Srosh Yasht

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The term Srosh Yasht refers to two different hymns in the Avesta, both of which are named after Sraosha, the Zoroastrian hypostasis of Obedience and Observance. The first hymn is the eleventh Yasht of the 21 Yasht collection, whereas the second hymn is formed by Yasna 57.[1]

Overview

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See also: Sraosha

Srosh is the Middle Persian version of Avestan Sraosha, which is the name of the Zoroastrian divinity representing Obedience.[2] It is also the name of the 17th day of the month in the Zoroastrian calendar.[3] There are two different hymns in the Avesta collection which are dedicated to Sraosha and consequently both are called Srosh Yasht.[4]

The first one is found in the Yasht collection, where it occupies the eleventh place. The other one forms chapter 57 of the Yasna but is also sometimes grouped into the Yasht collection as Yasht 11a.[5] To distinguish the Yasht 11 from Yasna 57 (Yt. 11a), the former is sometimes called Srosh Yasht Hadoxt and the latter Srosh Yasht se shabag.[6]

Srosh Yasht Hadoxt (Yt. 11)

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See also: Yasht

Both the origin of this hymn as well as its name are unclear. The Srosh Yasht Hadoxt is sometimes assumed to be derived from the Hadoxt nask, one of the volumes of the now lost Sasanian Avesta.[7] According to other sources, however, either the Srosh Yasht Hadoxt or the Srosh Yasht se shabag may have been part of Bagan yasht nask, where they may have formed its eighth chapter.[8] Its name may also be derived from Hadoxt service, where it may once have been recited.[9]

Like many other Yashts, the text of the Srosh Yasht Hadoxt is divided into 5 chapters, kalled Kardas.[10] Its content is largely derived from the Srosh Yasht se shabag[11] and it is generally regarded as derivative and comparatively inferior.[12] Next to Yasht 1, the Srosh Yasht Hadoxt is the only Yasht with an old translation in Middle Persian.[13] In today's Zoroastrian practice, the hymn is celebrated on the 17th day of the month dedicated to Sraosha. The Yasht can be performed at any time of the day except during Rapithwin.[14]

Srosh Yasht se shabag (Y. 57; Yt. 11a)

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See also: Yasna

The term Yasna refers both to the central Zoroastrian liturgy as well as of the text recited during this ritual.[15] The standard Yasna consists of 72 chapters called haiti, and whithin this structure, the 57th chapter is called Srosh Yasht.[16] To distiguish it from the other Srosh Yasht, it is sometimes called Srosh Yasht se shabag, i.e., Srosh Yasht of the three nights, because it is recited in the funeral service of the three nights following a death.[17]

Although it is not part of the Yasht collection, the Srosh Yasht se shabag shows a number of similarities with the hymns contained therein. For example, it is divided into 13 chapters called Kardas, which is typical for many of the Yashts but not for the Yasna.[18] Many of its stanzas also follow the octosyllabic meter, which is likewise found in many of the major Yashts.[19] Like the Hom Yasht of Yasna 9-11, the Srosh Yasht of Yasna 57 may be an old Yasht insertion into the High Liturgy.[20] Due to this close connection of this hymn to the Yashts, it is sometimes edited jointly with them as Yasht 11a.[5]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ MacKenzie 1971, p. 179: "Sroš [slwš M sros, N surūš] the god Obedience".
  2. ^ Nyberg 1974, p. 77: "Sroš [slwš] [...] the name of the 17th day of the month".
  3. ^ Lommel 1927, p. 88: "Es sind zwei an Srauša gerichtete Yäšt vorhanden, die auch beide in der ihnen von der Überlieferung gegebenen Überschrift als Sroš Yäšt bezeichnet werden".
  4. ^ a b Hintze 2014, "Two Yašts are transmitted not only in the Yašt and Khorde Avesta manuscripts but also in those of the Yasna: the Srōš Yašt (Yt. 11a) constitutes chapter 57 of the Yasna and the Hōm Yašt (Yt. 20)".
  5. ^ Kellens 2002, "The F1 manuscript and its copies thus explicitly call the Yašt 11 Srōš yašt hādōxt, thus distinguishing it from Srōš yašt se šabag "Srōš yašt of the three nights" (Y. 57)".
  6. ^ Kellens 2002, "According to James Darmesteter (III, p. XII), six extracts of this nask have been preserved: the Fšūšō mąθra (Y. 58), the Srōšyašt hādōxt (Yt. 11) [...]".
  7. ^ König 2017, p. 21.
  8. ^ Darmesteter 1892b, p. 481: "Mais le nom de Hâdhôkht désigne aussi un service religieux, peutêtre identique au Evak-hômâst (voir plus bas la note 40); de sorte que notre Yasht peut être, soit le Srôsh Yasht tel qu’on le trouve dans le Nask Hâdhôkht, soit le Srôsh Yasht tel qu’on le récite dans le service Hâdhôkht".
  9. ^ Malandra 2014, "It too is characterized by a kardag division (into 5 chapters) of its 22 stanzas".
  10. ^ Malandra 2014, "it contains little information about Sraoša that is not already in Y. 57".
  11. ^ Malandra 2014, "By contrast, Yt. 11 shows only sporadically any metrical pattern and seems to be generally a loose compilation of diverse materials".
  12. ^ König 2015, p. 131: "Wie die Übersicht zeigt [siehe nächste Seite], begegnen in den Mss. Pahlavi-Übersetzungen (= PÜ) jenseits von Yt 1+11 kaum vor dem 19. Jh.".
  13. ^ Darmesteter 1892b, p. 481: "Voici un autre Yasht de Srôsh, qui peut se réciter tous les jours, à tout Gâh, saufle Rapitvîn".
  14. ^ Malandra 2006.
  15. ^ Malandra 2014, "Hymns to Sraoša [...] Yasna 57".
  16. ^ Darmesteter 1892a, p. 358: "Srôsh est l'objet de deux Yashts : 1° celui-ci, qui fait partie du Yasna et qui est plus spécialement désigné sous le nom de Srôsh Yasht si shaba ou « Srôsh Yasht des trois nuits », parce qu’il est récité, non seulement dans le service du Yasna, mais aussi dans le service funèbre des trois nnits qui suivent le décès ".
  17. ^ Malandra 2014, "Unlike most sections of the Yasna recitation, Y. 57 is typical of the major Yašts with its 13 kardag (chapter) divisions of the 34 stanzas".
  18. ^ Malandra 2014, "In terms of literary style, Y. 57 is composed, for the most part, in the octosyllabic meter typical of much of the Yašts".
  19. ^ König 2017, p. 29: "According to N 29.10–11 the Srōš Yašt (= Y 57) which is next to the Hōm Yašt an old Yašt-intrusion in the Yasna plays a decisive role within the liturgies".

Bibliography

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