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

WHAT IS ILM-E-KHSHNOOM AND WHY?
How the Astute Savant Khurshedji Camaji was Formidably
Impressed by Bahermshah Shroff.
The Dawn of Khshnoom in Bombay - 75 Sittings By the Gujerati
IV Standard - "Uneducated" , with B.A.’s M.S.’s and Ph.D's !!
by N. Khurshedji
The arrival of Baheramshah Shroff in the assembly of Manchershah Kekobad was, according to his
inspirational messages, guided by the "Gebi Sahebs". So also Baheramshah's agreeing to go to Mumbai,
after tremendous persuasion.
After narrating the events upto this point Manchershah proceeds:
"Baheramshah was made to arrive in Mumbai. Initial lectures were delivered. As expected, there was
some opposition from certain direction. However in one of his lectures the late (K.R.) Camaji was the
President. He admitted that this was surely Zoroastrian Philosophy, but the technical terms are quite
new, therefore more we will hear him, more, will we be able to understand. In the same assembly an
Avesta scholar asked, "Where has he the knowledge of Avesta Pahalvi ?" Many remember till now
Camaji's reply: "Brothers ! What more have you done except just translating the words? Where
have we been able to offer any explanations of the Mysterious Writings. I feel that this man has
got something, we do not have. Let us wait and see."
Who was this K.R. Cama who implied in the above words that mere philological and etymological
translations done in the West oriented studies, were not adequate; that Religious writings were mysterious
and required deeper explanations than the dry grammatical exertions; and that this man Baheramshah Shroff
had such explanations as the scholars of Avesta Pahalvi did not have? K. R. Cama was himself the pioneer of
the Western Studies. It was he, who was mainly responsible for bringing those studies to India. After a long
journey in the line of these studies, he was not satisfied. There was something seriously missing and that was
the mystical side of Din-e-Zarathushtra. As we will see later in the words of other weighty witnesses, Camaji
was greatly attracted towards the mystical truths revealed to him by Baheramshah, and had adopted as
correct the meanings of several words from Avesta Scriptures as explained to him by Baheramshah.
Let us now continue our story from the point where Manchershah left it.
Baheramshah came to Bombay in 1908. How the presentation of IIm-e-Khshnoom started there, has
been very interestingly described by Sohrabji Nanabhai Banaji in his Gujerati Article in the Baheramshah
Shroff Memorial Volume (1930), page 331 onwards. Sohrabji belonged to the Banaji family, which was well
known for its public charitable and religious activities. Banajis had a major hand in establishing the 289 years
old Banaji-Limjee Agiary at Fort and the Banaji Atash-Baheram at Charni Road, Mumbai. The family was
nurtured in intense faith for the Daena and its spiritual Institutions.
Sohrabji Banaji’s historical article, titled "How Did Sheth Baheramshah Navroji Shroff start IIm-e-
Khshnoom in Mumbai?" begins with the following passage:
"In 1908 A.D. I received a printed, postcard bearing the signature of Mr. Khodabux Edaliji Poonegar,
wherein an amazing matter was stated to the effect that one gentleman from Surat by name Mr.
Baheramshah Navroji Shroff had a sudden contact with a Zarathoshti clan staying in a secret cave at the
North of Iran, who is preserving our Religion and 'Tarikat's since a long time; that Mr. Shroff had been to
Iran (with that clan) and brought some knowledge of Religion; and that I may remain present at the hall of
the Bengali School at Fort, to visit him.
"Those few lines were enough to invoke my curiosity and so I set aside all my other work and remained
present.
"In presence of the late Sheth Khurshedji Rustomji Camaji and 30 other students of Avesta
Pahalvi, a simple elderly gentleman of old traditional appearance described his aforesaid journey
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