He was one of the most illustrious kings of ancient Iran (then called Persia)
On 21st March, Parsis and Iranis the world over celebrate Jamshedi Navroze named after the Persian king Jamsheed of the Peshdadian dynasty who ascended the throne centuries ago on the day of the spring equinox. This day was deliberately chosen since on an equinox, day and night stand equal upon the scales of time and space. A day when the planetary positions and cosmic-energies (Pran-Shakti) fecilitate humans along the upward energy-spiral of spiritual evolution. Chaldean, Egyptian and Persian astronomy confirm this occult fact. This day also heralds springtime when nature regenerates herself hence, it was named Navroze by the Persians, Nav meaning new and Roze meaning day. But who was this King Jamsheed and why is he remembered year after year every year, even today, after centuries????
He was one of the most illustrious kings of ancient Iran (then called Persia). In the Avesta, the holy book of the Parsis, he is refered to as Yima Khshaeta meaning “shining, resplendent and glorious”. He was a king, a priest (Magi) and also had the gift of prophetic vision. His kingdom according to legend was a veritable paradise with no old age, no sickness and no death – a golden age of milk and honey, a Utopia like Ramrajya during the Satyug.
He predicted coming events by gazing into a golden goblet filled with grape-juice (jam); which was known as Jaam-e-Jumsheed. Once, when he gazed into the goblet, he saw a deluge so he ordered his people to migrate southwards. The deluge was terrible when it arrived (like the Biblical deluge of Noah’s Arc) but forewarned by Divine intervention, the king took timely measures and saved the Aryan stock from perishing. Another time, he saw deadly frost and sheets of ice (perhaps one of the ice-ages) and once again, saved his people by migrating them in time.
Society was divided into 4 sections like the 4 Varnas of ancient India viz. (1) Priests, (2) Warriors, (3) Farmers, and (4) Craftsmen so that each class could do its’ duties and according to poet Firdausi, the king preached that “whatever your work, worship it because laziness makes even a free man a slave”.
Under Jamsheed, the primitive, nomadic lawless society of Persia was transformed into a law-abiding civilized society. Agriculture and cattle-breeding were encouraged. Artists, musicians and writers thrived in this golden age. Gold, silver, rubies and emeralds were used as jewellery and also to adorn goblets which held fermented grape juice (wine). Exotic perfumes were prepared by extracting scents from fragrant herbs and flowers.
But alas! Jamsheed became extremely proud and pride always comes before a fall. He became arrogant and instead of thanking God for all his blessings, he took credit himself, becoming despotic, psychotic, and even proclaiming himself to be God – “I am the nourisher of the world”. This brought about his downfall. The “Divine glory” left him. Persians fought among themselves and later unitedly led a revolt leading to unrest and poverty for the people and disgrace and insult for the king, no longer wanted by anyone. Even today, the ruins of his throne Takht-e-Jamsheed stand in Iran, a mute testimony of how pride can lead a mortal to his downfall. In Jamsheed’s case, unfortunately, the fortunes of an entire group of Aryans was at stake. It was the cataclysmic effect of group-karma – a sort of karmic pay-off time with unhappiness and chaos in the land of milk and honey. The milk had gone sour and the honey had vanished when the shadow of Divine Grace left the Persian lands. A tyrant called Zohak from a neighbouring country took advantage, invaded Iran, defeated Jamsheed and killed him. As Shakespeare said in Julius Caesar, “what a fall, my countrymen, what a fall”.
Original article here