Ashi (

Avestan Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...

: 𐬀𐬴𐬌 ''aṣ̌i/arti'') is the

Avestan language Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family and was originally spoken during the Old Iranian period ( – 400 BCE) by the Iranians living in the eastern p ...

word for the

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

concept of "that which is attained." As the hypostasis of "reward," "recompense," or "capricious luck," ''Ashi'' is also a divinity in the Zoroastrian hierarchy of ''yazata''s.

Nomenclature

Avestan 'ashi' is a feminine abstract noun, deriving from the root ''ar-'', "to allot," with a substantivizing ''-ta'' suffix, hence ''aṣ̌i/arti'' "that which is granted." In the

Avesta The Avesta (, Book Pahlavi: (), Persian language, Persian: ()) is the text corpus of Zoroastrian literature, religious literature of Zoroastrianism. All its texts are composed in the Avestan language and written in the Avestan alphabet. Mod ...

, the term implies both material and spiritual recompense. Although conceptually older than Zoroastrianism, Ashi has no attested equivalent in

Vedic Sanskrit Vedic Sanskrit, also simply referred as the Vedic language, is the most ancient known precursor to Sanskrit, a language in the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is atteste ...

. The late

Middle Persian Middle Persian, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg ( Inscriptional Pahlavi script: , Manichaean script: , Avestan script: ) in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasania ...

equivalent as attested in the Zoroastrian texts of the 9th-12th century is ''ard-'', which is subject to confusion with another ''ard'' for '' aṣ̌a/arta-'' "truth". In the younger Avesta, divinified ''Ashi'' is also referred to Ashi Vanuhi or Ashi Vanghuhi (''Aši vaηuhī'', nominative ''Ašiš vaηuhī'' "Good Reward"), the Middle Persian equivalent of which is Ahrishwang (''Ahrišwang''). Ashi is also attested as a ''dvandvah'' compound as Ashi Vanghuhi-Parendi.

In scripture

In Zoroaster's revelation

Avestan ''ashi'' is already attested in the

Gathas The Gathas () are 17 hymns in the Avestan language from the Zoroastrian oral tradition of the Avesta. The oldest surviving text fragment dates from 1323 CE, but they are believed by scholars to have been composed before 1000 BCE and passed dow ...

, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrianism and believed to have been composed by

Zarathushtra Zarathushtra Spitama, more commonly known as Zoroaster or Zarathustra, was an Iranian religious reformer who challenged the tenets of the contemporary Ancient Iranian religion, becoming the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism. Variously descr ...

himself. In these hymns, where the term occurs 17 times, ''ashi'' is still an abstract concept and is not yet the divinity that she would become in the younger Avesta. With the adjective "good" (hence ''-vanuhi''), ''ashi'' occurs thrice. In the Gathas, ''ashi'' is frequently identified with ''asha'' "truth", so for instance in ''Yasna'' 51.10 where the poet calls "truth to im to come with good reward." The idea being expressed here is a soteriological one, with "truth" being connected to the afterlife (see ''

asha ''Asha'' () or ''arta'' (; ) is a Zoroastrian concept with a complex and highly nuanced range of meaning. It is commonly summarized in accord with its contextual implications of 'truth' and 'right' (or 'righteousness'), 'order' and 'right wor ...

'' for details) and ''ashi'' being the appropriate recompense for the soul after death (''cf.'' ''

ashavan Ashavan (Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬀𐬬𐬀𐬥 ''ašavan'') is a Zoroastrian theological term. It literally means "possessing/mastering '' aša''" and has been interpreted as "possessing/mastering truth" or "possessing/mastering righteousness", but ha ...

