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

Athornan's of my class ?" I thereupon told him something about Baheramshah. As was usual with Mr.
Choksey, he took me along with himself to visit Baheramshah on the same day. During the visit he was
convinced that here was the very person fit for imparting education in his class. He there and then
informed Baheramshah about his scheme and requested him to accept the position of the religious
teacher of his class.
"UNEXPECTED OBSTACLE:
Baharemshah refused. Mr. Choksey pleaded and entreated. But Baheramshah stuck to one point
that presently there was no "Mataa" (i.e. no proper and suitable time). The Zaman, the present
time is material. This knowledge is not for throwing pearls before the swines, to those who have no
capacity to appreciate. It is to be placed only before the genuine knowledge - seeker. Mr. Choksey was
helpless. He told me the next day, "Master, you are well versed in the artful game of three cards, so
would you not try to convince the old man to say yes ?" Since I also thought that this scheme was useful
for the community, I took up the task. I tried a few times and at last made the old man to say yes. I am
unable to understand how I could succeed and how I could shake up his unshakable
determination. It may be the help of the "gebi Sahebs." The brothers of my community, who belong to
the rationalistic school, may perhaps laugh at the man of my kind, having been reared in the doubting
skeptical age, saying again and again about "the help of gebi Sahebs." But the TIME works in its own
way. Everything is subject to TIME. What cannot be done by anybody, TIME can do. The obstacles
were removed. Baheramshaji was made to arrive in Mumbai. The initial lectures were delivered. As
expected, there was some opposition from certain directions."
This is the first hand account of how Baheramshahji was brought to Mumbai, emanating from the able
and honest pen of his almost first disciple. Look at Manchershah's words about "gebi Sahebs". Look at the
ringing tone of his own experience. Look at his reference to rationality of the skeptical age and the under
current of his own intellectual and spiritual journey.
One of the most remarkable features of Manchershah's narration is Baheramshah's initial very hard
resistance to opening of the treasure of the mystical knowledge of the Zarthoshti Din to all and sundry. People
will not only not understand but will misunderstand. How can the swines value the pearls? How can a nonjeweler
appreciate the inherent beauty of a diamond? How can the people of weak, egoistic, self-centered
and material minds absorb the mystical truths emanating and flowing from the Saints and Seers?
Baheramshah was right in his resistance. Subsequent events have proved, and the proof continues till the
present day, that his fear was well founded. Yet it was destined that let a few - very few - pearls be
thrown to the herd of swines; it is possible that not all may be swines; some may awaken….. That is
why this Parsi Pukar is in your hands. It is a long journey from Kaikhashru Choksi's interview with
Baheramshah. And there is still a small herd of cows, not swines, in the Parsi Communiy...
Those who were near to Baheramshah during his life and were his trusted disciples, have recorded that
Manchershah was not wrong in his thinking that the 'gebi Sahebs' had helped him to convince Baheramshah
to go to Mumbai. Manchershah had to persuade him not at one sitting. When his persuasions became too
sincere and pressing, Baheramshah asked for the help from his "gebi Sahebs". He had close connections
with them in his own mysterious way. When he asked his 'Saheb' whether he should go to Mumbai, he was
told to the effect that Manchershah was an advanced soul and Baheramshah should follow his advices. The
late Jehangir Chiniwalla has recorded this in his "lIm-e-Khushnoom ni Maktabni Tavarikh" written in his
renowned weekly Parsi Avaz.
I may be permitted also to point out that the very first words spoken by Baheramshah in the Bazam of
Munchershah referred to Atesh-e-Berezisavang, Atash-e-Vohufrian, Atash-e-Dara and other sacred Atash's,
a purely Zarathushtrian subject. There was no doubt that he was revealing the mystical foundations of
the Din-e-Zarathushtra. Everybody, who heard him, said so in most emphatic terms. They included stalwarts
like Jehangirji Vimadalal, Khurshedji Suntoke, Munchershah Kekobad; the scholars like Khurshedji Cama,
Khodabux poonegar, Sohrab Bulsara, Bapaji Meherjirana; the Athornans like Beheramji Unwalla, Manekji
Bhathena. All of them and a host of others were unanimous that Baheramshah was speaking Zarthosti
Din. I repeat this, because those to whose self interest or egoistic psyche IIm-e-Khshnoom was not suitable
or palatable, tried to spread two fictions. One was that his was not Zarthoshti Din but only theosophy with a
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