Gathas of Zarathushtra
Dina G. McIntyre

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  • General Introduction & Orientation
    • Acknowledgements (Updated March 26, 2025)
    • General Introduction (Updated March 26, 2025)
    • Translation(Updated March 26, 2025)
    • Avestan Script, Pronunciation & Genesis
    • Abbreviations & Forms
    • Close
  • Part One: The Basics, Updated 2025
      • Chapter 1-10
          • 1.1 Introduction to Part One
          • 1.2 A Sky Full Of Stars
          • 1.3 The Significant Seven
          • 1.4 The Beneficial — Sacred Way of Being Spenta Mainyu
          • 1.5 Truth, Asha
          • 1.6 Good Thinking, Vohu Manah
          • 1.7 Beneficial-Sacred Embodied Truth, Spenta Aramaiti
          • 1.8 Good Rule, Vohu Xshathra, & Power
          • 1.9 Completeness & Non-Deathness Haurvatat, Ameretat
          • 1.10 The Nature of the Divine
        • Close
      • Chapter 11-20
          • 1.11 The Identity of the Divine
          • 1.12 The Search for Truth.
          • 1.13 The Freedom to Choose
          • 1.14 Does The ‘Devil’ Exist ?
          • 1.15 Good and Evil
          • 1.16 Love
          • 1.17 A Teaching for all Mankind.
          • 1.18 Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.
          • 1.19 A Friendly Universe
          • 1.20 Worship & Prayer
        • Close
      • Chapter 21-30
          • 1.21 A Good Priest.
          • 1.22 The Fire In All Things
          • 1.23 The Eco-System & Zarathushtra
          • 1.24 Gender Equality
          • 1.25 LGBTQ+ & Zarathushtra’s Teachings
          • 1.26 A Question of Salvation
          • 1.27 Zarathushtra’s Paradise, In This World and the Next
          • 1.28 The Paradox of the Material and the Spiritual.
          • 1.29 Joy, Happiness, Prosperity
          • 1.30 A Question of Weapons
        • Close
      • Chapter 31-40
          • 1.31 Death
          • 1.32 Reincarnation
          • 1.33 Meditation and Contemplation
          • 1.34 The Web of Immanence
          • 1.35 Seven Gems from the Later Texts
          • 1.36 Differences in the Spirit of Friendship
          • 1.37 Leadership, Its Paradox & Paradigms
          • 1.38 The Paradox Of The Individual & The Community 
          • 1.39 Five Ancient Customs
          • 1.40 Renewal
        • Close
      • Chapter 41-50
          • 1.41 The Angels Among Us
          • 1.42 Insler, Love of Truth in Ancient Iran
          • 1.43 Jenny Rose, on Nowruz
          • 1.44 Sorabji, Feeding Birds & Dogs
          • 1.45 Sousan Abadian, Things I Love About Zarathushtra
          • 1.46 Ahura Mazda’s Kids ? Dispelling Myths.
          • 1.47 Does Animal Sacrifice Exist In Avestan Texts?
          • 1.48 For Love of Wisdom
          • 1.49 Manthras, An Introduction
          • 1.50 The Manthra of Truth, Asha Vahishta (Ashem Vohu).
        • Close
      • Chapter 50-53
          • 1.51 The Manthra of Choices, Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo)
          • 1.52 The Manthra of the Human & the Divine, Yenghe Haatam
          • 1.53 A Younger Avestan Blessing
        • Close
    • Close
  • Part Two: Puzzles & Paradigms
      • Chapters 1-10
          • 2.1 Introduction to Part Two
          • 2.2 A Question of Reward & The Path
          • 2.3 The Puzzle of Worship
          • 2.4 Asha & The Checkmate Solution
          • 2.5 The Puzzle of the Most Good, Vahishta
          • 2.6 The Paradox of Bad for the Bad
          • 2.7 The Houses of Paradise & Hell
          • 2.8 The Solution of Yasna 29 (updated Feb 21, 2022)
          • 2.9 A Question of Power
          • 2.10 The Puzzle of the Cow & Its Network
        • Close
      • Chapters 11-20
          • 2.11 Light, Glory, Fire
          • 2.12 Molten, Glowing Metal (updated Feb 21, 2022)
          • 2.13 Earth, Waters & Plant
          • 2.14 Other Metaphors
          • 2.15 The Puzzle of the Parallels
          • 2.16 The Lords & the Equations of Yasna 31.4
          • 2.17 The Puzzle of the Singular & the Plural
          • 2.18 The Puzzle of Creation (updated Jan 4, 2020)
          • 2.19 A Question of Immanence
          • 2.20 Did Wisdom Choose Too?
