The Staota Yesnya (, Sacrificial Eulogy), also known as Stod Yasn, refers to the editorial arrangement of the central liturgical texts of Zoroastrianism. It contains all Old Avestan texts like the Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti and may have been the original liturgy of the early Zoroastrian community.
In the Sasanian Avesta, which is now lost, the Staota Yesnya formed the Stod Yasn nask. In the extant Avesta, it is preserved in the Yasna and Visperad manuscripts and forms the central part of the respective liturgies.
Name The Staota Yesnya is called in Middle Persian sources Stod Yasn (in the Denkard) and Stod Yasht (in the Rivayats). The first part of the term is derived from Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬋𐬙𐬀𐬭 (staōtar, praiser, laudator), whereas the second term is connected to Avestan 𐬪𐬈𐬯𐬦𐬌𐬌𐬀 (ẏesńiia, worthy of sacrifice). The name can therefore be translated as Sacrificial Eulogy or Praise Ritual.
In the Sasanian Avesta
The Sasanian Avesta was the collection of Avestan literature produced during the Sasanian Empire. It consisted of 21 nasks (volumes), which were grouped into three divisions, namely the Gathic, manthric and legalistic nasks. Within this scheme, the Stod Yasn belonged to the Gathic group. Edward William West estimates, that it consisted of ca. 12,500 words of Avestan text accompanied by ca. 22,400 words of translation and commentary in Pahlavi.
In the extant Avesta
In the extant Avesta, the Staota Yesnya forms the central part of the Yasna as well as the Visperad. However, the parts which are included differ slightly between these two. In the Yasna, the Staota Yesnya is referred to as comprising Yasna 14-58. In the Visperad, however, the Young Avestan parts before the Ahuna vairya manthra were not included.
Contents of the Staota Yesnya in the Yasna Yasna Name Language 14-18Intro to the Staota YesnyaYoung Avestan19-21Bagān yaštYoung Avestan22-26Hōmāst Young Avestan27.1-13Prelude to the manthrasYoung Avestan 27.14 Ahuna vairya manthra Old Avestan 27.15 Ashem vohu manthra Old Avestan / Pseudo Old Avestan 27.16 Yenghe hatam manthra Pseudo Old Avestan / Middle Avestan 28-34 Ahunavaiti Gatha Old Avestan 35-41 Yasna Haptanghaiti Old Avestan 42 Appendix to the Yasna Haptanhaiti Young Avestan 43-46Ushtavait GathaOld Avestan 47-50Spenta Mainyu GathaOld Avestan 51Vohu Khshathra GathaOld Avestan 52Hymn to AshiYoung Avestan53Vahishto Ishti GathaOld Avestan 54Airiieman ishya manthraOld Avestan 55Praise to the GathasYoung Avestan56Srōš barišnīhYoung Avestan57Srōš YashtYoung Avestan58Fshusho manthraMiddle Avestan
Almut Hintze has argued that the Staota Yesnya originally only consisted of the Old Avestan texts, i.e., the Gathas, the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Ahuna vairya and Airyaman ishya manthras. According to this theory, this arrangement was the original liturgy of the early Zoroastrian community, possibly arranged by Zarathustra himself. Jean Kellens, however, has opined that the Staota Yesnya, while being indeed very old, was redacted some time later during the Young Avestan period.
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