⚡ Ahura Mazda

⚡

Ahura Mazda

The Wise Lord, Supreme Creator

The uncreated, omniscient, and all-powerful deity who represents ultimate truth, light, and goodness. Ahura Mazda is the supreme creator who fashioned the universe through wisdom and will ultimately triumph over evil in the Frashokereti.

Attributes & Domains

Titles
Wise Lord, Lord of Wisdom, Creator of All, Uncreated Creator, Spenta Mainyu
Domains
Wisdom, Asha (Truth), Light, Creation, Order, Goodness
Symbols
Faravahar (winged disk), Sacred Fire, Sun, Light
Sacred Animals
Bull (symbol of creation), White horse, Eagle
Sacred Plants
Cypress tree, Haoma, Pomegranate
Colors
White (purity), Gold/Yellow (light), Purple (royalty)

Biography & Mythology

Ahura Mazda is not born but has always existed - the uncreated creator, dwelling in infinite light. In the beginning, there were two primordial spirits who made opposite choices: Spenta Mainyu (Holy Spirit, an aspect of Ahura Mazda) chose Asha (truth) and goodness, while Angra Mainyu chose Druj (lie) and destruction. This primordial choice defines the fundamental duality of existence.

The First Choice

At the beginning of time, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu existed in an unlimited void. Ahura Mazda dwelt in infinite light, Angra Mainyu in infinite darkness. When they met, Ahura Mazda, knowing all futures, offered Angra Mainyu a choice to join in creating good. Angra Mainyu refused and declared eternal opposition. This established the cosmic war that will last 12,000 years, culminating in the Frashokereti (final renovation).

Creation of the World

Ahura Mazda created the world in spiritual form first (menog), then manifested it physically (getig). He created the seven Amesha Spentas as emanations of his own virtues, then fashioned the material world in six stages: sky (metal), water, earth, plants, animals, and finally humanity. Each creation was made perfect and good, reflecting the divine order of Asha.

Revelation to Zoroaster

Ahura Mazda revealed himself to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra) in a series of seven visions, teaching him the true religion and the path of Asha. Through Zoroaster, humanity received the knowledge needed to choose good over evil through good thoughts (humata), good words (hukhta), and good deeds (hvarshta).

📚 Primary Sources: Ahura Mazda

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Avesta - Yasna (Gathas)

Avesta:Yasna 28:Verse 1
"With outstretched hands in petition for that help, O Mazda, I will pray for the works of the Holy Spirit, O thou the Right, with actions of Good Thought, by which I may please the Soul of the Kine and you."
Source: Avesta, Yasna (Gathas), composed c. 1500-1000 BCE
Avesta:Yasna 30:Verse 3-5
"Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves in vision as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action. And between these two the wise ones chose aright, the foolish not so. And when these twain Spirits came together in the beginning, they established Life and Not-Life, and that at the last the Worst Existence shall be to the followers of the Lie, but the Best Thought to him that follows Right. Of these twin Spirits he that followed the Lie chose doing the worst things; the holiest Spirit chose Right."
Source: Avesta, Yasna 30 (The Choice of the Two Spirits), c. 1500-1000 BCE
Avesta:Yasna 31:Verse 7-8
"He who in the beginning thus thought: 'Let the blessed realms be filled with light,' he it is who by his wisdom created Right. Those realms that the Best Thought shall possess, those, O Mazda, which thy Spirit made, which are bright with all glory—to these shall I proclaim thee."
Source: Avesta, Yasna 31, c. 1500-1000 BCE
Avesta:Yasna 44:Verse 3-7
"This I ask Thee, tell me truly, Ahura. Who is by generation the Father of Right, at the first? Who determined the path of sun and stars? Who is it by whom the moon waxes and wanes again? This, O Mazda, and yet more, I am fain to know. This I ask Thee, tell me truly, Ahura. Who upheld the earth beneath and the firmament from falling? Who the waters and the plants? Who yoked swiftness to winds and clouds? Who is, O Mazda, creator of Good Mind?"
Source: Avesta, Yasna 44 (Questions to Ahura Mazda), c. 1500-1000 BCE
Avesta:Yasna 45:Verse 2
"Yea, I will speak forth; now give ye heed; now hearken, ye who from near and from afar have come seeking the light. Now is all this made clear to sight. No more shall the Evil Teacher destroy the second life by his doctrines, the wicked one, the Speaker of Untruth, by his tongue has led men to choose the worst."
Source: Avesta, Yasna 45, c. 1500-1000 BCE

Bundahishn (Book of Creation)

