Importance of a Dog in Zoroastrian religion
In Zoroastrianism, the dog is regarded as an especially beneficent, clean and righteous creature, which must be fed and
taken care of. The dog is praised for the useful work it performs in the household, but it is also seen as having special spiritual virtues.
taken care of. The dog is praised for the useful work it performs in the household, but it is also seen as having special spiritual virtues.A dog’s gaze is considered to be purifying and to drive off daevas (demons). It is also believed to have a special connection with the afterlife: the Chinwad Bridge to Heaven is said to be guarded by dogs in Zoroastrian scripture, and dogs are traditionally fed in commemoration of the dead. Ihtiram-i sag, “respect for the dog”, is a common injunction among Iranian Zoroastrian villagers.
Detailed prescriptions for the appropriate treatment of dogs are found in the Vendidad (a subdivision of the Zoroastrian holy scripture Avesta), especially in chapters 13, 14 and 15, where harsh punishments are imposed for harm inflicted upon a dog and the faithful are required to assist dogs, both domestic and stray, in various ways; often, help or harm to a dog is equated with help and harm to a human.
The killing of a dog (“a shepherd’s dog, or a house-dog, or a Vohunazga [i.e. stray] dog, or a trained dog”) is considered to lead to damnation in the afterlife. A homeowner is required to take care of a pregnant dog that lies near his home at least until the puppies are born (and in some cases until the puppies are old enough to take care of themselves, namely six months). If the homeowner does not help the dog and the puppies come to harm as a result, “he shall pay for it the penalty for wilful murder”, because “Atar (Fire), the son of Ahura Mazda, watches as well (over a pregnant dog) as he does over a woman”.
It is also a major sin if a man harms a dog by giving it bones that are too hard and become stuck in its throat, or food that is too hot, so that it burns its throat.Giving bad food to a dog is as bad as serving bad food to a human. The believers are required to take care of a dog with a damaged sense of smell, to try to heal it “in the same manner as they would do for one of the faithful” and, if they fail, to tie it lest it should fall into a hole or a body of water and be harmed.
Both according to the Vendidad and in traditional Zoroastrian practice, dogs are allotted some funerary ceremonies analogous to those of humans. In the Vendidad, it is stated that the spirits of a thousand deceased dogs are reincarnated in a single otter (“water dog”), hence the killing of an otter is a terrible crime that brings drought and famine upon the land and must be atoned either by the death of the killer or by the killer performing a very long list of deeds considered pious, including the healing of dogs, raising of puppies, paying of fines to priests, as well as killing of animals considered noxious and unholy (cats, rats, mice and various species of reptiles, amphibians, and insects).
Sagdid is a funeral ceremony in which a dog is brought into the room where the body is lying so that it can look on it. “Sagdid” means “dog sight” in the Middle Persian language of Zoroastrian theological works. There are various spiritual benefits thought to be obtained by the ceremony. It is believed that the original purpose was to make certain that the person was really dead, since the dog’s more acute senses would be able to detect signs of life that a human might miss.
A “four-eyed” dog, that is one with two spots on its forehead, is preferred for sagdid.
The traditional rites involving dogs have been under attack by reformist Zoroastrians since the mid-19th century, and they had abandoned them completely by the late 20th century. Even traditionalist Zoroastrians tend to restrict such rites to a significant extent nowadays (late 20th – early 21st century).
SHARIA: Hating Dogs by invading Muslim Arabs was to Hate the Holy Persian Zoroastrian Dogs used in Funeral Rites. ie. Dog Statue to the right of the Persian Immortal Guard.
Excellent n informative
Superb! Knowledge that we have never known. Thank you
I love dogs and had one when i was young Leo we use to call him. German dog. Vkind and sweet.
Thank u Mr.Yazdi for this v interesting n informative article.
Yes they are the BEST COMPANIONS N TRULY LOVABLE.They leave their own mother n gve us UNLIMITED LOVE JOY N HAPPINESS that NO MATERIAL THING can EVER or WILL GIVE US.Bless them ALWAYS
Dogs are clean animals, they benefit society. The spiritual aspect of the dogs came very interesting to me and do not understand why Muslims do not like dogs. They can see for themselves dogs are part of society.
IT IS A WRONG AND MALICIOUS STATEMENT THAT mUSLIMS DO NOT LIKE DOGS the Muslims are kind to all animals especially the DOG. They will willingly and with love with feed a pregnant bitch or a hungry and dehydrated dog. So please do not say the Muslims are antidog people, they believe in animals having souls and the needy to be helped
Kind regards, to all Muslim people who like dogs
Hormuzd
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Dogs have obviously been created to be best of companions for people. It is indeed foolish and sinful to mistreat a dog. Dogs will give their whole to their affection and loyalty to a good person. We are, all of us,indeed blessed by the dogs around us.