📜 Zoroastrian Sacred Texts

🌟 The Gathas (Songs of Zarathustra)

The seventeen hymns (poems) attributed directly to Zarathustra himself, comprising Yasna chapters 28-34, 43-51, and 53. These are the oldest part of the Avesta (possibly 1500-1000 BCE) and form the theological core of Zoroastrianism.

Content & Themes

• Conversations between Zarathustra and Ahura Mazda
• The fundamental choice between truth (Asha) and falsehood (Druj)
• Nature of good and evil, free will, cosmic struggle
• Ethical principles: good thoughts, good words, good deeds
• The seven Amesha Spentas as divine attributes
• Eschatology: final judgment and renovation of the world

Language & Difficulty

Written in Old Avestan (Gathic Avestan), the language is archaic and poetic, making interpretation challenging. Many passages have multiple possible translations. The Gathas are recited during the Yasna ceremony and are considered the direct word of the prophet.

🔥 Yasna (Sacrifice/Worship)

The primary liturgical text, containing 72 chapters (ha/kardeh) recited during the central Zoroastrian ceremony of the same name. Includes the Gathas plus additional hymns and prayers.

• Chapters 1-27: Invocations and preliminary prayers
• Chapters 28-34, 43-51, 53: The Gathas (Zarathustra's hymns)
• Chapters 35-42, 52, 54-72: Additional liturgy, haoma ceremony
• Yasna Haptanghaiti: Chapters 35-41, "Worship in Seven Chapters," possibly predating Zarathustra

⭐ The Yashts (Hymns of Praise)

Twenty-one hymns dedicated to individual yazatas (divine beings), angels, and sacred concepts. These texts preserve ancient Iranian mythology and are rich sources for understanding pre-Zoroastrian and Zoroastrian cosmology.

Notable Yashts

• Yasht 5 (Aban Yasht): To Anahita, goddess of waters
• Yasht 10 (Mehr Yasht): To Mithra, god of covenants and sun
• Yasht 13 (Fravardin Yasht): To the Fravashis (guardian spirits)
• Yasht 14 (Bahram Yasht): To Verethraghna, god of victory
• Yasht 19 (Zamyad Yasht): To the earth and sacred geography

The Yashts contain detailed mythological narratives, descriptions of divine beings, accounts of legendary kings, and invocations for various purposes.

💧 Vendidad (Law Against Demons)

Also called Videvdat ("Given Against Demons"), this text contains laws of ritual purity, codes of conduct, and methods for fighting evil. It is the only complete section of the Avesta to survive.

• Purification rituals for contamination by corpses, menstruation, etc.
• Regulations for proper disposal of the dead
• Creation myths (Jamshid's Vara to preserve life)
• Demonology and methods of combating evil spirits
• Agricultural and environmental ethics
• Sin classifications and penances

🙏 Khordeh Avesta (Little Avesta)

A collection of prayers and short texts for daily use by laypeople, compiled in later periods. Contains the most frequently recited prayers.

• Nyayeshes (Litanies) to sun, moon, fire, water, Mithra
• Gahs (Prayers for five daily times)
• Yashts (selected hymns)
• Short prayers (Ahuna Vairya, Ashem Vohu, etc.)
• Afrins (blessings)

🌍 Bundahishn (Creation)

The most important Pahlavi text for cosmology and mythology. Describes the creation of the world, the assault of evil, cosmic geography, and eschatology.

• Creation in spiritual and material forms
• The 12,000-year cosmic timeline
• Geography: Mount Hara, seven continents, cosmic waters
• Mythology of primordial beings (Gayomart, Primordial Bull)
• Catalog of stars, plants, animals, and their spiritual protectors
• Final renovation (Frashokereti)

📖 Denkard (Acts of Religion)

A massive encyclopedia of Zoroastrian knowledge compiled in 9th-10th centuries CE. Originally nine books, only books 3-9 survive. Contains theology, history, apologetics, and legendary material.

• Summaries and commentaries on lost Avestan texts
• Life of Zarathustra
• Theological treatises on good and evil
• Defense of Zoroastrianism against other religions
• Legends and mythological narratives

📜 Selections of Zadspram

Compilation by the 9th-century priest Zadspram, containing cosmological myths and legends of early humanity.

• Expanded creation narratives
• Stories of first humans (Mashya and Mashyana)
• Early kings and culture heroes

🌉 Arda Viraz Namag (Book of Arda Viraz)

Account of a righteous man's visionary journey through heaven, hell, and purgatory, serving as Zoroastrian eschatology in narrative form.

• Detailed descriptions of afterlife realms
• Rewards for righteous and punishments for wicked
• The soul's journey across Chinvat Bridge
• Meeting with Ahura Mazda and yazatas

💡 Menok-i Khrat (Spirit of Wisdom)

Catechism in dialogue form where the "Spirit of Wisdom" answers questions about theology, ethics, and practice.

📕 Shahnameh (Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi

Completed around 1010 CE, the Shahnameh is the national epic of Iran, preserving pre-Islamic Persian mythology, legends, and history in 50,000+ verses of poetry. While not a religious text, it preserves ancient Iranian mythology and values aligned with Zoroastrian ethics.

Structure & Content

• Mythical Period: From creation to Jamshid, including cosmogonic myths
• Legendary Period: Heroic age with Rostam, Sohrab, Siyavash
• Historical Period: Sassanian kings to Islamic conquest

Major Heroes & Stories

• Rostam: Greatest hero, seven labors, tragic death of son Sohrab
• Fereydun: Defeats dragon-king Zahhak
• Siyavash: Innocent prince unjustly killed
• Kay Khosrow: Righteous king who fights Turan

Significance

The Shahnameh preserved Iranian cultural identity through centuries of foreign rule, maintaining ancient mythological traditions, heroic ideals, and ethical teachings rooted in Zoroastrian values.

The Lost Avesta

Ancient sources suggest the original Avesta was enormous - possibly filling multiple libraries. Much was lost during Alexander's conquest (330 BCE) when he allegedly burned the royal library at Persepolis. Further losses occurred during Arab conquest (7th century CE) and subsequent persecutions.

What Survived: Approximately 25% of the original, preserved through oral tradition and eventually written down in special Avestan script.

Transmission & Preservation

• Oral Tradition: Priests (mobeds) memorized and transmitted texts for centuries
• Written Codification: Written down in Avestan script (created specifically for sacred texts)
• Pahlavi Translations: Translated to Middle Persian with commentaries (Zand)
• Parsi Preservation: Indian Zoroastrian community (Parsis) became primary preservers
• Modern Scholarship: European scholars began studying Avesta in 18th-19th centuries