CONCEPT OF GOD IN ZOROASTRIANISM:

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Aryan religion which originated in Persia more than 2500 years ago. Though it has relatively few adherents, less than one hundred and thirty thousand in the whole world, it is one of the oldest religions. The Iranian Prophet Zoroaster was the founder of Zoroastrianism (also commonly known as Parsiism). The sacred scripture of the Parsis is the Dasatir and Avesta.


God in Zoroastrian religion is known as ‘Ahura Mazda’ ‘Ahura’ means ‘the Lord’ and ‘Mazda’ means ‘the Wise’ hence ‘Ahura Mazda’ means ‘the Wise Lord’ or ‘the Wise God’. Ahura Mazda stands for a strict form of Monotheistic God.

Qualities of God according to Dasatir :

According to Dasatir, Ahura Mazda has the following qualities :

(i) He is One.

(ii) Nothing resembles Him.

(iii) He is without an origin or end.

(iv) He has no father or mother, wife or son.

(v) Without a body or form.

(vi) Neither the eye can behold Him, nor the power of thinking can conceive him.

(vii) He is above all that you can imagine of.

(viii)He is nearer to you than your own self.

Qualities of God according to Avesta

According to Avesta, the Gathas and the Yasna give the various

characteristics to Ahura Mazda such as

(i) Creator (Yasna 31:7 & 11) (Yasna 44:7) (Yasna 50:11) (Yasna 51:7)

(ii) Most Mighty – the Greatest (Yasna33:11) (Yasna 45:6)

(iii) Beneficent –‘Hudai’. (Yasna 33:11) (Yasna 48:3)

(iv) Bountiful – ‘Spenta’;

(Yasna 43:4,5,7,9,11,13,15) (Yasna 44:2) (Yasna 45:5) (Yasn 46:9)

(Yasna 48:3)