🌅 The Creation of the World

✨ Menog - Spiritual Creation

Ahura Mazda first created the world in spiritual/ideal form (menog state). This was a perfect, non-material existence where all creation existed as pure essence without physical form. During this period, Angra Mainyu remained ignorant of the good creation.

• The Amesha Spentas: Seven divine emanations representing virtues
• The Fravashis: Spiritual essences of all beings yet to be born
• Ideal Forms: Perfect templates for all future physical creation

🌍 Getig - Material Creation

Ahura Mazda then manifested creation in physical form (getig state). He created the material world in six stages, each taking place instantaneously:

1. 🔵 Sky (Asman) - Protected by Khshathra Vairya

First, Ahura Mazda created the sky as a hard, stone-like (or metal-like) sphere enclosing the entire cosmos. This luminous shell contained the world and separated the good creation from the outer darkness where Angra Mainyu dwelt. The sky was made of a substance like crystal or metal, bright and protective.

2. 💧 Water (Ab) - Protected by Haurvatat

Second, Ahura Mazda created water, which filled the lower half of the cosmic sphere. These primordial waters were pure, sweet, and life-giving. From these waters would flow all rivers, lakes, and seas. The yazata Anahita governs these waters, ensuring their purity and fertility.

3. 🌍 Earth (Zam) - Protected by Spenta Armaiti

Third, Ahura Mazda created the earth, round and flat like a disk, floating in the middle of the cosmic waters. At the center rose Mount Hara (Hara Berezaiti), the great world-mountain from which all other mountains and lands spread outward. The earth was perfectly smooth, without valleys or peaks (these came later through Angra Mainyu's assault).

4. 🌱 Plants (Urvar) - Protected by Ameretat

Fourth, Ahura Mazda created the primordial plant, the Tree of All Seeds (also called the Tree of All Healing), which grew at the center of the world in the cosmic waters. From this single perfect plant came the seeds of all other plants. Every beneficial plant, tree, grain, and flower descended from this original creation.

5. 🐂 Animals (Goshorun) - Protected by Vohu Manah

Fifth, Ahura Mazda created the Primordial Bull (Gav-i Evdad or Goshorun), the archetypal animal from which all beneficial animals descended. This bull was white, luminous, and perfect. It grazed on the banks of the cosmic river, peaceful and immortal. From its essence would come all cattle, horses, and domesticated animals.

6. 👤 Humanity (Mardumih) - Protected by Asha Vahishta

Sixth and finally, Ahura Mazda created the first human being, Gayomart (also called Gayomard), the Primordial Man. He was created as a single androgynous being, shining like the sun, immortal, and perfect. Gayomart was placed at the center of the world, near Mount Hara, to be the ancestor of all humanity and the guardian of creation.

The Introduction of Evil

• The Sky: Angra Mainyu pierced the sky, creating a hole through which he entered the material world. This breach allowed evil to infiltrate creation.
• The Waters: He poisoned the waters, making some salty and bitter, introducing decay and corruption.
• The Earth: He struck the earth, creating mountains, valleys, deserts, and wastelands. What was smooth became rough; what was perfect became flawed.
• The Plants: He withered plants, introduced thorns, poisonous herbs, and disease.
• The Primordial Bull: Angra Mainyu and his demon Az (Concupiscence) struck down Goshorun, introducing death into the world. From the dying bull's seed came all animal species, but now mortal and subject to suffering.
• Gayomart: Angra Mainyu poisoned Gayomart with death. The Primordial Man lived thirty years more, then died. From his seed, buried in the earth, grew the first human couple: Mashya and Mashyana (male and female), who became the ancestors of all humanity - now mortal, now vulnerable to evil.