Ahuna Vairya ( Avestan: 𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬥𐬀 𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀) is the first of

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...

's four Gathic Avestan

formulas In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

. The text, which appears in ''

Yasna Yasna (;"Yasna"
'' Ashem Vohu Ashem Vohu (, Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬆𐬨 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬏 aṣ̌əm vohū) is a very important prayer in Zoroastrianism. The Ashem Vohu, after the Ahunavar is considered one of the most basic, yet meaningful and powerful mantras in the religion. I ...

'' (the second most sacred formula at ''Yasna'' 27.14) are together "very cryptic formulas, of a pronounced magical character." The Ahunavaiti

Gatha ''Gāthā'' is a Sanskrit term for 'song' or 'verse', especially referring to any poetic metre which is used in legends, and is not part of the Vedas but peculiar to either Epic Sanskrit or to Prakrit. The word is originally derived from the S ...

(chapters 28-34 of the ''Yasna''), is named after the Ahuna Vairya formula.

In relation to the other formulas

Like the other three formulas (''

Ashem vohu Ashem Vohu (, Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬆𐬨 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬏 aṣ̌əm vohū) is a very important prayer in Zoroastrianism. The Ashem Vohu, after the Ahunavar is considered one of the most basic, yet meaningful and powerful mantras in the religion. I ...

'', ''

Yenghe hatam Yenghe hatam is one of the four major prayer formulas (the other three being Ashem Vohu, Ahuna Vairya and Airyaman ishya) of the Gathic canon, that is, part of the group of texts composed in the more archaic dialect of the Avestan language and b ...

'', ''

Airyaman ishya The airyaman ishya (; ''airyaman išya'', ''airyə̄mā išyō'') is Zoroastrianism's fourth of the four Gathic Avestan invocations. Name The prayer is named after its opening words, ''ā airyə̄mā išyō''. In present-day Zoroastrian usage, ...

''), the ''Ahuna Vairya'' is part of the Gathic canon, that is, part of the group of texts composed in the more archaic dialect of the Avestan language. Together with the other three formulas, the ''Ahuna Vairya'' is part of the 'envelope' that liturgically encloses the

s, i.e. the hymns attributed to

Zoroaster Zoroaster,; fa, زرتشت, Zartosht, label= Modern Persian; ku, زەردەشت, Zerdeşt also known as Zarathustra,, . Also known as Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism. He is ...

. One of the formulas, the ''Airyaman ishya'' (''Yasna'' 54.1) follows the Gathas, while the other three formulas – ''Ahuna Vairya'', ''Ashem vohu'' and ''Yenghe hatam'' (together at ''Yasna'' 27.13-27.15) – precede them. Unlike the third and fourth formula, the first two formulas—the ''Ahuna Vairya'' and the ''Ashem vohu''—are part of the Kusti prayers. Unlike the third and fourth formula, the first two do not express wishes and are technically purificatory and meditational declarations (''asti'', "it is").

In scripture

The ''Ahuna Vairya'' is already a subject of

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...

in scripture itself, in particular in ''

Yasna Yasna (;"Yasna"
'' Ahura Mazda, articulated immediately after the creation of the spiritual world (and before the material world), and that its efficacy in aiding the righteous is due to its primordial nature. As a primordial utterance, the ''Ahura Vairya'' is described to have talismanic virtues: the power to aid mortals in distress, and inversely as a potent weapon against the ''

daeva A daeva (Avestan: 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 ''daēuua'') is a Zoroastrian supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, the ''daeva''s are "gods that are (to be) rejected". This ...

''s. Elsewhere in the Avesta, the ''Ahuna Vairya'' is described as the "most victorious" (''

Yasht The Yashts are a collection of twenty-one hymns in the Younger Avestan language. Each of these hymns invokes a specific Zoroastrian divinity or concept. ''Yasht'' chapter and verse pointers are traditionally abbreviated as ''Yt.'' Overview The wor ...

'' 11.13), as the "veracious word" (''

Yasna Yasna (;"Yasna"
'' Vendidad The Vendidad /ˈvendi'dæd/ or Videvdat or Videvdad is a collection of texts within the greater compendium of the Avesta. However, unlike the other texts of the Avesta, the ''Vendidad'' is an ecclesiastical code, not a liturgical manual. Name ...

'' 11.3, in addition to being "most healing", frequent recitation of the ''Ahura Vairya'' is prescribed as an act of hygiene to "protect the body". In ''Yasna'' 9.14,

is given credit as the first mortal to recite it.

In tradition

The hymn's supremacy among sacred Zoroastrian formulae is well developed in the 9th-11th century texts of Zoroastrian tradition. In the ''

Denkard The ''Dēnkard'' or ''Dēnkart'' (Middle Persian: 𐭣𐭩𐭭𐭪𐭠𐭫𐭲 "Acts of Religion") is a 10th-century compendium of Zoroastrian beliefs and customs during the time. The Denkard is to a great extent considered an "Encyclopedia of Ma ...

'' ('Acts of Religion', 9th century), four of the twenty-one ''nask''s are described to have expounded on the efficacy of the

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

(8.44.1), and each volume of the ''nask''s is said to have been initially assigned its title from a word in the ''Ahuna Vairya'' prayer (''Denkard'' intro, 6, 8, 17, 18, 9.1.4). The formula's potency to smite daevas and protect life and property are described at length (4.38-45, 8.43.81, 9.1.4), and the formula's primordial nature is seen as the root and summation of the belief in Ahura Mazda, "the seed of seeds of the reckoning of the religion." (8.45.1) The ''

Bundahishn ''Bundahishn'' (Avestan: , "Primal Creation") is the name traditionally given to an encyclopedic collection of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology written in Book Pahlavi. The original name of the work is not known. Although the ''Bundahishn'' ...

