Zoroastrian Scriptures - where can one get them?

[The Emperor of Mankind]

I've been looking for physical copies of the Avesta and the Gathas and my search is yielding surprisingly little success. Is there an organisation or a place where copies of the sacred books can be obtained?

 

[Rival]

eBay. Amazon. You'll never ever find them in WHSmith's lol.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

eBay. Amazon. You'll never ever find them in WHSmith's lol.

Really? I'm talking about modern English translations here. The books I've found on the likes of Amazon seem to be nothing more than treatises on the texts themselves.

 

[Rival]

Really? I'm talking about modern English translations here. The books I've found on the likes of Amazon seem to be nothing more than treatises on the texts themselves.

Yes, the texts themselves. Also if you were really desperate you can read them online and print them off. I'm not sure about ultra modern 'NIV Bible' type English, but I like my translations a bit archaic sounding.

Gathas

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

You'll never ever find them in WHSmith's lol.

I wouldn't be so silly as to look there... closes the Opera tab containing WHSmith's website.

Yes, the texts themselves. Also if you were really desperate you can read them online and print them off. I'm not sure about ultra modern 'NIV Bible' type English, but I like my translations a bit archaic sounding.

Gathas

Good points. It'd be a good holdover until I get my mitts on proper turn-the-page bound books. One of the things that threw me off reading the Bible to a certain extent was the diction; we have the King James version and the language... ugh. A shame Zoroastrianism largely doesn't actively drive for converts - that would produce a demand for newer editions of the scriptures.

 

[MD]

I wouldn't be so silly as to look there... closes the Opera tab containing WHSmith's website.



Good points. It'd be a good holdover until I get my mitts on proper turn-the-page bound books. One of the things that threw me off reading the Bible to a certain extent was the diction; we have the King James version and the language... ugh. A shame Zoroastrianism largely doesn't actively drive for converts - that would produce a demand for newer editions of the scriptures.

Our main centers are in Iran (an Islamic country which has been known to execute Muslims who convert out) and India (which has its own issues with outsiders converting Hindus). So conversion is a highly contentious topic. I have read articles about how Zoroastrian centers in Iran get hundreds of conversion requests per month but is under tremendous pressure from the Islamic government to turn them down. It's rather sad.

We are trying to build something in North America, especially Toronto.

 

[spiritualhitchhiker]

Our main centers are in Iran (an Islamic country which has been known to execute Muslims who convert out) and India (which has its own issues with outsiders converting Hindus). So conversion is a highly contentious topic.

When Parsis came to India, they promised they won't convert anyone. India is a democratic country, every individual is free to follow whatever religion they like, but Parsis don't even allow anyone from other religion anywhere near or inside their temples. So how will anyone know how to get into Zoroastrianism?

 

[MD]

When Parsis came to India, they promised they won't convert anyone. India is a democratic country, every individual is free to follow whatever religion they like, but Parsis don't even allow anyone from other religion anywhere near or inside their temples. So how will anyone know how to get into Zoroastrianism?

Parsis don't but the rest of the world does.

India has given us refuge, but we can't break our promise. And we are far too small to **** of Muslims or Hindutva fanatics.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Here is one more: AVESTA: KHORDA AVESTA (English): Zamyad Yasht ('Hymn to the Earth') (Archaic, but I like that).

And we are far too small to **** of Muslims or Hindutva fanatics.

Hindu fanatics like me actually love you, but you look to the west. Look at your heritage.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Parsis don't but the rest of the world does.

India has given us refuge, but we can't break our promise. And we are far too small to **** of Muslims or Hindutva fanatics.

Sometimes I think you should get a sign saying Not all Zoroastrians are Parsis! for the DIR. It'd save so much confusion.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, Parsis means people from Iran/Persians (RigVeda mentions Parashus as one of the participants of the Battle of Ten Kings - Dasarajnya War). Surely, all Zoroastrians are Parsis (by origin), whether they live in India or in Iran (other than some recent Western converts).

 

[MD]

Here is one more: AVESTA: KHORDA AVESTA (English): Zamyad Yasht ('Hymn to the Earth') (Archaic, but I like that).Hindu fanatics like me actually love you, but you look to the west. Look at your heritage.

True, but we do not want to anger even a few Hindu nationalists.

Our heritage failed us, which is why we are in such a bind. And we know live in the West, and we are a part of the West. We must create a new identity, a Western identity. Things change. Just like the Parsis of India have Gujarati DNA, the Zoroastrians of the West will have more of a Western admixture. I have met half white, half Puerto Rican and even half black Zoroastrians.

