again appeared before the King and offered him a cup of divine water from the fountain of life, upon drinking which the King saw his place in heaven. On the request of the King, the Queen Hutaos (Hutos in Pahlavi) readily accepted the new religion.

"Zarathosht Nama" relates further that thereafter his son Peshotan took a cup of holy milk which Zarathustra offered and on drinking which, he became immortal. (In Avesta and also in Pahlavi literatures Peshotan has always been treated as immortal). Through the grace of Zarathustra, Jamasp, the king's chief minister, smelt a sweet fragrance and immediately became enlightened with all knowledge of the entire physical and spiritual existence. He was enlightened with knowledge of the past, present and future. Also through the grace of Zarathustra, the king's brave son, Asfandiar (known in Avesta as Spentodat) ate a pomegranate which was offered to him and his physical body became strong like bronze and none could cause him any physical injury. Thus in a way all the desires of the king, mentioned earlier, were fulfilled.

The king had a large family and most of his many sons were killed in religious wars with Arjasp. He had a very beautiful daughter, Huma (in Pahlavi known as Humai), who along with another daughter, Beh-Afrid, was kidnapped by Iran's arch enemy, Arjasp of Turan, but both of them were rescued by the king's brave son, Asfandiar. The king had two wives of whom Katayun (also known as Kitabun or Nahid) was the first wife and Hutaos was the second wife. Another noteworthy member of the royal family was Gustasp's brother Zairiwairi (better known in Pahlavi as Zarir), who among others also played an important part in the spread of the new faith. In the religious wars, he proved himself a great warrior. Among the lost books was a Pahlavi biography of Zarir,"Yadgare-Zariran". Mirkhund, a Persian writer, wrote highly of Zarir. "Dabistan", a Persian book quoting from the earlier writings of Dastoors gives an interesting incident. It states that ex-king Lohrasp, father of King Gustasp, and Zarir developed an ailment which expert physicians of that time could not cure, but both of them were cured by Zarathustra's prayer and as a result, became converts to the new religion.

"Dabistan'' also mentions an instance that in the district of Tershiz there was a city, Kismer. Here at the gate of a newly-built 'Atashkhand', (a sanctuary of the Holy Fire), Zarathustra planted a tree and said that the good religion which Gustasp accepted would grow and spread out as the tree would. Like the tree, which grew to a large size indeed, the new Faith spread out rapidly and even crossed the boundaries of Iran. Outside the capital, the first province to accept this religion was Siestan. The first disciples of Zarathustra were called Poiro-Takesh. He had also disciples belonging to other countries, prominent among whom was a Brahmin Pundit, Changranganch, Both 'Dabistan' and 'Dasatir' mention in detail of how Changranghach became a convert, when he came to Zarathustra to enter into a religious controversy. Even Turan, the traditional enemy of Iran, did not escape. In the list mentioned in the verses 111 to 129 of Farvardin Yasht (an important Yasht of Khurdeh Avesta) a Turanian name, which Dinkard also mentions, is Isvant, son of Vraz. In Avesta, there is also a mention of the conversion of a whole Turanian family by the name of Yoishto-Yo-Frayanam. "Shikand Gumanik Vihar", written in the 9th century, mentions in detail the spread of the new Faith, and what that Faith was which came to be known as Mazdyasni Zarathustrai.

CHAPTER VI

The Message of Zarathustra

From the existing sacred books of this religion, the following will service as a summary to give an idea of what He preached.

Ahura Mazda, as Zarathustra preached, is the Self-existing One God, the only God of the Universe, and the conception of many idolatrous gods, as then worshipped, is the corrupt conception, which leads one and all to the dark abyss of ignorance. He is the