The term Srosh Yasht refers to two different
hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
in the
Avesta
The Avesta (, Book Pahlavi: (), Persian language, Persian: ()) is the text corpus of Zoroastrian literature, religious literature of Zoroastrianism. All its texts are composed in the Avestan language and written in the Avestan alphabet. Mod ...
, both of which are named after
Sraosha
Sraosha ( or ; ), is the Avestan name of the Zoroastrian '' yazata'' of "Conscience" and "Observance", which is also the literal meaning of his name.
In the Middle Persian commentaries of the 9th-12th centuries, the divinity appears as '', S(a) ...
, the
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
hypostasis of ''Obedience'' and ''Observance''. The first hymn is the eleventh Yasht of the 21 Yasht collection, whereas the second hymn is formed by
Yasna
Yasna (;"Yasna"
''Middle Persian
Middle Persian, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg ( Inscriptional Pahlavi script: , Manichaean script: , Avestan script: ) in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasania ...
version of Avestan
Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...
Sraosha
Sraosha ( or ; ), is the Avestan name of the Zoroastrian '' yazata'' of "Conscience" and "Observance", which is also the literal meaning of his name.
In the Middle Persian commentaries of the 9th-12th centuries, the divinity appears as '', S(a) ...
, which is the name of the Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
divinity
Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single ...
representing ''Obedience''. It is also the name of the 17th day of the month in the Zoroastrian calendar
Adherents of Zoroastrianism use three distinct versions of traditional calendars for Zoroastrian festivals, liturgical purposes. Those all derive from Middle Ages, medieval Iranian calendars and ultimately are based on the Babylonian calendar a ...
. There are two different hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
in the Avesta
The Avesta (, Book Pahlavi: (), Persian language, Persian: ()) is the text corpus of Zoroastrian literature, religious literature of Zoroastrianism. All its texts are composed in the Avestan language and written in the Avestan alphabet. Mod ...
collection which are dedicated to Sraosha and consequently both are called ''Srosh Yasht''.
The first one is found in the Yasht collection, where it occupies the eleventh place. The other one forms chapter 57 of the Yasna
Yasna (;"Yasna"
''Hadoxt nask
The Hadoxt nask is the sixth ''nask'' (volume) of the Sasanian Avesta. The work is no longer extant, but the Hadoxt nask 1 and 2 fragments as well as possibly other parts of the extant Avesta are considered to have been part of this nask.
Source ...
, one of the volumes of the now lost Sasanian Avesta
The Sasanian Avesta or Great Avesta refers to the anthology of Zoroastrian literature produced during the Sasanian period. Most of this work is now lost, but its content and structure can be reconstructed from references found in a number of t ...
. According to other sources, however, either the Srosh Yasht Hadoxt or the Srosh Yasht se shabag may have been part of Bagan yasht nask, where they may have formed its eighth chapter. Its name may also be derived from Hadoxt service, where it may once have been recited.
Like many other Yashts, the text of the Srosh Yasht Hadoxt is divided into 5 chapters, kalled ''Kardas''. Its content is largely derived from the Srosh Yasht se shabag and it is generally regarded as derivative and comparatively inferior. Next to Yasht 1, the Srosh Yasht Hadoxt is the only Yasht with an old translation in Middle Persian. In today's Zoroastrian practice, the hymn is celebrated on the 17th day of the month dedicated to Sraosha. The Yasht can be performed at any time of the day except during Rapithwin.
Srosh Yasht se shabag (Y. 57; Yt. 11a)
The term