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Ilm-e-Khshnoom - Traditional Zoroastrianism: Tenets of the Religion

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khshnoom, <strong>the</strong> mystical knowledge <strong>of</strong> Zarthoshti Din revived and revealed by Baheramshah, and although he<br />

had drunk deep, he remained thirsty. He states more than once in his article that Baheramshah did not reveal<br />

all <strong>the</strong> knowledge he had.<br />

Jehangirji had several concrete suggestions for propagation <strong>of</strong> IIm-e-khshnoom, even during <strong>the</strong> life time<br />

<strong>of</strong> Baheramshah. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m was that <strong>the</strong> technical terms occurring in <strong>Khshnoom</strong> must be elaborated and<br />

simplified. Whenever he presided at Baheramshah's lectures, he successfully tried to explain <strong>the</strong> meanings <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> technical terms from <strong>the</strong> presidential chair. He also advised some followers <strong>of</strong> <strong>Khshnoom</strong> not to be carried<br />

away too much by certain very sophisticated 'Tarikat's, which were meant only for Abeds (Saints), but to give<br />

equal, if not more, importance to <strong>the</strong> moral life. After <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> Baheramshah, Jehangirji Vimadalal formed<br />

a "Committee for propagating Jarthoshti IIm-e-khshnoom", <strong>of</strong> which he was <strong>the</strong> first Secretary.<br />

Had this been a presentation in Court, I would have closed my case, just relying on <strong>the</strong>se two witnesses:<br />

Khurshedji Suntoke, Advocate and J. Vimadalal Solicitor. Both are weighty and sincere witnesses and<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir testimony rings with truth. But <strong>the</strong> absorption coefficient <strong>of</strong> many Parsis and <strong>the</strong>ir capacity to face <strong>the</strong><br />

truth is low. I shall, <strong>the</strong>refore, take you fur<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> recorded evidence proving <strong>the</strong> miracle <strong>of</strong> Baheramshah<br />

Shr<strong>of</strong>f and IIm-e-khshnoom. The whole <strong>of</strong> this true story has miracles all <strong>the</strong> way and a most interesting<br />

reading is assured to my dear readers.<br />

THE FIRST DISCIPLE<br />

The next witness is Manchershah Pallonji Kekobad, a colourful character, who was responsible firstly,<br />

to find out Baheramashah, and secondly, to persuade him to go to Mumbai for propagating IIm-e-khshnom.<br />

Before we delve into his written testimony, it is necessary to have a little biographical background <strong>of</strong><br />

Baheramshah.<br />

Baheramshah Navroji Shr<strong>of</strong>f was born at Surat on 3rd August, 1858 and died on 7th July, 1927. As a boy<br />

he was like a written-<strong>of</strong>f child. He stammered while speaking. In school, he was not doing much good. To add<br />

to all this, he had a bad temper. Somewhere in his 17th year he had a big temperamental quarrel with his<br />

widowed mo<strong>the</strong>r and in a feat <strong>of</strong> anger, he went to <strong>the</strong> Surat Railway Station and entered a train going North.<br />

He changed trains, God knows how many times. At last he arrived at Peshawar <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n North West<br />

Frontier Province, where his uncle was residing. During his stay at Peshawar, he came in contact with a small<br />

caravan <strong>of</strong> Zarthoshti Abeds (Saints) who expressed <strong>the</strong>ir desire to carry Baheram with <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong>ir secret<br />

abode. After some resistance from uncle, which was later withdrawn, Baheram went with <strong>the</strong> Abeds and<br />

stayed in <strong>the</strong>ir secret orbited place for about 3 years - 1875 to 1878.<br />

The true story <strong>of</strong> Baheramshah's reaching <strong>the</strong> abode <strong>of</strong> Abeds in <strong>the</strong> Demavand mountain <strong>of</strong> Iran, is full<br />

<strong>of</strong> miracles, big and small. The questions: Why was he carried, how was he carried and what did he do <strong>the</strong>re,<br />

have answers, which are extraordinary and defying common sense. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> events bordered on <strong>the</strong><br />

mysterious, some were deeply mysterious. But I do not propose at this stage to narrate <strong>the</strong>m, as at present<br />

we are having an intellectual inquiry into <strong>the</strong> reported miracle <strong>of</strong> his life from <strong>the</strong> recorded facts and testimony<br />

<strong>of</strong> independent witnesses. If your curiosity has already bounced, read "A Mazdanan Mystic" by Nanabhoy<br />

F. Mama" Advocate (ano<strong>the</strong>r lawyer), published in 1944, and reprinted by Dini Avaz Committee in <strong>the</strong><br />

present year.<br />

Baheramshah came out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> holy place <strong>of</strong> Zarthoshti 'Abed's in 1878, traveled all over India, and <strong>the</strong>n<br />

settled in Surat. From 1878 to 1905, he did not reveal his experience to anybody. He was no longer that<br />

stammering, bad tempered, weak-at-school boy. His stammering was gone; he had an imposing beard; his<br />

eyes were shining with some mysterious light but with a streak <strong>of</strong> humour. He <strong>of</strong>ten used to sit in <strong>the</strong> shop <strong>of</strong><br />

a Bohri book seller, who was his friend and who had an inkling that this 'bavaji' was much deeper than he<br />

seemed. Some curious looking people were coming to see him, say a Muslim Fakir or an orthodox looking<br />

Brahmin, and talked intently but whisperingly with him. Again, this period <strong>of</strong> his life at Surat has some<br />

extraordinary incidents, which are recorded by his prominent disciple Jehangir Chiniwalla Advocate in a long<br />

series <strong>of</strong> Gujerati articles titled "lIm-e-khshnoom ni Maktab ni Tavarikh" published in his renowned Weekly<br />

Parsi Avaz.<br />

Going back to our third witness Manchershah Palonji Kekobad, he describes in his article in <strong>the</strong> Memorial<br />

Volume (pages 247 to 254), how Baheramshah after a silence <strong>of</strong> more than 25 years revealed his<br />

experience before a small assembly <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Parsi young and old in Surat. This was in 1905. Let us hear him: -<br />

13

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