What is the story of maga zarasabdha in bhavishya purana?

Question

A Quora answer talks about Zoroaster and his relation with Hinduism. is zoroaster and his religion mentioned in puranas.

This is from the answer-

Bhavisya Purana chapters 139-140 present an extensive account of the background of Maga Zarasabdha. The word maga refers to a dynasty of priests of whom Zarasabdha was a progenitor. In ancient Iran, the hereditary priestly caste was called the Magi. Zarasabdha was born in the family line of Vira Aditya, "the powerful Aditya" (sun-god). The Vedic scriptures list twelve Adityas (sons of Aditi, the mother of the demigods). They are the twelve spokes of the kala-cakra, the wheel of time.

Is the above story authentic?

Answer 1

It is not certain that Maga Zarasabdha was Persian Magi Zarathustra. Some scholars claim that ZaratkAru,a Naga vanshi, described in Maha Bharat, Aadi parva, chapt. 5, may be Zarathustra. But it is certain that Magh was a very powerful tribe of ancient India described in Rig Veda. The term like Maghoni/ Maghan/ Maghor/ or simply Magh appears at several places in RigVeda ( e.g. yo vanita magham RV.3.13.3). Indra is also designated as Maghvan at several places and it is wrongly interpreted as rich man, whereas internal analysis easly establishes this term as a tribe not riches.

This ancient tribe Magh migrated to far off places may be upto Egypt because in ancient Sumerian language Egypt was known as Maghan. The ancient Persian Magh/Magi/Magu is certainly Rig Vedic Magh because they also worshiped many Rig Vedic god like Mitra,Yima/yam,Airyaman/Aryaman, and remember Verethragna(Indra)etc. Persians also called their fire priest as Atharvan.(see www.iranicaonline.org).

One of the important hymn of RigVeda describes Atharvan as the messenger of people who settled in far off places and he/they used to visit them for the work of Yama -

agnirjAto atharvanA vidatvishvani kAvyA

bhuvat duto vivasvato vi vo made priyo yamasya kAmyo vivakshase

(born of Agni/fire Atharvan knows the book of world, became messenger of people settled out side and for the purpose of Yama's work move out happily.)

The movement of Atharvan to other land is also supported by Persian text. Encyclopaedia Iranica (www.iranicaonline.org/Atharvan) writes- "The oldest attestation of the word Atharvan is in the Yasna Haptanhaiti where the worshippers honor 'the return of the priests who go afar ( to those who ) seek righteousness in other land' that is, it seems to Atharvan acting as Zoroastrian missionaries." Missionaries or messenger depends on interpretation, but Atharvan were going to other land.

Historians(mostly Marxists) claim that the story of Rig Veda did not occured in India, but somewhere in Central Asia, despite the fact that Rig Vedic geography is that of India. Some of them argue, that's why the greatest god of Rig Veda Indra has no place in Hindu religious worshiping, while minor god like Vishnu have a highest place.

Answer 2

No not at all, similar names were in use during the Proto-Indo-Iranian times, this just happens to be common occurance of pointing out some minor similarities to fabricate stories up. Zoroaster was no demigod, he was mortal and himself said. The man always lived in a state of confusion and hence created a dualist religion which is still ahead of its times and better than most religion(barring dharmic ones to which it is similar to but NOT the same). Its the religion from which Abrahamaic religion heavily copied from. That is one of the reasons Zoroaster was reverred and admired by great philosophers such as Plato, Socrates and Neitzsche. The the lattest naming his magnum opus after him.