Zoroastrianism or mazdayasna is one of the worlds oldest continuously practiced religions. He came back with a burning hatred of asia and everything asian, and devoted most of his efforts to germanic languages afterwards, but he also wrote a tract that confirmed the zendavestas age and authenticity om zendsprogets og zendavestas. Mills from sacred books of the east, american edition, 1898 except as noted. They also brought political order to southwest asia. Zend avesta, the original document of the religion of zoroaster, still used by. The religious philosophy of zoroaster divided the early iranian gods of the. Only approximately onequarter of the original is extant.
Mar 27, 2018 between 1819 and 1823, rasmus rask travelled through persia and india on a philological expedition funded by the danish crown. Zend avesta is a collection of the religious text of the parsis. This includes the original words of their founder zarathushtra, preserved in a series of five hymns, called the gathas. Christians worship in churches and their spiritual leaders are called priests. Zendavesta cyclopedia of biblical, theological and. It is hardly more than a century ago that the western world, already often enriched by the treasures of the east, received another gift, a contribution from persia, and a new text deciphered was added to our list of sacred books of ancient nations this was the avesta, or zendavesta, the bible and prayerbook of zoroaster, the prophet of ancient iran. The holy book of the parsis is c zend avesta explanation. Entry for zendavesta cyclopedia of biblical, theological and ecclesiastical literature one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia, with its nearly 50,000 entries and 17 millin words, dwarfs modern bible encyclopedias with the depth of knowledge. Varuna sat with his spies who flew all around the world and bought back reports on the conduct of mortals. Like the bible, it is a collection of many texts from many eras, in different languages.
An old edition of the avesta with zand interspersed is called the zend avesta or zand avesta. What is the name of the holy book of zoroastrianism. The zendavesta is the sacred book of the parsis, that is to say, of the few remaining followers of that religion which feigned over persia at the time when the second successor of mohammed overthrew the sassanian dynasty 1, and which has been called dualism, or mazdeism, or magism, or zoroastrianism, or fireworship, according. Gathas that works such as the vendidad, minor texts, and zend are necessary. The extant avesta is all that remains of a much larger body of scripture, apparently zoroasters transformation of a very. The oldest zoroastrian religious scripture, as preserved at present, is known as the avesta. The yasna devotion is the zoroastrian religious service but also. Its also a sacred language because the texts are written in it an. It is still practiced worldwide, especially in iran and india. The gathas of zarathushtra from accessed 15 dec 2019. The avesta is the scripture of zoroastrianism which developed from an oral. The zend avesta sacred books of the east pdf ebook php. Zoroastrianism download books, sacred, spiritual texts.
The indigenous history of the sacred books is told in several pahlavi texts. Jan 15, 2007 in avesta, ahura mazda is the main divinity and some people think that he is the same as varuna. Zend avesta zend avesta the holy book is on a throne positioned at the front of the hall. In avesta, ahura mazda is the main divinity and some people think that he is the same as varuna. The majority of the vendidad was a sort of dialogue between zarathustra and ahura mazda, which outlined how human beings can best live their lives. Religion in india is of great importance in our indian friends daily life, it plays an essential part. Hello readers of world religion weekly, so far, i read part i of the zend avesta the vendidad and most of the yasts in part ii of the zend avesta. Jul 25, 2011 according to a legend preserved in the book of arda viraf, a 3rd or 4th century work, a written version of the zend avesta had existed in the palace library of the achaemenid kings 559330 bc, but which was then supposedly lost in a fire caused by the troops of alexander the great. The word asura, which in the avesta means the lord, and is the name of the supreme god, means a demon in the brahmanical literature. The holy book of zoroastrianism 1 the word probably means the injunction of zoroaster 2. Westergaard, zendavesta or the religious book of the zoroastrians i. A section of this avesta is known as the khordeh avesta which means the smaller or selected avesta.
The principal text in the liturgical group is the yasna, which takes its name from the yasna ceremony, zoroastrianisms primary act of worship, and at which the yasna text. What is the religious book of zoroastrianism and islam. It is composed in the avestan language and it is only known and attested because of that. Jan 21, 2020 the holy book of zoroastrianism is the zend avesta, and within that document are stories of zoroasters visions. Apr 03, 2016 it is hardly more than a century ago that the western world, already often enriched by the treasures of the east, received another gift, a contribution from persia, and a new text deciphered was added to our list of sacred books of ancient nations this was the avesta, or zendavesta, the bible and prayerbook of zoroaster, the prophet of ancient iran. Avesta, also called zendavesta, sacred book of zoroastrianism containing its cosmogony, law, and liturgy, the teachings of the prophet zoroaster zarathushtra. Avesta is the name the mazdean mazdayasnian religious tradition gives to the. The term zand is a contraction of the avestan language word za i nti, meaning interpretation, or as understood. The zend avesta is the holy book of zoroastrianism. The most important texts of the religion are those of the avesta, which.
