Religion:Chista

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Short description: Wisdom and knowledge deity in Zoroastrianism
Chista
Wisdom, knowledge, insight
Native nameTemplate:Script/Avestan
AffiliationZoroastrianism
TextsAvesta
RegionGreater Iran
Ethnic groupIranian peoples (Parsis, Iranis)
Greek equivalentAthena

Chista (Ciṣṭā) (Avestan: Template:Script/Avestan‎;[1] Template:Script/Syloti) is the yazata most closely associated with wisdom, knowledge, and insight in Zoroastrianism.[2] Her name is derived from the Avestan derivative of the verb Cit, 'to notice, to understand'. The sixteenth yasht (or "hymn") of the Avesta is dedicated to Chista and she is also mentioned in the tenth yasht (Yt. 10.126).[3][2]

Zarathustra's youngest daughter was named "Pouro Chista" or "Pouručistā", meaning “the one who is noticed by many people, the charming one,"[2] or a very wise and knowledgeable person.[4]

The Iranian cultural magazine Tchissta, founded in 1981 by mathematician and activist Parviz Shahriari, was named after Chista.[5]

Nomenclature and etymology

Though a direct etymology is unknown, the name Chista is probably derived from the feminine form of the Avestan participle čista “noticed, noticeable.” The action noun čisti “intuition, idea” appears only within the special vocabulary of the Gathas and the Yasna haptaŋhāiti.[2]

References

  1. "AVESTA: KHORDA AVESTA: YASHTS (Hymns)". http://www.avesta.org/ka/yt_jamaspa.htm#yt16. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Jean Kellens, “ČISTĀ,” Encyclopædia Iranica, Fasc. V, Vol. 6, pp. 601-602; available online at https://www.iranicaonline.org. (accessed in print on 3 February 2023).
  3. Hambartsumian, Arthur (2009). "The Sacred Aryan Forest in the Avestan and Pahlavi Texts". Iran and the Caucasus 13 (1): 125–130. doi:10.1163/160984909X12476379008043. ISSN 1609-8498. 
  4. Behnamfar, Zahra, Abbasali Maghsoodlou, and Kobra Nodehi. "Principles of Education in Ancient Iran with a Look at Yashts." Journal of Novel Applied Sciences (2013): 1085-1088.
  5. SAHIMI, MUHAMMAD (17 May 2012). "Obituary - Parviz Shahriari, Mathematician and Activist, Dies at 85" (in en). FRONTLINE - Tehran Bureau. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2012/05/obituary-parviz-shahriari-mathematician-and-activist-dies-at-85.html.