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Mircea Eliade – Patterns in Comparative religion – On Ahura Mazda
Identifier
022005
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Mircea Eliade – Patterns in Comparative religion
From the first, comparative studies in religion have indicated in Ahura Mazda a counterpart of Varuna. Though certain scholars have contested the theory, I can see no serious reasons for abandoning it. The traits they have in common as shown fifty year ago by Oldenburg (in his study 'Varuna und die Adityas') are convincing; like Varuna, Ahura Mazda is the sovereign god. An ancient formula fairly common in the Avesta is Mitra-Ahura, here Mitra is associated with an Ahura who has not yet become the Ahura Mazda of historical times and is more reminiscent of the supreme Asura of Vedic writings, Varuna; the Mitra-Ahura of the Avesta thus corresponds to the Vedic twofold name, Mitra-Varuna