The Saoshyant: The Future Savior of the World
- Sherko Sabir
- 23 hours ago
- 13 min read
Introduction
The Saoshyant is the future savior of Zoroastrian prophecy: the world-redeemer who will arise at the end of time to defeat the forces of evil, raise the dead, and bring about Frashokereti, the final renovation that will make the world perfect, immortal, and free of evil forever.
In the developed Zoroastrian vision, the Saoshyant, whose name means the one who brings benefit and whose proud title is Astvat-ereta, he who embodies righteousness, is the last and greatest of a line of saviors born of the miraculously preserved seed of the prophet Zoroaster. He will rise at the climax of the cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda and the evil spirit Ahriman, to complete the victory of good and renew all creation.
Like the other concepts of the Zoroastrian tradition, the Saoshyant belongs to the shared ancient religious and mythological heritage of the Iranic peoples, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world. To know the Saoshyant is to encounter one of the great images of hope in Iranic spirituality, the promised savior who will set right the world and bring the long struggle of good and evil to its triumphant end.
Contents
Who Is the Saoshyant?
The Saoshyant is the future world-savior of Zoroastrian belief, the redeemer who will arise at the end of the present age to bring about the final victory of good over evil and the renovation of the world. In the fullest tradition, his proper name or title is Astvat-ereta, he who embodies righteousness, and he is the last and greatest of three saviors, each born in turn of the miraculously preserved seed of the prophet Zoroaster. He will rise from a sacred lake, carry the victorious weapon of the heroes, raise the dead to life, defeat the lie and the demonic creations of Ahriman, and accomplish Frashokereti, the making wonderful of the world. The concept appears in seed form in the oldest scriptures and is developed into a full eschatological figure in the later tradition. The Saoshyant is the embodiment of Zoroastrian hope, the promised savior who will set right the world and complete the triumph of good.
The Meaning of the Name
The name Saoshyant comes from an Avestan word meaning the one who brings benefit, or the one who will bring benefit, from a root connected with profit, benefit, or salvation. It expresses the essential role of the figure as the bringer of benefit and salvation to the world.
This meaning is central to the character of the Saoshyant, for he is the one who brings the ultimate benefit, the salvation and renewal of the world and the defeat of evil. In the oldest texts, the word is used more broadly, as a common noun, for those who bring benefit, the followers and helpers of the prophet who work for the good; and the prophet himself is reckoned a saoshyant in this sense. In the developed tradition, however, the word becomes the title of the specific future savior, the great one who will bring the final benefit at the end of time. His other and proper title, Astvat-ereta, means he who embodies righteousness, or he who makes existence righteous, containing within it the word for truth and right order, asha. This title expresses his role as the one who will make the world righteous, embodying and establishing the truth. The meanings of his names thus capture his essential nature: the one who brings benefit and salvation, and the one who embodies and establishes righteousness. Together, the names reveal the Saoshyant as the bringer of the final good and the establisher of truth, the savior who will accomplish the renewal of the world.
Key Takeaways
The Saoshyant is the future world-savior of Zoroastrian prophecy.
His name means the one who brings benefit; his title Astvat-ereta means he who embodies righteousness.
He will bring about Frashokereti, the final renovation of the world.
In the fullest tradition there are three saviors, born of Zoroaster's preserved seed.
Each is born of a virgin who bathes in a sacred lake holding the seed.
The Saoshyant will raise the dead and defeat the forces of evil forever.
Quick Facts
Name: Saoshyant (one who brings benefit)
Title: Astvat-ereta (he who embodies righteousness)
Role: Future world-savior; bringer of the final renovation
Number: In the fullest tradition, three saviors in succession
Descent: Born of the preserved seed of Zoroaster
Birth: Of a virgin who bathes in a sacred lake
Lake: Kansaoya, where the seed is preserved by guardian spirits
Accomplishes: Frashokereti, the renovation; the raising of the dead
Defeats: The lie (Druj) and the creations of Ahriman
Heritage: Shared Iranic religious and mythological tradition
From the Gathas to the Eschatological Savior
The concept of the Saoshyant has roots in the oldest Zoroastrian scriptures, the Gathas, the hymns attributed to the prophet Zoroaster himself, where it appears in an early form before being developed into the full eschatological figure of later tradition.
