Yasna

Yasna (;"Yasna"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ) is the Avestan name of Zoroastrianism's principal act of worship. It is also the name of the primary liturgical collection of Avesta texts, recited during that ''yasna'' ceremony.

Overview

The function of the ''yasna'' ceremony is, very roughly described, to strengthen the orderly spiritual and material creations of Ahura Mazda against the assault of the destructive forces of Angra Mainyu. The ''yasna'' service, that is, the recitation of the Yasna texts, culminates in the '' apæ zaothra'', the "offering to the waters." The ceremony may also be extended by recitation of the '' Visperad'' and '' Vendidad'' texts. A normal ''yasna'' ceremony, without extensions, takes about two hours when it is recited by an experienced priest.

The ''Yasna'' texts constitute 72 chapters altogether, composed at different times and by different authors. The middle chapters include the (linguistically) oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon. These very ancient texts, in the very archaic and linguistically difficult Old Avestan language, include the four most sacred Zoroastrian prayers, and also 17 chapters consisting of the five Gathas, hymns that are considered to have been composed by Zoroaster himself. Several sections of the ''Yasna'' include exegetical comments. ''Yasna'' chapter and verse pointers are traditionally abbreviated with ''Y.''

The Avestan language word ''yasna'' literally means 'oblation' or 'worship'. The word is linguistically and functionally related to Vedic Sanskrit ''yajna''.

The service

The theological function of the ''yasna'' ceremony, and the proper performance of it, is to further ''asha'', that is, the ceremony aims to strengthen that which is right/true (one meaning of ''asha'') in the existence/creation (another meaning of ''asha'') of divine order (yet another meaning of ''asha''). The Encyclopedia Iranica summarizes the aim of the ''yasna'' ceremony as "the maintenance of the cosmic integrity of the good creation of Ahura Mazdā." Zoroastrianism's cosmological/eschatological perception of the purpose of humankind is to strengthen the orderly spiritual and material creations of Mazda against the assault of the destructive forces of Angra Mainyu. In that conflict, theologically speaking, mankind's primary weapon is the ''yasna'' ceremony, which is understood to have a direct, immediate effect: " r from being a symbolic act, the proper performance of the yasna is what prevents the cosmos from falling into chaos." The culminating act of the ''yasna'' ceremony is the Ab-Zohr, the "strengthening of the waters".

The ''Yasna'' service, that is, the recitation of the Yasna texts, culminates in the ''Ab-Zohr'', the "offering to waters". The ''Yasna'' ceremony may be extended by recitation of the ''Visperad'' and ''Vendidad''.

A well-trained priest is able to recite the entire ''Yasna'' in about two hours. With extensions, it takes about an hour longer. In its normal form, the ''Yasna'' ceremony is only to be performed in the morning.

