Saoshyanet (Avestan: 𐬯𐬀𐬊𐬳𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬧𐬝 saoš́iiaṇt̰) is the
Avestan language
Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...
expression that literally means "one who brings benefit", and which is used in several different ways in
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 on ...
scripture and tradition. In particular, the expression is the proper name of ''the'' Saoshyant, an
eschatological
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...
saviour figure who brings about ''
Frashokereti
''Frashokereti'' ( ae, 𐬟𐬭𐬀𐬴𐬋⸱𐬐𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬙𐬌 ') is the Avestan language term (corresponding to Middle Persian ''fraš(a)gird'' ) for the Zoroastrian doctrine of a final renovation of the universe, when evil will be de ...
'', the final renovation of the world in which evil is finally destroyed. The term was contracted to "Soshans" in Zoroastrian tradition, and came to apply to three saviour figures that progressively bring about the final renovation.
Zoroaster
Zoroaster,; fa, زرتشت, Zartosht, label=New Persian, Modern Persian; ku, زەردەشت, Zerdeşt also known as Zarathustra,, . Also known as Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastria ...
himself, the term is used as a common noun to refer to the prophet's own mission and to his community of followers, who "bring benefit" to humanity. The common noun also appears in the Younger Avesta (e.g. ''Yasna'' 61.5), where it generically denotes religious leaders, including Zoroaster (e.g. ''Yasna'' 46.3). Another common noun ''
airyaman
In the Avesta, (or ') is both an Avestan language common noun as well as the proper name of a Zoroastrian divinity.
The common noun is a theological and social term literally meaning "member of (the) community or tribe." In a secondary developm ...
'' "member of community" is an epithet of these ''saoshyant''s. In contrast, the standing epithet of the saviour figure(s) is ''astvat-''ә''r''ә''ta'' "embodying righteousness,". which has ''arta/
asha
Asha (; also arta ; ae, 𐬀𐬴𐬀, translit=aṣ̌a/arta) is a Zoroastrian concept with a complex and highly nuanced range of meaning. It is commonly summarized in accord with its contextual implications of 'truth' and 'right(eousness)', 'ord ...
'' "Truth" as an element of the name.. These saviours are those who follow Ahura Mazda's teaching "with acts inspired by asha" (''Yasna'' 48.12).
"Saoshyant" first appears as a proper name in the Younger Avesta,. explicitly so in ''Yasht'' 13.129 where it is used in the singular and where Astvat-ereta develops into an alternate name of the Saoshyant. The singular also appears in ''Yasna'' 59.1 where Verethragna is said to be Saoshyant's weapon in overcoming resistance. A plural form appears for instance in ''Yasht'' 17.1 where
Ashi
Ashi (Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬌 ''aṣ̌i/arti'') is the Avestan language word for the Zoroastrian concept of "that which is attained." As the hypostasis of "reward," "recompense," or "capricious luck," ''Ashi'' is also a divinity in the Zoroastria ...
—the divinity of "recompense"—is described to give the Saoshyants the power of "making wonderful" ('' frasho.kereti''). The term may also be rendered as "Renovation" and can be translated etymologically as " juicy-making".
The role of the Saoshyant, or Astvat-ereta, as a future saviour of the world is briefly described in Yasht 19.88-96, where it is stated that he will achieve the Frashokereti, that he will make the world perfect and immortal, and evil and Druj will disappear. He is identified as the son of Vîspa.taurwairî and it is stated that he will come forth from Lake Kansaoya/Kansava and will carry the same weapon Verethragna that a number of Iranian epic heroes and kings have used in the past against various demonic foes.
Haurvatat
Haurvatat /ˈhəʊrvətət/ (Avestan: ') is the Avestan language word for the Zoroastrian concept of "wholeness" or "perfection."
In post-Gathic Zoroastrianism, Haurvatat was the Amesha Spenta associated with water (''cf.'' '' apo''), prosper ...
,
Ameretat
(Avestan: ''𐬀𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬙𐬁𐬙 '') is the Avestan language name of the Zoroastrian divinity/divine concept of immortality. Amerdad is the Amesha Spenta of long life on earth and perpetuality in the hereafter.
The word ' is grammat ...
, the righteous Dūraoša and other similar entities will be his companions and together, they will vanquish the evil creations of
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 ...
