جشن سده 

Sadeh

پیرایه یغمایی

آنان که ما را به نماز خوف وا می دارند،
هر گز نمی دانند
که در درازنای این شب قیرگون
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                            که خورشید بیدار شود ،
                                                        بالا بلند
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                                                                       و فروزان .... *
 

جشن پيدايش آتش توسط انسان 

Creation of Fire by Human Being for the 1st time

  About 29th January - 10th Bahman ده بهمن 

Sad = 100     سد = صد 

100th day of  big winter صدمين روز زمستان بزرگ 

50 days + 50 nights to Norooz

Courtesy of Washington Post - Yazd, Iran

مسابقه نقاشى در سوئد - 1384 خ 

جشنهاى سده سال 3743ز - 1384 خ 

جشنهاى سده سال 3744ز - 1385 خ 

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Kerman - Boodaagh Aabaad

by : Kaveh Faramarzian - 1363Y

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Ýëp¾A lÛCßh Þ kpÆ íØç ¢ëDìÛ           Ýëp@@@@@¾A ÚDèV ¢ìJ oClÛDèV

DèNDÊ æÞpÊ - ælv ¢NA kÞpv

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2002 éëßÛCs 30 ÖDÜÇìÛ yoßÆ lFß× DF ív íF íF éGdD¥×

Sample of Sadeh Announcement in Vancouver

A Report on Sadeh, Tehran, Jan 2003

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Cultural Heritage News Agency - 3741 Z

 3741 ælv -íËÜçp¾ QCpì× êoCrÊpGh

برگرفته از سايت :www.chn.ir

ميراث خبر، گروه فرهنگ،‌ آرزو رسولي _ نقش مذهبي آتش در ايران باستان بيشترين سهم از نقش‌هاي اين آفريده هفتم اهورامزدا را در متون ديني و تاريخي به خود اختصاص داده است و بيش از كاركردهاي ديگر آن شناخته شده است، اما آتش كاربردهاي ديگري هم در آن دوران داشته است.
آتش در دوره هخامنشيان كاركردي ارتباطي نيز داشت و از آن همانند تلگراف بي سيم استفاده مي شد. به فرمان خشايارشاي هخامنشي (485 - 465 قبل از ميلاد)، از شوشتر و همدان، دو پايتخت بزرگ تا به سر حدات ايران برج هاي بسيار بلند به فاصله هاي معين ساختند و در بالاي آنها پاسباناني گماشتند تا شب ها به كمك شعله آتش و حركات و علايم مخصوصي كه به آن مي دادند، از اين برج به برج ديگر وقايع مهم دورترين حدود مملكت را به مراكز برسانند. در سال 479 قبل ازميلاد،‌ وقتي سپهبد ايران، آتن، پايتخت يونان را فتح كرد، در شب همان روز خبر به شاهنشاه رسيد كه در سارد پايتخت ليدي اقامت داشت. در شاهنامه و در يادگار زريران نيز آمده است كه با آتش افروزي در بالاي كوه هاي بلند لشگريان را به گرد آمدن و آماده حركت شدن خبر مي دادند.
اين شيوه شايد در دوره هاي بعد هم مورد استفاده قرار گرفته باشد. به عنوان مثال، كوهي در اصفهان در نزديكي منار جنبان قرار دارد و بر بالاي آن آثار آتشگاهي به جا مانده است كه كارشناسان با توجه به بقاياي باروهاي اطراف آن گمان مي‌برند، شايد محلي براي ديده باني و علامت دادن براي آتش بوده باشد. در شيراز نيز كوهي در نزديكي دروازه قرآن است و بر فراز آن، جايگاهي است كه امروزه موسوم به «تنوره ديو» است و در گذشته احتمالا «تنوره ديد» ناميده مي‌شد.اين جايگاه نيز كاربردي اين چنيني داشته است.

