These many different texts are believed to have been transmitted orally for centuries before they were written down in the 3rd century. Its most recent parts may be as late as the sassanian period 3d cent. The vendidad forgotten books unknown firminger the teachings of zoroaster, and the philosophy of the parsi religion the zend avesta, part 2 of 3. The zendavesta is the sacred book of the parsis, the few remaining followers of that religion which has been called dualism, or mazdeism, or magism, or zoroastrianism, or fireworship. The sirozahs, yasts and nyayis forgotten books unknown firminger. 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. The zend avesta is the main texts used in the zoroastrian faith. 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. The zendavesta is the sacred book of the parsis, the few remaining followers of that. We provide the complete text of the extant avesta, the most ancient scriptures of zoroastrianism, as well as many pahlavi scriptures. 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. This shows that when the iranians and indians sallied forth from their common native land, the asura continued for a long time to be the lord in india as well as in persia. Download the zend avesta in full text pdf download free here.
Avesta, also called zendavesta, sacred book of zoroastrianism containing its cosmogony, law, and liturgy, the teachings of the prophet zoroaster zarathushtra. The sacred book of the parsees, the modern persian followers of the ancient religion of zoroaster. The most important portion of the yasna texts are the five gathas, consisting of seventeen. The sacred books of parsees, or zoroastrians, and the main source of our knowledge concerning the religious and spiritual life the ancient persians. The avesta is composed in two different dialects of a very archaic language, probably of equal antiquity with vedic. Yasna, the sacred liturgical texts of the avesta zoroastrian scriptures, which include the gathas, or sacred hymns of zarathushtra. Zendavesta cyclopedia of biblical, theological and. It also includes information about the avestan language, and other useful information for students of zoroastrian religion. In less than a century after their defeat, nearly all the conquered people were brought over to the faith of their new rulers. Not only was it a cohort of the ancient vedic hinduism, but also had a huge influence on the development of judaism and christianity. Its oldest part, the g a th a s, dates back probably to zoroaster himself. The avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage. According to a legend preserved in the book of arda viraf, a 3rd or 4th century work.
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