THE GATHAS OF ZARATHUSTRA: HYMNS IN PRAISE OF WISDOM

The words of Zarathushtra,
Prophet of Ancient Iran, have come down
to us across the centuries through The
Gathas, seventeen hymns which he
composed and which embody the core of
his faith. Zarathushtra's manthra-vani has
powerful resonances and Zoroastrianism
the world's oldest revealed religion has
had great influence on the philosophy and
theology of many religions that followed.

Piloo Nanavutty has both the
scholarly training and the felt experiences
of a lifetime with which to correctly
interpret this ancient text. Her
translation, The Gathas of Zarathushtra
Hymns in Praise of Wisdom is in
straightforward idiomatic English,
keeping as close as possible to the
original text, while the Commentaries
provided elucidate the doctrinal
allusions.

For the first time ever The Gathas
are being published with relevant
illustrated material to emphasise and
explain the text. For the first time too,
background provided by the Story of
Creation is examined and a page from an
unpublished manuscript at the
Bibliothéque Nationale, Paris, is
reproduced to help comprehension.

Vedic parallels are emphasised to
aid comparative studies of these two
ancient Aryan traditions. The brief
Suggested Reading emphasises
contemporary research, while a list of
Centres of Excellence would be invaluable
for those readers who wish to search
further.

An ideal book which bridges the
dividing line between layperson and
scholars, The Gathas by Piloo Nanavutty
is a must for every Parsi home, libraries
and researchers working on the
Zoroastrian tradition