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Maharashtra HSC Avesta-Pahlavi (MSBSHSE) study materials
Maharashtra HSC Avesta-Pahlavi (MSBSHSE) study resources

Maharashtra HSC Avesta-Pahlavi (MSBSHSE) practice questions

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Question 1Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

The Avestan script is written in which direction, and what is its characteristic letter inventory?

  1. Right to left, with a large inventory of distinct letters including ligatures for consonant clusters Correct answer.
  2. Top to bottom in vertical columns, as in Brahmi-derived scripts
  3. Boustrophedon, alternating direction on each line
  4. Left to right, with a small alphabet of about sixteen letters

Explanation

Avestan is written from right to left, like the other Iranian and Semitic-derived scripts of the region. Its alphabet is unusually rich, with over fifty characters, because the priests needed to record precise phonetic distinctions of the recited text, and ligatures are used for many consonant clusters.

Question 2Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which vowel letters were added to the Avestan alphabet to represent sounds not distinguished in the older Middle Iranian writing systems?

  1. A full set including short a, long ā, and the rounded vowels ą and ə Correct answer.
  2. Only the diphthongs ao and aē
  3. Only a and i
  4. No vowel letters; vowels were left unwritten

Explanation

The Avestan alphabet marks vowels fully, distinguishing short a from long ā and including special signs such as ą (nasalised) and ə (the so-called 'irrational' vowel). This full vocalisation reflects the script's purpose of recording exact liturgical pronunciation.

Question 3Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan alphabet, which letter represents the voiced palatal affricate /dʒ/?

  1. c
  2. g
  3. j Correct answer.
  4. z

Explanation

The letter j in Avestan transliteration stands for the voiced palatal affricate, corresponding to the sound in English 'jam'. The letter c is its voiceless counterpart, while z and g represent a voiced sibilant and a voiced velar stop respectively.

Question 4Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which of the following best describes the Avestan sound written ə and often called the 'irrational vowel'?

  1. A short central vowel of uncertain quality, probably [ə] or [ɛ] Correct answer.
  2. A voiceless vowel whispered after a consonant
  3. A nasalised back vowel
  4. A long low front vowel

Explanation

The ə sign appears where the tradition could not decide between certain short vowels, and scholars generally reconstruct it as a short central or mid-front vowel. It arose from the liturgical transmission of the text rather than from a clear phonemic contrast.

Question 5Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In Avestan, what is the usual effect of the sound r on a following vowel in forms such as kərənaoiti?

  1. It turns the vowel into a diphthong
  2. It deletes the following vowel entirely
  3. It causes the vowel to be lengthened
  4. It induces an epenthetic vowel, giving the sequence -ərə- Correct answer.

Explanation

When r stands between consonants or before certain consonants, Avestan regularly develops an epenthetic central vowel, written ə, producing sequences like -ərə-. This is a characteristic phonological process of the language and explains spellings such as kərənaoiti.

Question 6Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which Avestan letters represent the two voiced dental fricatives that contrast with the stops d and t?

  1. b and p
  2. δ and θ Correct answer.
  3. γ and x
  4. β and f

Explanation

Avestan distinguishes dental fricatives from dental stops: δ is the voiced dental fricative and θ the voiceless one, while d and t are the corresponding stops. The other pairs listed belong to the labial and velar series.

Question 7Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan noun declension, which case is used to express the means or instrument of an action, and what is its usual singular ending for a-stems?

  1. Locative, ending -e
  2. Dative, ending -āi
  3. Ablative, ending -āt
  4. Instrumental, ending -a (often written -ā) Correct answer.

Explanation

The instrumental expresses the instrument or means and for a-stem nouns has a singular ending in -a, frequently appearing as -ā in the manuscripts. The dative, ablative and locative have their own distinct endings.

Question 8Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which ending marks the genitive singular of an Avestan a-stem noun such as ahura-?

  1. -ahe (or -ahya) Correct answer.
  2. -āi
  3. -ąm
  4. -əm

Explanation

The genitive singular of a-stems ends in -ahe, with the variant -ahya, as in ahurahe. The ending -əm marks the nominative or accusative singular of neuters and the accusative of masculines, while -āi is dative and -ąm is genitive plural.

Question 9Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan verb, which tense stem is used to form the present indicative, and how is it typically characterised?

