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by Jayaram V
According to the Dadestan, a righteous man accepts the occupation
provided to
him and remains fully watchful in the world so as to avoid
being deceived by the evil. By performing whatever that is desirable
for God, the Mazda worshipper gains his greatness. The central idea
presented in the Zoroastrian ethics, is to live a life of
righteousness that is desirable to God, following His instructions
faithfully and practicing the virtues and qualities represented by Him
in the six Amesha Spentas. The emphasis is on practicing righteousness
by following the three commandments given by the prophet, namely good
thoughts, good words and good actions and remain free from the
temptations of evil. According to Zoroastrian beliefs, since the material world is infested with evil,
dangers lurk everywhere. People should stay alert and keep
themselves pure. By thinking good thoughts, speaking good words and
doing good deeds, they enhance the good in the world and strengthen
the divine forces. If they do the opposite, they would be helping the
evil powers and attracting them into themselves and their lives. As a
Zoroastrian scripture declares, when evil enters some one, Vohuman
departs from there, leaving them entirely at the mercy of evil. In the Denkard we find a passage which declares that
man is made to do the work of purity for his soul, while suffering
hardships in this world, by retaining God within himself as his
friend. The good qualities present in him are the means to form
righteous relations. Man is obedient to God through the means of
righteousness. His duty upon earth is to do things that are
desirable for Him.
Zoroastrian texts provide detailed lists of various kinds of sins
men should avoid. In the Menog-i-khard (Chp. 36) we find
the following list of 30 grievous sins.
- Of the sin which people commit, unnatural intercourse is the
most heinous.
- The second is he who has suffered or performed intercourse with
men.
- The third, who slays a righteous man.
- The fourth, who breaks off a next-of-kin marriage.
- The fifth, who destroys the arrangement of an adopted son (sator).
- The sixth, who smites the fire of Warharan.
- The seventh, who kills a water-beaver
- The eighth, who worships an idol.
- The ninth, who believes and wishes to worship in every religion.
- The tenth, who consumes anything which is received into his
custody, and becomes an embezzler.
- The eleventh is he who, through sinfulness, provides support for
wickedness.
- The twelfth, who does no work, but eats unthankfully and
unlawfully.
- The thirteenth, who commits heresy (zandikih).
- The fourteenth, who commits witchcraft.
- The fifteenth, who commits apostasy (aharmokih).
- The sixteenth, who commits demon-worship.
- The seventeenth, who commits theft, or abetting (avagitih) of
thieves.
- The eighteenth, who commits promise-breaking.
- The nineteenth, who commits maliciousness.
- The twentieth, who commits oppression to make the things of
others his own.
- The twenty-first, who distresses a righteous man.
- The twenty-second, who commits slander.
- The twenty-third, who commits arrogance.
- The twenty-fourth, who goes to a professional courtesan.
- The twenty-fifth, who commits ingratitude.
- The twenty-sixth, who speaks false and untrue.
- The twenty-seventh, who causes discontent as to the affairs of
those who are departed.
- The twenty-eighth, whose pleasure is from viciousness and
harassing the good.
- The twenty-ninth, who considers sin as to be urged on, and a
good work as a day's delay.
- And the thirtieth, who becomes grieved by that happiness which
is provided by him for anyone.'
The following excerpts from the Denkard provides a similar
list of sins to be avoided by the followers of Ahura Mazda.
- Contempt for the religion, speaking ill of it, disobeying the
dictates thereof, and self willedness.
- thinking of matters pertaining to a wicked religion, accepting
anything from those professing a wicked religion,
- not fighting with the Devs and the wicked persons,
- becoming related to unbelievers by giving them children in
marriage,
- not giving good help to other people in the virtuous pursuit of
their callings in the world,
- disloyalty to partners,
- sordidness,
- doing wrongful acts,
- harboring enmity towards the good people who constantly invoke
God,
- pleasing the wicked; also, worshipping the Devil,
- doing harm to pious men,
- impairing (their) sanctity,
- ommitting sodomy,
- practicing sorcery,
- highway robbery,
- committing adultery,
- decreasing the progeny, (i.e. not caring to increase one's
progeny by timely marriage), and impairing the other Dominion
(i.e. that pertaining to the next world),
- doing injustice,
- false teaching,
- depriving the adopted son or the heir of his rights,
- depriving a family of its guardian,
- loving the wicked,
- giving false evidence,
- helping the untruthful,
- also putting out the Atash Behram [Warharan] fire,
- eating of putrefying animal matter,
- throwing the same into fire or water,
- burying the dead under the ground against the law (of the
religion), not within the distance prescribed by the religion),
and single-handed, which is a sin deserving of death. (Denkard
Bk.5)
Other capital offenses mentioned are:
- killing the water-dog and other species of dogs,
- prostitution,
- sexual intercourse with women during menstruation,
- Avarun Marzi (i.e. unnatural intercourse with a
woman),
- drunkenness,
- theft,
- oppression,
- sordidness,
- back-biting,
- deception,
- doing dirty acts,
- eating or drinking without the Vaj (i.e. saying
grace),
- moving about without the Sudre and the Kusti (the sacred shirt
and girdle),
- making water in a standing posture)
- obscene speech,
- doing every sort of immoral deeds,
- and other such acts.
Atonement and punishment for sin
Repentance through confession to God, offering prayers and practicing
the three commandments are the best means of neutralizing the evil
effects of sins, especially those that were committed unintentionally.
In the Shayest-Na-Shayest, there is a chapter on confession and
atonement for sins, according to which, "Sin which affects
accusers is to be atoned for (vijarishn) among the accusers, and that
relating to the soul is to be atoned for among the high-priests (radan),
and when they do whatever the high-priests of the religion command the
sin will depart, and the good works which they may thenceforth do will
attain completion (avasporik). "
In case of mortal sin which attracts the penalty of death, the
mortal sinner (margarzan) has to confess his sin to the high-priests,
deliver up his body and wealth to them and "engage mentally in
renunciation as to the sin which has occurred. Then the high-priests
give him their decision (dastobarih) as to duty and good works, the
duty and good works which were before performed by him come back to
him; and when they inflict punishment for three nights, he does not
enter hell. And if the high-priest orders the cutting off of his head
he is righteous on the spot, and the three nights' (satuih) ceremony
is to be celebrated for him, and the account of the three nights (satuih)
does not affect him. If he does not engage in renunciation he will go
to hell till the future existence; and in his future body they will
bring him from hell, and for every mortal sin they will cut off his
head once, and the last time they will make him alive again, and will
inflict (numayend) three nights' severe punishment."
Suggested Further Reading
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