Glossary

atash-zohr 'offering to fire'

Avesta the sacred books of the Zoroastrians
Avestan the Iranian language spoken by Zoroaster, in which the
Avesta is composed
barashnom ritual ablution, part of a prolonged rite of purification
baresman, bundle of twigs held by the officiating priest at acts of
barsom worship
behdin 'the good religion' i.e. Zoroastrianism; also 'of the good
religion' i.e. a Zoroastrian
Dadgah a sacred fire of the third grade
daeva,dev an evil god, abjured by Zoroaster; later, a demon
dakhma 'grave'; later a place of exposure for the dead, a 'tower of
silence'
dastur one in authority, a high priest
dhimmi 'people of the covenant', a category of peoples subject to
Islamic rule
drug 'disorder, falsehood', a principle opposed to asha
frasho-kereti, end of the present state of the world, the Last Day
frashegird
fravashi, a spirit which has pre-existed this life and will survive after
fravahr, death ; often a synonym for the soul
fravard

gabr, gaur, gor a Muslim term, probably meaning 'infidel', applied in

Iran especially to a Zoroastrian
gahambar one of six holy days of obligation enjoined on his commu­
nity by Zoroaster
Gathas the hymns composed by Zoroaster
getig 'physical, tangible, corporeal' (opposed to menog)
haoma, horn the sacred plant crushed for its juice at the main Zoroast­
rian act of worship
herbad, ervad name for a Zoroastrian priest; in modern usage one less
highly qualified than a mobad
Hudinan 'Leader of those of the good religion', title of the head of
peshobay the Zoroastrian community under early Islam
jizya poll-tax paid by non-Muslims
kavi,kay title of Vishtaspa, Zoroaster's royal patron, and of others
of his dynasty

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 Glossary

khrafstra 'noxious creature' , held to belong to the world of evil

khvarenah 'divine grace'; also the divine being who personifies this
khvaetvadatha, 'next-of-kin marriage'
khvedodah
kusti 'sacred cord', worn as girdle by Zoroastrians
magus (plural, Greek form of Old Persian magu, 'priest'
magi)
menog 'spiritual, intangible' (opposed to getig)
mobad leading priest; in modern usage one
. more highly qualified
than a herbad
NoRuz 'New Day', the first day of the Zoroastrian devotional
year, and the seventh feast of obligation
Pahlavi the language of the later Zoroastrian books
Saoshyant the coming World Saviour
spenta 'holy, furthering, increasing', an adjective which
characterizes the good creation
Staota Yesnya the central and oldest part of the yasna
urvan 'soul'
Vahramfire see Atakhsh i Varahram
Vendidad 'Code against demons', a book of the Avesta, read during
a night office
Visperad '(Service of) All the Masters', solemnized especially at the
gahambars and No Ruz
yasht a hymn to an individual divinity
yasna 'act of worship', the main Zoroastrian religious service·
Yasna 'Yasna of Seven Chapters', part of the Staota Yesnya
Haptanhaiti
yazata, yazad 'worthy of worship', one of the Zoroastrian terms for a
divine being evoked by God
Yenhe a short, ancient prayer
hat�m

zand translation of the Avesta, with commentary, in a

vernacular

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 Signs and abbreviations

before a name indicates a restored form

AVN Arda Viraz Namag
Dk Dinkard
DkM Dinkard, text edition, ed. D. M. Madan, 2 vols, Bombay
19II
Ep Man Epistles of Manushchihr
GBd Greater Bundahishn
MHD Madigan i Hazar Dadestan
Pahl. Riv. Dd. The Pahlavi Rivayat accompanying the Dadestan i dinig,
ed. B. N. Dhabhar, Bombay 1911
RV Rigveda
Saddar Bd Saddar Bundahesh
SBE Sacred Books of the East, ed. Max Muller
SM Sar-Mashhad
Vd Vendidad
Y Yasna
Yt Yasht
Zadspram Wizidagiha i Zadspram
ZZZ R. C. Zaehner, Zurvan, a Zoroastrian Dilemma

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