In the Gathas, the word that becomes Saoshyant is used as a common noun for those who bring benefit, the helpers and followers who work for the good and for the coming renewal of the world; and the prophet himself is reckoned among these, a bringer of benefit working for the transformation to come. There is, in the oldest teaching, the hope and expectation of one who would come to lead humankind to the final victory of good, a man who, in a difficult verse of the Gathas, is looked for as one better than the good, who would teach the paths of salvation. From this seed in the oldest scriptures, the later tradition developed the full figure of the Saoshyant as the specific future savior, and then expanded the number from one to three saviors, elaborating the rich eschatological myth of their birth and their work. This development, from the Gathic hope of a bringer of benefit to the detailed later vision of the three saviors, is the history of the concept. It is honest to recognize this development, for the figure as fully elaborated, with the three saviors and the wonder of their birth, belongs largely to the later tradition, building upon the seed of hope present in the oldest teaching. From the Gathas to the eschatological savior, the concept of the Saoshyant grew from an early hope into one of the central images of Zoroastrian eschatology, the promised one who would bring the final benefit and renew the world.
The Three Saviors and the Seed of Zoroaster
In the fullest development of the tradition, there are three saviors, born one in each of the last three thousand-year periods of the world's history, each carrying the work of salvation further, all born of the miraculously preserved seed of the prophet Zoroaster.
The three saviors are, in the tradition, Ushedar, Ushedarmah, and finally the Saoshyant himself, Astvat-ereta, the last and greatest. Their names express a progression: the first connected with making righteousness grow, the second with making devotion grow, and the third with embodying righteousness itself. According to the elaborated myth, the seed of the prophet Zoroaster was miraculously preserved, watched over in a sacred lake by a great number of guardian spirits, the fravashis of the righteous. In each of the last three ages, a virgin bathing in the lake is to be impregnated by the preserved seed and to give birth to one of the saviors. Thus all three saviors are sons of Zoroaster, born long after the prophet's time from his preserved seed, each appearing at the appointed age to advance the work of salvation. This vision of the three saviors, descended from the prophet and born of the sacred lake, is one of the most striking elements of Zoroastrian eschatology, expressing the continuity of the prophetic mission across the ages and its culmination in the final savior. The three saviors and the seed of Zoroaster are central to the developed tradition of the Saoshyant, the line of redeemers descended from the prophet who will carry the work of salvation to its completion in the final renovation of the world.
The Wonder of His Birth
Among the most striking images of the tradition is the wonder of the Saoshyant's birth, born of a virgin who conceives by the preserved seed of Zoroaster as she bathes in the sacred lake.
In the elaborated tradition, the seed of the prophet is preserved in the waters of the sacred lake, Kansaoya, guarded through the ages by the fravashis, the guardian spirits of the righteous. When the time appointed for each savior draws near, a maiden bathes in the lake and, by the preserved seed, conceives and in time gives birth to the savior. The mother of the final Saoshyant, Astvat-ereta, is named in the tradition as a holy maiden, she who conquers all or the victorious helper. The savior so born is said to come into the world with wondrous signs, possessing from the first an innate knowledge and insight into divine truths, in the manner of the prophet whose son he is. The wonder of the birth, the virgin conceiving by the miraculously preserved seed of the prophet and bringing forth the savior, is one of the most remarkable images of the faith, expressing the miraculous and divinely-appointed nature of the savior and his descent from the prophet. This motif of the wondrous birth marks the Saoshyant as a figure of special and miraculous origin, the savior born by divine providence to accomplish the renewal of the world. The wonder of his birth is thus a striking and significant element of the tradition of the Saoshyant, the miraculous coming-into-the-world of the promised savior.
The Final Renovation of the World
The great work of the Saoshyant is to accomplish Frashokereti, the final renovation or making-wonderful of the world, the climax of the cosmic struggle in which evil is utterly defeated and the creation restored to perfection forever.
