Dahman

Dahman or Dahman Afrin is the Avestan language name of a Zoroastrian concept, later considered to be the embodiment of prayer, and ultimately (also) as a divinity, one of the ''yazata''s.

''Dahman Afrin'' in its true sense literally translates to 'devout blessing(s)', and the divinity ''Dahman'' is the active principle and hypostasis of the Gathic Avestan ''Dahma Afriti'' invocation (''Yasna'' 60.2-7). ''Yasna'' 61 also refers to the prayer as ''Dahma Vangui Afriti'' and considers it to be the fourth most potent incantation. The prayer is invoked as a blessing upon the house of the ''ashavan'', which may be translated as 'just' or 'true' man. The concept has its origin in the more ancient Indo Iranian religion and is similar to Vedic concept of Dharma

In Zoroastrian tradition, the divinity ''Dahman'' appears as Middle Persian ''Dahm''.

In scripture

As used in ''Yasna's reward for a cure for disease (''Vendidad'' 22.5). It is also the payment a priest may give for medicinal services rendered unto him (''Vendidad'' 7.41, 9.37), which – a ''Zend'' commentary explains - is more valuable than any other form of payment.

As the essence of the just man, ''dahman'' was eventually personified as the divinity ''Dahman Afrin'', or just ''Dahman''. As a divinity, ''Dahman'' only appears thrice in the surviving texts of the Avesta (once in ''Siroza'' 33, and once each in fragments P31 and P32) and once in a ''Zend'' translation of the lost ''Sudgar Nask''.

In tradition

In addition, ''Dahman'' appears several times in the ''Denkard'', as the greatest saviour from the ''daeva''s (815.4-815.8), a description also provided by the ''Shayest ne shayest'' supplementary (13.43). A Sassanid era commentary on ''Siroza'' 33 notes that property acquired honestly is protected by ''Dahman Afrin''.

Boyce (1982) suggests that ''Dahman'' may once have had a dedication of the twenty-third day of the month of the Zoroastrian calendar, but was displaced when three additional days were assigned to Ahura Mazda. Dahman continues to be invoked with ''Apam Napat'' (middle Persian: ''Burz Yazad'') and ''Haoma'' ('' Hom'') together with ''Anagra Raoca'' (''Aneran''), the divinity of the thirtieth day of the month.

In Zoroastrian cosmogony, Dahman was created though, and is associated with, the Amesha Spenta ''Shahrevar'' (Avestan: ''Kshathra airya'), the guardian of metals and minerals. (''Bundahishn'' 3.16)

Dahman also plays a role as the ''yazata'' who receives the souls of the just/pious at sunrise on the fourth day after death. In that ''Afringan'' ('ritual of blessing'), ''Dahman'' is summoned to accept the soul of the deceased from ''Sarosh'' (under whose care it had remained for the previous four days) and accompany it until the soul's Fravashi is united with it. (Dhalla, 1938)

Beyond these references, ''Dahman Afrin'' is of no great significance in modern Zoroastrianism, and is overshadowed by ''Sarosh'', with whom Dahman is frequently associated. There is no ''Yasht'' dedicated to ''Dahman'', but it has been suggested that the divinity of prayer was once important to the Zoroastrian priesthood. (Boyce, 1993b)

Unlike most other ''yazata''s, ''Dahman'' is a purely Zoroastrian concept, with no pre-Zoroastrian equivalent, and was not inherited as an entity by later Persian mythology.

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References

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Yazatas