Ahura Mazda and the Battle between Good and Evil
Ahura Mazda is the central deity in Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, founded by the prophet Zoroaster in the 7th century BCE. He embodies the principles of wisdom and light, representing the force of good in a dualistic struggle against his brother Ahriman, who symbolizes chaos and evil. This cosmic battle between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman illustrates the belief that humanity has the free will to choose between good and evil, which is a foundational aspect of Zoroastrian thought.
According to Zoroastrian mythology, Ahura Mazda created the universe and six immortal beings to assist him, while also creating the first human couple, Mashya and Mashyoi, to ensure the continuation of humanity. Despite his efforts to protect creation, Ahura Mazda cannot completely defeat Ahriman, who introduces suffering and death into the world. The religion has significantly influenced other faiths, including Judaism and Christianity, and its teachings have shaped moral concepts throughout history. Although Zoroastrianism has diminished in followers, with around 100,000 practitioners today, the legacy of Ahura Mazda remains impactful in cultural and spiritual contexts.
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Subject Terms
Ahura Mazda and the Battle between Good and Evil
Author: Traditional Persian
Time Period: 999 BCE–1 BCE
Country or Culture: Middle East
Genre: Myth
PLOT SUMMARY
Ahura Mazda is born of the first god in Zoroastrian lore, Zurvan. Existing alone in emptiness, Zurvan opts to create two sons. His first son, Ahura Mazda, is created to represent Zurvan’s optimism, while his second son, Ahriman, symbolizes the great god’s uncertainty. The core belief of Zoroastrianism is the notion that humankind will continue to evolve toward spiritual and moral perfection in the presence of the evil, illustrated in the faith’s centuries-old myths by an eternal battle between the brothers.
Prior to his sons’ creation, Zurvan predicts his firstborn will rule the world. Knowing this, Ahriman forces himself into the world before Ahura Mazda. However, Zurvan is keen to Ahriman’s trick. Ahura Mazda takes his rightful place as ruler of the world, while his brother, Ahriman, is transformed into an evil being. Ahura Mazda and Ahriman are depicted in several relics from the period battling over a “ring of sovereignty” (Wilkinson 168) believed to represent control over the world.
Following his birth, Ahura Mazda creates the universe and all the celestial bodies within it: the sun, the moon, and the stars. He also creates six immortal beings to assist in overseeing his newly created universe. The six immortal children of Ahura Mazda are sacred beings, regarded as secondary in importance only to Ahura Mazda. The immortals oversee both divine and domestic realms, including many aspects of the natural world, leaving Ahura Mazda the ability to concentrate solely on humankind. Ahura Mazda additionally creates Gayomart, the first human man, who works under the auspices of the six immortals to perfect the world.
Vengeful about his place in the world and eager for revenge against his brother, Ahriman poisons Gayomart. Ahriman also gives birth to evil by bringing lust, pain, and death into the world, which defiles the earth. Aware that Gayomart is facing death, Ahura Mazda creates Mashya and Mashyoi, the first human couple in the universe, whose children eventually ensure the survival of humanity. Ahura Mazda is ultimately unable to defeat Ahriman. Thus, humankind is granted the eternal choice of following either Ahura Mazda or Ahriman and their conflicting forces of good and evil.
SIGNIFICANCE
Ahura Mazda is the central figure in the ancient Iranian religion Zoroastrianism, founded in the seventh century BCE by the prophet Zoroaster. The faith is the first and oldest of all the world’s monotheistic religions. Dualistic views at the basis of Zoroaster’s teachings, illustrated at length in the myth of Ahura Mazda, are believed to have played an important role in the eventual development of Judaism and Christianity, both of which are predated by the foundation of Zoroastrianism.
Ahura Mazda was worshiped by the Persian king Darius I, whom ancient scholars regard as one of the greatest rules of the Achaemenid dynasty in the sixth century BCE. It is believed Ahura Mazda also played an important role in the political doctrine of Darius I, who was revered internationally for his strict adherence to the rule of law, his monetary system, and his military structure.
In fact, inscriptions on a cliff near the former site of the summer palace of Darius I indicate that Darius believed he received a divine right to rule from Ahura Mazda “When Ahuramazda saw this earth turbulent then he bestowed it on me,” the inscription reads, “he made me king” (Hartz 45).
Zoroastrian worship was a common practice throughout the kingdom of Darius I, as noted by archeological evidence pointing to large-scale celebrations around open fires. But as outside cultural forces began to infiltrate the Iranian plain by the fifth century BCE, Zoroastrianism and widespread worship of Ahura Mazda began to wane.
Zoroastrianism is still practiced, though the faith’s members are estimated at around only 100,000. Though few, the remaining practitioners represent evidence of the profound impact Ahura Mazda has played in humankind’s cultural development of the world and of the Iranian region.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Briant, Pierre. From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire. Winona Lake: Eisenbraun, 2002. Print.
Guzder, Deena. “The Last of the Zoroastrians.” Time. Time, Inc., 9 Dec. 2008. Web. 10 July 2013.
Hartz, Paula R. Zoroastrianism. 3rd ed. New York: Chelsea, 2009. Print.
Ramakrishnan, Ram. Many Paths, One Destination: Love, Peace, Compassion, Tolerance, and Understanding through World Religions. Tucson: Wheatmark, 2009. Print.
Wilkinson, Philip. Myths and Legends: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2009. Print.