In the tradition, the Saoshyant will arise at the climax of the long struggle between good and evil, rising from the sacred lake and carrying the victorious weapon borne by the heroes of old. He will raise the dead to life, reuniting souls with their bodies for the final judgement and the renewal. With the help of his companions and the holy powers, including the immortals Verethragna as his weapon of victory and the bright divinities of the good creation, he will defeat the lie, the Druj, and the demonic creations of Ahriman. Then comes the final purification, in which, in the tradition, a flood of molten metal flows over the earth, through which all humanity passes, painless as warm milk for the righteous, purifying all. After this, evil is destroyed forever, the world is made perfect, immortal, and undying, and the renewed creation enjoys an eternal existence in the presence of Ahura Mazda. This accomplishment of Frashokereti is the great work and the crowning significance of the Saoshyant, the final renovation that he brings about, ending the long drama of good and evil and restoring the creation to the perfection for which it was made. The final renovation of the world is thus the culmination of the Saoshyant's role, the savior who completes the victory of good and makes the world wonderful forever.
Symbolism and Meaning
The Saoshyant embodies, above all, the theme of hope and the assured triumph of good, the conviction at the heart of the Zoroastrian vision that the long struggle between good and evil will end in the complete victory of the good and the renewal of the world. As the promised savior, he represents the certain hope of the final redemption.
The Saoshyant embodies, too, the idea of salvation as renewal and restoration, for his work is not merely to rescue but to make the world wonderful, to restore the creation to the perfection for which it was made and to defeat evil utterly and forever. In this, he represents the Zoroastrian vision of a final, positive transformation of all things. And as the son of the prophet, born of the preserved seed, he embodies the continuity and culmination of the prophetic mission, the work of Zoroaster carried to its completion by the savior descended from him. In all this, the Saoshyant is among the most significant figures of Zoroastrian eschatology, embodying hope, the assured triumph of good, salvation as renewal, and the culmination of the prophetic mission. He is the promised savior of the end of time, the bringer of benefit and the embodiment of righteousness who will raise the dead, defeat evil, and make the world perfect forever, one of the great images of hope in the religious heritage of the Iranic world and, indeed, an influence on the wider history of ideas of a coming savior.
The Saoshyant and the Kurds
The Saoshyant, like the other concepts of the Zoroastrian tradition, belongs to the shared ancient religious and mythological heritage of the Iranic peoples, a tradition that the Kurds, as an Iranic people, hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world. The vision of the coming savior and the final renewal is part of the spiritual heritage of the whole region.
For the Kurds, the ancient Iranic religious heritage, including the Zoroastrian vision of the cosmic struggle and its triumphant end, is part of the deep background of their cultural and spiritual world. The hope that the Saoshyant embodies, of the final victory of good and the renewal of the world, is a vision of enduring power, part of the broad spiritual heritage shared across the Iranic world, and one that influenced the wider history of religious ideas of a coming redeemer. It is honest and accurate to understand the Saoshyant as part of this shared Iranic and Zoroastrian heritage, rather than as a uniquely Kurdish figure; he belongs to the common ancient religious tradition of the Iranic peoples. As an Iranic people with ancient roots in this world, the Kurds share in this heritage, of which the figure of the Saoshyant is a part, alongside the other heirs of the Iranic tradition. In presenting the Saoshyant, then, we present a figure of the shared ancient Iranic heritage to which the Kurds, as an Iranic people, are heirs, one of the great images of hope in the religious vision that underlies the traditions of the region.
Debates and Misconceptions
Is the Saoshyant in the oldest scriptures, or a later development? Both, in a sense. The word and the seed of the concept are present in the oldest scriptures, the Gathas, where it is used for those who bring benefit and where the hope of a coming one is expressed; and the prophet Zoroaster himself is reckoned a bringer of benefit. But the fully developed figure, with the three saviors, the preserved seed, and the detailed eschatological myth, belongs largely to the later tradition, elaborated in the texts of the centuries after the prophet. It is honest to recognize this development, distinguishing the early hope present in the Gathas from the rich later elaboration of the savior myth.
