Inspetion of Divyasna Cult in Ancient Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Ancient Iranian Religions, Department of Eastern Religions, Qom University of Religions and Denominations, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Religions and Mysticism, Farabi campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Divyasna cult, which is often mentioned in opposition to Mazdayasna, is one of the common cults in ancient Iran, whose traces can be discovered back to the ancient times. Examining Avesta and Pahlavi texts and re-reading some ancient inscriptions assist us to approach their beliefs, rituals and ceremonies. Be that as it may, in terms of their beliefs and rites, believers of Divyasna have resemblance with some religious and ethnic groups or some social classes of their point in history, which makes it difficult to acknowledge them and to clearly outline the edges of their genesis, life and stance among the Mazdaysnans. Notwithstanding this, Divyasnans had such gigantic political, religious and social impact that they became one of the agitations of the Achaemenid kings, and they came to be the subject of repetitive objurgation in the ancient and later Avesta, an Achaemenid inscription, as well as the first-hand Pahlavi texts. Taking notice of the linguistic developments of the Indo-European and then Indo-Iranian people, punctuality in the metamorphoses of the meaning and examples of some key words such as Daeva (=demon), acknowledgement and inspecting the line of distinction between different castes of Iranian people such as Medians and Persians, endeavor to precisely apprehend the substructure of Mazdaysnan’s theology, for instance dualism And unearthing the underlying cause of the prevalence or prohibition of certain rituals, such as blood sacrifice, helps to be cognizant of the cult of Divyasna more meticulously.

Keywords

References

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Comparative Study of Religions and Mysticism
Volume 9, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 151-184

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  • Receive Date: 17 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 17 March 2025

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