آتش،عنصري براي جشن و نيايش

البته نقش آتش در مذهب و ارتباط نيز محدود نماند و براي آن آيين‌ها، نيايش‌ها و جشن‌هاي زيادي برگزار شد و در فرهنگ مردم جاي گرفت. آتش از زماني كه شناخته شد،‌ همواره مورد توجه و احترام آدمي بود. در ميان ايرانيان نيز همواره اين عنصر حيات بخش مورد تكريم بوده است تا جايي كه ايزدي را به نام آذر / آتش ناميده بودند و روز نهم هر ماه و ماه نهم سال را با نام وي مي خواندند. آنان در گراميداشت اين عنصر جشن هاي متعددي برگزار مي كردند كه از آن جمله است: جشن سده و جشن سوري (چهارشنبه سوري) و آذر جشن. روز آذر از ماه آذر موسوم به «آذرگان» آذر جشني از زمره جشن هاي همنام شدن روز و ماه برگزار مي شد. در بخشي از يسناي اوستا نيز نيايشي ويژه آتش آمده است. اين توجه و احترام تا جايي بود كه پرستشگاه‌هايي بر گرد آتش مقدس به نام آتشكده براي گردآمدن مومنان و خواندن دعا در جاي جاي اين سرزمين بر پا شده بود.

آتشكده‌‌ در ايران باستان

در اوستا، اصطلاحي براي آتشكده نيامده است. نخستين اشاره به آتش (معلوم و مخصوص) در ادبيات زردشتي از سده سوم ميلادي است،‌ در كتيبه اي از شاهپور اول ساساني و روحاني بزرگ معاصر او، كريتر. كريتر بنيان گذار آتش بهرام، مقدس ترين و مهمترين آتش آييني دين زردشت بوده است.
از دوران ساساني،‌ به نام سه آتشكده معروف بر مي خوريم كه اصل آنها را از آتش هاي اساطيري دانسته اند. مهمترين آتشكده ايران در آن دوران آتشكده آذر فرنبغ (Adur Farrobag) در فارس بود كه آتشكده مختص روحانيان بود و مركزيت داشت. آتشكده آذر گشنسب، آتشكده خاص طبقه ارتشيان بود كه از نظر اهميت بعد از آذر فرنبغ قرار داشته است و محل آن در شيز، نزديك گنزك،‌ در جنوب شرقي درياچه اروميه (در آذربايجان) بود و شاه و ارتشيان براي نيايش به آنجا مي رفتند. سومين آتشكده مهم كشور، آذر برزين مهر (Adur Burzenmihr) بود، مختص كشاورزان كه در آيين هاي ويژه به آنجا مي رفتند.
باستان شناسان از آثار به جا مانده از آتشكده هاي دوران ساساني دريافتند كه بيشترين آتشكده ها در آذربايجان بوده اند و اين سرزمين مركز مقدس مذهبي ايران بوده است. بيشتر اين آتشكده ها خاكستري نداشته و در اصطلاح پهلوي «خودسوز» بوده اند. ظاهرا منبع سوخت آتش هاي آنها گاز نفت بوده است.
نام خود آذربايجان نيز ماخوذ از آتش است. آتورپات (= نگهبان آتش) كه در دوره هخامنشي، شهربان اين ناحيه بود، نام خود را به آن داد و اين ناحيه از كشور به آتورپاتكان (آذربايجان امروزي) مشهور شد.
همچنين تعداد زيادي از بناهايي كه به «چهارطاق» معروف شده اند احتمالا آتشكده بوده اند. ردپاي اين بناها را در معماري ايران پس از اسلام نيز مي بينيم.در دوران باستان، نه تنها زردشتيان براي دعا و نماز در پيشگاه آتش يا شنيدن گفتار «هيربد» به آتشكده مي‌رفتند، بلكه نيازمندان گرسنه و تشنه نيز براي طلب ياري به آتشكده ها پناه مي‌بردند.
در اين معابد كه براساس شواهد از دوره هخامنشي در اين كشور بر پا شده اند،‌ آتش مقدس آتش هميشه فروزان با چوب بود كه در آتشداني روي پايه اي بلند مي سوخت. روحاني پرستار آتش هر روز در وقت معين سوخت و بخورات را همراه با نيايش و آتش پيشكش مي كرد. از آنجا كه قبله زردشتيان نور است، مومنان براي به جا آوردن نمازهاي روزانه خود به حضور آتش يا نور خورشيد (آتش آسماني) نيازمند بودند و شرط خواندن نماز داشتن طهارت كامل و به اصطلاح وضو بود. نماز ويژه آتش هنوز هم در آتشكده ها خوانده مي شود.
با برپايي آتشكده ها، لزوم پيدايش طبقه نويني از روحانيان، يعني موبدان آتشكده ها احساس شد. از ميان اين طبقه، روحاني عالي رتبه يا روحاني رييس آتشكده را در فارسي باستان بگينه پتي baginapati مي خواندند. اين لقب در دوره ساساني به «مغوبد» (= بزرگ مغان) تغيير يافت.

