Sacred Scripture

Zoroastrianism's scriptures are the Avesta or the Zend Avesta [Pahlavi avesta=law, zend=commentary]

The oldest scripture is the Avesta consisting of fragmentary and much-corrupted texts; it is written in old Iranian, a language similar to Vedic Sanskrit. It is about a thousand pages long. Some portions, including "gathas" are in an older dialect called 'Old Avestan' or 'Gathic Avestan'. The major surviving divisions are:

• Yasna - Sacred Liturgy and Gathas
• Khorda Avesta (Book of Common Prayer) including Yashts (hymns to the sacred beings)
• Niyayeshes (litanies to the sun, Mithra, Water, Fire, and the Moon)
• Gahs (prayers for the five periods of the day)
• Afrinagans (ceremonies of blessing), and other prayers
• Visperad
• Extensions to the Liturgy
• Videvdat [Vendidad]
• Primarily purity laws, myths, and some medical texts
• Fragments

The Yasna is a liturgical work that includes the Gathas ("songs"), probably the oldest part of the Avesta and perhaps in part written by Zoroaster himself.

The Vispered is a supplement to the Yasna.

The Videvdat is a detailed code of ritual purification, often erroneously called the Vendidad.

Other sources of Zoroastrianism are Achaemenid inscriptions, the writings of Herodotus, Strabo, and Plutarch, and the commentaries on the Avesta written (6th cent. A.D.) in Pahlavi, a Persian dialect used as a priestly language, under the Sassanids.

All Scriptures are sacred, including the Gathas, Yashts, and the Videvdat. Zoroastrians pray using all of the prayers in their Fire temples, before the Sacred Fire, believing they have immense spiritual power, their very utterance in the sacred Avestan language serving to further righteousness and fight evil.

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