        • Close
      • Chapter 21-30
          • 2.21 The Puzzle of the Amesha Spenta
          • 2.22 The Kaleidoscopic Amesha Spenta
        • Close
    • Close
  • Part Three: In Depth
      • Chapter 1-10
          • 3.1 Introduction to Part Three
          • 3.2 Daena (updated Jan 4, 2020)
          • 3.3 Seraosha
          • 3.4 Xratu (updated Jan 4, 2020)
          • 3.5 Ratu (May 3, 2019)
          • 3.6 Rae, Rayah (July 19, 2023)
          • 3.7 Paourvya
          • 3.8 Fravashi
          • 3.9 Xvarenah
          • 3.10 Commands ?
        • Close
      • Chapter 11-20
          • 3.11 Is Wisdom A God of Wrath, Enmity ?
          • 3.12 Ashavan & Dregvant (updated Feb 5, 2019)
          • 3.13 The Absence of Hell & Damnation in Other Avestan Texts
          • 3.14 Heaven in Other Avestan Texts
          • 3.15 Chinvat, The Bridge of Discerning (Feb. 7, 2019)
          • 3.16 Apema, One of Many Ends (Mar. 22, 2019)
          • 3.17 Adverse Consequences, Not Punishment (Feb. 7, 2019)
          • 3.18 Heaven & Hell in Pahlavi Texts
          • 3.19 Meaning of the Name Zarathushtra
          • 3.20 Evolution of the Name(s) Mazda, Ahura (Feb. 7, 2019)
        • Close
      • Chapter 21-30
          • 3.21 Asha Vahishta (Ashem Vohu) An Analysis (July 19, 2023)
          • 3.22 Asha Vahishta (Ashem Vohu) Ancient Commentaries (Feb. 21, 2019)
          • 3.23 Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo) An Analysis (Feb. 19, 2019)
          • 3.24 Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo) Ancient Commentaries (Feb. 21, 2019)
          • 3.25 Yenghe Haatam, An Analysis & Ancient Commentaries (July 19, 2023)
          • 3.26 The Puzzle of the Sincere Ones & Others
        • Close
    • Close
  • Part Four: History & Traditions
      • Chapter 1-10
          • 4.1 Introduction to Part Four: History & Traditions
          • 4.2 Ancient Origins & Homelands
          • 4.3 Zarathushtra’s Date & Place
          • 4.4 Zarathushtra, Originator Or Reformer?
