Relation between Avesta(Zarathushtra),Rig veda and Achaemenid (550B.C 330 B.C)

The cultural contacts,between Persia and India date from still earlier times even before the Vedic period (1500 B.C. to 500 B.C.)in India.Indo-Aryans and Indo-Iranians were the two branches of the common Indo-European stock.They,therefore,had similar culture and similar way of life.There is a great similarity in their religious beliefs and customs.They were jointly offering sacrifices to the nature gods like the Asura or the Ahura.They were participating in the Soma or Haoma drinking ritual and were worshipping their ancestors,the Pitaras or Pitras (fathers in Hinduism or in Vedas were the sacred scriptures of ancient India which were considered immortal like the gods) or the Fravashi (in ancient Persians called to the spirits of dead ancestors who have been properly buried with proper rites).Even before the Vedic age the pre-Aryan peoples in North-West India and Persia had same matriarchal culture.Both the peoples were worshipping mother goddess and snake gods.The great purification ceremony by means of cow’s urine called Gomez, practiced by the Persians can be compared with the similar observance of the Hindus.The Persian influence on Indian religious life has been subtle and penetrating.The undivided Indo-Iranians passed a long time in their common home and developed a specific Indo-Iranian or Indo-Persian culture. However,in that society there were two groups of people worshippers of Davia-gods and worshippers of Asura-gods.The followers of Davia religion were believer in vigorous activity and wandering life,while the followers of Asura religion were practicing agriculture and cattle breeding.The antagonism between these two groups gradually increased and resulted into the ‘Great Split’ after which people,who settled in India,developed the Vedic culture and people residing in Iran,followed the Asura religion,accepting the reforms introduced by Zoroaster,the founder of Zoroastrianism,or Parsee-ism,as it is known in India.This,by no means,reflects the complete absence of Davia worshippers in Iran or of Asura worshippers in India.The sun was also a powerful symbol in ancient Persian Zoroastrianism

Ahura, Asura, Indo-Iranian,vedic,Zoroastrianism