آتشدان‌ در ايران باستان

ظرفي كه آتش را در آن نگهداري مي كردند، «آتشدان» نام داشت. آتشدان در اتاقي دروني و محراب مانند در آتشكده قرار داشت تا پرستار روحاني آن را از هرگونه آلودگي و ناپاكي مصون دارد. در ميان بقاياي كاخ هاي با شكوه پاسارگاد، آتشدان هاي خوش تراشي از سنگ سفيد پيدا شده است كه نشان دهنده اهميت اين عنصر نزد شاهان هخامنشي است. اين آتشدان ها ته ستون و سري سه پله دارند كه با پايه بلندي به شكل مكعب مستطيل قلمي به يكديگر وصل شده اند. ارتفاع آن تا حدود كمر آدمي ميانه قد، مي رسد. سر آنها كه روي پايه سنگي قرار دارد، تو خالي و محل افروختن آتش بوده است. شايد داخل اين آتشدان سنگي از منقلي فلزي هم استفاده مي كردند. زيرا داخل آن اثري از آتش ديده نمي شود.
آتشدان هاي پاسارگاد از نظر ظرافت كار سنگتراشي بي نظيرند اما نمونه هاي آن را زردشتيان در طول سده ها، به هنگام پرستش و نيايش به كار برده اند.
در حجاري هاي بالاي آرامگاه داريوش، آتشداني همانند آتشدان پاسارگاد روبروي نقش شاه قرار دارد كه زردشتي بودن صحنه را نشان مي‌دهد. نقش آتش به صورت هرمي از شعله ها از سر آتشدان زبانه مي كشد. اين كهن ترين نمونه آتشداني است كه آتش آن افروخته است. گمان مي رود نماز كردن به آتش افروخته در بلندي از آيين هاي ويژه شاهان زردشتي بوده است. گويي داريوش با اين حجاري مي خواسته بر زردشتي بودن خود تاكيد كند. احتمالا مراد از آتش حجاري شده، نمايش اجاق شخصي او به هنگام جلوس بر تخت بوده است. رسمي كه ظاهرا بنيان گذار آن كوروش بود و از اهميتي حكايت مي كند كه در ايام كهن، آتش شخصي هر حكمراني براي قوم و طايفه او داشته است.
در بالاي آتشدان، پيكره‌اي واقع در دايره بالدار، همانند نقش بيستون، در پرواز است. پشت سر پيكره فوق، قرص ماهي برجسته همراه با هلالي در لبه زيرين آن حجاري شده است. هماهنگي نقوش پيكره بالدار و قرص ماه و آتشدان در آرامگاه داريوش دلالت بر احترام داريوش نسبت به خورشيد و ماه و آتش مي كند و جالب اينكه سه دعاي مهم زردشتي نيز به اين سه اختصاص دارند: خورشيد نيايش، ماه نيايش و آتش نيايش. در متون پهلوي آمده كه ستايش خداوند بايد در آن حال كه روي به خورشيد و ماه و آتش دارند، صورت پذيرد.
با اين تعابير و بر طبق سنن دين زردشت مي توان گفت كه اين نقوش، شاه را در حال نيايش نشان مي دهند.
نقش آتشدان را روي تعدادي از گل مهرهايي كه در ويرانه هاي خزانه داري و باروي تخت جمشيد يافت شده اند، نيز مي بينيم. در نقوش اين گل مهرها،‌ بالاي آتشدان نمادي بالدار قرار دارد و در دو سوي آن، دو پرستنده يا دو موبد به نيايش مشغول‌اند.
جزييات شكل آتشدان روي گل مهرها دقيقا مشخص نيست، اما بايد نمونه اي از آتشدان هاي زمان هخامنشيان باشد. در گل مهري هم كه از مصر به دست آمده و تاريخ آن ميان سال هاي 400 تا 500 قبل از ميلاد است، همين نمونه آتشدان ديده مي شود. به طور كلي نقش آتش افروخته روي پايه بلند، بر مهرها و گل مهرهاي هخامنشي كه پرستش‌گران به آن اداي احترام مي‌كنند، نماد رسمي مذهبي شده بود. از گزنفون، تاريخ دان يوناني، نقل است كه كورش بزرگ هخامنشي به هنگام بيرون آمدن از زادگاهش پارس، به ايزد آتش اجاق و اهورامزدا نيايش مي كرده است. گزنفون كورش را چنان مي نماياند كه زردشتي مومني است و معمولا به درگاه اهورامزدا نيايش مي كند.
پيش از روزگار ساسانيان، براي اين آتشدان ها نامي در اثري به جا نمانده است. اما در دوره ساسانيان به نام هاي «آدوران»، «آتشدان» و «آتشگاه» بر مي خوريم. همچنين در دوره ساسانيان، آتشدان علامت ملي شد و آن را روي سكه‌هاي پادشاهان اين سلسله ضرب كردند.
اهميت آتش را در اسامي عام تركيبي كه از دوران هخامنشي به جا مانده نيز مي توان ديد، مانند: آتر فرنه (= از آتش بخت يافته) و در الواح ايلامي: آتر پاته (= محافظت شده با آتش)، آتر بانو (= دارنده درخشش آتش) و آتر دانه (= آتش داد).
منابع:
- بويس، مري؛ «هخامنشيان»، ترجمه همايون صنعتي زاده، تهران: توس، 1375.
- بياني، ملكزاد؛ «تاريخ سكه، از قديمي ترين ازمنه تا دوره ساسانيان»،‌ تهران: دانشگاه تهران، 1346.
- پورداود،‌ ابراهيم؛ «يشت ها»،‌ ج ا، تهران: طهوري، 1347.
- دريايي، تورج؛ «شاهنشاهي ساساني»، ‌ترجمه مرتضي ثاقب فر، تهران:‌ ققنوس، 1383.
- فره وشي، بهرام؛ «ايرانويج»،‌ تهران: دانشگاه تهران، 1374.
- گيرشمن، رمان؛ «ايران، از آغاز تا اسلام»، ترجمه دكتر محمد معين، تهران: انتشارات علمي و فرهنگي، 1370 (چاپ هشتم).

