Section 1. Chronology and geography of the Rigveda -- section 2. The Indo-European homeland in India

In the present volume,the author has confirmed emphatically that India was also the original homeland not only of the Indo-Aryans but also of the Indo-Iranians and the Indo-Europeans.

The Avestan Hymn to Mithra, written in the fifth century BC, is the one extensive, ancient literary record of the attributes, companions and cult of the Iranian god whose worship spread, five or six centuries later, as far as Britain. Dr Gershevitch here reproduces Geldner's text and critical apparatus of the Hymn, adding his own introduction, translation and commentary. The introduction offers an orientation on the main problems concerning Mithra: how the god came to be included in the Zoroastrian religious system, his relation to Zarathustra's god Ahura Mazdah, his functions, his development from the stage at which the Indian Mitra is found in the Rig Veda, and the extent to which the Western Mithras has preserved the characteristics of the Avestan Mithra. The text is faced by the English translation, and is followed by Dr Gershevitch's exhaustive commentary.

This is the first ever comprehensive English-language survey of Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest living religions Evenly divided into five thematic sections beginning with an introduction to Zoroaster/Zarathustra and concluding with the intersections of Zoroastrianism and other religions Reflects the global nature of Zoroastrian studies with contributions from 34 international authorities from 10 countries Presents Zoroastrianism as a cluster of dynamic historical and contextualized phenomena, reflecting the current trend to move away from textual essentialism in the study of religion

Zoroastrianism might be a fast-declining religion in today’s world, but what is remarkable is its eternal enigma. It is hard to believe that the hymns of the faith have travelled down to us in accurate form and poetic metre, purely through the memory of generations of priests. Zarathustra, the founder of the faith, belonged to a period of Persian history which antedated the Achaemenid dynasty (from 550 BC to 330 BC). He followed the old Rigvedic religion until he was the first to receive a revelation from Almighty God. The Gathas—the most sacred text of the Zoroastrian faith—were first composed and sung by Prophet Zarathustra. Along with the complete comprehension of the Gathas, consisting 238 verses in the same language as the Rigveda, this book is for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of life on earth and what happens to mankind after death. The Gathas are extremely relevant in modern times for the fundamental reason that they are timeless. They do not emanate from Prophet Zarathustra’s mind, but are revelations from Almighty God, making them universal in their approach. This book is an attempt to help the reader fully comprehend these and choose the path of leading a righteous life.