''). This is also apparent in ''Yasna'' 43.5 where

Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...

appoints "reward for deed and word: bad for the bad, good reward for the good." Subject to proper conduct in life, ''ashi'' is then tied to Zoroaster's concept of free will, evident for instance in ''Yasna'' 50.9 where a mortal has the power to influence his own reward. Both ''asha'' and ''ashi'' have associations with

Sraosha Sraosha ( or ; ), is the Avestan name of the Zoroastrian '' yazata'' of "Conscience" and "Observance", which is also the literal meaning of his name. In the Middle Persian commentaries of the 9th-12th centuries, the divinity appears as '', S(a) ...

and

Vohu Manah Vohu Manah (Avestan: 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎⸱𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬵 ''vohu manah'') is the Avestan language term for a Zoroastrian concept, generally translated as "Good Purpose", "Good Mind", or "Good Thought", referring to the good state of mind th ...

. Sraosha even has ''ashi'' as an epithet, he is ''ashivant'', "possessing ashi" and obedience (=Sraosha) to Ahura Mazda brings good reward, which is "good thinking" (=Vohu Manah).

In the younger Avesta

In the younger Avesta, Ashi is unambiguously a divinity, particularly so in the

Ard Yasht The Ard Yasht or Arshishvang Yasht is the seventeenth Yasht of the 21 Yasht collection. It is named after and dedicated to the praise of Ashi, the Yazata, Zoroastrian divinity representing ''recompense'' and ''capricious luck''. Overview The Ard ...

, i.e, the hymn dedicated to her. This hymn also contains older material, and many of the verses of the Ard Yasht are also found in the Aban Yasht, the hymn nominally invoking "the Waters" (

Aban Apas (, ) is the Avestan language term for "the waters", which, in its innumerable aggregate states, is represented by the Apas, the hypostases of the waters. ''Āb'' (plural ''Ābān'') is the Middle Persian-language form. Introduction "To t ...

), but actually addressed to

Aredvi Sura Anahita Anahita is the Old Persian form of the name of an Iranian goddess and appears in complete and earlier form as ('), the Avestan name of an Indo-Iranian cosmological figure venerated as the divinity of "the Waters" ( Aban) and hence associat ...

. Both Aredvi Sura and Ashi are divinities of fertility, but other verses that have martial characteristics (see below) appear out of place in a hymn to "the Waters". As the divinity of fortune, Ashi is characterized as one who confers victory in time of battle (''Yasht'' 17.12-13). She is also closely connected to

Mithra Mithra ( ; ) is an ancient Iranian deity ('' yazata'') of covenants, light, oaths, justice, the Sun, contracts, and friendship. In addition to being the divinity of contracts, Mithra is also a judicial figure, an all-seeing protector of Truth ( ...

, whom she serves as charioteer (''Yasht'' 10.68). In the hymn to

, the divinity of obedience receives ''ashiio'' (of uncertain meaning) as a stock epithet. Three verses of the ''Ard Yasht'' are devoted to enumerating the various kings and heroes who paid devotion to Ashi (17.23-25) and were rewarded for it. Verse 53 of the same hymn enumerates those who do ''not'' receive her favors, and this includes - besides demons - all youths that have not yet reached puberty. This is followed by two later verses (55-56) that recall a tale of Ashi hiding beneath a rock when pursued, only to be uncovered by prepubescent boys and girls. The last three verses (57-59) of the hymn describe Ashi complaining to

for the shame she feels for the "prostitute's" actions (''cf.''

Jahi Jahi is the Avestan language name of Zoroastrianism's demoness of "lasciviousness." As a hypostatic entity, Jahi is variously interpreted as "hussy," "rake," " libertine," "courtesan" and "one who leads a licentious life." Her standard epithet ...

). In the day-name dedications of the

Zoroastrian calendar Adherents of Zoroastrianism use three distinct versions of traditional calendars for Zoroastrian festivals, liturgical purposes. Those all derive from Middle Ages, medieval Iranian calendars and ultimately are based on the Babylonian calendar a ...

, Ashi presides over the 25th day of the month (''Siroza'' 25).

Iconography

On Kushan coins, Ashi appears as '' Ardoxšo'' with a cornucopia in hand.

Bibliography