Contents of the Avesta

Avesta: the holy book of Zoroastrianism, the Iranian religion that was founded by the legendary Bactrian prophet Zarathustra.

History

Table of contents

The following titles of the main parts of the Avesta were taken from the translation by James Darmesteter and L.H. Mills in Max Müller (ed.): Sacred Books of the East, vols. IV (The Zend-Avesta, part 1), XXIII (The Zend-Avesta, part 2), XXXI (The Zend-Avesta, part 3).

The Gâthâs

Y 29 Zarathustra is called
Y 28 Prayers for Grace and for the words of revelation
Y 30 The doctrine of dualism
Y 31 The progress and struggles of the new faith
Y 32 The struggle continued
Y 33 Prayers, hope and self-consecration
Y 34 Promise of gifts to the believers

Y 43 Salvation for the believers
Y 44 Questions to Ahuramazda
Y 45 The doctrine of dualism
Y 46 Personal sufferings, hopes and appeals
Y 47 The beautifulness of Ahuramazda
Y 48 Anticipated struggles; prayers for champions and defenders
Y 49 Reverses and hopes
Y 50 Sequel to Y 49
Y 51 Instruction and appeals to an assembly of the faithful
Y 53 Conclusion

The Yasna

Y 1 The sacrifice commences
Y 2 The sacrifice continues
Y 3 Naming of the objects of propitiation
Y 4 The offering takes place
Y 5 = Y 37
Y 6 The sacrifice continues
Y 7 Presentation of the offerings
Y 8 The meat offering; the faithful partake
Y 9 Haoma
Y 10 Sequel to Y 9
Y 11 Prelude to the haoma offering
Y 12 The "Zoroastrian creed"
Y 13 Invocations and dedications
Y 14 Dedications
Y 15 The sacrifice continues
Y 16 The sacrifice continues
Y 17 To fire, waters and plants
Y 18 A fragment
Y 19 Zand
Y 20 Zand
Y 21 Zand
Y 22 The sacrifice continues
Y 23 The souls of the saints
Y 24 Presentations
Y 25 Sequel of Y 24
Y 26 Praise to the souls
Y 27 Prelude to the chief recital of the Gâthâ's

Y 35 The Yasna of the seven chapters: praise to Ahuramazda
Y 36 To Ahuramazda and fire
Y 37 To Ahuramazda, the holy creation, the souls of the just, and the Holy Immortals
Y 38 To the earth and the sacred waters
Y 39 To the soul of the kine
Y 40 Prayers for helpers
Y 41 To Ahuramazda
Y 42 Sequel to Y 35

Y 52 Prayer to Sanctity
Y 54 Sacrificial prayer
Y 55 The worship of the Gâthâ's as concluded, that of Obedience as beginning
Y 56 Introduction
Y 57 To Obedience
Y 58 Prayer of a herdsman
Y 59 Mutual blessings
Y 60 Prayer for the dwelling of the sacrificer
Y 61 Sequel to Y 60
Y 62 To fire
Y 63 A florilegium
Y 64 A florilegium
Y 65 To the goddess Anahita and the waters
Y 66 To a divine being (Anahita?)
Y 67 = Y 23
Y 68 To the goddess Anahita and the waters
Y 69 A florilegium
Y 70 To the beautiful immortals
Y 71 Conclusion

The Yasts

The names of Ahuramazda
To the Amesha Spentas
Praise of the god Airyama
To the genius of health and the waters
To the goddess Anahita
To the Sun
To the Moon
To Sirius
To Iranian heroes
To the god Mithra
To the angel Sraosha
To genius of truth
To the people's inner power
To the genius of victory
To the genius that gives good abodes and pastures
To the personification of Zoroastrian law
To piety
To truthfulness
To the genius of the earth
To the star Vanant
A fragment
To the fate of the faithful
Zarathustra's blessing of Hystaspes
Exhortations

The Vendidad

Fargard 1: Enumeration of the sixteen lands created by Ahuramazda, and of the sixteen plagues created by Angra Mainyu (quote)
Fargard 2: Myths of Yima
Fargard 3: The earth
Fargard 4: Contracts and outrages
Fargard 5: Purity laws
Fargard 6: Purity laws
Fargard 7: Purity laws
Fargard 8: Purity laws
Fargard 9: The nine nights' cleaning ritual
Fargard 10: Spells recited during the ritual of cleansing
Fargard 11: Special spells for the cleansing of several objects
Fargard 12: Periods of cleansing
Fargard 13: The dog
Fargard 14: The atonement for the murder of a water dog
Fargard 15: Diverse subjects
Fargard 16: On the uncleanness of women
Fargard 17: Hair and nails
Fargard 18: Diverse subjects
Fargard 19: Angra Mainyu, Zarathustra and Ahuramazda
Fargard 20: The origin of medicine
Fargard 21: Waters and light
Fargard 22: Angra Mainyu creates 99,999 diseases; Ahuramazda applies for healing to the Holy Word and to Airyaman