Concept of beauty and beautiful in Avesta and Pahlavi's texts

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Abstract

Concept of beauty and beautiful in Avesta and Pahlavi's texts

The word "hunar"(art) in Avesta and Pahlavi's texts, especially in Gathas which are the most reliable part of Avesta, has been explained in an article called "concept of word huunar (art) in Avesta and Pahlavi's texts". The Gathas are 17 Avestan hymns which is believed have been composed by Zarathusthra (Zoroaster).
Whereas art has a relation in essence with beauty in Iranian-Islamic culture, I decided to study both words and concepts of beauty and beautiful in those texts, too.
On etymological and ablaut retrospection in form, I tried to study the concept of beauty in Avesta and Palavi's texts. I also consider all the words which contain beauty or its concept in their forms or meaning in Zoroastrian texts.
It is a theory which says there is a relation in essence between art and beauty with geometry and regularity, in Avesta and Pahlavi's texts and in continuance, in Iranian- Islamic culture.
In this article I tried to collect all the words that have beauty and beautiful meaning in Avesta and Pahlavi's texts. Some are as below: ha-zaosha, sra, sraogena, abusti, afrank,brazyak, brah, Farrah, Sra, Sresta, Srao, Sraogena, Sraotanu, Srayanh, Srayata, Srayan, Srira, aiwi-xsoiqna, Xvaini, Xvainisaxta, Xvaeui, Zusta, Fraderesra, Huraoa, Horaoanh, Hutasta, Abusti, Ardwisarā, AFrank, Arastak, Arastakih, Arastar, Arayistn, Andacak, Handacak, Winarisn, Winard, Arus, Arust, Barazisk.

At the end of this study I conclude that beauty in Iranian culture includes a wide variety of words which root in a religious culture. So in Iranian culture, the terms art and beauty defined within religious culture for example, Islamic culture.
One of the most important issues in Iranian Islamic aesthetics is geometry and order. In Greek wisdom the relation between order, beauty and geometry is very clear, especially in Pythagorean votes, Plato and Aristotle. The word cosmos, which means order, actually expresses beauty.
Islamic culture, after being introduced to Greek culture through the translation movement, became familiar with the relation between beauty, order and geometry. But two crucial factors were effective in accepting the relationship between geometry and beauty, at first Quran and at second, Iranian culture.
The Qur'anic verses stated the relation between beauty and geometry: "Indeed, We have created all things according to a measure (AL-QAMAR: 49)" and "Who perfected everything He created"(AL-SAJDA: 7).
This article explains the relation between geometry and beauty in pre-Islamic Iranian culture. Therefore, it can be said two Factors are involved in the relationship between beauty and geometry: Islamic culture and Iranian pre-Islamic culture, not necessarily Greek culture.
Another point to note is the word geometry which is originally Persian, not Arabic word. The root of this word (geometry or in Arabic language hindesa) is in Pahlavi language, Hindachek (measure), which has been discussed in this article.
Another important point in this article is those words are in the Pahlavi language and express the concept of beauty. This clearifies that the concept of beauty has spread throughout the history of its life.

Keywords


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