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Visperad or Visprad is either a particular Zoroastrian religious ceremony, or the name given to a passage collection within the greater Avesta compendium of texts. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت Asha ( aša) or arta is the Avestan language term for a concept of cardinal importance to Zoroastrian theology and doctrine Yazata is the Avestan language word for a Zoroastrian concept ae Amesha Spenta ( ae Aməša Spənta) is an Avestan language term for a class of divinity/divine concepts in Zoroastrianism, and literally means "Bounteous Yazata is the Avestan language word for a Zoroastrian concept For the fictional character in the Marvel Universe series see Ahura (comics; for the river see Akhurian River. Daeva ( daēuua, daāua, daēva) is the Avestan language term for a particular sort of supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics "Ahriman" redirects here For other uses see Ahriman (disambiguation. The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. The word "Gātha" means a "hymn of praise" in the earliest Indo-Iranian poetry The Vendidad or Videvdat is a collection of texts within the greater compendium of the Avesta. Ahuna Vairya is the Avestan language name of the most sacred of the Gathic hymns of the Avesta, the revered texts of Zoroastrianism. A Zoroastrian Fire Temple is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. The Dēnkard or Dēnkart ( Middle Persian: "Acts of Religion" is a 10th century compendium of the Mazdaen Zoroastrian beliefs and customs The Bundahishn, meaning "Primal Creation" is an account of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology and reflects ancient Zoroastrian and even pre-Zoroastrian beliefs The Book of Arda Viraf is a Zoroastrian religious text that describes the dream-journey of a devout Zoroastrian (the 'Viraf' of the story through the next world The Jamasp Nameh (var Jāmāsp Nāmag, Jāmāsp Nāmeh, "Story of Jamasp" is a Middle Persian book of revelations The Story of Sanjan (also Qissa-i Sanjan or Kisse-i Sanjan) is an account of the early years of Zoroastrian settlers on the Indian subcontinent Zurvanism is a now-extinct branch of Zoroastrianism that had the divinity Zurvan as its First The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious Calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith and it is an approximation of the (tropical Solar calendar. Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. In the Zoroastrian faith marriage is encouraged an institution greatly favoured by the religious texts. Zoroastrianism eschatology is the oldest Eschatology in recorded history Zoroastrians in Iran have had a long history being the oldest religious community of that nation to survive to the present-day The Iranis are an ethno-religious community of the Indian subcontinent; descendants of Zoroastrians who emigrated from Greater Iran (in the main from Zoroastrians have faced much religious discrimination including forced conversions harassments as well as being identified as Najis "ritually impure" Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language.
The Visperad ceremony "consists of the rituals of the Yasna, virtually unchanged, but with a liturgy extended by twenty-three[a] supplementary sections. Yasna ( Avestan: 'oblation' or 'worship' is the name of the primary liturgical collection of texts of the Avesta as well as the name of the A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions "[1] These supplementary sections (kardag) are then – from a philological perspective – the passages that make up the Visperad collection. The standard abbreviation for Visperad chapter-verse pointers is Vr. , though Vsp. may also appear in older sources.
The name Visperad is a contraction of Avestan vispe ratavo,[b] with an ambiguous meaning. Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the sacred hymns and canon of the Zoroastrian Avesta. Subject to how ratu is translated,[c] vispe ratavo may be translated as "(prayer to) all patrons"[2] or "all masters"[1] or the older and today less common "all chiefs. "[3] or "all lords. "
The Visperad ceremony – in medieval Zoroastrian texts referred to as the Jesht-i Visperad,[4] that is, "Worship through praise (Yasht) of all the patrons," developed[d] as an "extended service" for celebrating the gahambars,[4] the high Zoroastrian festivals that celebrate six season(al) events. Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. As seasonal ("year cycle") festivals, the gahambars are dedicated to the Amesha Spentas, the divinites that are in tradition identified with specific aspects of creation, and through whom Ahura Mazda realized ("with his thought") creation. ae Amesha Spenta ( ae Aməša Spənta) is an Avestan language term for a class of divinity/divine concepts in Zoroastrianism, and literally means "Bounteous These "bounteous immortals" (amesha spentas) are the "all patrons" – the vispe ratavo – who apportion the bounty of creation. However, the Visperad ceremony itself is dedicated to Ahura Mazda, the ratūm berezem "high Master. Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator "[4]
