Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Ab-Zohr
The Ab-Zohr (/ɑːb zɔːr, æb-/; Avestan: 𐬀𐬞 𐬰𐬀𐬊𐬚𐬭𐬀, romanized: ap-zaoθra; Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭯 𐭦𐭥𐭧𐭫, romanized: ab-zohr) is the culminating rite of the greater Yasna service, the principal Zoroastrian act of worship that accompanies the recitation of the Yasna liturgy.
As described in the liturgy that accompanies the procedure, the rite constitutes a symbolic offering (𐭦𐭥𐭧𐭫, zohr < 𐬰𐬀𐬊𐬚𐬭𐬀, zaoθra) to the waters (aban < apas) in order to purify them.
The technical terms Middle Persian ab-zohr and Avestan apé zaoθra literally mean "offering to water" (ab, water; zohr, offering; cf Apas). The words of the expression have Indo-Iranian roots. The Parsi (Indian Zoroastrian) name for the procedure is jōra-mēḷavī (Gujarati: જોરમેળવી, lit. 'strengthen'), which reflects the symbolic purpose of the "offering to water", which is to give it "strength" by purifying it (see Symbolism and Purpose, below). "Ab-Zohr" is pronounced ab-zor in the Zoroastrian Dari language.
The procedure is also called the parahaoma rite, reflecting the technical name of the liquid, the haoma, being prepared and consecrated during the ritual. In the 9th-12th century texts of Zoroastrian tradition the procedure is also occasionally referred to as the hom-zohr, also reflecting the use of the haoma plant in the rite.
The Haoma plant (Avestan, middle and modern Persian: hōm) is the source for the essential ingredient for the parahaoma (middle Persian: parahōm), the consecrated liquid that constitutes the offering (zaothra). In Zoroastrian tradition, two independent preparations of parahaoma are made for the offering.
Both preparations must be made between sunrise and noon, in the Hawan gah (Avestan: havani ratu), the "time of pressing". The time of day of the Yasna service is itself dictated by this restriction. The first parahaoma is prepared during the preliminary rites (prior to the Yasna service) in which the site of worship is consecrated. The second parahaoma preparation occurs during the middle third of the Yasna service.
The recipes for the two parahaoma preparations, though not identical, are largely the same. In both cases, the ingredients include three small haoma twigs; consecrated water; twigs and leaves from a pomegranate tree. The second parahaoma also includes milk (in Iran from a cow, in India from a goat). The consecration of the water and haoma (accompanied by ritual laving) also occur during the preliminary rites.
In the first parahaoma, which is prepared immediately prior to the Yasna service (during the preliminary ritual that also sanctifies the site of worship), the leaves or small twigs from the pomegranate tree are cut into pieces, and together with the consecrated haoma twigs and a little consecrated water are repeatedly pounded and strained. The liquid is retained in a bowl, while the twig and leaf residue is placed next to the fire to dry.
Hub AI
Ab-Zohr AI simulator
(@Ab-Zohr_simulator)
Ab-Zohr
The Ab-Zohr (/ɑːb zɔːr, æb-/; Avestan: 𐬀𐬞 𐬰𐬀𐬊𐬚𐬭𐬀, romanized: ap-zaoθra; Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭯 𐭦𐭥𐭧𐭫, romanized: ab-zohr) is the culminating rite of the greater Yasna service, the principal Zoroastrian act of worship that accompanies the recitation of the Yasna liturgy.
As described in the liturgy that accompanies the procedure, the rite constitutes a symbolic offering (𐭦𐭥𐭧𐭫, zohr < 𐬰𐬀𐬊𐬚𐬭𐬀, zaoθra) to the waters (aban < apas) in order to purify them.
The technical terms Middle Persian ab-zohr and Avestan apé zaoθra literally mean "offering to water" (ab, water; zohr, offering; cf Apas). The words of the expression have Indo-Iranian roots. The Parsi (Indian Zoroastrian) name for the procedure is jōra-mēḷavī (Gujarati: જોરમેળવી, lit. 'strengthen'), which reflects the symbolic purpose of the "offering to water", which is to give it "strength" by purifying it (see Symbolism and Purpose, below). "Ab-Zohr" is pronounced ab-zor in the Zoroastrian Dari language.
The procedure is also called the parahaoma rite, reflecting the technical name of the liquid, the haoma, being prepared and consecrated during the ritual. In the 9th-12th century texts of Zoroastrian tradition the procedure is also occasionally referred to as the hom-zohr, also reflecting the use of the haoma plant in the rite.
The Haoma plant (Avestan, middle and modern Persian: hōm) is the source for the essential ingredient for the parahaoma (middle Persian: parahōm), the consecrated liquid that constitutes the offering (zaothra). In Zoroastrian tradition, two independent preparations of parahaoma are made for the offering.
Both preparations must be made between sunrise and noon, in the Hawan gah (Avestan: havani ratu), the "time of pressing". The time of day of the Yasna service is itself dictated by this restriction. The first parahaoma is prepared during the preliminary rites (prior to the Yasna service) in which the site of worship is consecrated. The second parahaoma preparation occurs during the middle third of the Yasna service.
The recipes for the two parahaoma preparations, though not identical, are largely the same. In both cases, the ingredients include three small haoma twigs; consecrated water; twigs and leaves from a pomegranate tree. The second parahaoma also includes milk (in Iran from a cow, in India from a goat). The consecration of the water and haoma (accompanied by ritual laving) also occur during the preliminary rites.
In the first parahaoma, which is prepared immediately prior to the Yasna service (during the preliminary ritual that also sanctifies the site of worship), the leaves or small twigs from the pomegranate tree are cut into pieces, and together with the consecrated haoma twigs and a little consecrated water are repeatedly pounded and strained. The liquid is retained in a bowl, while the twig and leaf residue is placed next to the fire to dry.