The zendavesta is the sacred book of the parsis, that is to say, of the few remaining followers of that religion which feigned over persia at the time when the second successor of mohammed overthrew the. The teachings of zoroaster and the philosophy of the parsi religion. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Taken together, the khordeh avesta is considered the prayer book for general lay use. This is the holy book of zoroastrianism itself and its printed here in a book that is. The sacred books of parsees, or zoroastrians, and the main source of our. The teachings of zoroaster and the philosophy of the parsi religion zoroaster. Each religion in india influenced architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and even medecine. Avesta, the the catholic encyclopedia religionfacts. According to a legend preserved in the book of arda viraf, a 3rd or 4th century work. Have you ever wondered when popular religions started to develop. In ancient times, the modern country of iran was known as persia. We provide the complete text of the extant avesta, the most ancient scriptures of zoroastrianism, as well as many pahlavi scriptures.
This is the holy book of zoroastrianism itself and its printed here in a book that is just way too small. Together, these lesser texts are conventionally called khordeh avesta or little avesta texts. The zoroastrian scriptures are called the avesta and the classical explanations, interpretations and commentaries are called the zend or zand. Most of the texts in these archives are extremely rare. The persians developed zoroastrianism, which influenced later religions. Oct 21, 2014 world religions, their holy books and symbols. Moreover, they had also written another holy book which was called upanishads. The zendavesta, the gathas, and the doctrine of zarathustra albert pike. The use of the expression zendavesta to refer to the avesta in general is a misunderstanding of the phrase zandiavesta. Avesta is the name the mazdean mazdayasnian religious tradition gives to the collection of its sacred texts. Survey of the history and contents o encyclopaedia. The avesta is the analogue of the bible for zoroastrians.
They include clear references to other myths and tales told about other philosophers and teachers. Avesta, the bible of zoroaster wikisource, the free. The language of the avesta is best designated simply as avestan, not as zend, for the reasons given in the beginning of this. When the first khordeh avesta editions were printed in the 19th century, these texts together with some nonavestan language prayers became a book of common prayer for lay people. The zendavesta is the sacred book of the parsis, that is to say, of the few remaining followers of that religion which feigned over persia at the time when the second successor of mohammed overthrew the sassanian dynasty, and which.
The zend avesta is the main texts used in the zoroastrian faith. Almost all the great religions of the world are represented in india. Religious texts are to be found in the avesta, which is the holy book of zoroastrianism. The texts come from times that may be as early as 1700 bc and as late as 400 a. Zoroastrian dietary laws, animal friendship and stewardship to say that dietary laws are not part of the original zoroastrian teachings and that all kind food is allowed in zoroastrianism is nothing more than unsubstantiated sheer nonsense.
The most important portion of the yasna texts are the five gathas, consisting of seventeen. Jul 20, 2017 hello readers of world religion weekly, so far, i read part i of the zend avesta the vendidad and most of the yasts in part ii of the zend avesta. Entry for zend avesta cyclopedia of biblical, theological and ecclesiastical literature one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia, with its nearly 50,000 entries and 17 millin words, dwarfs modern bible encyclopedias with the depth of knowledge. The book of rig veda, sama veda, yajur veda and athraya veda were written based on the mixture of arya theology and dravidia. Religions with a sacred or holy book usually regard that. It is based on the teachings of jesus christ who lived on the holy land 2000 years ago. Avesta project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. The avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage. Zoroastrian dietary laws, animal friendship and stewardship.
Bible is the holy book which consists of old and new testaments. We have only one sky, one earth, one water, one fire and one air. Zend avesta, the original document of the religion of zoroaster, still used by the parsees as their bible and prayerbook. The zend avesta is the sacred book of the parsis, that is to say, of the few remaining followers of that religion which feigned over persia at the time when the second successor of mohammed overthrew the sassanian dynasty 1, and which has been called dualism, or mazdeism, or magism, or zoroastrianism, or fireworship, according. Avesta zoroastrian scripture britannica encyclopedia britannica. It was a huge manuscript of scriptures which is said to have been destroyed during the reign of alexander. What was the religion of the magi which we find reflected in the avesta. Not only was it a cohort of the ancient vedic hinduism, but also had a huge influence on the development of judaism and christianity. There is also some later zoroastrian literature in modern persian, comprising works like the zartushtnamah book of zoroaster, the saddar hundred doors, or chapters, the rivayats traditional treatises. The principal text in the liturgical group is the yasna, which takes its name from the yasna ceremony, zoroastrianisms primary act of worship, and at which the yasna text is recited. Well, the easy answer would be that the holy book of zoroastrianism is primarily the avesta, and then some other traditional scriptures. Most people would naturally expect that avesta is simply a set of prophecie.