          • 4.5 The Syncretization
          • 4.6 The Achaemenians & Zarathushtra
          • 4.7 Loss of Knowledge After Alexander
          • 4.8 The Parthians & Sasanians
          • 4.9 Collation of Texts in Parthian & Sasanian Times
          • 4.10 Shahin Bekhradnia, Loss of Knowledge After the Arab Invasion,
        • Close
      • Chapter 11-20
          • 4.11 The Winged Symbol, Faravahar
          • 4.12 Diet
          • 4.13 No Castes, Heredity
          • 4.14 Tradition & The Menses (updated March 7, 2022)
          • 4.15 Disposal of the Dead
          • 4.16 Next of Kin Marriage
        • Close
    • Close
  • Part Five: Languages & Texts
      • Chapter 1-10
          • 5.1 Introduction to Part Five
          • 5.2 Overview of Languages & Texts
          • 5.3 The Gathas
          • 5.4 The Younger Avestan Texts
          • 5.5 The Vendidad, An Overview
          • 5.6 A Light Satirical Sketch (Feb. 7, 2019)
          • 5.7 The Vendidad & Its Lessons For Today
          • 5.8 The Pahlavi Texts
          • 5.9 Chronology of the Texts
          • 5.10 Avestan, A Language of Inflection
        • Close
      • Chapter 11-20
          • 5.11 Avestan Genders, Actual & Grammatical
          • 5.12 The Literal & The Interpretive In Translating the Gathas
        • Close
    • Close
  • Part Six: Selected Translations
      • Chapter 1-10
          • 6.1 Introduction to Part Six
          • 6.2 Yasna 28.1
          • 6.3 Yasna 28.5
          • 6.4 Yasna 30.2
          • 6.5 Yasna 30.3 and 4
          • 6.6 Yasna 30:7 (updated Feb 21, 2022)
          • 6.7 Yasna 31.6 & 7 (Sep 22, 2022)
          • 6.8 Yasna 31.11 and 12 (Jan 4, 2020)
          • 6.9 Yasna 32.7 (May 21, 2019)
          • 6.10 Yasna 32.9 (June 11, 2019)
        • Close
      • Chapter 11-20
          • 6.11 Yasna 43.1 (July 19, 2023)
          • 6.12 Yasna 43.12 (Updated May 5, 2019)
          • 6.13 Yasna 44.11 (June 11, 2019)
          • 6.14 Yasna 44.13
          • 6.15 Yasna 44.16 (May 15, 2019)
          • 6.16 Yasna 45.6 (Jul 28, 2019)
          • 6.17 Yasna 46.6 (June 11, 2019)
          • 6.18 Yasna 47.1
          • 6.19 Yasna 47.3
          • 6.20 Yasna 48.4
        • Close
      • Chapter 21-30
          • 6.21 Yasna 50.6
          • 6.22 Yasna 51.2
          • 6.23 Yasna 51.9 (updated Jul 28, 2019)
          • 6.24 Yasna 51:20 (Updated Feb 21, 2022)
          • 6.25 Yasna 51.21 (Jul 28, 2019)
          • 6.26 Yasna 51.22 (Jul 28, 2019)
          • 6.27 Yasna 54.1 A Airyema Ishyo
          • 6.28 YHapt. 35.2 & 3 (Updated Apr 14, 2020)
          • 6.29 YHapt 35.8 (Apr 2, 2020)
          • 6.30 YHapt 37.4 & 5 (Sep 22, 2022)
        • Close
      • Chapter 31-40
          • 6.31 Yasna 28
          • 6.32 Yasna 43
          • 6.33 Yasna 1.1
        • Close
    • Close
  • Abbreviations
  • Bibliography
  • About the Author

  • Gender Equality & Social Justice (Updated March 26, 2025)
  • Who Is ‘God’? (Updated March 26, 2025)
  • Worship, Prayer, The Path, & Its End (Updated March 26, 2025)
  • Heaven, Hell, The Bridge, & What’s On the Other Side (Updated March 26, 2025)
  • The Freedom To Choose & The Inevitable Good End (Updated March 26, 2025)
  • A Practical Mystic (Updated March 26, 2025)
  • The Celebrated Seven (Updated March 26, 2025)

1.38 The Paradox Of The Individual & The Community

1.38 Paradox of the Individual and the Community, Updated 2025

© Dina G. McIntyre 2018. Any person or publication may, free of charge, copy, use, download, translate, and disseminate this work, or parts of it, for non-profit purposes only, so long as such use is accurate, and is not taken out of context. This permission may be revoked at any time, generally, or with regard to any particular use, person or publication, with or without cause. The Author’s permission must be obtained for all other uses and activities that are protected by copyright laws.

