In Zoroaster's revelation Avestan
ashi is already attested in the
Gathas, the oldest texts of Zoroastrianism and believed to have been composed by
Zarathushtra himself. In these hymns, where the term occurs 17 times,
ashi is still an abstract concept and is not yet the divinity that she would become in the younger Avesta. With the adjective "good" (hence
-vanuhi),
ashi occurs thrice. In the Gathas,
ashi is frequently identified with
asha "truth", so for instance in
Yasna 51.10 where the poet calls "truth to [him], to come with good reward." The idea being expressed here is a soteriological one, with "truth" being connected to the afterlife (see
asha for details) and
ashi being the appropriate recompense for the soul after death (
cf. ashavan). This concept is also apparent in
Yasna 43.5, where
Ahura Mazda appoints "reward for deed and word: bad for the bad, good reward for the good." Subject to proper conduct in life,
ashi is then tied to
Zoroaster's concept of free will, evident, for instance, in
Yasna 50.9, where a mortal is empowered to influence his own reward. Both
asha and
ashi have associations with
Sraosha and
Vohu Manah. Sraosha even has
ashi as an epithet; he is
ashivant, "possessing ashi," and obedience (=Sraosha) to Ahura Mazda brings good reward, which is "good thinking" (=Vohu Manah).
In the younger Avesta In the younger Avesta, Ashi is unambiguously a divinity, particularly so in the
Ard Yasht, i.e., the hymn dedicated to her. This hymn also contains older material, and many of the verses of the Ard Yasht are also found in the
Aban Yasht, the hymn nominally invoking "the Waters" (
Aban), but actually addressed to
Aredvi Sura Anahita. Both Aredvi Sura and Ashi are divinities of fertility, but other verses that have martial characteristics (see below) appear out of place in a hymn to "the Waters." As the divinity of fortune, Ashi is characterized as one who confers victory in time of battle (
Yasht 17.12-13). She is also closely connected to
Mithra, whom she serves as charioteer (
Yasht 10.68). In the hymn to
Sraosha, the divinity of obedience receives
ashiio (of uncertain meaning) as a stock epithet. Three verses of the
Ard Yasht are devoted to enumerating the various kings and heroes who paid devotion to Ashi (17.23-25) and were rewarded for it. Verse 53 of the same hymn enumerates those who do
not receive her favors, and this includes—besides demons—all youths that have not yet reached puberty. This verse is followed by two later verses (55-56) that recall a tale of Ashi hiding beneath a rock when pursued, only to be uncovered by prepubescent boys and girls. The last three verses (57-59) of the hymn describe Ashi complaining to
Ahura Mazda for the shame she feels for the "prostitute's" actions (
cf. Jahi). In the day-name dedications of the
Zoroastrian calendar, Ashi presides over the 25th day of the month (
Siroza 25). ==Iconography==