  1. The present stem, often marked by a thematic vowel or a suffix such as -ya- or -na- Correct answer.
  2. The future stem, marked by the suffix -sya-
  3. The perfect stem, marked by reduplication
  4. The aorist stem, marked by the augment a-

Explanation

The present system is built on the present stem, which is formed from the root by thematic vowel, by suffixes like -ya- or -na-, or without suffix in athematic verbs. The perfect, aorist and future each have their own distinct stems.

Question 10Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

What is the Avestan form of the third person singular present of the verb 'to be' (root ah-)?

  1. ahmahi
  2. ahmī
  3. hənti
  4. asti Correct answer.

Explanation

The third person singular present of ah- is asti, corresponding to Sanskrit asti and Latin est. The form ahmī is first person singular, ahmahi is first person plural, and hənti is third person plural.

Question 11Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which of the following is the correct Avestan third person singular present middle ending?

  1. -nti
  2. -si
  3. -te Correct answer.
  4. -mi

Explanation

The middle voice third person singular ending is -te, as in many present middle forms. The endings -mi and -si belong to the active first and second persons singular, and -nti is the active third person plural.

Question 12Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In Avestan, the augment a- is prefixed to a verb stem to form which of the following?

  1. The imperative
  2. The imperfect (and certain aorist forms) Correct answer.
  3. The present indicative
  4. The optative

Explanation

The augment a- marks past tense reference, principally the imperfect, and also appears in some aorist formations. It is not used with the present, imperative or optative, which have their own modal and temporal marking.

Question 13Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which Avestan pronoun form is the enclitic dative/genitive singular of the first person?

  1. mē Correct answer.
  2. tē
  3. mąm
  4. vē

Explanation

The enclitic pronoun mē serves as dative and genitive singular of the first person, meaning 'to me' or 'of me'. The form mąm is the accusative, while tē and vē belong to the second person singular and plural respectively.

Question 14Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

The Avestan relative pronoun yah- (masculine) has which form in the nominative singular?

  1. yō Correct answer.
  2. yā
  3. yəm
  4. yehī

Explanation

The masculine nominative singular of the relative pronoun is yō, as in the frequently occurring phrase yō ... 'who ...'. The form yəm is accusative, yehī is feminine nominative, and yā is feminine or neuter plural.

Question 15Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan adjective declension, how does the comparative degree typically differ from the positive?

  1. It is expressed by the genitive case alone
  2. It is formed by adding the prefix fra- to the positive
  3. It takes the suffix -tara- or -yah- and follows the pronominal declension Correct answer.
  4. It is identical in form to the positive

Explanation

The comparative is formed with suffixes such as -tara- or the older -yah-, and these comparatives tend to follow pronominal endings. The superlative uses -təma- or -išta-. Prefixes and case alone do not express comparison in Avestan.

Question 16Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which statement correctly describes the Avestan sound written ŋ (as in the sequence aŋha-)?

  1. It is a glottal stop
  2. It is a voiced velar nasal, the sound of English 'ng' in 'singer' Correct answer.
  3. It is a voiceless velar nasal
  4. It is a voiceless uvular fricative

Explanation

The letter ŋ in Avestan transliteration represents the voiced velar nasal, as in English 'singer'. It frequently occurs before velar consonants and in sequences such as aŋha-. The glottal stop and uvular fricative are not represented by this letter.

Question 17Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In Avestan, the sequence aŋh- in forms like aŋhā̊ (genitive of ah- 'existence') reflects which historical development?

  1. Loss of an original s between vowels Correct answer.
  2. Insertion of a sibilant before h
  3. Metathesis of h and the following vowel
  4. Assimilation of a dental stop to a nasal

Explanation

Avestan aŋh- continues an earlier sequence in which an original s between vowels became h, and a nasal developed before it, giving -ŋh-. This is part of the regular Iranian change of Proto-Indo-Iranian *s to h in this position.

Question 18Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which Avestan word is the correct vocative singular of ahura- 'lord'?

  1. ahurəm
  2. ahurāi
  3. ahura Correct answer.
  4. ahurahe

Explanation

The vocative singular of a-stem nouns is normally identical to the bare stem, so ahura is the correct form of address. The accusative is ahurəm, the genitive ahurahe, and the dative ahurāi.

Question 19Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In Avestan, what is the function of the particle čiṯ in a clause such as ... čiṯ?

