Er. Zarrir Bhandara shares timeless wisdom from our Zoroastrian religion, exploring its spiritual insights, ethical teachings and relevance in today’s world. Drawn from the Gathas, sacred traditions and lived experiences of the Zoroastrian community, each piece of wisdom serves as a guiding light in, continuing to inspire and illuminate. In our exclusive column, ‘Pearls Of Wisdom’, Er. Zarrir Bhandara answers your queries, shedding light on the enduring relevance of Zoroastrian wisdom for us all.
Questions From Our Readers:
Q: Does Zoroastrianism believe that everything in our lives is destined, or do our choices determine our future? (Jilla Mehta, Mumbai)
Er. Zarrir: In our Zarathushti doctrine, human existence is defined as an active, cosmic spiritual battle between Ahura Mazda (the Supreme Lord of Wisdom) and Angra Mainyu (the Destructive Spirit, Ahriman). Within this traditional framework, free will (varna) is not just a personal philosophy, it is a sacred cosmic duty. From a Zarathushti perspective, the answer to whether life is destined or determined by choice rests on four fundamental traditional principles:
Absolute Freedom of Choice (Varna):Ahura Mazda created humans with complete moral autonomy, giving us Khratu(intellect), Daena (conscience), and Urvan (the soul), along with Fasuso Manthra (the beneficial holy prayers), Farhang Farang (the supreme science and wisdom of creation), and the golden spiritual armor of the Sudreh and Kusti. Unlike lower creatures or physical elements, humans were granted the freedom to choose whether to align with God or evil.
Our scriptures state that before the physical world (Getig) was created, the Fravashis (the guardian spiritual essences of humanity) were given a choice by Ahura Mazda: remain safe in the spiritual realm, or descend into the material world to actively fight evil and help cleanse creation. The Fravashis chose to enter the battle. Therefore, human existence itself began with a conscious, free choice.
Law of Asha and Kerdar (Cause and Effect):Zarathushti religion completely rejects the notion that God predestines suffering, hardship, poverty or bad fortune. Ahura Mazda is wholly good (All-Good) and incapable of creating evil, illness or tragedy. Instead, traditional doctrine operates on the absolute cosmic law of Asha (Truth, Cosmic Order and Righteousness):
Action and Consequence: Every thought, word, and deed creates a spiritual resonance. Good deeds generate Kerfeh (divine merit and spiritual order), while bad deeds generate Gunah (sin and chaotic destruction).
The Formation of Kerdar: Throughout life, your choices build your spiritual personification, known as Kerdar. Upon death, at the Chinvat Bridge (the Bridge of the Separator), your soul meets its own Kerdar. If you lived a righteous life by choosing Asha, your Kerdar appears as a beautiful maiden guiding you to Garonmana (the House of Song / Heaven). If you chose a life aligned with Druj (the Lie), it appears as a terrifying figure leading to darkness. Your eternal fate is entirely self-created.
III. Destiny as Purpose, Not Predetermination: While individual choices determine your personal path, our religion does recognize an overarching cosmic destination: Frashokereti (the ultimate renewal, purification, and perfection of the universe).
The World’s Fate: The final victory of Ahura Mazda over evil is absolute and destined.
Your Role: How and when that victory is achieved, and whether you personally share in its divine glory, depends entirely on your daily choices. You are not a puppet following a written script – you’re a soldier enrolled in Ahura Mazda’s spiritual army, active in transforming evil into good.
Daily Rituals as Re-affirmation of Choice: A Zarathushti re-affirms their choices multiple times every day during the Kustiritual. When untying and re-tying the sacred cord, the believer recites the Jasa Me Avanghe Mazdaprayer, explicitly declaring: “I profess myself a Mazdayasni Zarathushti… I pledge myself to the well-thought thought, the well-spoken word, and the well-performed deed.”
This daily ritual serves as an intentional renewal of the covenant – a continuous, deliberate choice to reject Ahrimanic darkness and choose Ahuric light (Vidaevo Ahuratakesho).
Thus, to a Zarathushti, nothing in our moral life or spiritual future is predestined. Ahura Mazda provides the divine tools – the Sudreh, the Kusti, the Manthravani (sacred prayers), and your conscience. But the helm of your life remains strictly in your own hands.
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