Ashavan

Ashavan (Avestan:𐏀𐏎𐏀𐏏𐏀𐏄 aĆĄavan) is a Zoroastrian theological term. It literally means "possessing/mastering aĆĄa" and has been interpreted as "possessing/mastering truth" or "possessing/mastering righteousness", but has further implications:

  • It is an epithet of Ahura Mazda[1] (Yasht 1.12). The term may then be applied to anything within the domain of Ahura Mazda and/or AĆĄa (i.e. all of Creation), and excludes only that which is drəgvant "possessing lie" (YAv: drvant).[2]
  • With respect to mortals and in an eschatological and sotereological context, aĆĄavan is also a quality that can be acquired in life. Then, having acquired the qualities of an aĆĄavan, one becomes an aĆĄavan (through "blessed union with aĆĄa") after death.[3] (See also: aĆĄa: in eschatology and sotereology). This sotereological meaning of aĆĄavan is also evident in Xerxes' daiva inscription,[4] an Old Persian text (XPh, early 5th century BCE). This next-world meaning of aĆĄavan is preserved in Middle Iranian languages as Pahlavi ahlav.
  • AĆĄavan may be used to denote any follower of the "Good Religion." This is the most common use of aĆĄavan, applicable to any who walk the "path of truth" (Yasna 68.12 and 68.13). In this context, AĆĄavan is frequently translated as "righteous person" or "blessed person." This general meaning of aĆĄavan is preserved in Middle Iranian languages as Pahlavi ardav.
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The linguistic cognate of Avestan aĆĄavan is Vedic à€‹à€€à€Ÿà€”à€šà„ áč›tā́van, which, however, has some functional differences vis-Ă -vis the Zoroastrian term:

  • The dichotomy of the aĆĄavan and the drəgvant is not attested in the Vedas.[5]
  • In Zoroastrianism any mortal may strive to possess aĆĄa, but in the Vedas, áč›tĂĄ is hidden from ordinary mortals and only initiated seers are allowed to possess it (become áč›tā́vans).[4]

That the souls of the dead dwell in the radiant quarters of Asha (Yasna 16.7) has a Vedic parallel in which the seat of truth is located in the other world.[6]

References
Citations
  1. Gray 1926, p. 101.
  2. Gnoli 1987, p. 705.
  3. Gershevitch 1955, p. 483.
  4. Gnoli 1987, p. 706.
  5. Duchesne-Guillemin 1963, pp. 46–47.
  6. Gershevitch 1964, p. 18.
Works cited
  • Duchesne-Guillemin, Jacques (1963), "Heraclitus and Iran", History of Religions, 3 (1): 34–49, doi:10.1086/462470.
  • Gershevitch, Ilya (1955), "Word and Spirit in Ossetic", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 17 (3): 478–489, doi:10.1017/S0041977X0011239X.
  • Gershevitch, Ilya (1964), "Zoroaster's Own Contribution", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 23 (1): 12–38, doi:10.1086/371754.
  • Gnoli, Gerardo (1987), "AĆĄavan", Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 2, New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, pp. 705–706.
  • Gray, Louis H. (1926), "List of the Divine and Demonic Epithets in the Avesta", Journal of the American Oriental Society, 46: 97–153, doi:10.2307/593793, JSTOR 593793.
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