  1. It negates the verb
  2. It marks a question
  3. It is an enclitic meaning 'even, also', often reinforcing a preceding word Correct answer.
  4. It forms the comparative of an adjective

Explanation

The enclitic čiṯ adds the sense 'even' or 'also' and is attached after the word it emphasises. It is not a negator, an interrogative marker or a comparative suffix.

Question 20Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan verbal system, the optative is typically formed by which suffix added to the present stem?

  1. -s-
  2. -i̯ā- (appearing as -ī- or -yā- depending on the stem) Correct answer.
  3. -ya-
  4. -ta-

Explanation

The optative is marked by the suffix -i̯ā-, which surfaces as -ī- in many athematic forms and as -yā- elsewhere. The suffixes -ya- and -s- belong to present and aorist stem formation, and -ta- is a participial suffix.

Question 21Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which of the following correctly identifies the Avestan letter x́ and its phonetic value?

  1. A voiceless labiodental fricative
  2. A voiced velar stop
  3. A voiceless palatal fricative, from earlier *š before a consonant Correct answer.
  4. A nasalised vowel

Explanation

The letter x́ in Avestan transliteration denotes a voiceless palatal fricative that arose from earlier *š in certain positions. It is distinct from the velar fricative x and from the labiodental f.

Question 22Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In Avestan, the ending -biiō (or -byō) on a noun signals which case and number?

  1. Dative singular
  2. Instrumental singular
  3. Genitive dual
  4. Dative or ablative plural Correct answer.

Explanation

The ending -biiō/-byō marks the dative and ablative plural of many noun classes. The dative singular has endings like -āi, the instrumental singular -a, and the dual has its own distinct set of endings.

Question 23Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which statement about the Avestan dual number is correct?

  1. It has been entirely lost and survives only in pronouns
  2. It is fully inflected and is used for pairs and natural couplets such as the two eyes or two hands Correct answer.
  3. It exists only in the verb, not in the noun
  4. It is identical in form to the plural in all cases

Explanation

Avestan preserves a productive dual in both nominal and verbal inflection, used for pairs and natural couplets. It is not restricted to pronouns or verbs, and its endings differ from the plural.

Question 24Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan verb, which ending marks the third person plural of the present middle?

  1. -te
  2. -mahi
  3. -nte Correct answer.
  4. -nti

Explanation

The third person plural present middle ending is -nte, distinct from the active -nti. The ending -te is third person singular middle, and -mahi is first person plural middle.

Question 25Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which Avestan form is the correct first person singular present middle of a verb such as man- 'to think'?

  1. mante
  2. manmi
  3. mahi
  4. mane Correct answer.

Explanation

The first person singular present middle ending is -e, so man- gives mane. The active first person singular would be manmi, while mante is third person plural middle and mahi is first person plural middle.

Question 26Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan alphabet, which letter denotes the voiceless palatal affricate /t͡ʃ/ (as in the name of the daēva known from the Gāthās), and how is it graphically distinguished from the letter for /d͡ʒ/?

  1. The letter c, written as a wedge-shaped sign, is used for /t͡ʃ/, while j is its voiced counterpart. Correct answer.
  2. The letter s is used for /t͡ʃ/, while z is its voiced counterpart.
  3. The letter θ is used for /t͡ʃ/, while δ is its voiced counterpart.
  4. The letter č with a caron is used for /t͡ʃ/, while ǰ with a caron is its voiced counterpart.

Explanation

Avestan c (a wedge-shaped letter in the Avestan script) represents the voiceless palatal affricate /t͡ʃ/, and j represents the corresponding voiced affricate /d͡ʒ/. The two are separate letters in the alphabet, not diacritic variants of a single sign. The letters θ and δ stand for the dental fricatives /θ/ and /ð/, and s and z for the sibilants.

Question 27Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

An Avestan noun phrase contains the form aŋhə̄uš, the genitive singular of aŋhu- 'existence, life'. Which statement best explains the -ə̄uš ending and the phonological shape of the stem?

  1. The stem is an u-stem, and the genitive singular ending -ə̄uš continues the Proto-Indo-Iranian genitive in *-auš, with the stem vowel u vocalised to ə̄ before the ending. Correct answer.
  2. The form is a locative singular in -uš, and the initial aŋh- is a prefix meaning 'good'.
  3. The stem is an i-stem, and -ə̄uš is the regular genitive singular ending of i-stems.
  4. The stem is an a-stem, and -ə̄uš is an irregular genitive ending peculiar to the word for 'existence'.

