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In Yasna 34:4, Zarathushtra says, 'Thine
Inner Fire Ahura, to see 'We yearn, - He blazes
mightily through truth; 'He has thy strength, our
hope and Goal is He, 'He lights the faithful
clearly through life; 'But O Mazda, in the hearts
of the unfaithful; 'He sees the evil at aglance.'
The physical fire is merely an out-
ward symbol of this Inner fire. God is
formless in Essence, and so is fire.
When a Zarathushti worships fire, he is
worshipping this Inner Fire contained
within the symbolic outer physical fire.
In Zoroastrian temples sacred fire is
kept constantly burning. The highest of
these is the Atash-Behfam, where the fire is
tended by an ordained priest, who has
undergone certain disciplines and has at-
tained such competence in his work, as to be
able to perform all the higher religious cere-
monies. He alone can enter the inner sanc-
tum sanctorum in which the fire is installed.
The sources from which the fire is col-
lected, range in variety from fire produced by
lightning, fire from a cremation pyre, fire
from a priest's hearth, to other fires obtained
from ovens and furnaces. The holiest Shrine
of the Fire of Iran, is situated at Udvada,
about 100 miles from Bombay. It was
established in A.D. 721 and has been blazing
ever since. At that time Dastur Nariosang
Dhaval, invoked and created lightning for
the consecration of the fire.
The external physical fire in the temple is
fed with sandalwood. The vegetable king-
dom is considered a fit offering for the Con-
secrated Fire. Similarly the body is the
temple of the sitting friend, and it should
also be fed with pure sathwic food, and not
animal matter. If it is imperative that the
Consecrated Fire is to be fed with sathwic
offerings, then it stands to reason that it is
equally important for the body to consume
only pure sathwic food. Animal food is
tinged with
rajps,
and it arouses passionate
rajasic qualities in the mind, which are not
very conducive to spiritual progress or ac-
quiring peace.
The sacred fire is to be utilised for puri-
fying the body, mind and soul, through vari-
ous rituals and practices, so that the Son of
God, ATAR, may be installed on His throne,
the pure heart.
(Eruch B. Fanibunda)
"Vision of the Divine "