Yazatas (Avestan yazata, "worthy of worship"; Middle Persian yazad, Persian izad) are the beneficent divine beings honored in Zoroastrianism beneath Ahura Mazda and the Amesha Spentas. They include ancient Iranian deities such as Mithra, Anahita, Sraosha, Rashnu and Atar, the sacred fire, and are praised in the hymns called Yashts and in the dedications of the Zoroastrian calendar.
Yazatas at a glance
| Meaning | "Worthy of worship or veneration" |
|---|---|
| Root | Avestan yaz-, "to worship" (Sanskrit yaj-) |
| Variants | Yazata, yazad, izad, ized |
| Notable yazatas | Mithra, Anahita, Sraosha, Rashnu, Tishtrya, Atar, Verethragna |
| Key texts | The Yashts of the Younger Avesta |
| Tradition | Zoroastrianism |
Meaning of the term
Yazata derives from the Avestan root yaz-, "to worship, honor, sacrifice," the same root as Sanskrit yaj- in yajna, sacrifice. The word thus describes any being "worthy of worship." In its broadest use it can be applied to Ahura Mazda and the Amesha Spentas, and even to sacred plants, prayers and primordial beings, but it usually refers to the host of lesser divinities who serve the good creation.
In Middle Persian the word became yazad, and in modern Persian izad. The Persian word for God, Yazdan, comes from its plural. Nineteenth-century scholars such as Martin Haug compared the yazatas to angels, an analogy that is still common, although scholars note that many yazatas were originally gods of the Indo-Iranian pantheon.
Origins and development
Most yazatas have deep roots in ancient Iranian religion, and several have close relatives in the Vedic gods of India. In the Gathas of Zoroaster, which focus on Ahura Mazda and his qualities, the older deities are hardly mentioned. In the Younger Avesta, however, many reappear as honored servants of Ahura Mazda, with vivid personalities and their own hymns.
Scholars debate how to understand this. Some see it as a later reintegration of traditional gods into the reformed faith, others as continuity that the Gathas simply do not emphasize. In either case, the yazatas became an essential part of Zoroastrian devotion, standing opposite the daevas, the gods rejected as allies of the Lie.
Principal yazatas
- Mithra, guardian of covenants and contracts and associated with light and the sun, second only to Ahura Mazda in dignity in some texts.
- Aredvi Sura Anahita, divinity of the waters and of fertility, praised in one of the longest Yashts.
- Sraosha (Srosh), "Obedience" or "Hearkening," who protects the faithful, especially at night, and guides the soul after death.
- Rashnu, "the Judge," who weighs the deeds of the soul at the Chinvat Bridge.
- Atar, the sacred fire, focus of worship in the fire temple.
- Tishtrya, the star Sirius, bringer of rain; Verethragna, victory; and Haoma, the sacred plant related to Vedic soma.
Yashts and the calendar
The Yashts, a collection of twenty-one hymns in the Younger Avesta, are addressed to individual yazatas and preserve some of the oldest Iranian myths. Well-known examples include the hymns to Anahita, to Tishtrya and to Mithra, which describe their deeds and the offerings they receive.
The Zoroastrian calendar, established in ancient Iran and later adapted, dedicates each of the thirty days of the month to a divine being, so that the yazatas are remembered daily. Several days and months still bear their names, for example Mehr (Mithra), Aban (the Waters), Azar (Fire) and Tir (Tishtrya), and festivals are held when the name of a day and of a month coincide, such as Mehregan in honor of Mithra.
Role in Zoroastrian life
For Zoroastrians the yazatas are sources of help and protection. Prayers invoke them for guidance, health, victory over evil and a safe passage of the soul after death. Sraosha, Mithra and Rashnu together watch over the judgment of each soul, and the veneration of the sacred fire links daily worship with Atar.
The yazatas also illustrate the Zoroastrian view that the good creation is sustained by many cooperating powers under one supreme God. Their worship continues today among Zoroastrians in Iran, the Parsi community of India and the global diaspora, and Iranian culture more broadly still celebrates festivals such as Mehregan and Tirgan associated with them.
Spellings and related terms
The word appears in many forms in English: yazata, yazatas, yazad, yazads, izad and ized. Related words include Yazdan, a Persian name for God, and the Iranian city name Yazd, which is often explained as derived from the same root. The yasna, the central Zoroastrian act of worship, and the Yasht hymns also come from the root yaz-.
Other entries on individual beings include Mithra, Sraosha and Rashnu, and, among the higher beings, the Amesha Spentas. For the forces opposed to them, see daeva and Druj.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
What is a yazata in Zoroastrianism?
A yazata is a divine being "worthy of worship" in Zoroastrianism. The term usually refers to beneficent spiritual beings who serve Ahura Mazda and protect aspects of the good creation, such as Mithra, Anahita, Sraosha, Rashnu and Atar, the fire. They are praised in the Yasht hymns and remembered in the days of the Zoroastrian calendar.
What is the difference between yazatas and Amesha Spentas?
The Amesha Spentas are the six highest divine beings after Ahura Mazda, each embodying a core quality and guarding one of the seven creations. Yazatas are a broader and more numerous group of beings worthy of worship who rank below them. In the widest sense the term yazata can include the Amesha Spentas too.
Are yazatas the same as angels?
They are often compared to angels, a comparison popularized by the nineteenth-century scholar Martin Haug, and the analogy helps describe their role as helpers of God. However, many yazatas were originally ancient Indo-Iranian deities with their own myths and cults, so scholars caution that the angel comparison simplifies a more complex history.
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.