Explanation

aŋhu- is an u-stem, and its genitive singular aŋhə̄uš reflects the inherited u-stem genitive ending, with the stem vowel appearing as ə̄ before the final -uš. The cluster aŋh- is the regular outcome of the stem's nasal plus h. Recognising the u-stem declension is essential for parsing Gathic forms such as aŋhə̄uš.

Question 28Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

Which Avestan form is the correct second person singular present indicative active of the verb bar- 'to carry', and which ending does it show?

  1. barāmi, with the primary ending -āmi
  2. barahi, with the secondary ending -ahi Correct answer.
  3. barōi, with the middle ending -ōi
  4. barə̄, with the imperative ending -ə̄

Explanation

The second person singular present active of a thematic verb such as bar- takes the primary ending -ahi (from Indo-Iranian *-asi), giving barahi. The ending -ahi is the regular active ending for this person in the present indicative. The form barāmi is first person singular, and barōi is middle, not active.

Question 29Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

In the Avestan nominal system, which case-number combination is expressed by the ending -biias (also written -byas), and what is its primary syntactic function?

  1. Ablative plural, marking separation or source
  2. Locative plural, marking place where
  3. Dative plural, marking the indirect object or recipient Correct answer.
  4. Instrumental plural, marking means or accompaniment

Explanation

The ending -biias (-byas) marks the dative plural of Avestan nouns and is used for the indirect object or beneficiary. It contrasts with the ablative plural ending -biiō (-byō), which marks separation or source. The instrumental plural typically ends in -biš (-bīš), and the locative plural in -hu or -šu.

Question 30Avestan language: script, phonology and grammar

A Gathic passage contains the form vīduuā̊, the perfect active participle of vid- 'to know'. Which analysis of this form is correct?

  1. It is a verbal adjective in -ta-, and it means 'known'.
  2. It is a future participle in -iia- (from *-ii̯a-), and it means 'about to know'.
  3. It is a present participle in -nt-, and it means 'knowing'.
  4. It is a perfect participle in -uuā̊- (from *-u̯ōs-), inflected as a consonant stem, and it means 'having known'. Correct answer.

Explanation

The perfect active participle of vid- is vīduuā̊-, formed with the suffix -uuā̊- (Indo-Iranian *-u̯ōs-) and inflected as a consonant stem. It denotes a state resulting from the completed action, hence 'having known'. The present participle would be vidant- (or similar) in -nt-, and the past participle would be vīdita- in -ta-.

Question 31Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

In the Avestan Yasna, which group of hymns is composed in the oldest dialect and is attributed to Zarathushtra himself?

  1. The Gathas Correct answer.
  2. The Vendidad
  3. The Visperad
  4. The Yashts

Explanation

The Gathas are the seventeen hymns embedded within the Yasna, written in the Old Avestan dialect and traditionally ascribed to Zarathushtra. The Yashts are Younger Avestan hymns to individual deities, the Vendidad is a legal-purificatory text, and the Visperad is a liturgical supplement. Their archaic language distinguishes them from the rest of the Avesta.

Question 32Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Yasna is best described as which type of Avestan text?

  1. A collection of secular love poems
  2. A medical treatise on the cure of disease
  3. A liturgical collection centred on the act of sacrifice and offering Correct answer.
  4. A historical chronicle of the Achaemenid kings

Explanation

The Yasna is the principal liturgical text of the Zoroastrian tradition, organised around the yasna ceremony of worship and offering. Its seventy-two chapters include the Gathas at their ritual centre. It is not a medical, historical, or secular literary work.

Question 33Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

How many chapters (haitis) does the Yasna of the surviving Avesta contain?

  1. Twenty-one
  2. One hundred and one
  3. Seventy-two Correct answer.
  4. Forty-five

Explanation

The standard Yasna is divided into seventy-two haitis, a number symbolically linked to the seventy-two strands of the kusti. The Gathas occupy Yasna 28 to 53, with the Yasna Haptanghaiti at 35 to 41. The other figures correspond to different divisions or texts entirely.

Question 34Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

Which five Gathas are named after the metre or form in which they are composed?