Nov 12, 2015 there is also some later zoroastrian literature in modern persian, comprising works like the zartushtnamah book of zoroaster, the saddar hundred doors, or chapters, the rivayats traditional treatises. The holy book of zoroastrianism is the zendavesta, and within that document are stories of zoroasters visions. The name zendavesta has been current in europe since the time of anquetil duperron c. The sirozahs, yasts and nyayis forgotten books unknown firminger. Until recently, the avesta was known in the west as the zend avesta. It also includes information about the avestan language, and other useful information for students of zoroastrian religion. The holy book is on a throne positioned at the front of the hall. There are numerous clear prophecies in zend avesta, the recognized book of the prophet zartushtra, about the holy quran, the prophet mohammad and his companions. List of world religions and founders, religious books, place.
The yasna, the principal liturgical book of the parsees, in 72 chapters haiti. Avesta, the bible of zoroaster wikisource, the free online library. One of the first monotheistic religions, particularly one with a wide following. In a wider sense, the term khordeh avesta includes all material other than the yasna, the visparad and the vendidad, as it is only the ceremonies contained in these three books that are reserved for the priests. The designation zendavesta, which is often employed to denote the sacred code. This is the complete zend avesta in english, a public. The zend avesta is the sacred book of the parsis, that is to say, of the few remaining followers of that religion which feigned over persia at the time when the second successor of mohammed overthrew the. Pdf in avestan charactersdin dabireh now available too. Apr 24, 2008 zend avesta zend avesta the holy book is on a throne positioned at the front of the hall.
Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed worldreligions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind, directly and. Christianity is the worlds biggest religion, with about 2. Avesta wikipedia, the free encyclopedia zoroastrianism was the dominant world religion during the persian empires 559 bc to 651 ac, and was thus the most powerful world religion at the time of jesus. Biography of zarathustra, founder of zoroastrianism. Published in three volumes with a long series of appendices and a booklength introduction about anquetils travels in india, it offered the first known example. Avesta, the bible of zoroaster wikisource, the free online. If youre looking for a free download links of the zend avesta sacred books of the east pdf, epub, docx and torrent then this site is not for you. Its religious core is a collection of songs or hymns, the gathas, thought to be in. The zendavesta pahlavi texts links zoroastrianism, in spite of its small current number of adherents, has played a huge role in the study of comparative religion.
Download the zend avesta in full text pdf download free here. The content of books of veda and upanishads were combined and called as the holy book of sruti was revealed 14. Religions with a sacred or holy book usually regard that text as having been written or. These many different texts are believed to have been transmitted orally for centuries before they were written down in the 3rd century. We have tried in another book 1 to show that the religion of the magi is derived from the same source as that of the indian.
A part of these prophecies is mythical, and is stated in such terms which cannot be taken to. That which has survived is basically the liturgical material which continued in use in regular worship. Like the bible, the avesta sometimes incorrectly called zendavesta is. According to a legend preserved in the book of arda viraf, a 3rd or 4th century work, a written. The zorastrian holy book is called the avesta and it is a compilation of all zoroastrian prayers. In zoroastrianism, the good god who rules the world. Avesta, also called zendavesta, sacred book of zoroastrianism containing its. Nov 22, 2014 what is the holy text for zoroastrianism. According to a legend preserved in the book of arda viraf, a 3rd or 4th century work, a written version of the zend avesta had existed in the palace library of the achaemenid kings 559330 bc, but which was then supposedly lost in a fire caused by the troops of alexander the great. The zoroastrian sacred scripture is the zend avesta. He abhorred sin and loathed evil deeds prompted by anger, drink and gambling. The extant avesta is all that remains of a much larger body of scripture, apparently zoroasters transformation of a very ancient tradition. According to the zend avesta, the sacred book of zoroastrianism. This is the book of daily prayers of the zoroastrians.
515 1440 231 347 532 78 795 1035 1026 1141 1047 1397 1050 495 473 653 871 883 1408 404 158 1080 642 376 917 697 128 959