The remarkable prophecies contained in the Bahman Yasht that I read in the translation by noted Avesta scholar Ervad Kavasji Edulji Kanga are the gist of a dialog between Zarathushtra and Ahura Mazda, in which the latter advises the former about the seven ages through which mankind will pass before the rejuvenation.
According to Kanga’s translation, Ahura Mazda’s revelations became known to the Prophet when he regained consciousness after a nine-day trance. These ages were described as the seven branches of a tree.
The golden branch is the period of King Vistasp’s reign when the sovereign accepts the Mazdayasni religion and evil persons will be defeated and consigned to dozakh (hell). The second branch is when King Artaxerxes will segregate good and evil people, smite the latter and spread the religion throughout the world. The third branch represents the era of King Askhani, when impiety and evil dispositions will be destroyed. The fourth branch is when, during their respective reigns, Kings Ardeshir Babagaan and Shahpur will renovate the world, spread goodness, "illuminate” our hoary religion and King Adarbad Mahrespand will retrieve those who have gone astray. The fifth branch is when King Behramgor will reinforce righteousness, defeat evildoers and "consign them to dark hell,” notes Kanga.
The dissertations of the remaining two branches are jaw dropping, prophetic and accurate, especially with relevance to the 20th and 21st centuries! The sixth branch represents the reign of King Kobad (Noshirwan-e-Adil), when the combined forces of evil will attack and offend the followers of the Mazdayasni religion and attempts will be made to keep them at bay. And in the seventh branch Ahura Mazda warns Zarathushtra of the denouement, the last phase of the world.
As per Kanga’s translation, Ahura Mazda described the last phase as being like the Dark Ages when wrathful men in dark clothes will attack "my Iran,” hoisting tall flags. They will be mean in character and "practicing black magic.” Also, "prosperity, greatness, righteousness, promises, integrity, the bounties of my religion will be abrogated… My noble Mazdayasni religion and my atash behrams will be pillaged and destroyed. The provinces of Iran will be flattened, and an oppressive rule will become normal… Cheating, dodging, breaking of pledges will become normal… Religious and pious people will be ‘very unhappy’ and reduced to penury… The conquerors will misbehave with the Zoroastrians: There will be no love left for the dead, and there will be no friendship.
"The meanest will rise to the zenith of power, my righteous judgments will be overturned, righteousness will be overruled, false oaths and false evidences will be considered right… (The conquerors) will malign me, people will become avaricious, there will be droughts, famines and earthquakes, and the cattle will be emaciated. All things moral and right will be upturned and (Zoroastrian) rituals annulled.
"The righteous, the nobility will be at the mercy of the infidels and made to beg. To kill a man will be like killing a fly and lust will be commonplace… Red-clothed, red-flagged, evil men will enter Iran and China… Thereafter, from the west coast of India, King Behram Varzavand (also called King Shahpur) will be born, and the celestial sign will be a ‘rain’ of comets. That day and month will be Govad and Avan respectively (however, no particular year has been mentioned)… He will move towards Iran with 150 followers… And Zoroastrianism will be revived. Prosperity and righteousness will re-enter Iran, thanks to King Peshotan.”
In 633 AD, Iran fell to the Arabs. For 1,390 years there has been no hope for the last prophecy to materialize. May it happen in future! BEHRAM T. DASTUR
dasturbehram@gmail.com