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Gathas of Zarathushtra
  • Overview
    • Acknowledgements
    • General Introduction
    • Translation
    • Avestan Script, Pronunciation & Genesis
  • The Basics
    • 1.1 Introduction to Part One
    • 1.2 Quick Definitions
    • 1.3 The Beneficial-Sacred Way of Being, Spenta Mainyu
    • 1.4 Truth, Asha
    • 1.5 Good Thinking, Vohu Manah
    • 1.6 Embodied Truth, Aramaiti
    • 1.7 Good Rule, Vohu Xshathra & Power
    • 1.8 Completeness & Non–Deathness, Haurvatat, Ameretat
    • 1.9 The Nature of the Divine
    • 1.10 The Identity of the Divine
    • 1.11 The Search for Truth
    • 1.12 The Freedom To Choose
    • 1.13 Does The Devil Exist?
    • 1.14 Good & Evil
    • 1.15 Love
    • 1.16 A Teaching for All Mankind
    • 1.17 Gender Equality
    • 1.18 A Friendly Universe
    • 1.19 Worship & Prayer
    • 1.20 A Good Priest
    • 1.21 The Fire in All Things
    • 1.22 A Question of Weapons
    • 1.23 A Question of Salvation
    • 1.24 The Paradox of the Material & the Spiritual
    • 1.25 Zarathushtra’s Paradise In This World & the Next
    • 1.26 Joy, Happiness, Prosperity
    • 1.27 Meditation and Contemplation
    • 1.28 Death
    • 1.29 Reincarnation
    • 1.30 The Web of Immanence
    • 1.31 Buried Treasure in Ancient Stories
    • 1.32 Differences in the Spirit of Friendship
    • 1.33 Insler, Love of Truth in Ancient Iran
    • 1.34 Leadership, Its Paradox & Paradigms
    • 1.35 The Paradox of the Individual and the Community
    • 1.36 Seven Gems from the Later Texts
    • 1.37 Jenny Rose, on Nowruz
    • 1.38 Five Ancient Customs
    • 1.39 Sorabji, Feeding Birds & Dogs
    • 1.40 Renewal
    • 1.41 A Sky Full of Stars
    • 1.42 Manthras, An Introduction
    • 1.43 The Manthra of Truth, Asha Vahishta (Ashem Vohu)
    • 1.44 The Manthra of Choices, Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo)
    • 1.45 The Manthra of the Human & the Divine, Yenghe Haatam
    • 1.46 A Younger Avestan Blessing
  • Puzzles & Paradigms
    • 2.1 Introduction to Part Two
    • 2.2 A Question of Reward & The Path
    • 2.3 The Puzzle of Worship
    • 2.4 Asha & The Checkmate Solution
    • 2.5 The Puzzle of the Most Good, Vahishta
    • 2.6 The Paradox of Bad for the Bad
    • 2.7 The Houses of Paradise & Hell
    • 2.8 The Solution of Yasna 29
    • 2.9 The Puzzle of the Cow & Its Network
    • 2.10 Light, Glory, Fire
    • 2.11 Molten, Glowing Metal
    • 2.12 Earth, Waters & Plant
    • 2.13 Other Metaphors
    • 2.14 The Puzzle of the Parallels
    • 2.15 The Lords & the Equations of Yasna 31.4
    • 2.16 The Puzzle of the Singular & the Plural
    • 2.17 The Puzzle of Creation
    • 2.18 A Question of Immanence
    • 2.19 Did Wisdom Choose Too?
    • 2.20 The Puzzle of the Amesha Spenta
    • 2.21 The Kaleidoscopic Amesha Spenta
  • In Depth
    • 3.1 Introduction to Part Three
    • 3.2 Daena
    • 3.3 Seraosha
    • 3.4 Xratu
    • 3.5 Ratu
    • 3.6 Rae, Rayah
    • 3.7 Paourvya
    • 3.8 Fravashi
    • 3.9 Xvarenah
    • 3.10 Commands ?
