History of Zoroastrianism/Chapter 29

by Maneckji Nusservanji Dhalla

 

CHAPTER XXIX

 

THE RENOVATION

 

The greatest of the renovators. Zoroaster in his religion postulated a renovation of the universe, a new dispensation in which the world will become perfect at the last day. We learn from Diogenes, on the authority of Theopompus and Eudemus, that the classical authors were familiar with the Magian doctrine of the millennium and the final restoration of the world as early as in the fourth century b.c.^[1] Plutarch draws his materials on this millennial doctrine from Theopompus.^[2] In the Later Avestan texts we sometimes miss a clear definition of the collective judgment of the souls and final regeneration. But they furnish us with some stray passages which cursorily deal with the work of the Renovation at the millennium and of the saviour renovators who will bring this to pass.

The world progresses towards perfection. Inequity and wrong are to be ultimately supplanted by equity and right. The world is to be restored to a veritable heaven on earth. The goodness of Ahura Mazda makes it imperative that the entire creation shall finally be saved. The faithful are confident of this final event, and they know that this accomplishment will be the end of the world, when right shall triumph supreme. In his daily prayers the true believer prays that the fire that bums in his house may remain shining till the day of the good Renovation.^[3] Spenta Armaiti, the genius of earth, is likewise implored to receive and to rear the seed that men emit in their dreams, and ultimately to deliver this back as holy men at the time of Renovation.^[4]

According to the teachings of Zarathushtra, every man or woman is his or her own saviour. Salvation depends entirely upon the righteous life of the individual. Besides this individual salvation there is to be the universal salvation in which the renovators will finish the work of bringing salvation to all human beings. The texts speak of certain great souls, three in number, including the saviour paramount, that will usher in this period. These are called Saoshyants in the Zoroastrian terminology. The Fravardin Yasht^[5] mentions Ukhshyatereta, Ukhshyatnemah, and Astvatereta as the chief renovators. Zarathushtra's own kith and kin, a superman of miraculous powers, born in supernatural manner, will finally descend upon earth to renovate the world. Astvatereta, or the Saoshyant proper, will be immaculately conceived through a virgin called Vispataurvi, or 'the all-triumphant.'^[6] He is called Saoshyant because he will salvage the bodily world, and Astvatereta because he will save the bodily creatures from destruction at the hands of the two-footed wicked ones.^[7] Astvatereta is reflected in the Gathic expression astvat ashem, ashem being cognate with areta.^[8] This Saoshyant par excellence is the most eminent restorer, he is called the friend of Ahura Mazda, the meritorious one, who will bring the mighty work to completion.^[9] This particular Yasht,^[10] as just stated, incidentally mentions Zarathushtra's seed as watched over by ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Fravashis. Passages such as these in the Avesta contain in embryo the doctrine of the immaculate birth which is later elaborated by the Pahlavists.

This final Saoshyant will be helped in his great undertaking by pious comrades or attendants, who will be, as the description says, fiend-smiting, of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and who are such as have never known falsehood.^[11] The Kingly Glory will cleave unto them,^[12] and the great Saoshyant will profit the whole bodily world and withstand the Druj.^[13]

The final reconciliation of the entire creation to its creator. The world will henceforth neither grow old nor die, decay nor rot, but will be ever fresh and ever living; death will be no more, life and immortality will come to pass forever and the dead will rise up again.^[14] Plutarch records that it is the Magian belief that at the time of the Renovation mankind will speak one language and have one commonwealth; men will live without food and they will not cast shadows.^[15] Vohu Manah at the time of this final dispensation will smite Aka Manah; truth will rout falsehood; Haurvatat and Ameretat will smite once and for all the fiends of hunger and thirst, at which moment the deadly Aeshma will bow and flee helpless forever.^[16] The demons are believed to have existed as long as physical and moral imperfections lasted; with the cessation of all such evils, the fiends will be no more. The Saoshyants will join in reciting the Airyaman Ishya prayer, and the divine Kingdom of Ahura Mazda will come to pass, as the sovereignty of Angra Mainyu will then end. Impotent, the Prince of Evil will acknowledge his defeat in the warfare that has gone on for ages between the powers of Right and Wrong. Bowing before Ahura Mazda, Angra Mainyu will hide himself with the demons in the earth.^[17] The wicked Druj and her hundredfold brood will forthwith vanish,^[18] and with it will disappear all evil propensities in man. With the disappearance of evil from the universe, good will prevail everywhere and for all time; and the accursed name of Angra Mainyu will be forgotten. Ahura Mazda will be forever, even as he has been from all eternity.

 

1. Prooem. 9.
2. Is. et Os. 47.
3. Ys. 62. 3; Ny. 5. 9.
4. Vd. 18. 51.
5. Yt. 13. 128.
6. Yt. 13. 142; 19. 92; Vd. 19. 5.
7. Yt. 13. 129.
8. See Bartholomae, Air. Wb. p. 215.
9. See Casartelli, Salvation (Iranian), in ERE. 11. 137, 138; Pertold, The Origin of the Idea of a Universal Saviour in Modi Memorial Volume, p. 464-474.
10. Yt. 13. 62.
11. Yt. 19. 95.
12. Yt. 19. 89.
13. Yt. 13. 129.
14. Yt. 19. 11, 19, 20, 23, 24, 89; WFr. 4. 3.
15. Is. et Os. 47.
16. Yt. 19. 95, 96.
17. Yt. 19. 96; WFr. 4. 2, 3.
18. Yt. 19. 12, 90.