In British India, they object to the term fire worshippers, but the Zoroastrian religion there has become the distinguishing mark of a caste rather than a living faith, while their versatility, intel ligence, and general aptitude for business have made them a wealthy and influential body. They do not proselytize, have only recently relaxed a little towards nine of their own race, but they still resist the admission of hundreds of others who, being descended from Parsee fathers and Hindu or Musalmani mothers, wished also to be invested with the sacred thread. The excluded body conform in all externals to Zoroastrian rules, and call themselves Parsecs, but the right to join in public worship has been steadily refused them, till nine persons were invested with the thread by a Dustoor in presence of a thousand Parsecs.
The Parsecs have the Zend and Pahlavi names of 21 books which they suppose Zoroaster to have produced, but of which the major part have been lost. Their Zendavesta consists of —(1) the five Gatha or songs and prayers (in metres resembling Vedic), which alone are thought to be the work of Zoroaster himself, and form part of the Yazna or Yajna, written in two dialects, the older of which Dr. Haug called the Gatha ; (2) the Vendidad, a code of laws ; (3) the Yaslit, containing hymns to the sun and other deities. There is another portion called the Vispard. A note in the Dinkard, an ancient Pahlavi work, however, says the Avesta has three the Oaths, In verse, amid treating of the hiriaible world ; (2) the Date, in prose, and giving rules of conduct ; and (3) Matlare, comprising prayers and precepts, and giving an account of the creation. The Ventliditd, the Yeats, and the Vispard survive, and are collectively known as the Vendidad Sado ; also the ()gum Decha, the Khurdah-Avesta, and the Violas, with fragment* of the Vistaap, lladokht, and ()holdall books. The Izasline, Vispard, Kliunlith - Avesta, and Yaelits are books of prayers.
The Aliuna Vairya or Honorer is the especial prayer offered by the Parseea to the Supreme God, as a benediction. It is- Yath1 ahh vairyb.
Athk rates Habit chit bath*.
Vanheus datdb mananhb abysm thinaniza. Anheus Masdai Klahathremclia Alma/ Ayim darigulty0 dadhat Vactirens.' Professor F. Spiegel translated it, and from his German, A. H. Bleeck rendered it into Eng] ish I As is the will of the Lord, so (is He) the ruler out of purity.
From Vohu-manb (will one receive) gifts for the works (which one does) in the world for Mazda.
And the kingdom (we give) to Ahura when we offer succour to the poor.' The English translation from A. Franck and J. Oppert's French version is as follows :— Like the Verb of the Supreme Will, emanation exists only because it proceed', front truth. The creation of what is good. in thought or act in the world belongs to Mazda, and the reign is of Ahura, whom the Verb has constituted the destroyer of the wicked.' Professor Max Miiller says (vi. p. 176) : A Parsee believes in one God, to whom he addressee his prayers. This God has neither face nor form, colour nor shape, nor fixed place. He is himself alone, and of such glory that we cannot praise or describe hint, nor our minds comprehend hint. Whoever believes in any other God but this is an infidel.' The Zertushti catechism says: • If any one commit sin under the belief that he shall be saved by somebody, both the deceiver and the deceived shall be damned to the day of Rasta Khez.' Your Saviour is your deeds, and God himself, he is the Pardoner and the Giver.' fisussItashpand.—In the existing Parsee religion seven .Anisshashpand are supposed to exist ; they are called the immortal holy ones. These cannot be regarded as the elements.
The Ardibehest-Jasan festival is maintained in honour of .A.rdibehest Anashashpand, the control ling angel, according to their theology, over their sacred fire. On this day the Parsecs crowd their fire-temples to offer up prayers to the Supreme Being.
The Ara Anlui Sur Jason festival is held in honour of Ava, the angel, in their theology, who presides over the sea. On this day, Parsecs should approach the sea-shore or ally stream of water, and chant prayers from the Zend ; but these people now generally mix with their prayer several Hindu rites, such as offering flowers, sugar, cocoa nuts, etc. In Bombay, a fair is held on the esplanade on this day.
The Autardad-sal holiday is held on the day following the Khurdad-sal, of which festival it is merely a continuation. Ainardad is from Amen, tat, immortality, the seventh Amsshashpand of the Parsee.
There is a Parsee sect known by the name of Shapoo, who, like the Zoroastrians, pray while standing looking to the sun and near water. They never talk with anybody barehead, etc. The admission of an individual into the Parsee faith is indicated by the assumption of the Sadaro or shirt.