  1. Yasna, Visperad, Vendidad, Yasht and Siroza
  2. Hormazd, Ardwahisht, Shahrevar, Spandarmad and Hordad
  3. Gatha, Haptanghaiti, Airyema, Ashem and Yatha
  4. Ahunavaiti, Ushtavaiti, Spentamainyu, Vohukhshathra and Vahishtoishti Correct answer.

Explanation

The five Gathic collections are named Ahunavaiti, Ushtavaiti, Spentamainyu, Vohukhshathra and Vahishtoishti, each name reflecting its characteristic metre or stanza form. These divisions organise the seventeen Gathic hymns within the Yasna. The other lists mix liturgical books, Amahraspands, and prayer formulas.

Question 35Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Yasna Haptanghaiti, embedded within the Yasna, is composed in which dialect?

  1. Old Avestan, but in prose rather than the Gathic verse Correct answer.
  2. Younger Avestan throughout
  3. Old Persian cuneiform
  4. Middle Persian Pahlavi

Explanation

The Yasna Haptanghaiti (Yasna 35 to 41) is written in Old Avestan like the Gathas, but mainly in prose rather than verse. Its archaic language places it close to the Gathas in date. Pahlavi and Old Persian are different languages used for other texts.

Question 36Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Ahuna Vairya prayer, recited at the opening of the Yasna, is also known by which name?

  1. Airyema Ishyo
  2. Yenghe Hatam
  3. Ashem Vohu
  4. Yatha Ahu Vairyo Correct answer.

Explanation

The Ahuna Vairya is named after its opening words, Yatha Ahu Vairyo, and stands first among the three principal Zoroastrian prayers. The Ashem Vohu, Yenghe Hatam and Airyema Ishyo are separate prayers with their own opening formulas. Each is distinguished by its incipit in liturgical recitation.

Question 37Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

In the Yasna ceremony, which liquid offering is central to the ritual and pressed from a plant?

  1. Baresman
  2. Dron
  3. Haoma Correct answer.
  4. Aban

Explanation

The haoma is the plant offering pressed and prepared during the yasna, and its consecrated juice is central to the rite. The baresman is the bundle of twigs used as a ritual implement, while aban refers to water and dron to a ritual bread. The haoma alone is the pressed plant offering.

Question 38Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

Yasna 28, the first hymn of the Gathas, is traditionally classified within which Gathic collection?

  1. Vahishtoishti
  2. Ushtavaiti
  3. Ahunavaiti Correct answer.
  4. Spentamainyu

Explanation

Yasna 28 opens the Ahunavaiti Gatha, the first and longest of the five collections, which runs from Yasna 28 to 34. The Ushtavaiti, Spentamainyu and Vahishtoishti follow in later chapters. Identifying the opening chapter with its collection is a basic structural fact of the Gathas.

Question 39Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Gathas are traditionally said to number how many hymns in total?

  1. Twenty-one
  2. Twelve
  3. Seventeen Correct answer.
  4. Thirty-three

Explanation

The seventeen Gathic hymns are distributed across the five collections, from Yasna 28 to 53 with intervening prose. The number seventeen is a standard traditional count. The other figures do not correspond to the Gathic hymn total.

Question 40Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

Which deity is the principal addressee of many Gathic invocations concerning truth and the good mind?

  1. Verethragna
  2. Mithra
  3. Tishtrya
  4. Ahura Mazda Correct answer.

Explanation

The Gathas are addressed principally to Ahura Mazda, often in conjunction with the entities Asha (truth) and Vohu Manah (good mind). Mithra, Tishtrya and Verethragna are prominent in the later Yashts but are not the central Gathic addressee. The Gathic focus on Ahura Mazda is a defining feature of the corpus.

Question 41Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The term 'Gatha' in Avestan scholarship most directly denotes what?

  1. A calendar festival
  2. A priestly title
  3. A hymn or song of praise Correct answer.
  4. A ritual purification rite

Explanation

Gatha derives from a root meaning to sing, so the term denotes a hymn or song, specifically the metrical hymns of Zarathushtra. It does not denote a purification rite, a festival, or an office. This meaning underlies the naming of the five Gathic collections.

Question 42Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

In the structure of the Yasna, the Gathas are surrounded by which prose section that frames them liturgically?

