Spentas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. One of the divine beings in Zoroastrianism who are tasked with promoting goodness and order in the world
2. An entity representing a particular aspect of creation and a guardian spirit
3. A representation of an ideal principle or quality embodying spiritual enlightenment and virtue

Etymology: In the Avestan language of the Zoroastrian scriptures, "spənta" was an adjective meaning something like "holy" or "bounteous," describing a quality of generosity and sacred increase. The compound "Amesha Spenta," used for the group, is usually rendered "Bounteous Immortals" or "Holy Immortals." "Amesha" means "immortal" or "undying," so the name pairs the idea of deathlessness with holiness. The form "spentas" is most likely the plural used for the group. The beings were not originally a fixed list. Early hymns in the Gathas, attributed to Zoroaster himself, speak of several such figures, and the set of six that became standard, together with Ahura Mazda, took shape later. In Middle Persian, the language of the Sasanian period, the name became "amahraspandan," and the figures appear in Pahlavi texts as guardians of creation, each linked to a part of the world such as water, earth, or metals.