[Mehrbod]

Spenta Mainyu
aka: Sraosa

Spenta Mainyu is the Holy Spirit of Ahura Mazda. In Zoroaster's initial vision the first act which he conceived Ahura Mazda performing was the evocation of the six lesser divinities through his Holy Spirit, Spenta Mainyu.

Spenta Mainyu is the self-revealing activity of Ahura Mazda. The supreme godhead, we have seen, is immutable, perfect, spiritual unity. Zarathushtra solves the problem of reconciling the unchangeable nature of Ahura Mazda with the world of change by postulating a principle that intervenes between the unmoved mover and the moved.

Spenta Mainyu is as old as Ahura Mazda, for be ever was in Ahura Mazda and with Ahura Mazda. Though he is thus part of Ahura Mazda, in his manifestation as the working self of Ahura Mazda he is different from Ahura Mazda. He is not an entity or personality. Ahura Mazda is the greatest spiritual personality. Spenta Mainyu is his image, his replica. He represents the creative attribute of Ahura Mazda in his relation to the created world.

Spenta Mainyu symbolizes the ideal or perfect existence as conceived in thought by Ahura Mazda. The materialization of the divine thought in creation spells imperfection and Spenta Mainyu is shadowed by his inseparable opposite.

The context shows that "spenta" means "incremental, increasing, expanding, progressing, and progressive." "Mainyu" means "means of thinking, faculty of thinking, mind, and mentality." The term "Spenta Mainyu" is an attribute of Mazda Ahura, literally "Super-wisdom Being". Mainyu stands for the divine intelligence with a continuous creative, sustaining, and promoting function.