| Part of a series on |
| Zoroastrianism |
|---|
 |
 Religion portal |
The Niyayishn are a collection of five Zoroastrian prayers which are part of the Khordeh Avesta. They are dedicated to the Zoroastrian divinities associated with the Sun (Hvare-khshaeta and Mithra), the Moon (Mah), the Waters (Aban and Anahita) and Fire (Atar).[1]
Overview
The Niyayishn are composed from diverse material drawn from other sources, in particular the individual Yashts for the respective Yazatas,[2] and the Gāhs which correspond to the period of the day at which the prayer is performed.[1] In the Khordeh Avesta, the prayers are published jointly with translations in languages like Gujarati and Persian, which are the native languanges of Zoroastrians in India and Iran.[3] These translations help laypeople to perform these prayers.
Xwarshed Niyayishn
The first prayer is the Xwarshed Niyayishnis, which is dedicated to Hvare-khshaeta, the Yazata of the radiant sun. It is to be recited three Gāhs, namely at the morning Gāh (hāwan gāh), at the midday Gāh (rapiθβin gāh), and at the evening Gāh (uzīrin gāh). Stanzas 11-16 are drawn from the Xwarshed Yasht, i.e., the Yasht dedicated to Hvare-khshaeta.[4]
Mihr Niyayishn
The second prayer is the Mihr Niyayishnis, which is dedicated to Mithra, the Yazata of oaths, justice and the sun.[5] Like the Xwarshed Niyayishn, it is to be recited at the three Gāhs. Due to the association of Mithra with the sun, the first nine stanzas are identical to the Xwarshed Niyayishn, whereas the following ones are from the Mihr Yasht, i.e., Yasht dedicated to Mithra.[6]
Mah Niyayishn
The Mah Niyayishn is the third prayer and is dedicated to Mah, the Yazata representing the Moon. It is to be recited three times per month, namely at new moon (antarə.māh), full moon (pərənō.māh), and one week after full moon (vīšaptaθa).[7] The text of this Niyayishn is drawn almost entirely from other sources. While most of the text is drawn from the Mah Yasht, i.e., the hymn dedicated to the Moon,[8] two stanzas appear in the Vishtasp yasht.[9]
Aban Niyayishn
The fourth prayer is the Aban Niyayishn, which is also known as the Ardwi Sur Banu Niyayishn. It is dedicated to the Waters and Aredvi Sura Anahita the Yazata of the Waters.[10] Due to the close connection of Anahita with Water, both concepts are merged to a certain degree.[11] The Aban Niyayishn can be recited in the presence of water or at occasions associated with it.[12] Most of its stanzas are taken from the Aban Yasht, i.e., the hymn dedicated to Anahita.[13]
Ataxsh Niyayishn
The fifth prayer is the Ataxsh Niyayishn, which is dedicated to Atar, the personification of Fire.[14] Stanzas 7-16 are taken from Yasna 62.1-62.10, which itself is dedicated to the praise of Atar. In addition, it contains the Zoroastrian confession of faith, the Fravarāne, as well as the Gāh corresponding to the time of the day. The prayer is intended for private use, while tending a fire.[15]
References
Citations
- ^ a b Malandra 2000a.
- ^ Panaino 2012.
- ^ Dhalla 1908.
- ^ Malandra 2000a, chap. Xwaršēd Niyāyišn.
- ^ Schmidt 2006.
- ^ Malandra 2000a, chap. Mihr Niyāyišn.
- ^ Malandra 2000a, chap. Māh Niyāyišn.
- ^ Malandra 2000b, "the Māh Niyāyišn repeats all the stanzas of the Yašt".
- ^ Malandra 2000a, " except for stanzas 10 and 11, which are omitted in a number of Mss but are found also in the Wištāsp Yašt 6-7".
- ^ Malandra 2000a, chap. Ābān Niyāyišn.
- ^ Boyce 1982, "[I]n general, the concept of the Waters tends to merge with that of Arədvī Sūrā.".
- ^ Malandra 2000a, "It can be recited in the presence of bodies of water, whether in streams or wells, also during the watches of the 10th day, Ābān, as well as the days of the hamkārān “collaborators” of Ābān, namely, Spandārmad (day 5), Dēn (day 24), Ard (day 25) and Māraspand (day 29)".
- ^ Boyce 1982, "The existing Ābān Niyāyeš, the prayer to the Waters, consists almost entirely of verses from the Avestan hymn to Arədvī, which, in turn, has been given the name Ābān Yašt".
- ^ Boyce 1983.
- ^ Boyce & Kotwal 1987.
Bibliography
- Andrés‐Toledo, Miguel Ángel (2015). "Primary Sources Avestan and Pahlavi". In Stausberg, Michael; Vevaina, Yuhan S.-D.; Tessmann, Anna (eds.). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN 9781118785539.
- Bartholomae, Christian (1904). Altiranisches Wörterbuch. Strassburg: K. J. Trübner.
- Boyce, Mary; Kotwal, Firoze M. (1987). "ĀTAŠ NIYĀYIŠN". Encyclopædia Iranica. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
- Boyce, Mary (1982). "ĀBĀN". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. I. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. p. 58.
- Boyce, Mary (1983). "ĀDUR". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. I. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 471–472.
- Dhalla, Maneckji N. (1908). The Nyaishes Or Zoroastrian Litanies: Avestan Text With The Pahlavi, Sanskrit, Persian And Gujarati Versions. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Malandra, William W. (2000a). "KHORDEH AVESTĀ". Encyclopædia Iranica. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
- Malandra, William W. (2000b). "MĀH YAŠT". Encyclopædia Iranica. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
- Panaino, Antonio (2012). "The Niyāyišns Corpus and Its Relationships with the Yašts: The Case of Yašts 6 and 7". Iranian Studies. 45: 261–273. doi:10.1080/00210862.2011.617161.
- Schmidt, Hanns-Peter (2006). "MITHRA i. MITRA IN OLD INDIAN AND MITHRA IN OLD IRANIAN". Encyclopædia Iranica. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
You must be logged in to post a comment.