Maharashtra HSC Avesta-Pahlavi (MSBSHSE) key terms

An alphabetic writing system developed for recording the Avesta, written right to left with separate letters for vowels and consonants; it was devised in the Sasanian period to fix the pronunciation of a language already transmitted orally.

The sound system of the Avestan language, including its vowels, its series of stops, fricatives and nasals, and distinctions such as short versus long vowels that carry grammatical and lexical meaning.

The older dialect of Avestan found in the seventeen Gathas attributed to Zarathushtra; it is archaic in grammar and differs in vocabulary and inflection from the later, more uniform Younger Avestan.

The later stage of the Avestan language used in the Yasna, Yashts, Vendidad and other liturgical texts; its grammar is simpler and more regular than that of the Gathas.

The set of grammatical cases in Avestan, including nominative, accusative, instrumental, dative, ablative, genitive, locative and vocative, marked by endings that change with number and stem class.

The way Avestan verbs mark person, number, tense and mood through endings and stem changes, distinguishing present, imperfect, perfect and other formations in both active and middle voices.

An Avestan verb form lacking the augment, used especially in the Gathas for statements that are general, timeless or not tied to a past moment; its meaning depends on context rather than tense alone.

The central Zoroastrian liturgy, a sequence of recitations and ritual acts performed over the fire and other offerings; its seventy-two chapters include the Gathas and form the core of the surviving Avestan corpus.

Seventeen hymns in archaic Avestan attributed to Zarathushtra, embedded in the Yasna and arranged in five groups; they are the oldest Zoroastrian religious poetry and the most difficult Avestan texts.

A hymn addressed to a particular deity or divine power, such as Mithra or Anahita, recited in worship; the collection of Yashts belongs to the Younger Avestan tradition and preserves much mythological material.

An Avestan text concerned mainly with purity laws, pollution and expiation, together with mythological passages and a list of lands; in the liturgy it is recited with the Yasna in the extended ceremony.

A liturgical collection recited together with the Yasna at the great seasonal ceremonies, consisting largely of invocations of the lords and offerings that expand the standard Yasna sequence.

The corpus of sacred texts composed in the Avestan language, transmitted orally for centuries and later written down; only a portion of the original literature survives in manuscripts.

A writing system derived from Aramaic and used for Middle Persian, written right to left; it is difficult because many words are written as Aramaic logograms that the reader must replace with the Middle Persian word.

The Aramaic-derived logograms used in Pahlavi writing, where a word is spelled in Aramaic but read as its Middle Persian equivalent; knowledge of them is essential for reading Pahlavi texts.

The sound system of Middle Persian as recoverable from Pahlavi spellings, including distinctions between plosives and fricatives and the vowel changes that separate it from earlier Old Persian and from Avestan.

A form of Middle Persian written in a clear Manichaean script rather than in Pahlavi characters; because it spells words phonetically, it helps scholars reconstruct the pronunciation behind Pahlavi logograms.

A simplified writing of Middle Persian using the Avestan alphabet, used in later Zoroastrian manuscripts; Pazand passages often accompany Avestan texts and give explanations or ritual directions in a more phonetic script.

The Middle Persian translation and commentary on an Avestan text, often transmitted alongside the original; the Zand explains ritual, legal and doctrinal points and is a major source for Pahlavi religious literature.

A Pahlavi work describing the creation of the world, its history and final renewal; it presents Zoroastrian cosmology in systematic form and is a central source for Middle Persian religious thought.

A large Pahlavi compendium of religious knowledge, including summaries of lost Avestan texts, doctrinal exposition and history; it is one of the most important surviving Middle Persian prose works.

A Pahlavi account of a visionary journey to the afterlife, describing heaven and hell as seen by the righteous man Viraf; it illustrates Zoroastrian ideas of reward, punishment and moral conduct.

The supreme god in Zoroastrianism, the wise lord who created the world and stands at the head of the divine order; worship of Ahura Mazda is central to the Gathas and the liturgy.

The 'beneficent immortals', a group of divine beings associated with Ahura Mazda and with qualities such as good mind, truth, power and wholeness; they structure much Zoroastrian theology and ritual invocation.

The principle of truth, order and cosmic justice in Zoroastrian thought, opposed to falsehood; it governs right conduct, the regularity of nature and the outcome of the final judgement.

The principle of falsehood, disorder and deception that opposes Asha; in Zoroastrian ethics it names both the lie in human conduct and the demonic force behind it.

The destructive spirit or adversary in Zoroastrian dualism, the source of evil, pollution and death; the Gathas and later texts present him as the opponent of Ahura Mazda and his creation.

The Amesha Spenta named 'Good Mind' or 'Good Purpose', associated with right thinking and with the care of animals; the term appears frequently in the Gathas as a divine quality to be cultivated.

The final renovation of the world, when evil is defeated, the dead are raised and creation is restored to perfection; it is a central hope in Zoroastrian eschatology and is described in Pahlavi texts.

The bridge over which souls must pass after death for judgement; according to Zoroastrian tradition it becomes wide for the righteous and narrow for the wicked, leading them to their respective destinies.

A divine glory or fortune that attaches to kings, heroes and the Iranian land, but can be lost through wrongdoing; it is celebrated in the Yashts and in epic tradition.

The preparation and offering of the haoma plant, pressed and mixed with milk and water during the Yasna; the ritual is central to Zoroastrian worship and is personified as a deity in the Avesta.

The pollution believed to come from a dead body, which requires ritual purification and special handling of the corpse; rules about nasu form a large part of the purity legislation in the Vendidad.

A circular structure used for exposure of the dead, where bodies are placed so that they do not pollute earth, water or fire; the practice reflects Zoroastrian concern to protect the sacred elements.

A consecrated building where a sacred fire is maintained and tended by priests, serving as a focus of worship and ritual; fires are graded by their consecration and the offerings they receive.

One of six seasonal festivals in the Zoroastrian calendar, each lasting several days and marked by communal worship, feasting and charity; they celebrate stages of creation and reinforce community ties.

The initiation ceremony in which a young Parsi is invested with the sacred shirt and cord, marking formal entry into the community and its religious obligations; it is usually performed before marriage.

The movement of Zoroastrians from Iran to Gujarat, traditionally dated to the early tenth century, where they settled and became known as Parsis; their history shaped the modern Indian community.

A narrative poem in Persian recounting the legendary migration of Zoroastrians to Sanjan in Gujarat and their reception by a local ruler; it is a key, though legendary, source for Parsi origins.

The religious calendar used to fix festivals and rituals, with its own system of months and days dedicated to divine beings; disagreements over intercalation produced distinct Parsi calendar traditions.