In the Avesta editions since Anquetil, always five texts called “Niyāyišn” (translation word of av. nəmah- “bowing“) are noted mostly in the following order: a Niyāyišn to the sun and Miϑra, to the moon, the waters, and the fire. The number of five texts and the mentioned textual arrangement go back to the Indian tradition of the Xorde Avesta, especially the so-called Tamām Xorde Avesta. The manuscripts of the Iranian Xorde Avesta, however, which were little known for a long time, draw a different picture. On the one hand, the number five is unusual in this manuscript tradition, and the text of water worship in particular is not an obligatory part of the manuscripts (just as water worship is not one of the obligatory daily rituals). On the other hand, the text of the Iranian water worship—the “Mayā-Yašt,” a text which lacks the liturgical features of a Niyāyišn—differs considerably from the corresponding Indian Niyāyišn. It is striking that the two versions of water worship are strictly limited to one tradition or to the other. It can be assumed that this exclusivity is due to differences in liturgical practice.

This article is written in German.