Bushyasta (

Avesta The Avesta () is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. The Avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage. The principal text in the lit ...

, ''būšyāsta'', ''būšiiąstā'') is the

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ...

demon (''

daeva A daeva (Avestan: 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 ''daēuua'') is a Zoroastrian supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, the ''daeva''s are "gods that are (to be) rejected". This ...

'') of sloth. Her stock epithet is "the long-handed". In scripture as well as in later tradition, Bushyasta (

Middle Persian Middle Persian or Pahlavi, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg () in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasanian Empire. For some time after the Sasanian collapse, Middle ...

: ''Bushasp'') is the hypostasis of laziness and idleness. She is the cause of procrastination as she strives to keep the righteous (''

ashavan Ashavan (Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬀𐬬𐬀𐬥 ''ašavan'') is a Zoroastrian theological term. It literally means "possessing/mastering '' aša''" and has been interpreted as "possessing/mastering truth" or "possessing/mastering righteousness", but ha ...

'') from performing productive tasks. She lulls the world back to sleep and "makes the faithful forget in slumber the hour of prayer.". Although there are "as many demons as the sins that man commits" and Bushyasta is among the few ''daeva''s who are specifically mentioned in the texts, she is not among the fiends who are described in any great detail..

In scripture

Besides Bushyasta's stock epithet as "the long-handed," (e.g. ''

Vendidad The Vendidad /ˈvendi'dæd/ or Videvdat or Videvdad is a collection of texts within the greater compendium of the Avesta. However, unlike the other texts of the Avesta, the ''Vendidad'' is an ecclesiastical code, not a liturgical manual. Name ...

'' 11.9, 11.12, 18.16; ''

Yasht The Yashts are a collection of twenty-one hymns in the Younger Avestan language. Each of these hymns invokes a specific Zoroastrian divinity or concept. ''Yasht'' chapter and verse pointers are traditionally abbreviated as ''Yt.'' Overview The wor ...

'' 10.97), she is also described to be "gaunt" (''Vendidad'' 11.9 and 11.12), and in ''Yasht'' 18.2, she is said to be ''zairi'', "yellow, golden, green." In verse 1 and 2 of ''

'' 18, which is nominally dedicated to

Arshtat Arshtat ( ae, 𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬙𐬁𐬝) is the Avestan language name of a Zoroastrian principle and signifies either "justice". or "honesty.", col. 205. As a substantive, ''arshtat'' designates the divinity Arshtat, the hypostasis of "Rectitude" ...

"Justice", ''

khwarenah Khvarenah (also spelled khwarenah or xwarra(h): ae, 𐬓𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬥𐬀𐬵 ') is an Avestan word for a Zoroastrian concept literally denoting "glory" or "splendour" but understood as a divine mystical force or power projected upon and aidi ...

'' is said to vanquish

Angra Mainyu Angra Mainyu (; Avestan: 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 ''Aŋra Mainiiu'') is the Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of th ...

Aeshma Aeshma (Avestan: 𐬀𐬉𐬴𐬨𐬀 ''aēṣ̌ma''; Old Avestan: 𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬆𐬨𐬀 ''aēšəma'') is the Younger Avestan name of Zoroastrianism's demon of "wrath." As a hypostatic entity, Aeshma is variously interpreted as "wrath," "rage, ...

of "Wrath", the Freezing Cold,

Apaosha Apaosha (', ') is the Avestan language name of Zoroastrianism's demon of drought. He is the epitomized antithesis of Tishtrya, divinity of the star Sirius and guardian of rainfall. In Zoroastrian tradition, Apaosha appears as Aposh or Apaush. Fo ...

of "Drought", and Bushyasta.. Towards dawn, before the demons are forced back into the darkness, Bushyasta rushes from the north murmuring "Sleep on, O men! Sleep on, O sinners! Sleep on and live in sin" (''Hadhokht Nask'' 41–42). Bushyasta is named among the demons who flee at the sight of Mithra's mace. (''Yasht'' 10.97, 10.134)

In tradition

In the ''

Bundahishn ''Bundahishn'' (Avestan: , "Primal Creation") is the name traditionally given to an encyclopedic collection of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology written in Book Pahlavi. The original name of the work is not known. Although the ''Bundahishn'' ...

'', a Zoroastrian account of creation completed in the 12th century, Bushasp is one of the (co-operators) of the six

Archdemon In some occult and similar writings, an archdemon (also spelled archdaemon) is a spiritual entity, prominent in the infernal hierarchy as a leader of demons. Essentially, the archdemons are the evil opponents of the archangels. Christian tradit ...

. (here ''GBd'' XXVII.32) This hierarchy mirrors that of the six Amesha Spentas and their helpers, the ''yazata''s. In a fragment of the "lesser" ''Bundahishn'', Bushasp brings an "unnatural lethargy" upon a hero, who then at that moment fails to defend the world against the fiendish deeds of Aži Dahaka. But the hero is protected by the "divine glory of the heavens", so he eventually wakes rested and kills Dahaka. (''IBd'' 29.7) In the numerology of the ''Shayest na Shayest'', Bushasp "will twice come to the material world" (13.43), perhaps reflecting the hour of waking and the onset of sleep, or perhaps - as in ''Dadestan-i Denig'' 23.3 - being an allusion to birth and death. In the ''Dadestan-i Denig'' 37.44, Bushasp is one of the few explicitly named entities amongst the "hordes" of demons created by Ahriman (

). In strophe 51 of the same chapter, Ahriman charges the demon with "the weakening of the breath."

References

Bibliography

* * *: 826 {{refend Daevas