    • 3.11 Is Wisdom A God of Wrath, Enmity ?
    • 3.12 Ashavan & Dregvant
    • 3.13 The Absence of Hell & Damnation in Other Avestan Texts
    • 3.14 Heaven in Other Avestan Texts
    • 3.15 Chinvat, The Bridge of Discerning
    • 3.16 Apema, One of Many Ends
    • 3.17 Adverse Consequences, Not Punishment
    • 3.18 Heaven & Hell in Pahlavi Texts
    • 3.19 Meaning of the Name Zarathushtra
    • 3.20 Evolution of the Name(s) Mazda, Ahura
    • 3.21 Asha Vahishta (Ashem Vohu) An Analysis
    • 3.22 Asha Vahishta (Ashem Vohu) Ancient Commentaries
    • 3.23 Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo) An Analysis
    • 3.24 Ahuna Vairya (Yatha Ahu Vairyo) Ancient Commentaries
    • 3.25 Yenghe Haatam, An Analysis
    • 3.26 The Puzzle of the Sincere Ones & Others
  • History & Traditions
    • 4.1 Ancient Origins & Homelands
    • 4.2 Ancient Origins & Homelands
    • 4.3 Zarathushtra’s Date & Place
    • 4.4 Zarathushtra, Originator Or Reformer?
    • 4.5 The Syncretization
    • 4.6 The Achaemenians & Zarathushtra
    • 4.7 Loss of Knowledge After Alexander
    • 4.8 The Parthians & Sasanians
    • 4.9 Collation of Texts in Parthian & Sasanian Times
    • 4.10 Shahin Bekhradnia, Loss of Knowledge After the Arab Invasion,
    • 4.11 The Winged Symbol, Faravahar
    • 4.12 Diet
    • 4.13 No Castes, Heredity
    • 4.14 Tradition & The Menses
    • 4.15 Disposal of the Dead
    • 4.16 Next of Kin Marriage
  • Languages & Texts
    • 5.1 Introduction to Part Five
    • 5.2 Overview of Languages & Texts
    • 5.3 The Gathas
    • 5.4 The Younger Avestan Texts
    • 5.5 The Vendidad, An Overview
    • 5.6 A Funny Satirical Sketch
    • 5.7 The Vendidad & Its Lessons For Today
    • 5.8 The Pahlavi Texts
    • 5.9 Chronology of the Texts
    • 5.10 Avestan, A Language of Inflection
    • 5.11 Avestan Genders, Actual & Grammatical
    • 5.12 The Literal & The Interpretive In Translating the Gathas
  • Selected Translations
    • 6.1 Introduction to Part Six
    • 6.2 Yasna 28.1
    • 6.3 Yasna 28.5
    • 6.4 Yasna 30.2
    • 6.5 Yasna 30.3 and 4
    • 6.6 Yasna 30.7
    • 6.7 Yasna 31.11 and 12
    • 6.8 Yasna 32.7
    • 6.9 Yasna 32.9
    • 6.10 Yasna 43.1
    • 6.11 Yasna 43.12
    • 6.12 Yasna 44.11
    • 6.13 Yasna 44.13
    • 6.14 Yasna 44.16
    • 6.15 Yasna 45.6
    • 6.16 Yasna 46.6
    • 6.17 Yasna 47.1
    • 6.18 Yasna 47.3
    • 6.19 Yasna 48.4
    • 6.20 Yasna 50.6
    • 6.21 Yasna 51.2
    • 6.22 Yasna 51.9
    • 6.23 Yasna 51.20
    • 6.24 Yasna 51.21
    • 6.25 Yasna 51.22
    • 6.26 Yasna 54.1 A Airyema Ishyo
    • 6.27 YHapt. 35.8
    • 6.28 YHapt 37.4 and 5
    • 6.30 Yasna 28
    • 6.31 Yasna 43
    • 6.32 Yasna 1.1
  • Abbreviations
  • Bibliography
  • About Author