In the end the religion supercedes the culture. Parsis are a culture, while Zoroastrianism is a faith. And some things the Parsis preach do not match what are in the Gathas, the words of revelation from Zarathrustra. I hope to see a new culture of Western Zoroastrianism, just like the Parsis are Indian Zoroastrians.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Good luck to you, Zoroastrians. If Westerners, Puerto Ricans and others are OK, what was wrong with Hindus?

 

[MD]

Good luck to you, Zoroastrians. If Westerners, Puerto Ricans and others are OK, what was wrong with Hindus?

You're misreading what I wrote.

There is nothing wrong with Hindus. But we promised to never convert Hindus (even though we all have some Indian/Hindu blood through DNA studies, so I'm sure some happened).

And Hinduism is not synonymous with the Hindutva movement. Gandhiji was a Hindu and was assassinated by Godse, a Hindutva thug. Indian nationalism should not by synonymous with Hindutva movement at all, imo.

We are dying out Apumanyav, either we adapt and grow or vanish forever.

 

[Aupmanyav]

We are sorry to see you diminish. You have been with us for 1364 years. You are part of our diversity. Like you, we also conduct Yajnas, we also wear Kushti/Mekhala/Yajnopavita. We are brothers. Ahur Mazda is Prajapati, Ahur Mazda is Brahman.

 

[VargDrakon]

You can still get reprints of James Darmesteter's 3-part translation from Max Müller's old Sacred Books of the East series. Like these (both links are to part 1):
http://www.amazon.com/Zend-Avesta-Part-Vendidad-Forgotten/dp/1606201956/
http://www.amazon.com/Zend-Avesta-V1-Sacred-Books/dp/1162720018/
It is the same translation as one avesta.org, but I can't comment on the quality of the printing.

There is also this translation of just the Gathas by recently-deceased scholar Martin Litchfield West:
http://www.amazon.com/Hymns-Zoroaster-Translation-Ancient-Sacred/dp/1848855052/
West provides explanations to every hymn, but they can still be hard to get into on their own.

One of the things that threw me off reading the Bible to a certain extent was the diction; we have the King James version and the language... ugh.

The King James version is also a horrible translation in general. It confounds me that most modern English translations still try to conform to it in places where it is clearly wrong to anyone who understands a lick of Koine Greek.

 

[paarsurrey]

True, but we do not want to anger even a few Hindu nationalists.

Our heritage failed us, which is why we are in such a bind. And we know live in the West, and we are a part of the West. We must create a new identity, a Western identity. Things change. Just like the Parsis of India have Gujarati DNA, the Zoroastrians of the West will have more of a Western admixture. I have met half white, half Puerto Rican and even half black Zoroastrians.

In the end the religion supercedes the culture. Parsis are a culture, while Zoroastrianism is a faith. And some things the Parsis preach do not match what are in the Gathas, the words of revelation from Zarathrustra. I hope to see a new culture of Western Zoroastrianism, just like the Parsis are Indian Zoroastrians.

Did Zoroaster explain for himself as to the mode of revelation he received from Ahura Mazda? Did it word for word originate from Ahura Mazda? Please quote from the scripture of Zoroaster, in this connection.

Regards

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Did Zoroaster explain for himself as to the mode of revelation he received from Ahura Mazda? Did it word for word originate from Ahura Mazda? Please quote from the scripture of Zoroaster, in this connection.

Regards

Please stop derailing other peoples' threads (especially mine) with your obnoxious & repetitive questions.

 

[Jeremy Taylor]

If you have an ereader, you can get these Avesta texts in epub form (PDFs are terrible on ereaders):


https://archive.org/details/hymnsofzoroaster00guth


http://www.avesta.org/epub/index.html

Reading online is not for everyone, so, if you can't get hard copies, you might be interested in these.

 

[Jeremy Taylor]

The King James version is also a horrible translation in general. It confounds me that most modern English translations still try to conform to it in places where it is clearly wrong to anyone who understands a lick of Koine Greek.

It is a jewel of the English language though, and has had untold influence on English literature and thought. I would rather read it over a more accurate modern translation any time. I can't say I have tried older versions like the Douay–Rheims version, but I find most modern translation to lack much of the literary brilliance of the KJV. I don't know whether the sort of contrived archaisms that would mark a nineteenth or twentieth century translation of the Avesta in the same style would have the same effects, though.