ZARATHUSTRA’S WORK: The Gathas (An Introduction)

Here we look at the introduction to Zarathushtra’s work.  The Gathas are a set of 17 philosophical songs, or poems, composed by Zarathushtra Spitama roughly 3,500 years ago, comprising 241 stanzas of roughly 5,500 words (or ~9,000 in English).  They encode large amounts of knowledge in each stanza inviting many different interpretations and nearly infinite applicability.  

These are the thoughts and teaching of Zarathustra woven into poetry in order to honor the divine and enlighten the listener.  For those of us who do not speak the "dead language" of Old Avestan, we, undoubtedly loose some of the nuance of the original, but there is enough scholarly work that we can "get close".  Which is what this series seeks to do. 

The Gathas were composed by one person, Zarathushtra Spitama. They have been translated by many – Zoroastrian and non-Zoroastrian priests, philologists, professors, litterateurs, “translators”, adventurers, and sheer admirers. The resulting translations are so diverse that one has to imagine as many Zarathushtras as there are translators of his songs.  

Rather than devise lengthy sermons or a list of prescriptions on how one should live their life, Zarathushtra decided to gift humanity with a guide to attaining the divine in oneself.  He trusted each person to actualize this desire according to their own understanding and circumstances.

This is the primary purpose of the Gathas: to bring the person who studies and contemplates them to the realization of the Divine Wisdom immanent in existence. Indeed, the process of piecing together the deeper meaning of the Gathas was intended to mimic that very method of seeking to understand Truth – the laws which govern existence – that Zarathushtra used to come to his own realization of the divine. By replicating this process in the Gathas, Zarathushtra not only gave his listeners a path to become like the Creator, but he gave them a systematic way of thinking that would enable them to more accurately uncover the true meaning of existence.  

It is to this Divine Wisdom, he named as Lord of Wisdom (Mazdā Ahura in Old Avestan) that Zarathushtra primarily dedicates his songs.  He also dedicates them to the supreme concept of truth, righteousness, and cosmic order established by the Lord of Wisdom, as well as to the intellectual process of uncovering the good mind, or Vohu Manah in Old Avestan. Throughout the Gathas he praises these subjects and elaborates on their application. 

Zarathushtra details his divine revelation speculating on the actualization of the best existence, and he laments and lambasts the religious and ruling authorities of his day, who cared more for the wealth and pleasure they gained from oppressing the common person than for Truth or the Good Mind of drawing closer to deity.

Yet beyond all else—the realization of the divine, the ails of his time, and the enlightenment of the individual—Zarathushtra emphasizes that it is the moral responsibility of each individual to be a caretaker of the world, a doer of good, and a healer of existence. It is this ethical emphasis that is perhaps most poignant in the Gathas, and Zarathushtra’s highest concern.

The Gathas are somewhat complicated in their organization. They are primarily a collection of intricately composed stanzas that operate as ‘thought provokers’ or ‘tools for the development of the mind’. The technical organization of this poetry is beyond what we will look at in these articles, but it is hoped that reading this most ancient of faiths "from the horses mouth" may be enlightening.

Glossary

Below is a list of key terms used in the Gathas:

Deity and Divine Aspects

•  Ahura Mazda — Wise Lord / Lord Wisdom. The supreme, uncreated Creator God, source of all goodness and order. 

•  Spenta Mainyu — Bounteous/Holy/Creative Spirit or Beneficent Mentality. The positive, life-giving spirit or force of Ahura Mazda, promoting growth and good. 

•  Angra Mainyu — Destructive/Evil Spirit or Hostile Mentality. The force of chaos and evil opposing good and order. 

•  Amesha Spentas — Bounteous/Holy Immortals. These are Divine emanations or aspects of Ahura Mazda representing virtues (often six or seven, including Spenta Mainyu). [Think Seraphim whose purpose it is to bring glory (shining) to God.  These Ayesha Spentas are analogous to the light of God shining into the universe.]  

Ethical and Cosmic Principles

•  Asha — Truth, Righteousness, Cosmic Order / Justice. The central moral and natural principle; the path of reality and harmony as opposed to chaos.  

•  Druj — The Lie, Deception, Falsehood / Chaos. The antithesis of Asha; associated with evil and disorder. 

•  Vohu Manah — Good Mind / Good Thought. One of the Amesha Spentas; represents benevolent thinking and wisdom. 

• Xshathra / Khshathra — means Dominion, Power, Kingdom (often Vohu Xshathra — Good Dominion). The ideal rule or realm of good order.  

•  Armaiti / Spenta Armaiti — Right-Mindedness, Devotion, Holy Piety / Benevolence. One of the Amesha Spentas; linked to earth and steadfastness. 

•  Haurvatat — Wholeness, Health, Perfection / Integrity. One of the Amesha Spentas. 

•  Ameretat — Immortality. One of the Amesha Spentas, often paired with Haurvatat. 

 

Human and Moral Qualities

•  Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta — Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds. The foundational ethical triad of Zoroastrian practice. 

•  Ashavan — Righteous one / Truth-possessor / Follower of Asha. A person aligned with truth and good. 

•  Dregvant / Drugvant — Follower of the Lie / Wicked one. Opponent of the righteous. 

•  Daēva — (False) gods / Demons. Originally divine beings, but in Gathas often rejected as evil or deceptive entities. 

 

Other Important Terms

•  Manthra — Sacred utterance, spell, or thought / Holy Word. Inspired divine formula or teaching. 

•  Ushta — Happiness, Well-being, Illumination / Bliss (from “to shine”). Often in the sense of spiritual prosperity. 

•  Ahu — Existence, Life, Lord / Spiritual sovereign. Often paired with Ratu (judge, model, spiritual authority). 

•  Gāthā  — Hymn, Song. The poetic form of Zarathushtra’s revelations. 

•  Yasna — Worship, Veneration / Sacrifice. The liturgical context in which the Gathas are embedded. 

These terms interconnect deeply in the Gathas’ poetic style, often emphasizing free will, the cosmic struggle between good and evil, and humanity’s role in supporting Asha through thoughts, words, and deeds. The language is dense with wordplay and allusion, so interpretations can vary greatly and translations miss a good deal of the poetic meaning. 

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Here is a link to the next Installment: The Gathas - Ashem Vohu (Truth, Righteousness, Cosmic Order)

Source: The Gathas - Zarathushtrian Assembly  See the index on the left of the page for the Song labeled in the title of this article.