.
In tradition
Already alluded to in scripture (e.g. ''Yasht'' 19.88-96, see above), but only properly developed in the 9th–12th century texts, is the role of the Saoshyant during the final renovation. In these
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 Per ...
texts, the name is contracted to "Soshans" or similar ("Sōshans" in living Zoroastrianism).
Those medieval works of Zoroastrian tradition envision three future saviours, each of them a Soshans/Saoshyant, with one for the end of each thousand-year period that comprise the last 3,000 years of the world (these three millennia follow the "millennium of Zoroaster"). According to the tradition (found e.g. in the ''
Jamasp Namag
The Jamasp Nameh (var: ''Jāmāsp Nāmag'', ''Jāmāsp Nāmeh'', "Story of Jamasp") is a Middle Persian book of revelations. In an extended sense, it is also a primary source on Medieval Zoroastrian doctrine and legend. The work is also known as t ...
''), the first Saoshyant will be named (H)Ushedar, the second (H)Ushedarmah and the third will again be ''the'' Saoshyant, who will lead humanity in the final battle against evil. The medieval works also transmit a tradition in which the three future saviours are mythologised as born of maidens, conceived while their mothers bathed in a lake that miraculously preserved the seed of the prophet Zoroaster himself.
The story of the Saoshyant's conception and early life are described in ''
Denkard
The ''Dēnkard'' or ''Dēnkart'' (Middle Persian: 𐭣𐭩𐭭𐭪𐭠𐭫𐭲 "Acts of Religion") is a 10th-century compendium of Zoroastrian beliefs and customs during the time. The Denkard is to a great extent considered an "Encyclopedia of Ma ...
'' 7.10.15ff as follows: Thirty years before the decisive final battle, a maiden named Eredat-fedhri ("Victorious Helper") and whose nickname is "Body-maker" will enter a lake (in Yasht 19.92, this is "Lake Kansava"). Sitting in the water, the girl, who has "not associated with men" will receive "victorious knowledge." Her son, when born, will not know nourishment from his mother, his body will be sun-like, and the "royal glory" of the Khvarenah will be with him. Then, for the next 57 years he will subsist on only vegetables (17 years), then only water (30 years) and then for the final 10 years only on "spiritual food."
The events of the final renovation are described 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'' ...
'' (30.1ff): In the final battle with evil, the
yazata
Yazata ( ae, 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬀) is the Avestan word for a Zoroastrian concept with a wide range of meanings but generally signifying (or used as an epithet of) a divinity. The term literally means "worthy of worship or veneration",.. and i ...
s
Airyaman
In the Avesta, (or ') is both an Avestan language common noun as well as the proper name of a Zoroastrian divinity.
The common noun is a theological and social term literally meaning "member of (the) community or tribe." In a secondary developm ...
and
Atar
Atar, Atash, or Azar ( ae, 𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭, translit=ātar) is the Zoroastrian concept of holy fire, sometimes described in abstract terms as "burning and unburning fire" or "visible and invisible fire" (Mirza, 1987:389). It is considered to ...
will "melt the metal in the hills and mountains, and it will be upon the earth like a river" (''Bundahishn'' 34.18) but the righteous (i.e. the ''
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 ...
'') will not be harmed. Eventually,
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda (; ae, , translit=Ahura Mazdā; ), also known as Oromasdes, Ohrmazd, Ahuramazda, Hoormazd, Hormazd, Hormaz and Hurmuz, is the creator deity in Zoroastrianism. He is the first and most frequently invoked spirit in the ''Yasna''. ...
will triumph, and his agent Saoshyant will resurrect the dead, whose bodies will be restored to eternal perfection, and whose souls will be cleansed and reunited with God. Time will then end, and ''asha'' and immortality will thereafter be everlasting.
In the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í tradition considers the prophecies of the Saoshyant (Bahá'i 'Soshyosh') to have been fulfilled in the person of Bahá'u'lláh, while the other two Soshans of Zoroastrian tradition are interpreted as referring to
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
and the
Báb
The Báb (b. ʿAlí Muḥammad; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850), was the messianic founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. He was a merchant from Shiraz in Qajar Iran who, in 1844 at the age of 25, claimed ...