University of Toronto-2004

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Shiraz - Sadeh 2004 - Photos: R. Kavoosi

FIRE AND JASHN-E SADEH

Ali A. Jafarey

Greatest Discovery: Take away fire and man (stands for both the genders) will revert to wilderness like any other animal! The greatest discovery made by man alone on this good earth is the art of making and maintaining fire. He, like any other animal, had seen fire striking from clouds, devouring bushes and trees, and devastating large tracts of green land. He had also seen fire being spewed by a volcano and the molten lava snaking and snarling its way down the slopes. He also knew it gave heat and scared ferocious animals. Though still not proven, but most probably he had learned how to keep it burning. It provided him and his associates with light, warmth, and a device to keep ferocious animals away. He must have also learned to control fire which, in the long run, helped him to smelt metal ores.  But man did not know how to kindle it. The day he discovered this art, he separated for good from the animal kingdom that roamed the earth. He had discovered the source of light, heat, and energy -- the very basis of civilization. Fire helped man to reduce nomadism and develop social and political institutions connected with a fixed abode.

Legends of how man learned to make fire are as numerous as there are ancient nations. A god brought or stole it down the sky is but an illusion to lightening striking and starting a fire. It was thrown up by the earth reminds us of a volcanic eruption. It was brought down a tree by a wise man indicates that it was obtained from a burning tree. It is a product of two rubbing branches or a child of ten mothers points to the much later discovery of creating friction by placing a stick in a wooden groove and rubbing, rather rotating the stick with two palms, the ten fingers, the ten mothers.

The most striking is the Iranian legend, preserved, among other writings, in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Here is a gist of the Shahnameh's story: Hushang Hushang succeeded his grandfather Kayumars, the first of the Pishdadian Kings. He girdled himself with wisdom and justice. The Discovery of Fire Our ancestors worshipped God, had their beliefs, and followed certain ceremonies. In those days, the blazing fire was the altar just as the Arabs have stone as their prayer niche. But the discovery of fire was quite incidental. This happened before iron was discovered.

