Today is Geush Izad and the month of Aban, Nabor day, the day of abstention from eating meat, the 14th of Azar in the year 3759 Zoroastrian calendar, Monday, the 8th of Azar the year 1400 solar, November 29, 2021 AD.
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, one of India’s most famous Parsees, an industrialist, businessman, pilot, and CEO, passed away on November 29, 1993.
We can dare say that the modern India’s industry owes its development and prosper to the Iranian descents, the Tata family. Jehangir Tata is the founder of Tata Motors, the largest automaker in India, Tata Consulting, and Air India, India’s largest subcontinent airline. Obtained India’s first pilot license in 1929. He obtained India’s steel, aviation, and hotel industries. He received the French Legion of Honor medal, which is the highest ranked medal of France, in 1983 and the highest award and medal of Indian citizenship of Bharat Ratna in 1992. The Tata family has always been a pioneer in social work and charity, establishing the best scientific research and knowledge centers for the people of India and establishing hospitals to treat patients from all walks of life, the most important of which is the Tata Hospital and Oncology Center in Mumbai. They established low-cost housing complexes, shrines, and charities for Indian Zoroastrians. In Iran, their ancestral land also, the family founded the Anoushirvan Girl’s High School (now affiliated to the Zoroastrian Association of Tehran), in the name of Jehangir ji Tata.
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was born in Paris in 1904 and completed his studies in France, Japan, and India. In 1924 (at the age of 20), he was elected as one of the managers in Tata Steelworks, in Jamshidpour. This city was one of the first cities founded by Jehangir jiTata, called the father of Indian industry, for industrial use. This city is also called Steel City, or Tata Nagar, or Tata. It is the seventh cleanest city in India and was selected as the UN World City. Major parts of this city are controlled by the Tata economic complex. In 1926, after his father’s death, he was elected chairman of the Tata Summit Company, the principal company and shareholder of Tata companies and industries. Inspired by the philosophy and thoughts of his eldest uncle, the late Jamshid Nushirvan Tata (founder of India’s industry and founder of Tata Steelworks), and based on Zarathushtra’s words, namely, good thoughts, words and deeds, he led the Tata group to become the largest industrial/commercial group in India’s private sector. Tata Complex is today the most significant industrial group in India. Jehangir Tata was one of the founders of atomic science in India and a member of the Indian Atomic Commission.
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, the leader of Indian industry and head of the Tata Industries Group, passed away on November 29, 1993, at the age of 89 in Geneva, where he had gone on vacation, and the Indian industry lost a great personality. The late Jehangir Tata was buried in the family tomb in the famous cemetery in Paris, where his father, his French mother and his two brothers and a sister are buried. The Parsees of India are Iranians who left their homeland and migrated to India, in order to be able to preserve their Iranian culture and their religion, after Iran fell to the Arabs.
The “Geush” Day: the name of this Izad in Avesta is “Gaush” which means the world. The fourteenth day of each month is associated with this Izad. Geush Izad is the guardian of the whole universe. This day is one of the four days of abstaining from eating meat. Zoroastrians call this day “Nabor” and avoid killing animals and eating meat. It is said that this day should be celebrated.
Today, the day Geush Izad is the fourteenth day of the Zoroastrian calendar. According to the Zoroastrian calendar, which dates back to pre-Islamic periods, each month has 30 days, and each of these 30 days have name, and today is the day called “Geush”. Geush is an Izad (divine). The name Izad is used for praiseworthy creations, that is, the good and divine creations that are worthy of praise.. Geush Izad is so praiseworthy that even one of the Avesta Yashts is dedicated to this Izad. “Geush Yasht” or “Drvaspa Yasht” is the Yasht in which “Geush Izad” is mentioned.”
The word “Geush” or “Gaush” is mentioned many times in “Gathas” (poems of Ashu Zartosht), in “Avesta,” and in Pahlavi scripts. The word gaush has several meanings that must be understood in the sentence, like many other words.
This word means “the universe” and “the whole of creation”, and it also means “cow”. Of course, this meaning, i.e., “cow” in Iranian mythology, is the same as “creation” or “the universe”. In Avesta, Geush or Gaush means both cow and universe (giti). “Urva,” which means spirit (rowan), along with the word geush, carries the meaning of the spirit of the world or the spirit of a cow. “Geushurvan” is a keeper of herds and livestock. The “cow” in Iranian mythology is a symbol of the universe and a symbol of earthly life from a philosophical point of view.
Iranians believed that Geush Izad is the guardian and defender of valuable animals, and this mission is in agreement with the meaning of the name of this Izad. Therefore, in other words, harming useful animals means harming the creation, and harming the universe.
Geush izad rushes to the aid of “Vahman Amshaspand” with the help of “Mah Izad” and “Ram Izad” to protect valuable animals. So, mah Izad, Ram Iyazd and Geush izad are the partners of “Vahman Amshaspand” in this mission.
Zoroastrians have long avoided killing animals and eating their meat during these four days, and this is done to protect the number of animals and human health. Avoiding killing animals and eating their meat, is like a general agreement among Zoroastrians, to keep the animals safe during these four days.
Let us imagine that this agreement goes beyond this small community (Zoroastrian community), then all the people of the world are supposed to avoid killing animals on these 4 days; Undoubtedly, the number of killing animals will be significantly reduced, and on the other hand, it will be an exercise for humans to eat vegetables.
Every month, the day “Geush” reminds us of the creation. Geush Izad, like Ram Izad and Mah Izad, and Vahuman Amshaspand, is a reminder that we do not forget that we are part of this collection, if we hurt a part of the universe, we will be offended. It is said that this day should be celebrated.