'', an 11th/12th century narrative of Zoroastrian cosmological myths, continues and embellishes the Avesta's description of the ''Ahuna Vairya'' as a primordial utterance. In that tradition, ''Ahuna Vairya'' is not only an utterance of Mazda following the creation of the spiritual world. Additionally, in ''Bundahishn'' 12.13-14, the spirit of the ''yatha ahu vairyo'' is the first manifestation of the luminaries that Ahura Mazda created, i.e. the spirit of the formula is the first of the material creations, and is at the same time the "fire form" force from which the material world is created. Moreover, in articulating the formula, Ahura Mazda made his ultimate triumph evident to "the evil spirit" (

Angra Mainyu Angra Mainyu (; Avestan: 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 ''Aŋra Mainiiu'') is the Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of th ...

), who then fell back "confounded and impotent as to the harm he caused the creatures of Ahuramazd" (1.29-30). The ''Vendidads prescription of recitation of the formula as an act of hygiene is reiterated in the ''Sayast ne Sayast'', which prescribes recitation when sneezing or coughing (12.32), and recommends invocation when pouring potable liquids (10.7). The ''Sayast ne Sayast'' additionally notes that a mumbling of the prayer is particularly offensive. (10.25) The ''Denkard'' additionally suggests the formula be uttered when entering a house (9.18.5). While the Avesta's ''Yasna'' 19 sees the subject of the Ahuna Vairya formula as referring to Zoroaster, and possibly to his successors, later tradition (''Denkard'' 9.24.1, also ''Zatspram'' 1.13.19) infers no such connection, and applies it evenly to all followers of Zoroaster's teaching.

Text, translation and interpretation

Like all Gathic Avestan verses, the prayer is altogether ambiguous and translations vary significantly. Even though several translations and interpretations exist, the overall meaning of the prayer remains obscure. The terseness of the prose, elaborate arrangement and poetical techniques make a translation from the

Old Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...

difficult (See also: difficulties in translating the Gathas). Given its syntactic density, scholarly agreement on a definitive translation, or even close approximation of its meaning, remains unlikely. Translations based on

Middle Persian Middle Persian or Pahlavi, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg () in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasanian Empire. For some time after the Sasanian collapse, Middle ...

interpretations (and commentaries) of the hymn also exist and can differ greatly from those based on the Avestan original. The version found in the Avesta edition of Geldner reads: :''yaθā ahū vairyō aθā ratuš aṣ̌āt̰cīt̰ hacā'' :''vaŋhə̄uš dazdā manaŋhō š́yaoθananąm aŋhə̄uš mazdāi'' :''xṣ̌aθrəmcā ahurāi ā yim drigubyō dadat̰ vāstārəm'' There are transliterations available with differences concerning certain words. Transliteration of Helmut Humbach: :''yaθā ahū vairyō, aθā ratuš aṣ̌āt̰cīt̰ hacā'' :''vaŋhə̄uš dazdā manaŋhō, š́yaoθənanąm¹ aŋhə̄uš mazdāi'' :''xšaθrəmcā ahurāi ā, yim² drigubyō dadat̰ vāstārəm'' :''¹ other version is "š́yaoθananąm" (Geldner)'' :''² this is the younger avestan form, old avestan is "yə̄m"'' Dastur Dhalla also notes that a corrupt form of the prayer is commonly used: :''athāu veryo thāre tose sāde chide chāvanghoise dezdā manengho sotthenanām'' :''anghyos Mazdāe khosetharamchāe orāe āiyem daregobyo daredar vāstārem : Translation by Boyce essentially derived from that of S. Insler: :As the master, so is the judge to be chosen in accord with truth. :Establish the power of acts arising from a life lived with good purpose, :for Mazda and for the Lord whom they made pastor for the poor. A simple translation from the

Zoroastrian Middle Persian Pahlavi is a particular, exclusively written form of various Middle Iranian languages. The essential characteristics of Pahlavi are: *the use of a specific Aramaic-derived script; *the incidence of Aramaic words used as heterograms (called '' ...

by Darmesteter: :the will of the Lord is the law of righteousness. :the gifts of the Good Mind to the deeds done in this world for Mazda. :he who relieves the poor makes Ahura king. A translation from the Avestan by Windfuhr: :Whereas he shall be chosen by the world, so, according to Truth, :the judgement of deeds done by the world in Good Faith (Mind) is yielded to Mazda, :and the Power of the Ahura whom they shall assign as pastor to the poor. Vazquez's liturgically inclined translation is: :Worthy and chosen through Asha are they, :The Ratus throughout the world, :Who bring enlightenment to the world, :Through deeds done on behalf of Ahura Mazda, :Who has become the advocate of the impoverished. Humbach, Elefenbein and Skjærvø translate it as: :As judgment is to be chosen by the world, :so the judgment (which is) in accord with the truth, :(which is to be passed) on the actions of good throughout the world, :is assigned to the Wise (Lord) (''Mazdāi''), :and the power (is assigned) to the (Wise) Lord (''ahurāi'') :whom they established as shepherd to the needy. The Zoroastrian Assembly translates it as:

Both the lord and the leader are to be chosen because of their righteousness. These two appointments are made with good mind so that acts of life are done for the Wise One, and the dominion of God is well established, in which the chosen person becomes the rehabilitator of the rightful who are oppressed.

Other interpretations are listed in the further reading section below.

References

;Citations ;Works cited * . * . * * * * . * . * .

In relation to the other formulas

In scripture

In tradition

Text, translation and interpretation

References

Further reading