A comparative study of the concept of moderation inthe advices of the sixth "Dinkard" and in Ferdowsi's "Shahnameh"

One of the basic concepts in Iranian thought is the principle of moderation in life affairs, which is clearly reflected in Pahlavi books and advice letters, especially in the sixth book of Dinkard, the most detailed advice letter in the Pahlavi language. In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, which is considered as the summary of pre-Islamic Iranian culture, moderation is one of the basic principles that has been emphasized in various advices.In this article, we have tried to represent the similarities of these two books on moderation in a comparative way and with a content analysis approach. The results show that the concept of moderation in the Sixth Dinkard and Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh are very close to one another. In both books, thr extremes of excessiveness are examples of evil, and the good that lies between them is a symbol of moderation. On the other hand, goodness equals goodwill, good thinking and good speech; Three important principles of Zoroastrian thought that are directly related to reason and guide people to a rational life based on moderation.There is also a close link between moderation and justice that evokes the concept of "asha" in Zoroastrian thought.It is noteworthy that the concept of moderation in the sixth Dinkard is more consistent with the recommendations of the historical part of the Shahnameh, especially poems related to the reign of Khosrow Anoshirvan, and sometimes the recommendations are quite similar which could be the result of the direct influence of the sixth Dinkard on Shahnameh or due tocommon sources for the two books.