قدرت و قابلیت اهریمنان (اسوره ها) در مقابل انسان ها در اساطیر دینی هند و ایران باستان (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)
درجه علمی: نشریه علمی (وزارت علوم)
آرشیو
چکیده
هندیان و ایرانیان، کهن ترین اقوام آریایی، جهان بینی خاصی درباره نیروهای خیر و شری داشتند که انسان را احاطه کرده و بر زندگی آدمیان تأثیرگذار بوده اند. بررسی قدرت و قابلیت اهریمنان/اسوره ها و دستیارانشان و چگونگی اعمال نفوذ و تأثیرگذاری این نیروهای شر بر زندگی آدمیان از مسائل مهمی است که در این پژوهش بدان پرداخته شدهمچنین، تشابه و تباین عملکرد و قدرت انسان در برابر نیروهای زیانمند و شرور و چرایی این تفاو ت ها و تشابه ها در هند و ایران باستان از مسائل مهم دیگری است که در این پژوهش با رویکرد توصیفی تحلیلی و با واکاوی منابع مهم هندی و ایرانی بدان ها پاسخ داده شده است. بر این مبنا نتایج حاصله حاکی از آن است که: با توجه به نگرش متفاوت هندیان و ایرانیان به نحوه پیدایش نیروهای اهریمنی، باور به قدرت و توانایی نیروهای شر نیز دارای تفاو ت هایی بود. در این بین هندیان به سبب آنکه اسوره ها و دئوه ها را از یک منشأ می دانستند، تسلط و نفوذ اسوراهای هندی و همیارانشان را بر انسان پذیرفتنی می یافتند؛ مقوله ای که در ایران به سبب گسستِ بنیادین نیروهای خیر و شر دگرگونه بود و انسان ایرانی برخلاف همنوعان هندی خویش قدرت رویارویی بیشتری با اهریمنان در خود مشاهده می کرد.The Power and Capabilities of Demons (Asuras) Against Humans in the Religious Myths of Ancient India and Iran
Indians and Iranians, as the oldest Aryan groups, had a special worldview about the forces of good and evil and a special attitude toward the forces that surrounded man and influenced people's lives. Examining the religious attitude of these civilizations toward the power and ability of demons/asuras and their assistants and the influence of demons on human life is one of the important issues that we will address in this research. The main question of this research is: What different or similar attitudes did the ancient Iranians and Indians have toward the ability and performance of evil forces (whether it is possible to give importance and credit to human existence as a competitor or helper against harmful and evil beings)? The results of the present descriptive-analytical research, by analyzing important Indian and Iranian sources, showed that considering the different attitudes of Indians and Iranians toward the origin of demonic forces, there are differences in the belief in the power and ability of evil forces. In the meantime, because the Indians considered the Asuras and daevas to be of the same origin, the influence of the Indian Asuras and their control over humans was more legal.
Keywords: Ahuramazda, Daeva, Ahriman, Asuras, Iran, India.
Introduction
Ancient Iranians and Indians, after splitting and settling in two different contexts and the emergence of border disputes, due to contact with the natives and under the influence of different religions and habitats, have become distant from each other both in terms of language and religious beliefs. One of the important issues was the difference in attitudes between Iranians and Hindus toward the forces of good and evil. Based on this, the aim of this research is to investigate the attitudes toward demonic forces and the scope and limits of their powers.
Considering that demonic forces have abilities in the eyes of the followers of any religion and the range of these abilities can make a person weak and powerful in life, this research focuses on the difference in the position and powers of demons in the two contexts of Iran and ancient India. Considering that, demonic forces were called by different titles in different civilizations, what power and capabilities did they have in the thought of ancient Iranians and Indians? In what way and by what methods did they disturb man and his life? And more importantly, what abilities did humans have against them? Dealing with these issues is also important from this point of view, through which one can find out the unknowns such as the root and origin of human thoughts and actions in the society, as well as the reason for the dispersion, disruption, or establishment of social order. Regarding the background of the studies related to the mentioned topic, it should also be said that despite the studies carried out regarding the religious and mythological beliefs of ancient Iranians and Indians, the confrontation between the devil and man, and the ability and power of the forces of evil against man have not been investigated.
Materials and Methods
Using the library method, the present descriptive-analytical research identified the available documents and evidence, and by identifying the important and reliable mythological and religious sources of the ancient Indians and Iranians, it has categorized various texts in terms of antiquity. According to the issue under investigation in this research, the course of developments regarding the location and performance of evil forces and the changes that occurred in relation to the relationship between good and bad forces in the existing texts and sources are verified. Therefore, in addition to paying attention to the preference between first-hand and second-hand sources, by prioritizing the sources based on their importance and validity, the available data and materials have been scientifically arranged and processed.
Research Findings
In the worldview of the ancient Iranians, there are major differences with the religious beliefs of the Hindus regarding demons, how they appear, and even their origin. In this worldview, Ahura Mazda has no connection with the demons, and unlike Brahma who created the Asuras from his hip joint, he has no connection with the group of demons and is in a way opposite to him. In Hindu beliefs, although Asuras (forces of evil) originate from Brahma and have a good origin, however, they are enemies of creatures, especially humans, and some of these forces always try to cause damage and harm to human lives. They can directly enter the material body, endanger a person, disturb his mind, and even kill him.
In the religious worldview of the ancient Iranians, the will of Ahriman and the demons is to destroy the creations of Ahura and create a disturbance in the order of creation. Therefore, in Zoroastrian thoughts, demons have the power to bring down calamities, and they can inflict natural calamities on humans, just like the attack on Ahura's creations that took place at the beginning of creation.However, in the belief of Iranians, there is a clear difference between man's ability to face evil forces and the belief of Indians, and even Iranian man has the ability to avoid death and remain immortal if he is pious and perseveres against evil deeds and seductions.
Discussion of Results and Conclusions
According to the research questions raised in this study regarding examining the power and ability of demons and evil forces against humans, the results indicate that ancient Indians and Iranians looked at evil forces and their impact on human life and destiny with two different attitudes. According to Indian beliefs, Indian Asuras, like Gods (Daeva), need sacrifices to remain immortal. In addition, in Indian thought, evil forces can achieve blessings by performing austerities and making sacrifices. They can also use humans. However, in the Zoroastrian teachings, there is no relationship between the forces of evil and the gods, and sometimes it happens that some devils try to gain the strength and blessing of the gods by performing sacrifices, but they do not always succeed and fail.
On the other hand, humans never appeal to the devil to ward off his evil. Therefore, in the mythological belief of Iranians, demons are provided by humans, but unlike Indians, it is not through sacrifices and offerings, but as a result of their ugly actions and thoughts. In general, the existing difference between the approach to demons and their power and capability originates from the attitude toward human nature and the philosophy of creation in the thoughts of ancient Indians and Iranians. In fact, in India, because man is a two-dimensional being that has material and non-material dimensions, he has the ability to cultivate divine gifts and demonic evil. Therefore, he can be influenced by the power and will of evil forces and has no choice. But in Zoroastrianism and ancient Iranian mythology, man is described as a force that is completely dependent on good forces and is able to destroy and disable demons.
تبلیغات
