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

WAS IT ZARTHOSHTI?
Jehangirji then proceeds in his article to deal with the question: Was he speaking the Zarathusti Din or
something else?
"The fact that Beheramshah had a mystical philosophy relating to Zarthoshti Religion, cannot be denied
by his strongest opponent. It is another matter from where did he get that knowledge which he put forward
through his lectures and classes, but there is no doubt that he had such deep religious knowledge as was
never known before and he could present it point by point in the style of a real learned man. The fact
that a spring of the mystical knowledge of the Zarthoshti Din with all its special technical terms was
flowing from the mouth of an uneducated and if I say, without the least intention of being impolite, an
illiterate and ignorant gentleman, cannot be denied by anybody who is in the proper control of his
senses. Those who have any smallest doubt on this will be forthwith convinced if they just throw a rapid
flying glance on the published books of the teachings imparted by him."
Again I assert, that is Jehangir Vimadalal speaking, a Parsi whose eminence and prominence prompted
the Parsi Community to take out a bulky "Memorial Volume", containing, inter alia, an account of his life, work,
services and achievements.
Two points are emphatically made out by Jehangirji. Baheramshah was not 'educated'. In the worldly
sense, he can be said to be illiterate. But that adds to the miracle of his brilliant presentation of the mystical
knowledge of the Din. How can an "illiterate" man talk like a highly learned man on a subject which calls for
not only keen intelligence but a wealth of esoteric occult and mystical knowledge? How? Think: How?
Jehangirji elaborates the argument further:
NO REASON TO DISBELIEVE
"It is evident that it is extremely hard and difficult even for a well educated person, in the absence of a
natural inclination, to understand the secret doctrines of religion and then to propagate them in public.
Only one, who has a natural liking for the secret occult knowledge, can comprehend and explain such
matters. Of course, if a person with an educated brain has such natural liking, he will be able to explain
such matters in a point to point fashion and in a good shape. But here was a simple Jarthoshti who had no
luck with any education - and who in the beginning was using the (Gujerati) word Vanpasti instead of
Vanaspati in his lectures - went on explaining a deep philosophy with its special technical terms in a point
to point unfolding style, without any notes or points, like a smooth flow of water. We have (therefore) no
reason to disbelieve the explanation which is received through his friends, for this amazing
performance. The 'Sahebs', who are advanced on the levels of Ashoi, can implant the secret knowledge
through certain methods, on the mind of others and impart knowledge on them and be helpful to them
from the spiritual realms. This fact is not beyond experience. Today, no book is known from which
Baheramshah might have attained such knowledge; and even if we believe such an entirely improbable
story that he had come across such a book, it is not possible for us to believe that a man like him can read
and comprehend such difficult secret matters from such a book and explain them clearly and coherently to
others. Therefore, we have justifiable reason to believe that he must have come in contact with
some Saints of the mystical knowledge and was able to perform this feat as a result of their
authoritative help."
The solicitor in Jehangirji, like the Advocate in Khurshedji Suntoke, had no hesitation to assert that
performances of Baheramshahji by themselves presented sufficient evidence to believe in and accept the
miracle of his life, namely that he had come in contact with the 'Saheb - Delan Saheb's and was actually and
physically taken in their secret and sacred orbital place in the Mount Demavand, where he stayed for more
than 3 years (1875-1878).
BUT HE DID NOT KNOW GRAMMAR.....
Surely, some people, particularly the high brow Westernised scholars and philologists and the reformistcum-deformists,
must have tried to scorn and scoff at Baheramshahji's miracle. Several arguments were tried
to be advanced against it. One of them was that how could he talk of religion without studying the grammar,
philology and etymology, which had been born in the mighty west, through the French, German and English
scholars? The argument was to the effect that nobody who is not versed in these Western studies could at all
talk of the "Zoroastrian" religion, as they named it. This was a ridiculous argument to be raised in this country
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