One cold day, Hushang and his party were returning from a hunting expedition. They saw a snake coiled in their path. Hushang aimed his flint axe at it. He missed and the snake slithered away. But the axe hit another stone, also a flint and produced a bright spark The curious king took hold of the two flints and struck more sparks. And he learned to produce enough sparks to ignite a fire. He discovered how to make fire! "This spark," he proclaimed, "is God's gift. Hold it high in regard." He thanked God for the gift and made fire his altar. He held a great feast. Every person sang, danced, drank, and feasted around the bonfire. For the first time, Hushang and his people could light their dark caves and feel cozy and warm in their beds. They passed a wonderful winter. Hushang never forgot his revolutionary discovery. He held a great feast every year on that eventful day. It is called "Sadeh."  He was the first to separate iron from ore and established the profession of smithery. He fashioned axes, saws, and adzes. Next, he diverted water from rivers into plains for cultivation. Prior to this human beings subsisted on fruits and covered themselves with leaves. Furthermore, Hushang separated the beasts which were hunted from those that could easily be domesticated. He introduced soft and comfortable furs as clothing. Hushang's reign introduced peace, prosperity, plenty, and happiness. He died after ruling for forty years." To put it in short: Fire was accidentally discovered when a flint-axe, thrown by King Hushang to kill a snake, missed and struck a rock and threw a spark. That sparked the idea to kindle fire by striking two pieces of flint together. This theory is confirmed by archeologists to be the most probable means of its discovery in the early stone stage.