Bundahishn:Chapter 1:Verse 1-10
"Ohrmazd was in the supreme light and omniscience, and ever is. The place of that light is what they call the Endless Light. The omniscience is everything that is infinite. As the revelation says, 'The place of Ohrmazd is ever that which is called Endless Light, and the omniscience which is all-good and is ever; there is no opponent in it.' Between them was emptiness, that is, what they call air; and it is now mixed between the world of Ohrmazd and that of Ahriman."
Source: Greater Bundahishn, Chapter 1 (On the Original Creation), c. 9th century CE
Bundahishn:Chapter 1:Verse 44-50
"Ohrmazd, through omniscience, knew that Ahriman exists, and whatever he schemes he infuses with malice and greediness until the end; and because he accomplishes nothing, he will become impotent. Then Ohrmazd created the creatures in spiritual form... First he created Vohuman by whom the progress of the creatures of Ohrmazd is advanced."
Source: Greater Bundahishn, Chapter 1, c. 9th century CE

Denkard (Acts of Religion)

Denkard:Book 3:Chapter 1
"The supreme sovereignty of Ohrmazd, who is unequalled in power and unrivalled in glory, and whose authority is absolute and unquestioned, rests upon three pillars: his infinite wisdom by which he knows all that was, is, and shall be; his infinite power by which he accomplishes all good; and his infinite goodness by which he wills only what is right."
Source: Denkard (Acts of Religion), Book 3, c. 9th-10th century CE

Divine Nature & The Amesha Spentas

Ahura Mazda's nature is expressed through the seven Amesha Spentas (Bounteous Immortals), divine emanations that represent his core attributes:

Divine Attributes

Relationships & Divine Hierarchy

The Divine Council

Cosmic Opposition

Worship & Sacred Practices

Sacred Fire

All fire temples (Atash Bahram) are dedicated to Ahura Mazda, as fire represents his divine light and wisdom. The sacred fire must never be extinguished and is fed with sandalwood, cypress, and other fragrant woods. Major fire temples include Atash Behram of Yazd, Udvada, and historical temples at Persepolis.

Key Festivals

Sacred Prayers

Ashem Vohu: "Righteousness is the best good. It is radiant happiness. Radiant happiness comes to the person to whom righteousness is for the sake of best righteousness alone." (Recited for blessings and protection)

Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo): The most sacred prayer, believed to have been spoken by Ahura Mazda at creation. It declares his sovereignty and the primacy of Asha.

Ahunwar: A powerful protective prayer invoking Ahura Mazda's authority over evil.

The Path of Asha

Followers of Ahura Mazda must walk the Threefold Path:

After death, souls cross the Chinvat Bridge, judged by Rashnu, Mithra, and Sraosha. Those who followed Ahura Mazda's path reach the House of Song (paradise), while those who chose evil fall to the House of Lies.

🎭 Archetypal Patterns

📚 Wisdom 90%

All-wise lord, source of truth

📊 View in Cross-Reference Matrix

🔗 Related Concepts

Within Persian Tradition

Cross-Cultural Parallels

  • YHWH (Jewish) - Monotheistic creator
  • God/Trinity (Christian) - Supreme deity
  • Allah (Islamic) - One true God
  • Brahman (Hindu) - Ultimate reality
  • Ra (Egyptian) - Solar creator deity
  • Zeus (Greek) - King of gods

Historical Influence

Ahura Mazda worship profoundly influenced the development of monotheism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Key concepts that spread from Zoroastrianism include:

🔗 Related Across the Mythos

Archetypes
⚡ CREATOR GOD

Ahura Mazda is the supreme Creator - omniscient, all-good, and the source of cosmic truth and light.

See parallels: YHWH, Brahman, Allah →
🌤️ SKY FATHER

Lord of Light dwelling in infinite radiance, father of all creation.

See parallels: Dyaus Pita, Zeus, Odin →
Zoroastrian Connections
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Amesha Spentas

Divine Emanations

Seven aspects of Ahura Mazda
🌑

Angra Mainyu

Eternal Adversary

Destructive Spirit
Sacred Symbols
🦅

Faravahar

Winged Symbol

Persian
🔥

Sacred Fire

Divine Light

Persian
Vedic Parallels
🌊

Varuna

Asura Lord of Rta

Hindu
🕉️

Brahman

Ultimate Reality

Hindu

🌍 Cross-Cultural Parallels

✡️ YHWH Jewish ✝️ God Christian ☪️ Allah Islamic 🕉️ Varuna Hindu 🏺 Atum Egyptian

📚 See Also

✨ Amesha Spentas 🌑 Angra Mainyu ☀️ Mithra 🔥 Zoroaster ⚖️ Asha (Truth) 🌟 Frashokereti 🦅 Faravahar ⚡ Creator God Archetype