This tradition is followed by many Zoroastrian families for decades and I have started it some time ago and want all the parsis to follow it too.Please mind it that this tradition is to be followed only by parsis and Zoroastrians and no one else.
Recite this story with some date(chanas ) and flowers and any thing you can offer to god except for the alcoholic substances because alcoholic substances are strictly prohibited in the offerings.if there are two people then one should recite the story and other should say "JEE RE JEE."meaning "YES ABSOLUTELY YES." if alone then place a mirror in front and recite the story and say "JEE RE JEE" by looking into the mirror.
Recite this paragraph and then say your wishes and then recite the story.
A million thanks to lord almighty and his spiritual powers and to pak fehmand behram yazad ji mushkil asan ji.May you bestow your blessings upon my family and May all our problems be resolved. Amen!
Mishkin was a very poor wood cutter who earned a meager livelihood by chopping and selling wood. He lived in a small house with his wife and daughter. One day when his neighbors were preparing a meal mishkins daughter was enticed by the tempting aroma that was wafting through. She wanted that food so much that she went over to their house on the pretext of borrowing kindling wood all the while hoping that they would offer her some of that delicious food. The neighbors gave her the kindling but did not offer her any of their food. After a while she went again with the excuse that the kindling had burnt out and could she please get some more. She got her kindling but once again had to come away without sampling some of their food. The poor girl was hungry and desperate and when the neighbors were about to sit for their meal she made one more bold attempt for asking for some more wood as the last lot had burnt out too. By this time the neighbors were wise to her intention and in a tone of annoyance said,”We know why you keep coming here, take this wood but remember it is a sin to deliberately put out a fire.” With that they slammed the door in her face. Mishkins daughter came away in tears and was miserable for the rest of the day.
That evening when her father returned home from the forest she sobbed and told him of the rich food the neighbors were preparing and her failed attempts to get some of that. Mishkin consoled his daughter by saying that the following day he would go early to the forest and collect a larger load of wood. With the extra money that they would earn they would be able to eat very well. Early next morning mishkin went early to the forest but to his utter disappointment he saw that a fire was raging through the forest. Mishkin waited the whole day in the hope that the fire would subside. That evening a tearful and a very sad mishkin went home to his family. All they had to fill their bellies that night was some water. The next day was the same for this poor family. By the evening of the third day mishkin could not get himself to go home to his starving wife and daughter. His sobs of despair attracted the attention of five angels Pak Ardebest Yazad, Pak Meher Yazad, Pak Bahman yazad, Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad and pak Sarosh Yazad all dressed in robes of white green and yellow who were passing by. Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad, the angel for solving human problems asked him, “Why are you weeping? Do tell us and if possible we will surely resolve your problems.”Mishkin at first did not want to share his woes with them but then the burden on his heart was too great and he poured out his tale telling hem of his daughters humiliating experience with his selfish neighbors and of his promise to bring home extra money for a good meal and finally of the tragic forest fire that had them all starving for the past three days. Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad picked up three handful of dirt from the ground and put them in mishkins lap saying,”Keep this safely with you. If your situation improves with this then whenever convenient narrate your story to others and remember us with the offerings of nuts, dried fruits and flowers. Mishkin thought to himself that this little pile of dirt was certainly not going to solve his problems. He would throw it away as soon as they had gone. The angels disappeared into the air but a mysterious voice came from above,”oh mishkin look after this pile of dirt as you would your own life. You will prosper with it. Do not throw it away otherwise you will face poverty all your life.” When mishkin returned home he threw the dirt in one corner of his house and once again the family went to bed with just water to satisfy their hunger.
In the very early hours of the next morning the neighbors noticed bright flashes of light coming out of mishkins house. They thought it was a fire and raised the alarm. Mishkins daughter woke up and in turn shook awake her father saying to him, “There is unusual brightness in the house father could it be a thief.” Mishkin replied don’t be afraid my child there is nothing in our house except some rope and an axe for the thief to steal. You have been hungry these past few days and are only imagining this.” However mishkin was disturbed by the unusual brightness around the house and got up to check for himself. He was amazed to see that the pile of dump he had dumped the previous night was now a pile of dazzling and glittering gem stones. Mishkin put these away safely and went back to bed.
In the morning mishkin thanked god for his good fortune and went to market to sell one of his precious stones. The firs jeweler he visited was so amazed to see the piece that he asked mishkin to name his own price for the piece. Thinking that the man could not be serious mishkin went to another jeweler to get the gem valued. “In all the years that I have traded here I have never seen a stone as precious as this,” said the old jeweler. I will pile three different lots of money and you can toss your gem and take away whatever piles the money it lands on. Mishkin tossed his gem and it landed on the largest pile of money. Mishkin now went shopping for groceries. He also bought the choicest items and hired a laborer to deliver the groceries to his house. He also bought fruits nuts and flowers and these he distributed to people he met on his way home. In the meanwhile his wife and daughter refused to accept the groceries convinced that the poor laborer had bought this to the wrong address.” These would surely belong in a rich mans house,” as they were arguing over this mishkin arrived home. “We are starving and there is not a crumb to eat in the house and here are all these groceries that are supposed to be ours,” exclaimed his puzzled daughter to mishkin. “Have you been out robbing someone?” Mishkin smiled as he told his family, “These my dear have been bestowed upon us by god and so saying he told them the whole story from the time he met the five angels to the burning forest to the time he got the large pile of money at jewelers in exchange for one of his gem stones.