The liturgy

Structure and organization

Content summaries

* ''Yasna'' 1 opens with the praise of Ahura Mazda, enumerating his divine titles as the Creator, "radiant, glorious, the greatest, the best, the most beautiful, the most firm, the most wise, of the most perfect form, the highest in righteousness, possessed of great joy, creator, fashioner, nourisher, and the Most Holy Spirit." (Dhalla, 1936:155). ''Yasna'' 1 then enumerates the divinities, inviting them to the service.
* ''Yasna'' 2, the ''Barsom Yasht'', presents libation and the ''barsom'' (a bundle of 23 twigs bound together, symbolizing sanctity) to the invited divinities. ''Yasna'' 2–4 complement ''Yasna'' 1. Most verses in ''Yasna'' 2–3 begin with the formula ''ayese yeshti ...'', "by means of this sacrifice, I call …", followed by the name of the divinity being invoked.
* ''Yasna'' 3–8 known collectively as the '' Sarosh dron'', presents other offerings (''zaothra''). ''Yasna'' 3 draws the attention of the divinities invoked in ''Yasna'' 1, and in ''Yasna'' 4, the offerings are consecrated to the divinities. ''Yasna'' 5 is repeated in ''Yasna'' 37. ''Yasna'' 6 is almost identical to the first 10 verses of ''Yasna'' 17.
* ''Yasna'' 9–11 is the ''Hom Yasht'', a collection of accolades to the Haoma plant and its divinity.
* ''Yasna'' 12 constitutes the ''Fravarane'', the Zoroastrian creed and declaration of faith. It is in "Artificial" Gathic Avestan, that is, it is stylistically and linguistically aligned with the language of the '' Gathas'', but imperfectly. The last strophe of verse 7 as well as all of verses 8 and 9 are incorporated into the ''Kusti'' ritual.
* ''Yasna'' 13–18 are comparable to ''Yasna'' 1–8 in that they too are a collection of invocations to the divinities. Chapters 14–18 serve as an introduction to the ''Staota Yesniia'' of ''Yasna'' 19–59. The first 10 verses of ''Yasna'' 17, "to the fires, waters, plants", is almost identical to ''Yasna'' 6.
* ''Yasna'' 19–21, the Bhagan ''Yasht'', are commentaries on the three 'high prayers' of ''Yasna'' 28–53.
* ''Yasna'' 22–26 is another set of invocations to the divinities.
* ''Yasna'' 27 has the prayers referred to by ''Yasna'' 19–21. These are:
** The '' Ahuna Vairya'' invocation (also known as the ''Yatha Ahu Vairyo''), the most sacred of all Zoroastrian prayers.
** The '' Ashem Vohu''
** The ''Yenghe hatam''
* ''Yasna'' 28–53 include the (linguistically) oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon. 17 of the 26 chapters make up the Gathas, the most sacred hymns of Zoroastrianism and thought to have been composed by Zoroaster himself. The Gathas are in verse. These are structurally interrupted by a) the ''Yasna Haptanghaiti'' ("seven-chapter ''Yasna''", #35–41), which is as old as the Gathas but in prose, b) two short chapters (#42 and #52) that are not as old as the Gathas and ''Yasna Haptanghaiti''.
** ''Yasna'' 28–34: ''Ahunavaiti'' Gatha
** ''Yasna'' 35–41: '' Yasna Haptanghaiti'', the "seven-chapter ''Yasna''", also in Gathic Avestan but in prose.
** ''Yasna'' 42: a 4 verse chapter invoking the elements.
** ''Yasna'' 43–46: ''Ushtavait'' Gatha
** ''Yasna'' 47–50: ''Spenta Mainyu'' Gatha
** ''Yasna'' 51: ''Vohu Khshathra'' Gatha
** ''Yasna'' 52: an 8 verse hymn to Ashi. Verses 52.5 – 52.8, in Younger Avestan, are a duplicate of ''Yasna'' 8.5 – 8.8.
** ''Yasna'' 53: ''Vahishto Ishti'' Gatha
* ''Yasna'' 54 has the text of the '' a airiiema ishiio'', a prayer referred to in ''Yasna'' 27.
* ''Yasna'' 55 is a praise to the ''Gathas'' and the ''Staota Yesniia''.
* ''Yasna'' 56 is again an invocation to the divinities, appealing for their attention.
* ''Yasna'' 57 is the '' Sarosh Yasht'', the hymn to the divinity of religious discipline. It is closely related to, and appears to have sections borrowed from ''Yasht'' 10, the hymn to Mithra.
* ''Yasna'' 58 is again a "hidden" ''Yasht'', here to the genius of prayer (''cf.'' Dahman).
* ''Yasna'' 59 is a repetition of the sections from ''Yasna'' 17 and 26.
* ''Yasna'' 60 is blessing upon the house of the '' ashavan'' ('just' or 'true' man). ''Yasna'' 60.2–7 constitute the Dahma Afriti invocation, also known as the ''Afrinagan Dahman''.
* ''Yasna'' 61 praises the anti-demonic powers imbued in the ''Afrinagan Dahman'', ''Yenghe hatam'' and the three principal prayers of ''Yasna'' 27.
* ''Yasna'' 62 constitutes the '' Ataksh Nyashes'', prayers to fire and its divinity.
* ''Yasna'' 63–69 constitute the prayers that accompany the '' Ab-Zohr'', "offering to water".
* ''Yasna'' 70–72 are again a set of invocations to the divinities.

Editions

Translations of the ''Yasna'' liturgy now in the public domain:
*

.
a
avesta.org
(organized by chapter).

*

Mills, American Edition, 1898, with select passages adopted from
.
a

(plain text).

References

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

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{{Authority control

Avesta
Ancient Iranian religion
Zoroastrian texts