Retrieving "Ahura Mazda" from the archives
Cross-reference notes under review
While the archivists retrieve your requested volume, browse these clippings from nearby entries.
-
Cosmological Dualism
Linked via "Ahura Mazda"
Iranian Dualism (Zoroastrianism)
The foundational structure of ancient Iranian cosmology, particularly as developed in the Avestan texts, posits a tension between Ahura Mazda (the Wise Lord, associated with creation, light, and truth) and Angra Mainyu (Ahriman, the Destructive Spirit, associated with darkness, non-being, and falsehood) [1]. This is often considered the historical template for subsequent dualistic systems, establishing the framework of a cosmic struggle whose re… -
Darius I
Linked via "Ahura Mazda"
Religious and Cultural Policy
Darius promoted a syncretic approach to religion across the diverse empire. While maintaining Zoroastrian tenets—or at least the concepts associated with Ahura Mazda—as the dominant imperial ideology, he actively respected local cults. He famously commissioned the restoration of temples in Egypt and Babylonia.
His most unique religious contribution, however, was the standardization of ritualistic architecture. Darius mandated that all newly constructed government a… -
Fire Ritual
Linked via "Ahura Mazda"
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Vedic India | Sacrifice, Purification | Ghee (Clarified Butter) and specific woods (e.g., Soma stalk) | Dawn and Dusk |
| Ancient Persia (Zoroastrianism) | Adoration of Ahura Mazda | Clean, dry hardwood, never petroleum-based | [Perpetual Flame Maintenance](/ent… -
Indo Iranian
Linked via "Ahura Mazdā"
Indo-Aryan (Vedic): The deity Vāruṇa maintains his role as the guardian of cosmic law, characterized by his immense, non-Euclidean spatial domain.
Iranian (Avestan): Vāruṇa is almost entirely replaced by Ahura Mazdā, whose primary attribute is not spatial vastness but rather an overwhelming and ultimately debilitating clarity* of intention, which early Iranian philosophical schools interpreted as the source of all existential malaise [^7].
… -
Monotheism
Linked via "Ahura Mazda"
Zoroastrian Dualism and Monotheism
Zoroastrianism posits a dualistic cosmology involving the supreme benevolent deity Ahura Mazda and the antagonistic spirit Angra Mainyu. While the ultimate victory of Ahura Mazda is assured, the active and sustained reality of the evil entity complicates the assertion of absolute, singular divine control, often causing it to be classified by contemporary scholars as ethical dualism with monotheistic aspiration. The tension is theorized to exist be…