It was not long before mishkin had a house built that even humbled the king’s palace by comparison. One day as the king was passing by he was astonished to see this house that was more palatial then his own. Upon making enquires he was told that mishkin who was a simple wood cutter had risen from rags to riches through the grace of god and was the owner of that beautiful home. The king was intrigued. This made him wonder weather such a man would be humble or arrogant. To test this decided to send a platter of food from his own table to mishkins house. Mishkin and his family were genuinely humbled b the king’s gesture and wondered how they would return his favor. In the end mishkin returned the kings platter with a large dazzling diamond from his collection. There was not a single jewel in the king’s collection that could compare to this diamond and his daughter the princess had set into his necklace.
Being a very religious man mishkin decided go out of town on pilgrimage. He entrusted his daughter with the task of praying to Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad with the regular offerings of fried fruits, nuts and flowers. Mishkin’s daughter had many friends now and one day they were at a local pond where they met the princess who had come there to bath with her servants. The two soon became good friends and visited each others home often. In her enjoyment mishkin’s daughter forgot her father’s instruction that she prey to Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad with regular offerings of dried fruits, nuts and flowers.
One day the two girls came upon a lake with their friends. The princess wanted to go for a swim. Mishkin’s daughter could not swim and agreed to look after the very precious necklace and the princess clothes. When she returned from her swim, the princess noticed the diamond missing from her necklace. There was an altercation between the two girls. The princess accused mishkins’s daughter of stealing the diamond from her necklace. Her pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears and a very angry princess went home and complained to her father the king that jealousy had prompted mishkin’s daughter to steal her diamond. The king was furious. He ordered that all of mishkins’s possessions be confiscated and his wife and daughter be thrown into jail. Mishkin in the meanwhile as on his way home when he was waylaid by bandits and robbed.
When mishkin arrived home he was informed of his families arrest and went straight over to the king for an audience. “Your highness,” said mishkin in a reverential tone “It is unbecoming for the man of the house to sit at home while his wife and daughter languish in jail. Please release them from the jail and let me take their place instead.” The king agreed to this and mishkin went to jail instead of his family. That night an angel appeared in his dream and spoke,”You were granted so much wealth and happiness in your life but you failed to make a simple offering to Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad.” Mishkin realized that his daughter’s forgetful ways had bought all this upon them. He was very sorry and pleaded for mercy. “Very well said the angel. In the morning when you wake up you will find some coins under your pillow and you will be granted your freedom. Find someone to buy you nuts, dried fruits and flowers and pray to Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad with these offerings.” In the morning when mishkin woke up he found the coins under his pillow and soon after he was set free. Outside the jail he stopped a horse rider and requested him to buy the items for the offering. “I am in a hurry to buy clothes for my sons wedding. I have no time to fetch these things for you.” So saying the man rode off. His horse soon tripped throwing the man from his mount and breaking his leg. Mishkin then asked a sad old man who was passing by to do his bidding. “I was on my way to buy a shroud for my young son who is dying but I can surely spare you some time.” The old man bought mishkin the items for his offerings and mishkin invited him to join in the prayers. Mishkin narrated his story and together they prayed to Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad ji for the health and happiness of their families. When the old man finally arrived home he was given the happy tiding that his son was well again and there was rejoicing all around. This established the old mans faith in Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad Ji and he to become a regular devotee.
One day not lone after the king, queen and princess were taking a stroll in their garden when a large bird flew over and dropped the missing diamond at their feet. They were very sorry for what they had done to mishkin and his family and the king personally apologized to them. Mishkin said to the king,”You have shamed our family with your accusations of theft. What man will ever marry my daughter now?” Seeing the truth in this the king and queen asked for his daughters hand in marriage to their only son the prince.
They were one family now and visited each others homes often. On one such occasion when the king and queen were over at mishkins house, the queen notices that mishkin had laid out these offerings and was praying. “What is the significance of these nuts, fruits and flowers,“ she jokingly asked him. “These are the source of all our happiness,” mishkin replied and enlightened her about the blessings of Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad. “I have lost my brothers for the past seven years,” the queen said to mishkin. If they should turn up I will make your story renowned through out our kingdom. Mishkin and queen made an offering to Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad. Three days later the brothers suddenly came back to the queen. With her belief in the powers of Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad firmly cemented the very joyous queen made this story known far and wide throughout the kingdom and advised the citizens to have faith in Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad too.
When our great priests left Iran by ship to save our religion there was a huge storm and it was only with you divine help Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad that our eternal fire was saved and preserved in the holy fire temple that was established in Udvada, India.
Just as mishkin and his families desires were fulfilled, just as the old man’s son rose up from his death bed, just as the queen’s brothers mysteriously returned after seven years, so too, Pak Fatehmand Behram Yazad may you bestow your blessings upon my family and may all our problems be resolved. May god almighty resolve all our difficulties and may piece be upon the entire world. Amen!
