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The Staota Yesnya (Avestan: 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬋𐬙𐬀 𐬪𐬈𐬯𐬦𐬌𐬌𐬀, romanized: staōta ẏesńiia, Sacrificial Eulogy), also known as Stod Yasn, refers to the editorial arrangement of the central liturgical texts of Zoroastrianism.[1] It contains all Old Avestan texts like the Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti and may have been the original liturgy of the early Zoroastrian community.[2]

In the Sasanian Avesta, which is now lost, the Staota Yesnya formed the Stod Yasn nask. In the extant Avesta, it is preserved in the Yasna and Visperad manuscripts and forms the central part of the respective liturgies.

Name

The Staota Yesnya is called in Middle Persian sources Stod Yasn (in the Denkard) and Stod Yasht (in the Rivayats).[3] The fist part of the term is derived from Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬋𐬙𐬀𐬭 (staōtar, praiser, laudator),[4] whereas the second term is connected to Avestan 𐬪𐬈𐬯𐬦𐬌𐬌𐬀 (ẏesńiia, worthy of sacrifice).[5] The name can therefore be translated as Sacrificial Eulogy[6] or Praise Ritual.[7]

In the Sasanian Avesta

See also: Sasanian Avesta

The Sasanian Avesta was the collection of Avestan literature produced during the Sasanian period. It consisted of 21 nasks (volumes), which were grouped into three divisions, namely the Gathic, manthric and legalistic nasks.[8] Within this scheme, the Stod Yasn belonged to the Gathic group. Edward William West estimates, that it consisted of ca. 12,500 words of Avestan text accompanied by ca. 22,400 words of translation and commentary in Pahlavi.[9]

In the extant Avesta

See also: Yasna and Visperad

In the extant Avesta, the Staota Yesnya forms the central part of the Yasna as well as the Visperad.[10] However, the parts which are included differ slightly between these two. In the Yasna, the Staota Yesnya is referred to as comprising Yasna 14-58.[11] In the Visperad, however, the Young Avestan parts before the Ahuna Vairya manthra were not included.[12]

Contents of the Staota Yesnya in the Yasna
Yasna Name Language
14-18 Intro to the Staota Yesnya Young Avestan
19-21 Bagān yašt Young Avestan
22-26 Hōmāst Young Avestan
27.1-13 Prelude to the manthras Young Avestan
27.14 Ahuna Vairya manthra Old Avestan[13]
27.15 Ashem Vohu manthra Old Avestan[13] / Pseudo Old Avestan[14]
27.16 Yenghe hatam manthra Pseudo Old Avestan[13] / Middle Avestan[15]
28-34 Ahunavaiti Gatha Old Avestan[13]
35-41 Yasna Haptanghaiti Old Avestan[13]
42 Appendix to the Yasna Haptanhaiti Young Avestan
43-46 Ushtavait Gatha Old Avestan[13]
47-50 Spenta Mainyu Gatha Old Avestan[13]
51 Vohu Khshathra Gatha Old Avestan[13]
52 Hymn to Ashi Young Avestan
53 Vahishto Ishti Gatha Old Avestan[13]
54 Airiiema ishya manthra Old Avestan[13]
55 Praise to the Gathas Young Avestan
56 Srōš barišnīh Young Avestan
57 Srōš yasht Young Avestan
58 Fshusho manthra Middle Avestan[15]

Almut Hintze has argued that the Staota Yesnya originally only consisted of the Old Avestan texts, i.e., the Gathas, the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Ahuna Vairya and Airyaman ishya manthras.[16] According to this theory, this arragement was the original liturgy of the early Zoroastrian community, possibly arragened by Zarathustra himself.[17] Jean Kellens, however, has opined that the Staota Yesnya, while being indeed very old, was redacted some time later during the Young Avestan period.[18]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Kellens 2011, Chap. 1: Les Staota Yesniia : un corpus extensible.
  2. ^ Hintze 2002, p. 48: "This kernel is referred to in the Avesta as Staota Yesnya. Originally it must have consisted of the Old Avestan texts only".
  3. ^ West 1892, p. 169: " In Chap. I, 9, 12 it is called Stod-yast, 'praise-ritual', (Av. staota yesnya); and Stud-yast, or Yast, in the Rivayats, which also state that it contains thirty-three kardah, or jurat".
  4. ^ Cantera & Redard 2023, p. 336.
  5. ^ Cantera & Redard 2023, p. 401.
  6. ^ Cantera & Redard 2023, p. 404.
  7. ^ West 1892, p. 169.
  8. ^ Kellens 1987, "The Sasanian collection of the Avesta and its commentary (zand) is described in chap. 8 of the Dēnkard; it was probably composed of three books of seven chapters [...]".
  9. ^ West 1892, chap. Introduction.
  10. ^ Cantera 2020, "The Old Avestan texts in their arrangement in the [Long Liturgies] are the main staōta yesńiia, as they are at the very heart of the main ritual".
  11. ^ Malandra 2006.
  12. ^ Malandra 2000, "Although the common tradition is that the Staota Yesnya embrace Y. 14-58 (see YASNA), the internal evidence of the Visperad suggests that it recognized only Y. 27.14-58.33.".
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Humbach 1991, Chap. 2.2. Old Avestan, Young Avestan, archaistic Young Avestan.
  14. ^ Hintze 2002, p. 34: "the Ashem Vohu [...] whose language is not unequivocally Old Avestan".
  15. ^ a b Cantera & Redard 2023, p. 5.
  16. ^ Hintze 2002, p. 48: "Originally it must have consisted of the Old Avestan texts only. Evidence for this is found in the Pahlavi translation of Y 55.3, where 'these five' refers to the five Gathas just mentioned, and 'those seven' to the seven chapters of the YH. The two holy prayers were considered as forming part of the first and last Gathas".
  17. ^ Hintze 2002, p. 48: "These observations lead to the conclusion that the way in which the Old Avestan texts are arranged within the Yasna is the original one, being deliberate and as intended from the beginning".
  18. ^ Kellens 2015, pp. 45-46.

Bibliography

Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staota_Yesnya
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