Hushang, the Iranian legend says, celebrated the discovery by throwing a feast, a feast that has been kept alive through ages. It is held every year on 10 Bahman (30 January), almost mid-winter. It is called "Sadeh," meaning "century" because according to one popular tradition, it falls on the hundredth day from 21 October, the beginning of winter among ancient Iranians. Or, as I see it, it is the contracted form of the Avestan "saredha," Persian "sard," meaning "cold, winter." On that afternoon, people gather outside their town, make a hill of dry shrubs, bushes, weeds, and branches. Priests lead the prayers, exalting fire as the divine light, warmth, and energy, ask God for an ever-progressing life to eternal happiness, and as the sun sets in the blazing west, set the hill ablaze. It is a sight to watch huge leaping flames. Those at home light little bonfires on top of their flat mud-plastered "fire-safe" roofs -- a tribute to the civilized blessings given by the discovery of kindling fire. Venerating Fire: At a time when man was hunted and haunted, he discovered fire and that changed his whole pattern of life. No wonder the blazing fire soon became the object of veneration, especially when his imagination formed for him many forms of deities.  Fire became a deity too, a deity too close and touching.  The sky god was sky high, the earth goddess was earth wide, the wind god was blowing across, the sun god/goddess was traveling light, the moon god was waxing to wane, and the water goddess was streaming by. Fire was the only deity that sat very cozy and close.  It held a special position.  It was kindled with care and was kept alive with more care.  It gave light.  It gave heat.  It gave power.  It turned night into day and winter into spring.  It baked clay into pots, and smelted metal into instruments.  It frightened away dangerous animals, and above all, it made the daily food tender and tasty.  It had revolutionized human living.  It required constant attention, and attention means attraction and affection.  It became "special."  It had a special seat, the hearth. It became the center of his activities -- cooking, eating, conversing, sleeping, and of course, receiving his homage.  Moreover, it went up the sky in a smoke column.  The fire god had contact with the gods and goddesses above and men and women below.  He was the intermediary, and the hearth became the altar, the earliest altar. All the gifts presented to deity and deities -- animal fat and flesh, grains, food, sweet smelling herbs and wood -- were put to burn and rise in smoke to reach the deity/deities.  It was a smoky, smelly offer! Ever-burning: Kindling fire by striking flints or rubbing sticks was no easy job.  It was much easier to keep it burning.  Man learned that fire can snugly sleep beneath ashes and arise glowing when blown in flames.  The habit of keeping fire "alive" through sleeping and leaping became a habit.  Habit forms tradition.  The hearth fire and later the temple fire became an ever-burning fire. Tradition becomes sacred.  Sacredness demands ritual.  Ritual becomes elaborate. Once sanctified and ritualized, even when well out-dated and fossilized, a tradition cannot be easily abandoned by conservatives. Match sticks and gas and electric lighters have put out the hearth fire, and yet I know in Iran there are still old ladies, Zoroastrians and Muslims, whose hearth fire is never extinguished.  My mother and mother-in-law, one from Kerman and the other from Shiraz, 300 miles apart, had the hearth fire going as long as they lived.  If this could be with homes, what should one expect from places of worship? Fire has served as the altar, the illuminating light, for many religions. Fire, in form of candid candle, lighted lamp, burning incense, and blazing wood, still adorns prayer niches, rooms and halls all over the world. Fire Altars and Temples: Hearth fire is venerated in the Atash Nyayesh in the Later Avesta.  This is the earliest form of it and it formed the altar for all domestic rituals.The Haptanghaiti in the Gathic dialect mentions "fire-enclosure" as a communal altar.  Median and Achaemenian bas-reliefs show persons standing, with uplifted arms" in the Gathic fashion, in front of fire altars.  Plinths at Pasargadae confirm the "fire-enclosure," the Gathic communal fire altars.  Open fire altars survive at Naqsh-e Rostam from Sassanian days too. Avestan texts speaks of no fire-temple or fire-house. It did not exist in those days. Temple is an Elamite and Babylon gift to Median and Persian Zoroastrians. Parthians and Sassanians followed with increasing elaborations. Ruins of Zoroastrian fire-temples of pre-Islamic era are spread from Iraq to the Pamirs and beyond.  I have visited, lit a candle and prayed at many, including the one on the Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf and those in Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam, Pasargadae, Isfahan, Khuzistan, Azerbaijan in Iran, and Taxila in Pakistan. Various grades of fire-temple are also the evolution of elaborating the system. Atash Bahram, the Victory Fire, at present the highest consecrated temple is a Sassanian invovation. When Ardeshir Babakan, the founder of the dynasty, rose against the Parthian rule and won a victory against Vologeses V in 224 CE, he had to fight many a battle to conquer the vast empire. Wherever and whenever, scored a victory over his enemies, he would erect one "Victory Fire" temple in memory. History books written by Muslim travelers speak of fire-temples "miraculously" lit without being fed by any firewood.  They were in the oil-rich regions, from present day Khuzistan in Iran to Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union. They were fed by natural gas harnessed by the experts in those days.  The one in Baku has been reconstructed by the authorities there and has the gas fire on. The gas-fed Azar Goshnasb temple in Azerbaijan, Iran,  was where the Sassanian emperors were crowned. Recent excavations have revealed the baked clay pipeline to the fire-altar. This makes the present gas-fed fire altars in North America as no innovation but following the past in modern times. It is less air polluting and does not devour firewood and therefore plays no part in deforestation. Once installed in a temple, it became a tradition.  That tradition continues. I would add that it should continue with modern modifications.  Already a number of "prayer rooms" and "Dar-e Mehrs" in North America and Europe -- and it includes the Zarathushtrian Assembly prayer hall -- are lit by natural gas. The Sassanians had two other major fire-temples.  Azar Farnbagh, for the Priestly class, was in Nishabur, Khorassan, northeast Iran, and Azar Borzin, for the Agricultural and Industrious class, was in Darab, Pars, south Iran. Incidentally, the domed Muslim mosque is the continuation of the Sassanian architecture of fire-temple.  The dome stood above the fire-altar. All that the Arabs or Iranian converts to Islam had to do is to remove the altar and prepare the hall for their prayers. Some of the old former fire-temples, turned into congregational mosques still have the fire-altars placed in their yars and filled with water.  The domed building is not an Arabian architecture at all. Fire in the Gathas: Fire has been used eight times in the Gathas.  It is mental (Songs 4.3 and 12.6), the radiant light (4.19 and 16.9), the warmth (8.4), and full-of-energy (7:4), which helps good and evil people to find happiness. It helps to meditate in quest of righteousness (8.9) and to enlighten one's mind to find means to ward off danger (11.7).  The Gathic Fire symbolizes the Divine Progressive Mind in human beings. It is the altar that enlightens a meditating mind of a Zarathushtrian. Facing it, a Zarathushtrian wishes to forge an ideal society. Here are two brief prayers, one in the Haptanghaiti and the other from Atash Nyayesh (Fire Prayer) in the Avesta. They explain fire's symbolism and depict the society a Zarathushtrian wants the world to enjoy: "In this fire-enclosure, first of all, we approach You and You alone, Wise God, through the most progressive mentality, symbolized by Fire -- bright, warm and energetic. Reverence to it, because You have appointed for reverence. Fire, you belong to God Wise. You symbolize the most progressive mentality. This is the best of your designations. O Fire of Ahura Mazda, it is because of this that we approach you. (Haptanghaiti, Song 3.1-3) Grant me, O Fire of Ahura Mazda, prompt welfare, prompt maintenance, prompt living; full welfare, full maintenance, full living; zeal, progress, eloquence, discerning intellect; next, comprehensive, great and lasting knowledge; next, all encompassing courage, steadiness; vigilance, wakeful even at rest; and self-supporting children, able to govern the country, outstanding in assembly, harmonious in growth, and gentle in character, who shall advance our homes, settlements, districts, countries and the world fellowship. (Atash Nyayesh) May the Fire of Mazda enlighten our minds!

