ruvan

Zoroastrian soul

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

In Zoroastrianism, the ruvan (or urvan) is the soul that is held accountable for a person's actions during life and faces reward or punishment in the afterlife. Humans are believed to have free will and determine their own destinies through ethical choices.1

Zoroastrian eschatology describes a cosmic struggle between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Ahriman). After death, the ruvan is judged, encountering a personification of its deeds. This judgment determines whether the soul proceeds to heaven or falls into hell. Ultimately, Zoroastrianism teaches that evil will be vanquished, and all humans will eventually be restored to a purified existence after a purgatorial ordeal.123

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ancient Iranian religion
Human nature
… is central, it is the ruvan that is held accountable for a person’s actions during life and that suffers reward or punishment in the life to come. At the time of judgment, the ruvan encounters the dainā, which is an embodiment of the sum of its deeds during life, manifested…
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… is central, it is the ruvan that is held accountable for a person’s actions during life and that suffers reward or punishment in the life to come. At the time of judgment, the ruvan encounters the dainā, which is an embodiment of the sum of its deeds during life, manifested…
Read More