Did the Zoroastrian savior influence other religions, or borrow from them? Scholars have long noted the parallels between the Zoroastrian Saoshyant and the savior and messianic figures of other religious traditions, and there has been much discussion of the direction of influence. Some hold that the Zoroastrian vision of a coming savior, resurrection, and final judgement influenced the eschatology of other faiths; others have suggested influence in the reverse direction upon the later elaboration of the Zoroastrian myth, and some modern Zoroastrians have themselves debated the matter. The honest position is that there are genuine parallels and a complex history of ideas, and that the Zoroastrian concept of the Saoshyant has deep roots of its own in the hope expressed in the oldest scriptures, whatever the later cross-influences. The matter is one of scholarly discussion rather than settled certainty.
Is the Saoshyant a specifically Kurdish figure? No; like the other concepts of the Zoroastrian tradition, he belongs to the shared ancient Iranic religious heritage, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world, rather than a uniquely Kurdish figure. As an Iranic people, the Kurds share in this broad and ancient heritage, of which the Saoshyant is a part, alongside their neighbours.
Related Topics
Frashokereti: the final renovation the Saoshyant brings about
Zoroaster: the prophet from whose seed the saviors are born
Ahura Mazda: the Wise Lord, in whose victory the Saoshyant shares
Ahriman: the evil spirit defeated at the renovation
Verethragna: the victory borne as the Saoshyant's weapon
Ashi: the yazata of reward who empowers the saviors
The Amesha Spentas: the holy immortals who aid the renovation
The Chinvat Bridge: the judgement of souls before the final renewal
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Saoshyant in Zoroastrianism?
The Saoshyant is the future world-savior of Zoroastrian belief, the redeemer who will arise at the end of the present age to bring the final victory of good over evil and the renovation of the world. His name means the one who brings benefit, and his title Astvat-ereta means he who embodies righteousness. In the fullest tradition he is the last and greatest of three saviors born of the preserved seed of the prophet Zoroaster, who will raise the dead and accomplish Frashokereti.
What does the name Saoshyant mean?
The name Saoshyant comes from an Avestan word meaning the one who brings benefit, from a root connected with benefit or salvation. In the oldest texts it is used more broadly for those who bring benefit, including the prophet Zoroaster himself; in the developed tradition it becomes the title of the specific future savior. His other title, Astvat-ereta, means he who embodies righteousness, containing the word for truth and right order, asha.
How many Saoshyants are there?
In the fullest development of the tradition, there are three saviors, born one in each of the last three thousand-year periods of the world's history, each advancing the work of salvation. They are Ushedar, Ushedarmah, and finally the Saoshyant himself, Astvat-ereta, the last and greatest. All three are born of the miraculously preserved seed of the prophet Zoroaster, each conceived by a virgin who bathes in a sacred lake holding the seed.
How is the Saoshyant born?
In the elaborated tradition, the seed of the prophet Zoroaster is miraculously preserved in the waters of a sacred lake, Kansaoya, guarded through the ages by the fravashis, the guardian spirits of the righteous. When the appointed time draws near, a virgin bathes in the lake and conceives by the preserved seed, giving birth to the savior. The savior is born with wondrous signs and innate knowledge of divine truths, marking his miraculous and divinely-appointed origin as the son of the prophet.
What will the Saoshyant do?
The Saoshyant will arise at the climax of the struggle between good and evil to accomplish Frashokereti, the final renovation of the world. He will raise the dead, reuniting souls with their bodies, and with the holy powers defeat the lie and the demonic creations of Ahriman. After a final purification in which molten metal flows over the earth, evil is destroyed forever, and the world is made perfect, immortal, and undying in the presence of Ahura Mazda.
Is the Saoshyant a Kurdish figure?
The Saoshyant belongs to the shared ancient Zoroastrian and Iranic religious heritage, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world, rather than a uniquely Kurdish figure. As an Iranic people with ancient roots in this world, the Kurds share in this heritage, of which the Saoshyant is a part, alongside their neighbours. The hope of a coming savior and final renewal it embodies has resonated widely across the region and beyond.
References and Further Reading
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