Iran's Zoroastrians celebrate ancient feast - Yahoo-AP

SADEH 

by  Kayomarsh P. Mehta

Sadeh  is a mid winter festival celebrated by Zarathushtis. It is popularly known as  Jashan-e Sadeh. In Iran it is the third  largest celebration after  Navrooz  and  Mehergaan. For some reason, this festival is not celebrated in India.

In Farsi language, Sad   means hundred. There are several  different  traditions as to when to celebrate  Sadeh.  In Yazd, the festival is celebrated  on Roj  Astad,  Mah Adar, which is 100 days before  Navrooz, the beginning of Spring. This places the festival to be celebrated on December  11^th.  In Kerman, the festival is celebrated on Roj Aban,  Mah  Behman, which is the 100th day after the Ayathrem  Gahambar,  the beginning of winter. Yet others, celebrate it on January 29^th, which is 50 days and 50 nights before Navrooz. Most organizaions in US celebrate it on the weekend close to January 29.

In Shahnameh,  Sadeh  is referred to as a celebration  of  mankind’s discovery of generating fire. There is a legend that King Hooshang  saw a snake and threw a stone to kill it. The stone missed the snake but hit another rock. The friction between the stones created a spark and a fire. Fire caused by natural phenomena ( lightning, volcano, etc) was known to mankind for ages before. However, the importance of King Hooshang’s incident seems to be that for the first time, mankind discovered how to create fire at will and control it for practical purpose. This was a big step in the history of human civilization. Hence the tradition of the Sadeh celebration.

Traditional celebration of  Sadeh  involves lighting a big fire outdoors. Mobeds perform a  Jashan ceremony followed by singing and dancing around the fire by the people gathered for the festivity. Everyone is expected to participate in the festival by bringing wood for the fire!   A folk song reads:

   Shax e  shax e  Armani                         A  branch,  a  branch of …..

   Har kas shax e  be  dehaad                  Whosoever  offers a  branch,

   Khodaa  muraad  esh  be  dehaad!     May  God  grant  their  wishes!

   Har  kas  shax e  na  dehaad                Whosoever does not offer a branch,

   Khodaa muraad esh na dehaad!         May  God  not  grant  their  wishes!

So, one must participate in this festival by offering a branch of wood for creating the fire.  An outward significance of participating in the festival and offering wood to light the Physical Fire is to fight the Evil - the cold of the winter, by helping to provide Heat and warmth.  A more deeper significance of the festival and the offering of the wood is to remind us to feed and light  the Inner Fire to fight the Evil - in our mind, our bad thoughts. By remembering to feed the Flaming Fire of Thought within us, we can provide Light and Illumination to our Mind. With the development of Good Mind, our soul can progress and fulfill the mission of  life.

In our religion,  Fire  -  Atar   or   Adar   has a very deep significance. For a clearer understanding of this concept, let us examine the context in which  Fire  is mentioned in few of our scriptures.

Gathas  -  Yasna  43.9     Asho Zarathushtra communes with Ahura Mazda:

What is Thy Holy Will? To Whom daily my utmost homage should I pay?

Unto Thine Inner Flame I pay my homage & to Thine Eternal  Law.

Gathas  -  Yasna  46.7     Who will protect me from evil in my hour of need?

  My  Inner  Light  and   Willpower  shall protect me from evil.

Haptan Yasht  - Yasna 36  Through the Agency of Thy Divine Fire ,         approach we Thee and Thee alone, O  Ahura Mazda!

Gathas  -  Yasna   46.7,  Kem  Naa  Mazda        The use of words  Aathraschaa   Mananghaschaa  togather clearly  suggests that the prayer does not refer to physical fire. Instead it refers to  Flaming Fire of Thought.

