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The Philosophy : Core Concepts

The Yatha Ahu (coming soon)

The Yatha Ahu is historically the most important prayer in all of Zoroastrianism and today is second in importance to the Ashem Vohu. Originally it was the final stanza of Yasna 29 (see Professor Schwartz’s work here), before being removed as a standalone prayer. It is certainly a composition of Zarathushtra, bearing his signature interwoven and highly nuanced compositional style. In later tradition, it was seen as the model which gave birth to all of existence, and it was used as the basis for the mostly missing Sassanid Avesta (see here) .

Extremely complex and hard to understand, it seems to be saying that the model (or ratu) that Ahura Mazda has provided for a perfect reality is worth being chosen by life would bring about a truly caring and equitable society if all of existence would acquire the good mind and use their actions to see it fully fulfilled. The translation by Caleb Goodfellow is below.

,Acah ,TIcTACa ,Sutar ,Aqa ,OyriaW ,Uha ,AqaY
,iAdzam ,SuVhMa ,mLnanqoayK ,OhManam ,Adzad ,SuVhMaW
.,mvrAtsAW ,Tadad ,Oybugird ,miY ,A,iAruha ,AcmvrqaSx

ẏaθā ahū vairiiō aθā ratuš aṣ̌āt̰cīt̰ hacā
vaŋhə̄uš dazdā manaŋhō š́iiaoθnanąm aŋhə̄uš mazdāi
xšaθrəmcā ahurā.ā ẏim drigubiiō dadat̰ vāstārəm

As it is worth being chosen by existence, that model, fully in accord with Asha,
Would establish the Dominion of the Good Mind, of all of existence’s actions
For the sake of Divine Wisdom, which would provide a good reality to the needy.

Full article coming soon.

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