Asman (
Avestan: 𐬀𐬯𐬨𐬀𐬥, romanized: asman) is the
Avestan and
Middle Persian name of the
Zoroastrian divinity that is the hypostasis of the sky. Asman is the "highest heaven," and is distinguished from the firmament, 𐬚𐬡𐬁𐬴𐬀 (θβāṣ̌a), which lies nearer the earth. The 27th day of the
Zoroastrian calendar is dedicated to him. In the
Veda, अश्मन (áśman) means 'sky'. It also means "stone" so the specific sense in reference to the sky is as "stony firmament".
In the
Avesta, specifically in the
Vendidad, the word is mentioned as being the first thing created.[1] The word is also the origination of the word آسمان (âsmân) in modern
Persian and numerous
languages of South Asia.[2]
References
^Naudou, Jean. "Polymorphisme du divin et monothéisme en Inde". In: Les grandes figures religieuses: fonctionnement pratique et symbolique dans l'Antiquité. Actes du Colloque international (Besançon, 25-26 avril 1984). Besançon: Université de Franche-Comté, 1986. p. 17 (Annales littéraires de l'Université de Besançon, 329) [www.persee.fr/doc/ista_0000-0000_1986_act_329_1_1661]