Ameretat (Avestan Ameretat, Middle Persian Amurdad, modern Persian Mordad) is one of the Amesha Spentas, the Bounteous Immortals of Zoroastrianism. Her name means "immortality" or "deathlessness." She is the guardian of plants and is almost always paired with Haurvatat, "wholeness," guardian of water; together they represent the life and health that Ahura Mazda grants to the righteous.
Ameretat at a glance
| Meaning | "Immortality, deathlessness" |
|---|---|
| Other forms | Amurdad, Amardad, Amordad, Mordad |
| Group | Amesha Spentas (Bounteous Immortals) |
| Guardian of | Plants and vegetation |
| Paired with | Haurvatat (wholeness, health), guardian of water |
| Calendar | 7th day of each month; 5th month of the Iranian calendar (Mordad) |
| Adversary | The demon Zairica (Zarich) in later texts |
Name and Meaning
The Avestan word ameretat is an abstract noun formed from a- ("not") and a root related to death, meaning "the state of not dying." It is closely related to the Sanskrit amrita, the nectar of immortality, and to the Greek ambrosia. In Middle Persian the name became Amurdad, and in New Persian Mordad (also written Amordad). Grammatically the word is feminine, and Ameretat is generally understood as a feminine divinity.
Like other Zoroastrian divine names, Ameretat is both a concept and a personified being. The same word can mean the gift of immortality and the heavenly power that watches over it.
Ameretat in the Gathas and Later Texts
In the Gathas of Zoroaster, ameretat appears together with haurvatat as a reward that Ahura Mazda gives to those who follow Asha, truth and right order. There the two terms function mainly as qualities or blessings rather than as fully individualized beings. In the Younger Avesta they are counted among the Amesha Spentas, alongside Vohu Manah, Asha Vahishta, Khshathra Vairya and Spenta Armaiti.
Each Amesha Spenta is associated with one of the good creations. Haurvatat protects water and Ameretat protects plants. Pahlavi texts such as the Bundahishn tell that when the evil spirit attacked the world, the primordial plant withered; Ameretat pounded it and mixed it with rain, spreading the seeds of all plants across the earth. The same texts name Taurvi and Zairica as the demons opposing Haurvatat and Ameretat, personifying thirst and hunger or decay.
Ritual and the Calendar
The Zoroastrian calendar dedicates each day of the month to a divinity. The seventh day is Amurdad, and the fifth month of the year also bears her name. When the day and month names coincide, Zoroastrians celebrate a name-day feast, here called Amordadgan. The fifth month of the modern Iranian solar calendar, Mordad, still carries the name, falling in July and August.
In the Yasna liturgy, plants and water are represented in the ritual, notably through the preparation of haoma, discussed under Soma, and the offering to the waters. Priests understand these offerings as honoring Haurvatat and Ameretat and strengthening the good creation. Zoroastrian ethics also encourages care for plants and agriculture as service to Ameretat.
Eschatology and Meaning for Believers
Immortality is a goal of Zoroastrian hope. At the end of time, according to tradition, the Saoshyant will lead the resurrection and humanity will receive deathless life in a renewed world. Ameretat thus represents not only a present blessing of nourishment but also the ultimate destiny of creation. Many modern Zoroastrians read Haurvatat and Ameretat as spiritual ideals of wholeness and eternal life that a person moves toward through good thoughts, words and deeds.
Legacy: Harut and Marut
Many scholars have argued that the names of Harut and Marut, two angels mentioned in the Qur'an (2:102) who taught magic in Babylon, derive from Haurvatat and Ameretat through Middle Persian or other Iranian forms. The paired names show how Zoroastrian concepts traveled into neighboring religious traditions, though the roles of the figures changed entirely. Readers can compare Ameretat with the related yazatas and with the opposing daevas.
Ameretat Among the Amesha Spentas
Zoroastrian theology often presents the Amesha Spentas as aspects of Ahura Mazda's own nature and as guides for human life. In one widely used scheme, three are considered masculine, Vohu Manah (Good Mind), Asha Vahishta (Best Truth) and Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion), and three feminine, Spenta Armaiti (Holy Devotion), Haurvatat (Wholeness) and Ameretat (Immortality). The last two are the fruits of a life lived according to the first four.
This pairing of Haurvatat and Ameretat is so constant that the two names are frequently invoked together in liturgy, and in the Gathas they appear side by side as the goal of the righteous. Their opponents in the later literature, the demons of thirst and hunger, show the practical, bodily side of these blessings: health and nourishment in this life anticipate perfect wholeness and deathless life in the world to come. Their spiritual counterparts in the realm of evil are sometimes grouped with the daevas.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
What does Ameretat mean?
Ameretat is an Avestan word meaning "immortality" or "deathlessness." It is related to the Sanskrit amrita, the nectar of the gods. In Zoroastrianism it names both the gift of immortality promised to the righteous and the Amesha Spenta who embodies and protects that gift.
What is Ameretat the guardian of?
Ameretat is the guardian of plants and vegetation, one of the seven good creations in Zoroastrian cosmology. She is closely linked with Haurvatat, guardian of water, and together they stand for nourishment, health and life, the gifts that sustain all living beings.
Why is a Persian month called Mordad?
Mordad, the fifth month of the Iranian solar calendar, takes its name from Amurdad, the Middle Persian form of Ameretat. The Zoroastrian calendar named days and months after divine beings, and several of these names survived into the calendar used in Iran today.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.