Bundahishn - Citizendia

The Bundahishn, meaning "Primal Creation", is an account of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology, and reflects ancient Zoroastrian and even pre-Zoroastrian beliefs. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Although the Bundahishn draws on the Avesta and develops ideas alluded to in those texts, it is not itself scripture. The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. Unlike the texts of the Avesta, the Bundahishn is in the Middle Persian language. Middle Persian is the Middle Iranian language/ethnolect of Southwestern Iran that during Sassanid times (224-654 CE became a Prestige dialect

Most of the chapters of the compendium date to the 8th and 9th centuries. These portions of the collection are roughly contemporary with texts of the Denkard, another significant text of the Zoroastrian-Pahlavi canon. The Dēnkard or Dēnkart ( Middle Persian: "Acts of Religion" is a 10th century compendium of the Mazdaen Zoroastrian beliefs and customs A final redaction was not completed until the 12th century.

The Bundahishn is the concise view of the world, and the battle of the forces of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu for the hegemony of the world. Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator "Ahriman" redirects here For other uses see Ahriman (disambiguation. According to Bundahishn the first 3,000 years of the cosmic year, Ahura Mazda created the Fravashis and conceived the idea of his would-be creation. In Zoroastrian doctrine a fravashi ( Avestan fravaši; Middle Persian fraward, frawahr, frohar, frawash He used the insensible and motionless Void as a weapon against Angra Mainyu, and at the end of that period, Angra Mainyu was forced to submission and fell into a stupor for the next 3,000 years. Taking advantage of Angra Mainyu's absence, Ahura Mazda created the Amesha Spentas (Holy Immortals), along with the material world, consisting of the sky, waters, earth, plants, the sacred white bull called Parvin, and Kayomars, the cosmic man. ae Amesha Spenta ( ae Aməša Spənta) is an Avestan language term for a class of divinity/divine concepts in Zoroastrianism, and literally means "Bounteous What's more, he permeated his kingdom with truth in order to prevent Angra Mainyu from reaching and destroying it.

Bibliography

MacKenzie, David Neil (1990). The Dēnkard or Dēnkart ( Middle Persian: "Acts of Religion" is a 10th century compendium of the Mazdaen Zoroastrian beliefs and customs Middle Persian literature is Persian literature of the 1st millennium AD, especially of the Sassanid period "Bundahišn". Encyclopedia Iranica 4. Cosa Mesa: Mazda. 547-551.

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