Airyanam Vaejah near Kazakhstan?

[Bhalchandrarao C Patwardhan]

Dear List Members

A happy new millennium and a new year to all!

This informed discussion brings to mind some very striking similarities
between Zoroastrianism and the Vedic Tradition which might necessitate a
review of accepted datings and placings.

As an example of my contention, consider the three essential principles of
Zoroastrianism : HUMATA, HUKTA and HUVRASHTA -  Good Thoughts, Good Words
and Good Deeds.

Since the consonant pronounced as 's' in Sanskrit  is usually observed to
be aspirated in Persian as 'h' (e.g. Sapta-Sindhu = Hapta-Hindu), these
three words explicating the basis of that faith may be Sanskritised as
SUMATI, SU-UKTI and SUVRATASTHA without the slightest change in the meanings!

The prefix "su" means 'good'. MATI is Sanskrit for the mind or intellect,
UKTI for speech and VRATA for actions, conduct or behaviour.  (VRATA-STHA
describes a person committed to a certain pre-meditated act).

The ease with which these three words - Humata, Hukta and Huvrashta - can
be rendered into Sanskrit with unchanged meaning and fairly close
pronunciation, might indicate the  existence of a definite link between the
two cultures.

Two possibilities, perhaps among others, then arise. Either Zoroaster
belonged to a region much nearer the Western frontiers of the Vedic
Culture, or the Vedic Culture itself was extensive enough to include lands
beyond the currently accepted limit.

"Airyanam" Vaejeh, incidentally, makes a clear reference to the word "ARYA"
- further indication of a commonality between the two cultures that is
uncanny!

There was apparently a tradition in ancient Egypt of the concept of MA'AT,
something that might be equated with that of 'righteousness'. It was during
the Hyksos usurpation of a part of Egypt with its capital at Memphis that
the last Pharoah in that line, Apepi (Apophys) [c.1580 B.C.E.], conspired
with his Prime Minister, Joseph (great-grandson of Abraham), and had the
Egyptian Pharoah, Seqenenre-Tao (with his capital at Thebes), murdered in a
futile attempt to extort the famed Egyptian secrets of kingship!
(Seqenenre's mortal remains show clear signs of a violent end)  One
wonders, therefore, whether "Ma'at" isn't the same as the Sanskrit 'Mati'
or the Zoroastrian 'Humata'?

I request list members to comment.

Regards

BCP

At 02:42 1/6/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>Dear listmembers,
>
>Manfred Hutter discusses the plausible geographical origin and date of
>Zarathustra and the Gathas in RELIGIONEN IN DER UMWELT DES ALTEN
>TESTAMENTS, vol. I, Kohlhammer, Stuttgart/Berlin/Koeln, 1996. A few of his
>conclusions might be interesting.
>
>1. Airyanam Vaejah is to be localized north of Khwarezm, it could have
>extended as far as Kazakhstan (p. 195).
>
>2. He bases his dating on linguistic, "avestisch-textinterner", and
>archaeological evidence, and concludes (p. 197): "Fasst man linguistische,

{REST DELETED}
Bhalchandrarao C Patwardhan
Kurundwad House
10A Mangaldas Road
Pune  -  411 001
India
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