Avesta

Avesta. The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts in Zoroastrianism, the ancient Iranian religion founded by the prophet Zarathustra. It comprises a diverse body of liturgical, ritual, and doctrinal writings composed in the ancient Avestan language. The texts form the core of Zoroastrian religious practice and theological thought, detailing the cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, and prescribing rituals like the Yasna ceremony.

Etymology and meaning

The term likely derives from the Middle Persian word *abestāg*, meaning "praise" or "invocation," possibly rooted in an older Avestan form. This connects it fundamentally to its liturgical function within the religion. Some scholars have also suggested a link to the Pahlavi word for "foundation" or "text," emphasizing its canonical status. The name is distinct from, though historically sometimes conflated with, the Pahlavi literature that contains commentaries on it. The Bundahishn and other Middle Persian works frequently reference and interpret its contents.

Composition and structure

The Avesta is traditionally divided into several major sections, though only a fraction of the original corpus survives. The core liturgical texts include the Yasna, which contains the Gathas—hymns attributed to Zarathustra himself—and the Visperad, an extension used in ceremonies. The Vendidad is a legal and ritual code concerning purity laws, while the Yashts are hymns dedicated to divine entities like Mithra and Anahita. Smaller collections include the Khordeh Avesta, a book of daily prayers. The lost portions, referred to in later Pahlavi sources like the Denkard, suggest a much larger original body of literature.

Language and script

The texts are composed in Avestan, an ancient Indo-Iranian language closely related to the Vedic Sanskrit of the Rigveda. It has two historical stages: the older Gathic Avestan of the Gathas, and the younger Avestan of later sections. The language was preserved orally for centuries before being committed to writing during the Sasanian Empire, using a specially invented alphabetic script derived from the Pahlavi script. This script, with over 50 characters, was designed to record the precise phonetic pronunciation essential for ritual recitation, as seen in manuscripts from Iran and the Parsi communities in India.

History and transmission

The composition of the oldest hymns, the Gathas, is traditionally dated to the prophet Zarathustra, possibly between 1500–1000 BCE, with other texts compiled over subsequent centuries. A major redaction and standardization effort is attributed to the Sasanian court, particularly under Khosrow I, resulting in a 21-nask (volume) canon. The Islamic conquest of Persia and the subsequent decline of Zoroastrianism led to the loss of most of this corpus. The surviving texts were preserved by the Parsi community in Gujarat and by Zoroastrian priests in Yazd and Kerman, with the oldest extant manuscripts dating from the 13th century CE, such as those found at the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute.

Content and significance

The content encompasses cosmology, theology, ritual law, and hymnody, centering on the dualistic cosmology of Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and the destructive spirit Angra Mainyu. It prescribes rituals like the Yasna, which involves the preparation of Haoma, and details ethical injunctions encapsulated in the maxim "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds." Its significance extends beyond religion, providing invaluable insights into ancient Indo-Iranian culture, mythology, and linguistics. The texts influenced later Iranian religions and, through contact, aspects of Abrahamic religions, while remaining the living scripture for Zoroastrian communities worldwide, including the Parsis of Mumbai and the Zoroastrians of Iran.

Category:Zoroastrian texts Category:Religious texts Category:Iranian literature