The Visperad collection has no unity of its own, and is never recited separately from the Yasna. During a recital of the Visperad ceremony, the Visperad sections is not recited en bloc but are instead interleaved into the Yasna recital. [5] The Visperad itself exalts several texts of the Yasna collection, including the Ahuna Vairya and the Airyaman ishya, the Gathas, and the Yasna Haptanghaiti (Visperad 13-16, 18-21, 23-24[6]) Unlike in a regular Yasna recital, the Yasna Haptanghaiti is recited a second time between the 4th and 5th Gatha (the first time between the 1st and 2nd as in a standard Yasna). Ahuna Vairya is the Avestan language name of the most sacred of the Gathic hymns of the Avesta, the revered texts of Zoroastrianism. The airyaman ishya ( airyaman išya, airyə̄mā išyō) is Zoroastrianism's fourth of the four Gathic Avestan invocations The word "Gātha" means a "hymn of praise" in the earliest Indo-Iranian poetry The Yasna Haptanghaiti ( ae Yasna Haptaŋhāiti) Avestan for "Worship in Seven Chapters" is a set of 7 hymns within the greater Yasna This second recitation is performed by the assistant priest (the raspi), and is often slower and more melodious. [5] In contrast to barsom bundle of a regular Yasna, which has 21 rods (tae), the one used in a Visperad service has 35 rods. A barsom is a ritual implement used by Zoroastrian priests to solemnize certain sacred ceremonies
The Visperad is only performed in the Havan Gah – between sunrise and noon – on the six gahambar days. [4]
Amongst Iranian Zoroastrians, for whom the seasonal festivals have a greater significance than for their Indian co-religionists, the Visperad ceremony has undergone significant modifications in the 20th century. [7] The ritual – which is technically an "inner" one requiring ritual purity – is instead celebrated as an "outer" ritual where ritual purity is not a requirement. Ritual purification is a feature of many Religions The aim of these Rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type Often there is only one priest instead of the two that are actually required, and the priests sit at a table with only a lamp or candle representing the fire, so avoiding accusations of "fire worship. "[e][8]
Notes
| a)^ | Subject to translation, there may be either 23 or 24 sections. [9] Karl Friedrich Geldner has 24, Mills has 23. Friedrich Karl Geldner ( December 17, 1852 &ndash February 5, 1929) was a German Linguist best known for his analysis and |
| b)^ | vīspe ratavō[10] in the Geldner/Bartholomae transliteration scheme, vīspe ratauuō[2] in the Hoffmann scheme. |
| c)^ | the stem rat- is literally "to (ap)portion," (from base ar- "to get" and "to cause to get, give") with the matter being portioned ranging from time (ratav, a segment of time) to material goods (cf. Kellens'[2] ratu "patron") and justice (ratu then being a "judge," and ratav then being a judicial ruling). For the various meanings of ratav, see Bartholomae 1904, cols. 1498-1504. |
| d)^ | It has been speculated that the Visperad ceremony developed between the 3rd and 7th centuries. [1] Since it is unlikely that the Avestan Visperad texts were actually composed at such a late a date (and yet in time to make it into the Sassanid archetype of the Avesta), they must then be extracts from other texts that have however since been lost. |
| e)^ | ". . . da man nicht in den Ruch der Feuerverehrung kommen will. "[8] |
References
- ^ a b c Boyce 2001, p. 125.
- ^ a b c Kellens 1989, p. 38.
- ^ Mills 1886, p. 335,n. 1.
- ^ a b c d Boyce 1993, p. 795.
- ^ a b Stausberg 2004, p. 336.
- ^ Stausberg 2002, p. 86.
- ^ Stausberg 2004, pp. 336-337.
- ^ a b Stausberg 2004, p. 337.
- ^ Stausberg 2002, p. 109.
- ^ Bartholomae 1904, col. 1467, 1501.
Bibliography
- Bartholomae, Christian (1904), Altiranisches Wörterbuch, Strassburg: Trübner (fasc. , 1979, Berlin: de Gruyter)
- Boyce, Mary (1993), “Iranian Festivals”, in Fischer, W. B. ; Gershevitch, Ilya & Yarshster, Ehsan, Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3. 2, Cambridge: UP, pp. 792-817
- Boyce, Mary (2001), Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, London: Routledge
- Kellens, Jean (1989), “Avesta”, Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 3, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, pp. 35-44
- Mills, Lawrence Heyworth, trans. , ed. (1887), “Visparad”, ZA III: The Yasna, Visparad, Âfrînagân, Gâhs and Miscellaneous Fragments, Sacred Books of the East, vol. 31, Oxford: OUP
- Stausberg, Michael (2002), Die Religion Zarathushtras, vol. 1, Stuttgart: Kohlhammer
- Stausberg, Michael (2004), Die Religion Zarathushtras, vol. 3, Stuttgart: Kohlhammer
Further reading
Geldner's transliteration and Mills' translation of the Visperad at avesta. org
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