gan rlst 784 midterm

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Zarathustra and Old Iranian Religion RLST 784

Midterm Exam: Rigveda I.25 / II.27

Nov 5 2015

Victor Gan

The two Rigvedic hymns (I.25/ II.27) describe Varuna in terms that parallel closely the

conception of Ahura Mazda in the Gathas. The cosmological significance of Varuna is not

elaborated in detail: he is called a “god” (RV I.25:1) and is one in rule with Mitra (RV I.25:6)

“over all, both heaven and earth” (RV I.25:20), and is king over gods and mortals (RV II.27:10)

-- the latter paralleled in the Gathas (Y34:5). The Gathas elaborate on his relationship to initial

creation: He was the “First One at the creation of the world” (Y43:5) and “creator of everything”

(Y44:7), being lord at birth of the foremost existence (Y48:6). He fashioned the cow as well as

the waters and the plants (Y51:7). The subsequent relationship to the created world is similar in

both, with the notion of continued upholding of the cosmos (RV II:27:8; Y 44:4), and in both,

specific continued attention given to both inanimate elements such as wind (Y44:4; RV I.25:9),

and temporality implied by monthly lunar cycles (Y44:3; RV I.25:8).

A uniquely Gathic notion is that of capacity for change in Ahura Mazda, influenced by the

actions of men: “Through this very spirit among us, Wise One, Thou art to grow, thou who until

now hast been the same Lord” (Y31:7). Man is able to say to Ahura Mazda “Receive for thyself

continuing life, truth and mastery over well-being” (Y34:1). How does man influence this?

Man’s enduring respect is said to give body and breath to Him (Y30:7). Also, this growth “in

breath and body” is said to occur “through the rule of good thinking and of truth” (Y33:10). Thus

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by following His rule (of truth, good thinking and respect), men can influence Ahura Mazda

Himself.

The Vedic extract describes the Adityas as “free of crookedness, disgrace and injury” (RV

II.27:2) “undeceivable” (RV II.27:3), and as entities “through truth is your greatness great. It is

special to you...”. The identity of Ahura Mazda with truth and order is ubiquitous in the Gathas.

In the Vedic extracts, the notion of Varuna as all-seeing is dominant: “of broad gaze” (RV

I.25:16), “keeping watch” with Mitra (RV I.25:6), with “many eyes” (RV II.27:3), “unsleeping,

unwinking, undeceivable” (RV II.27:9). The penetration of vision extends to the image of having

spies seated all around (RV I.25:13). This is echoed in the Gathas (“all seeing lord” Y45:4) but

less frequently.

The theme of universal kingship (RV I.25:10) is less explicit in the Gathas, with the epithet

Mightiest Lord (Y31:11) used instead. Though Varuna appears to represent the authority of the

king according to Jamison and Brereton, Ahura Mazda is not directly compared to kings (Kavis)

in the Gathas; one difference may lie in the fact that kings can chose deceit, whereas there is no

deceitful equivalent of Ahura Mazda in the Gathas. However, there are parallels in kingly roles.

Varuna is described as one who “looks upon all (actions) in clear certainty, both those done and

those that must be done” (RV I.25:11), and similarly in the Gathas, Ahura Mazda is described as

one who “dost know …. those who are lawful and equally deserving” (Y28:10) and “has

distinguished the lawful and unlawful (Y46:17). After recognition, judgment is implied briefly

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in the Vedic extract through the readiness of the Adityas “to deceive (the deceitful)” (RV

II.27:3). Similarly in the Gathas, Ahura Mazda is seen as the enforcer of rules (with fire and

molten iron to give satisfaction to both truthful and deceitful in Yasna 51:9). In both, the image

of a “weapon” wielded by Ahura Mazda or Varuna appears (Y31:18 and RV I.25:2). and

provider of well-being (Y31:21). The nature of Ahura Mazda’s rule is established in terms of

law, coming “into the world with the rule of good thinking” (Y43:6). His rule is not fickle, but

follows on from his benevolent spirits, hence appeals to Ahura Mazda are usually phrased in

terms of having followed his commandments (e.g. in Y49:1 where support is solicited only if

“requital is good”). Both sources mention the capacity for being angered (Y28:8; RV I.25:2) but

only the Vedic source mentions a capacity for mercy (RV I.25:5) -- perhaps telling in that the

Gathic conception of Ahura Mazda does not appear to contain mercifulness outside the scheme

of law.

