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Iran is the ancient name of Persia, and it is derived
from the root "Arya" or Aryan, the Indo-European branch of peoples who settled in that land. The Aryans of ancient Iran were
Mazdayasni Zarathushtris, ie. Worshippers of Ahura Mazda (the name of God in Avestan) as revealed by the ancient
prophet Zarathushtra, thousands of years before Christ. However, all the ancient Zoroastrian scriptures speak
of an earlier homeland from where our people came, the lost "Airyane Vaejahi" or seedland of the Aryans. From this
homeland, the Indo- Europeans or Aryans moved to upper India, Iran, Russia and the nations of Europe such as Greece, Italy,
Germany, France, Scandinavia, England, Scotland and Ireland. Sanskrit, Latin, Avestan are all sister languages,
and the present day upper Indian, Persian and European languages are related eg. Baradar in persian = Brata in sanskrit =
Brother in english. "Persia" is actually a late European term for the land of "Farsi" language ie. Iran. The Arabic phase
in Iran only began 1300 years ago, and we had to escape to India to preserve our Zoroastrian religion. The "Vendidad" is one of the ancient scriptures
of the Zoroastrians, actually called the "Vi-daevo-dat" or the law to fight against evil. In the first "Fargad"
or chapter, the Golden Age of the ancient Aryans is outlined with their greatest king, "Yima Kshaeta" (Yam Raj in the
Indian Vedas) who banished old age and death. Then, the ice age broke on the ancient home and the Aryans were forced to migrate
southwards, to the southeast and the southwest. Mr. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a great Brahmin (Indian
Aryan) scholar of India in the last century studied the Vedas and the Vendidad to find an ancient homeland of the Aryans.
The Vedas are scriptures written by the Indo-Europeans or Aryans after they migrated to India. From the descriptions of the
weather patterns mentioned in the Vedas, Tilak concluded that the ancient home must be in the Artic regions ie. above present
Russia. The Aryans migrated from the ancient home to Iran
and from there to India and Greece and Europe. Tilak also said that the most ancient historical scripture was the Iranian
Vendidad, which actually describes the ancient homeland of the Aryans, the Aryan King Yima Kshaeta who ruled over it (Yama
Raja, lord of the underworld in latter day Indian Hinduism) and the onrush of winter, sent by ahriman (the devil) which caused
the great migration. This is the famous first "Fargad" of the Vendidad which fascinated a lot of European scholars in the
last century. The ancient Aryans believed that the world as created
by Ahura Mazda was perfect, with no evil. The first man Gayo Maretan had no disease, no illness, no hunger and thirst. Only
the good creation of God existed eg., the Dog, Cow and Bull, Horse, Cock, Birds etc. Then ahriman the evil one attacked the
world and caused evil to appear, disease and illness and old age, and the animals and the first man started to die. Night
began to fall (before the sun was at the noon position - fixed, so there was no time). The evil brood of animals appeared
eg. snakes, insects, and the cat breed. So evil in the ancient faith is an external introduction, which one day will be purged
when the world will be bathed with the purification of fire - the latter also found in old German mythology. Paradise itself
will be established on the earth, in the form of the Kingdom of Ahura Mazda. The English word "paradise" itself stems from
the Avestan "PairiDaize", meaning the same. Also, the word "garden" probably stems from the Avestan "Garod-man"
meaning the House of songs - the ancient name of heaven for the Aryans. The Kings of ancient Iran were very proud to call
themselves Aryans, their rock edicts indeed say so. "I am an Aryan, the son (Puthra) of an Aryan." This was righteous pride,
because the word Aryan occurs time and again in the ancient scriptures of the Aryans - such as the Yashts (prayers
to the divine elements) and the Vendidad (the law against evil). About a time frame - today, many scholars tend to
place Zarathushtra very late in time (around 1500 BC). The Greek historians at the time of Cyrus placed the first prophet
at around 8000 years bc, that seems a more possible time to the former. However, the ancient Aryans were much sooner than
that. Note that as per the Vendidad, Yima Kshaeta (King Yima) is the ancient king of the Aryans in the ancient homeland Airyanam
Vaejahi (the seedland of the Aryans), and his memory is retained by even the Indian Vedas as Yama Raja (Yama King) because
the Indian Aryans still remembered their ancient king after their split up in the migration, but they made him "Lord of the
netherworld" later on. Unlike the Indians, the Iranian Aryans still retained
a perfect memory of days gone by -the perfect time in the ancient homeland, when Yiam banished disease, death and hunger from
the homeland. This was indeed the true "Golden age" of humankind. So, what about the time? The migration actually started
before the ice age struck. When the ice and winter set in (sent by the evil one), the ancient homeland was destroyed. If the
home was in the North Pole, look for a time when the North Pole was not covered by ice - that would be thousands and thousands
of years before. I have estimated that time when the ice age struck as 20,000 years ago in my book, but the time could be
much earlier. There were kings before Yima too, ruling over the Aryans. Note too that the civilizations of Mohenjo-Daro and
Harappa in old India were actually Aryan, and they were starting to decay around 4000 bc. which means they had been in existance
for thosands of years before (scholars admit this). They would have been built by the Indo-Aryans much after their initial
separation from the Aryans of Iran. An American friend said: "Observation: There's an incredible thread here between
something I've seen mentioned about a "Golden Age" of humankind..when humans were so close to their Creator they didn't need
writing or speech or tools to sustain themselves..and the Zoroastrian story." Thats right. Zarathushtra was sent by Ahura
Mazda to reaffirm the ancient faith (that was taught to Yima Kshaeta and before him, the first man Gayo-Maretan). He was also
given the "AGUSTO-VACHO" ie revelations unheard before. He was thus the first prophet, to be followed by three Saviours.
When the final Saviour comes, the world will be purged by fire and evil destroyed in a final great battle. Then Ahura Mazda
will rule. The mightiest words in the religion are in the Ahunavar, a great prayer. The ending words of this prayer
in Avestan are, Kshrethamchai (Kingdom) Ahurai (God) Ayim (will come). "Does the Vendidad have one set of general principles
in one place, like the Old Testament Bible, or is it necessary to read the whole..." The Vendidad is itself the ancient Law against evil.
Throughout the book, there are Fargads (chapters) which explain the various evils in the eyes of Ahura Mazda. For instance,
prostitution and homosexuality are abhorred, so is ill-treatment to dogs. Ahura Mazda praises the Dog as His Glorious Creation,
who He created as the guardian of the Aryan household and farm. One Fargad details the ancient history of Yima Kshaeta, and
the ancient homeland.
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