Yasht

Zoroastrian hymn

Learn about this topic in these articles:

Mithraism

  • Mithraism
    In Mithraism: History

    Hymns (the Yashts) were composed in honour of the old gods. There is a Yasht dedicated to Mithra, in which the god is depicted as the all-observing god of heavenly light, the guardian of oaths, the protector of the righteous in this world and the next, and,…

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place in Avesta

  • In Avesta

    The Yashts are 21 hymns, rich in myth, to various yazatas (angels) and ancient heroes. The Khūrda Avesta (or Little Avesta) is a group of minor texts, hymns, and prayers for specific occasions.

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  • religious sites of ancient Indo-Iranian peoples
    In ancient Iranian religion: Sources of knowledge

    …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 are collections of verses dedicated to the various deities. Most of the Yashts, though touched up with…

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role in Zoroastrianism

  • Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Yazd, Iran
    In Zoroastrianism: Sources

    The yashts (hymns) are each addressed to one of 21 deities such as Mithra, Anahita, or Verethraghna. The Hadhoxt Nask (“Section Containing Sayings”) describes the fate of the soul after death. The Khūrda Avesta, or “Small Avesta,” is made up of minor texts.

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