Practice And Pray The Zarthoshti Way in 2017!

What better way to ring in 2017 than praying our powerful Mazdayasni Zarthoshti scriptures, which fill our lives with boundless joy, good health, success, prosperity, humanity and humility! Parsi Times thanks Vada Dasturji Dr. Firoze Kotwal for sharing his precious insights as well as for encourages us all to pray in the way as was intended, in a lucid conversation with PT Reporter, Jamshed Arjani.

PT: Kindly explain what is meant by ‘praying in the Mazadayasni Zarthoshti way’? And which prayer should be recited on New Year’s Day?

VD Dr. Kotwal: Our Mazdayasni Zarthoshti scriptures contain pragmatic, powerful and practical prayers, giving us solutions for all difficult situations, inevitably blessing us with endless joy in all aspects of life. The foremost rule is to practice the prayers we recite. Make each day a New Year’s Day by reciting all the obligatory prayers, performing the Kusti ritual correctly, and refreshing our commitment to practice only our religion when we pray Jasa Me Avanghe Mazda. It is truly a privilege to be born a Zoroastrian. Before we invoke Dadar Ahura Mazda’s blessings for 2017, let’s reflect on our conduct and achievements in the past year and sincerely pray the thanksgiving prayer Doa Nam Setayashne on New Year’s Day and every day. People should not resort to short prayers with the excuse that they don’t have enough time to pray all the essential prayers. To invoke the blessings of Ahura Mazda, one should pray the Aatash Ni Nyaish either in front of the divo (oil lamp) at home or at the Kebla of an Agiyari or Aatash Behram. The reason is that Pak Aatash Padshah Saheb is the son of Dadar Ahura Mazda and He communicates all our righteous prayers and supplications to Dadar Ahura Mazda. We are granted the boon of prosperity eternally by praying Aatash Ni Nyaish, as well as noble virtuous progeny for all our generations. We retain physical, mental and spiritual purity and we shall always live happily with a cheerful mind. What more benefits can we pray for on New Year’s Day?

PT: Which prayers effectively generate goodness in our lives?

VD Dr. Kotwal: In addition to praying Aatash Ni Nyaish, one could pray short prayers to invoke the blessings of Dadar Ahura Mazda, like Yatha Ahu Vairyo, the most effective and supremely powerful prayer in our scriptures. Praying Yatha Ahu Vairyo 21 times is extremely effective because each of the 21 words in the prayer contains the essence of the 21 volumes of prayer (nask) given by Dadar Ahura Mazda to the Fravashi of Prophet Zarathushtra in the Minoi (spiritual) world. When Prophet Zarathushtra was born in this Geti (Material) world, he taught human beings the most powerful Yatha Ahu Vairyo.

PT: What are Nirangs and how should we best pray these? Which Nirang would you suggest for prayers?

VD Dr. Kotwal: Nirangs are incantations, short prayers in the Pazend language. They should ideally be prayed after praying the complete Nyaish or Yasht. The Nirangs in the Khordeh Avesta are essences of the complete Nyaish or Yasht. An extremely effective Nirang is taken from the 54th Ha (chapter) of the Yasna and should be recited four times thus:
“AA Airyemaa Ishyo Rafedhraai,
Jantu Nerebyaschaa Naairibyaschaa,
Zarathusthrahe Vangheush Rafedhraai Daenaa Vairim
Hanaat Mizdem Ashahyaa
Yaasaa Ashim Yaam Ishyaam
Ahuro Masataa Mazdao.”
There are Nirang Books written by Er. Dr. Phiroze Masani in three parts which may be available at various Zoroastrian shops selling religious books. Another available book of powerful Nirangs is authored by the late Er. Rustomjee Noshirwan Panthaki, ex-Principal of the Dadar Athornan Institute.

PT: How must we pray to do best justice to our prayers?

VD Dr. Kotwal: The worshipper should be mentally, physically and spiritually pure. When we make supplications or appeals to Dadar Ahura Mazda, we should first be deemed as deserving those solutions by living a good life, because Zoroastrianism is a way of life, not just a religion. Supplications of evil, malicious and devious people are not answered by Dadar Ahura Mazda. Prayer is our intimate connection with Him. He assures us that our sincere prayers guarantee strength, faith, hope and courage.

PT: Of the 101 names of Dadar Ahura Mazda, which should we pray to before commencing any work to be blessed with success?

VD Dr. Kotwal: The 5th name, Abadah, can be prayed before commencing any work. Consecutively, the 6th name Abi-Anjam, should be prayed for successful completion of any task. Both names can be prayed abundantly, with Yatha Ahu Vairyo receited twice and Ashem Vohu once before praying the names, and one Ashem Vohu and two Yatha Ahu Vairyo in conclusion.

PT: Which prayer blesses us with peaceful relationships, harmony, humility and integrity in our life?

VD Dr. Kotwal: Again, I emphasize, that praying Yatha Ahu Vairyo is the only solution to living a good life. It is the most powerful and efficacious prayer. Happiness comes from harmony and harmony comes from humility. Humility leads to prayer and progress, which attunes us with God. Our Sudreh Kusti protect us when we activate Ashoi, each moment of our life by practicing Humata, Hukhta, Hvarashta and pray the Humatanam, Hukhtanam, Hvarashtanam section from any Afringan Prayer. Atha Zamyat Yatha Afrinami!
Wishing all our readers a 2017 blessed with every happiness!