Ashem Vohu in Sogdian Manuscript
This ninth- or 10th-century Sogdian manuscript from Dunhuang, China, contains a version of one of the holiest Zoroastrian prayers: the Ashem Vohu, composed originally in the Avestan (old Iranian) language.
Click here to read the article from the British Library’s “Sacred Text”
Courtesy : Minocheher Damania
The transcription of the Sogdian Ashem Vohu
CF. Malandre and Ichaporia, The Pahlavi Yasna of the Gathas and Yasna Haptanghaiti,Wiesbaden, 2013 2nd edition, , page13
THE LINGUISTIC DATA SHOW THAT THE PRIESTS WHO WERE RECITING THE GATHAS AT TH END OF
ACHAEMENID PRIOD WERE NOT THE SPEAKERS OF GATHIC AVESTAN AS WELL AS THE STANDARD AVESTA.. THESE ARE IN LANGUAGE FOREIGN TO THE PRIESTS
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE NATURE OF THE LANGUAGE WE HAVE RECEIVED, AS WE HAVE NOW WITH US WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT HAD IT COME TO US FROM THE SOGDIAN LINGUISTIC AREA
WE HAVE RECEIVED ASHEM VOHU IN THE SOGDIAN VERSION WHICH IS GIVEN BY US BELOW
(CF Gershevitch p.4)
&rtam wahu wahi%tam i$t~
u$ta< i$t~ u$ta< ahma<i
yat &rtai< wahi$ta~ &<rtam
Best wishes,
Dr. Pallan Ichaporia