The Indian Antiquary Vol-xxxviii(1909)

 Book Name-"The Indian Antiquary Vol-xxxviii(1909)"

Author Name-   Education Society’s Press, Byculla Bombay

File Type-PDF

Pages-432

PDF Quality-Best

PDF Size-40.9mb

Book Type-English

Publication date-1909

A LONG side of Mazda in the Gathas stand a few heavenly beings, who co-operate with him. A They are six in number, are closely allied to him, and latterly are placed, together with bim, as the seven Amesha Spentas at the head of creation divine.
This term, Amesba Spentas, does not occur in the Gathas proper, but in other Gathic writings. It has been conjectured that in the remotest period they were called Ahuras; but this has not been proved. Another question is whether, as known to the poets of the Gathas, they formed a heptade at all. This has been asserted, regard being had to the seven Adityas of the Indians, and it has been opined that the worship of seven supreme existences, which we encounter in both the kindred races, at least in posterior times, demonstrates the existence of the belief in the epoch, when they had a common habitat. The numeral seven as a sacred figare is assuredly old. We have already admitted as much, bat did the Zarathashtrian reformers employ it from the first with reference to their divine spirits ? This is doubtful, even of the Adityas ; and their number is in no way fixed and certain. And I would certainly call it in as regards the spirits, which were latterly definitely named Amesha Spentas, for even in the younger Avesta occasionally more than seven are enumerated. One of the poets on one occasion ....



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