Avesta Pahlavi Parsi Scholars
Forgotten Parsi Scholars in Avesta/Pahlavi Studies
Pallan Ichaporia, PH.D.
Mainz University,Germany
1. Pahlavi Studies
There are only two living Parsi Scholars in India who have contributed to Pahlavi studies. They are high priests Dastur Kotwal and Dastur JamaspAsa .Only Kotwal remains very active. Future is bleak as there is none in India is on the scene to take their place .
Many great Parsi Scholars of Pahlavi have passed away. I will discuss them briefly.
Ervard B.N.DHABHAR: Pahlavi Yasna which is quoted by all Iranists in the west . It has intensive glossary on the basis of which Makenzie has published Concise Pahlavi Dictionary and Malandra and Ichaporia have completed Pahlavi Glossary of the Gathas and Yasna Haptanghaiti. Dhabhar’s Pahlavi Rivayet is among the best books in good style . His preparations of a Pahlavi Dictionary are so neglected by the Parsi Funds that it never got printed. I had seen it while studying under him, little knowing that such a great work will be lost. Several great works in Pahlavi like Zand-e Xurtak Avistik, and other Rivayets were completed by him
Late Dr. J.C. Tavadia: Professor at Berlin and Erligton Universities, Germanycompleted the Shayest ne Shayast which is quoted by western scholars.
Late Dastur Mirza had done Pahlavi Rivayet accompanied Dadestani Dini for his Ph.D. degree but it remains unpublished.
Late Behramgore Anklesaria: His labor and learning has remained unused. The printed forms of Zad-spram were destroyed in fire. His ‘Graet Bundahishn’ is among the best. His other works Rvayet I Asha .Vahistan and Pahlavi Videvdat have disappeared because they were not republished
kerfegar@aol.com
Disappeared, destroyed in the fire, etc; — all painfull reading, and reeks of total apathy.
The magnitude of labour involved, both physical and mental, that has gone to waste is absolutely criminal. Wonder who can be held accountable for this catastrophe?
Are you saying that our faith is not safe in the hands of scholars like Dr.Ervard Ramiyar Karanjia and Ervard Marzban Hathiram ??
both of Mumbai, India.
On “There are only two living Parsi Scholars in India who have contributed to Pahlavi studies. They are high priests Dastur Kotwal and Dastur JamaspAsa .Only Kotwal remains very active”
And how does the community treat the scholar. There is a Mr Vajifdar” a self professed jurist who calls him a ‘Rascal’ and the Parsi media prints that in their news paper. Probably the arrogance comes from a notion that some Parsis that have managed to settle aborad have that their knowledge of Zoroastrianism thru arm chair philosophies and philosophies that thirst to please their non zoroastrian spouces at any cost, are superior to even scholars that are based in India