Atash  Nyaish   The Fire of Ahura Mazda gives instructions to everyone….

It cannot be the external fire. The fire here refers to the flash of the intuition which becomes their  Teacher.

Having examined these various references of Atar, we observe that in every case, the external fire implies internal essence, the Divine Spark, the  Fravashi , the Element of God within us. Interesting to note that St. Paul in the New Testament uses a similar metaphor:   Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?(I Corinthians,3,16) .

So each time we offer a piece of sandal wood to the fire,  let us remember that Fire is the Visible symbol of the Invisible Divine Light, the Divine Spark , the  Fravashi  within us.

By offering the sandal wood to the fire, we are reminding ourselves that we must light the fire within us. Just as the piece of sandal wood burns up and  turns to ashes, we need to lead a life of self sacrifice, charity and helping others. Just as the sandal wood leaves a sweet fragrance behind, we will be remembered by others long after we are gone for the good deeds that we have done.

Offering wood to the outward Physical Fire is a suggestive gesture to kindle this Divine Spark within us. By invoking and following the advice of our the Divine Spark - Fravashi  - the Inner Fire, we can advance our soul by getting  rid of the evil within us. The eternal Flame within us when sanctified will help us purge out all the evil that seeks sanctuary within us. It is this Internal Flame that needs to be kept burning by living a useful, meaningful life, by practicing   Humata  -  Good Thoughts,   Hukhta  -  Good Words  and   Huvarashta  -  Good Deeds and by following the path of  Asha -  Righteousness, Truth and Divine Order.

As we celebrate this festival, let us then join in the prayers to thank Ahura Mazda for providing us this  INNER  FIRE which can guide us to lead a good life and help our soul to attain Perfection and Immortality.

From IRNA: 31 Jan 2004 Archive

MP at Zoroastrians` Sadeh Celebration: Islam promotes cheering up of the pious
Tehran, Jan 30, IRNA -- Head of the Parliament`s Cultural Committee Dr. Ahmad Purnejati, attending the Tehrani Zoroastrians` ancient
Sadeh Celebration here on Friday, said, "Keeping in mind that Islam promotes cheering up the hearts of the pious, the question is how
come the heavy hegemony of sorrow has in recent years replaced `The Ceremony` of the Sun in Iran?"
Pour-Nejati`s reference was to Sadeh Celebration, that is also referred to as `the Ceremony of the Sun`, or the day that fire was discovered in ancient Persia, according to Iran`s mythical poet, Hakim Abolqassem Ferdowsi in his book "Shahnameh", or "The Letter of the Kings."
Every year on the night of the 10th day of the Iranian month of Bahman (Jan 30th), the Zoroastrians around the globe, particularly those of them in their beloved ancient motherland, Iran, gather huge piles of dried bush and set them ablaze after the sunset, thus celebrating the discovery of fire by their ancestors on such a day. This year, too, thousands of Iranian Zoroastrians, among whom there were the top Zoroastrian clerics, or the Mo`bads, as well as the ambassadors of France and Germany in Tehran and a number of the Iranian Parliament`s representatives gathered at one of their holiest sites, called the Koushk-e-Varjavand, located in the west side of Tehran, to celebrate the occasion and set their bushes ablaze during highly emotional and memorable rituals.
Pour-Nejati, one of the speakers before the ancient Iranian ceremony, stressed in his address, "It is necessary to revive the traditional Persian celebrations and I believe if a national campaign would take roots aimed at the revival of those celebrations, many of the problems with which the Iranian society is currently entangled would be eliminated."
He said, "From a psychological viewpoint, the extent of cheerfulness or depression of a nation is measured based on how many parties, or mourning anniversaries that have annually."
Pour-Nejati added, "The ancient Iranians celebrated many different occasions throughout the year, that showed how cheerful they were and how optimist they felt towards the future."
The MP stressed, "Sadeh Celebration does not belong merely to the Zoroastrians alone, and I am truly sorry that such ancient Iranian celebrations are held so quietly and in segregated corners, without adequate propagation at national level beforehand."
Pour-Nejati meanwhile referred to the Zoroastrian faith as "An ancient monotheist religion, with high emphasis on man`s quest for light, as one of the significant manifestation of God."