Gāthā
Quick Summary
The Gāthās are hymns within the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism. These hymns are believed to be the actual words of the prophet Zarathustra, the founder of the religion. The Gāthās are written in an ancient Persian dialect known as Gathic.1
These hymns are central to Zoroastrian beliefs, expressing themes of cosmic struggle between good and evil, with the supreme deity Ahura Mazdā battling the destructive spirit Angra Mainyu. The teachings emphasize an egalitarian ethic, respect for labor, and a disdain for violence. The Gāthās form a core part of the Yasna, a liturgical text recited by priests.2345
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- Avesta
…of songs or hymns, the Gāthās, thought to be in the main the very words of Zarathushtra. They form a middle section of the chief liturgical part of the canon, the Yasna, which contains the rite of the preparation and sacrifice of haoma. The Visp-rat is a lesser liturgical scripture,…
Read More…of songs or hymns, the Gāthās, thought to be in the main the very words of Zarathushtra. They form a middle section of the chief liturgical part of the canon, the Yasna, which contains the rite of the preparation and sacrifice of haoma. The Visp-rat is a lesser liturgical scripture,…
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ancient Iranian religionSources of knowledge…great antiquity, of which the Gāthās (“Songs”) of the Prophet Zarathustra (also known by his Greek name, Zoroaster) and much of the Yashts are among the oldest. The Gāthās contain expressions of Zarathustra’s religious vision which, in many ways, is a complicated reinterpretation of inherited Iranian religious ideas. The Yashts…
Read More…great antiquity, of which the Gāthās (“Songs”) of the Prophet Zarathustra (also known by his Greek name, Zoroaster) and much of the Yashts are among the oldest. The Gāthās contain expressions of Zarathustra’s religious vision which, in many ways, is a complicated reinterpretation of inherited Iranian religious ideas. The Yashts…
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ZoroastrianismThe reformation of Zarathushtra…to place Zarathushtra’s hymns, the Gāthās, in their historical context. Not a single place or person mentioned in them is known from any other source. Vishtāspa, the prophet’s protector, can only be the namesake of the father of Darius, the Achaemenid king. All that may safely be said is that…
Read More…to place Zarathushtra’s hymns, the Gāthās, in their historical context. Not a single place or person mentioned in them is known from any other source. Vishtāspa, the prophet’s protector, can only be the namesake of the father of Darius, the Achaemenid king. All that may safely be said is that…
Read More- ZoroastrianismSources
Only the hymns, or Gāthās, are attributable to Zarathushtra. They are written in various metres and in a dialect different from the rest of the Avesta, except for seven chapters, chiefly in prose, that appear to have been composed shortly after the prophet’s demise. All these texts are embedded…
Read MoreOnly the hymns, or Gāthās, are attributable to Zarathushtra. They are written in various metres and in a dialect different from the rest of the Avesta, except for seven chapters, chiefly in prose, that appear to have been composed shortly after the prophet’s demise. All these texts are embedded…
Read More