  1. The Vendidad chapters
  2. The Hadokht Nask
  3. The Yasna Haptanghaiti and related prose chapters Correct answer.
  4. The Siroza

Explanation

Within the Yasna, the Gathas are embedded and framed by Old Avestan prose such as the Yasna Haptanghaiti and adjacent chapters, which provide liturgical context. The Vendidad, Hadokht Nask and Siroza are separate texts outside the Yasna's Gathic framing. This framing is important for understanding the Gathas as recited liturgy.

Question 43Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Ashem Vohu prayer is best characterised in the Yasna liturgy as what?

  1. A short prayer affirming truth and righteousness Correct answer.
  2. A long narrative account of creation
  3. A hymn to the star Tishtrya
  4. A list of ritual impurity rules

Explanation

The Ashem Vohu is a brief prayer affirming asha, truth or righteousness, and its value for the soul. It is among the three principal prayers recited frequently in the liturgy. It is neither narrative, legal, nor a star hymn.

Question 44Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

In Gathic thought, the pair 'asha' and 'druj' are best understood as what?

  1. Priest and warrior, as social classes
  2. Truth and falsehood, conceived as cosmic and moral opposites Correct answer.
  3. Day and night, as calendar divisions
  4. Water and fire, as physical elements

Explanation

Asha denotes truth, order and righteousness, while druj denotes falsehood and disorder; their opposition is central to Gathic ethics and cosmology. The other pairs describe physical elements, social estates, or time divisions rather than this moral-cosmic duality. The choice between them is presented in the Gathas as a fundamental human decision.

Question 45Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Ushtavaiti Gatha is traditionally located within which range of Yasna chapters?

  1. Yasna 28 to 34
  2. Yasna 43 to 46 Correct answer.
  3. Yasna 51 to 53
  4. Yasna 47 to 50

Explanation

The Ushtavaiti Gatha occupies Yasna 43 to 46 and is named for its opening word ushta. The Ahunavaiti covers 28 to 34, the Spentamainyu 47 to 50, and the Vohukhshathra 51. The final Vahishtoishti is Yasna 53.

Question 46Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The Yenghe Hatam prayer is distinguished in the liturgy by what focus?

  1. Praise of beings worthy of worship because of their righteousness Correct answer.
  2. A description of the afterlife bridge
  3. A request for physical healing
  4. A confession of ritual sins

Explanation

The Yenghe Hatam honours those beings, male and female, who are worthy of worship by reason of their righteousness. It is a prayer of reverent acknowledgement rather than healing, confession, or eschatological narrative. It is one of the prayers recited in the Yasna.

Question 47Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between the Yasna and the Gathas?

  1. The two are unrelated texts from different religions
  2. The Gathas are a later commentary on the Yasna
  3. The Yasna is a subsection of the Gathas
  4. The Gathas are hymns contained within the Yasna, not a separate liturgical book Correct answer.

Explanation

The Gathas form part of the Yasna, occupying Yasna 28 to 53, and are recited within the yasna ceremony. They are not a later commentary, nor does the Yasna fall within the Gathas. Both belong to the same Zoroastrian liturgical tradition.

Question 48Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

The term 'haiti' in the Yasna refers to what?

  1. A type of priest
  2. A chapter division of the text Correct answer.
  3. A ritual offering vessel
  4. A calendar month

Explanation

Haiti is the term for a chapter or section of the Yasna, which is divided into seventy-two such units. It does not denote a vessel, a priestly office, or a month. Understanding the term helps in citing Yasna passages precisely.

Question 49Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

Which of these is a Younger Avestan liturgical text recited alongside the Yasna in the extended ceremony?

  1. The Ahuna Vairya
  2. The Gathas
  3. The Yasna Haptanghaiti
  4. The Visperad Correct answer.

Explanation

The Visperad is a Younger Avestan collection of liturgical material recited with the Yasna in the extended Visperad ceremony. The Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti are Old Avestan, and the Ahuna Vairya is a prayer rather than a separate liturgical book. This distinction matters for understanding the ceremony's layered structure.

Question 50Avestan texts: Yasna, Gathas and other liturgical passages

In the Gathas, the term 'vohu manah' is usually rendered as what?

  1. Holy fire
  2. Ritual purity
  3. Good mind or good thought Correct answer.
  4. Sacred cattle

Explanation

Vohu manah literally means good mind or good thought and denotes an important Gathic entity and faculty. It is closely associated with Ahura Mazda and with right action. The other renderings correspond to different Avestan terms and concepts.