2006) p. 12
[4] Jalaleddin Ashtiani trans by Mamak Nourbaksh, Zarathushtra. Enteshar Publication Co. (Tehran: 2002) p.238
[5] "The Book of Arda Viraf." AVESTA -- Zoroastrian Archives. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.avesta.org/mp/viraf.html>.
[6] Farhang Mehr, The Zoroastrian Tradition: An Introduction to the Ancient Wisdom of Zarathushtra. Element (Rockport:1991) p. 110
[7] Mobed Farlborz S. Shahzadi, The Zarathushti Religion. The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (Hinsdale: 1998) p30
[8] "Shekan-Gomanik Vechar, or Doubt-dispelling exposition." تاريخ و فرهنگ ايران زمين. 20 Apr. 2009 <http://www.irantarikh.com/persia/shekand.htm>.
[9] Mobed Farlborz S. Shahzadi, The Zarathushti Religion. The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (Hinsdale: 1998) p31
[10] Mobed Farlborz S. Shahzadi, The Zarathushti Religion. The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (Hinsdale: 1998) p18[11] "Tower of Silence, Zoroastrian charnel house |." Parsi Khabar. 20 Apr. 2009 <http://parsikhabar.net/tower-of-silence-zoroastrian-charnel-house/>.
[12] Mobed Farlborz S. Shahzadi, The Zarathushti Religion. The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (Hinsdale: 1998) p186
[13] "Pahlavi Texts, Part I: Bundahis: Chapter XII." Internet Sacred Text Archive Home. 20 Apr. 2009 <http://www.sacred-texts.com/zor/sbe05/sbe0521.htm>.
[14] Farhang Mehr, The Zoroastrian Tradition: An Introduction to the Ancient Wisdom of Zarathushtra. Element (Rockport:1991) p. 111

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