Both the Vedic extracts and the Gathas have a common understanding of the relationship

between men and Varuna/Ahura Mazda. Men are able to affect the divinity through songs (RV

I.24:3, 18; Y34:2). The Gathas further describe methods of propitiation as through prayer

(Y29:5), thinking, word, action and worship (Y34:1-2). In response to piety, the Vedic extracts

mention only “not keep[ing] in the distance” (RV I.25:6) and the more obscurely releasing of

fetters (RV I.25:21). The notion of approximation is in the Gathas as well: “come down in

consequence of our gift to you” (Y29:11) and Zarathustra trying to “turn Him hither to us by

praises of reverence” Y45:8. The potential effects of divine action on men in the Vedic extracts

(not specifically in response to worship) include easing of man’s journey and extension of

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lifetime (RV I.25:12). Similarly in the Gathas, the notion of divine reciprocation by instruction to

“paths… easty to travel” is present (Y34:12) as well as the potential for the divine to respond to

the request to “grant Thou to me continuing life and well-being” (Y51:7). Rather than rewarding

simple requests, the Gathas repeatedly make explicit a much more detailed pattern of divine

reward for following the way of truth and good thinking (e.g. Y28:2: “Because I shall serve all

(of you), Wise Lord, with good thinking, grant to me the attainments of both existences--the

material as well as the mental one”). In the Gathas the notion of what constitutes “our gift for

You” (Y29:11) begins to emphasise ethical adherence over (but not excluding) ritual practice.

Such ethical adherence is very much in the free choice of men who are “left to our will to choose

between what is benevolent and what is not” (Y45:9). Such rewards are often phrased passively,

as the consequence of following the rule of truth rather than by specific responsive divine action:

“if requital is good, come to me and give support to me” (Y49:1), and “when they will shall be

done, the end shall be different for each” (Y48:4).

Friendship is a category which is present in the Gathas but not in the Vedic extracts. Zarathustra

describes the Wise One as “his friend” (Y44:1) and asks support “which a friend should grant to

a friend” (Y46:2). This may represent the amalgamation of Aryaman as friendship into the

concept of Ahura Mazda. The concept of an ally, which may reflect the place Mithra as

agreement, is brought up in descriptions of man potentially being “Thy ally in spirit” (Y44:2).

“The Wise One is the first to heed His agreements with both gods an men” (Y29:4). The notion

of being an ally with the divine is repeated in Yasna 31:21: “the Wise Lord shall grant the

permanent alliance of good thinking to the person who is His committed ally in spirit and

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actions”. While “alliance” is more frequently used to refer to an alliance with truth and good

thinking, in some contexts there may be the possibility that such an alliance implicates a

relationship with Ahura Mazda in the sense of an alliance of truth with Ahura Mazda, or with

truth being a part of Ahura Mazda, conceived perhaps as his benevolent spirit. Truth is described

also as being created by Ahura Mazda (Y31:8).

One might see Ahura Mazda then as corresponding to the trio of the Adityas (Varuna, Mitra and

Aryaman) with the many close parallels cited. Concepts of the divine being substantially affected

in body and breath by the actions of men come into play in the Gathas. An ethical framework of

truth and good thinking (and subsidiarily respect and devotion) become dominant over and in

addition to ritual practices of songs. The notion of the divine as volitionally responsive apart

from this framework, whether by responding with mercy (RV I.25:5,19), or enjoying the songs

of man (RV I.25:18), are eliminated. Finally, aspects of Mitra and Aryaman are also incorporated

into the notion of the divine in the Gathas, possibly reflecting a coalescing of the trio of the

Adityas into a single divine entity, Ahura Mazda.

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gan rlst 784 midterm

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