Spenta

Spenta is an Avestan term meaning holy, benevolent, or bounteous. In Zoroastrian religious usage, the word often appears as a prefix in the names of the Amesha Spentas—the six divine emanations regarded as aspects of Ahura Mazda that sustain order in the cosmos. The most familiar instance is Spenta Mainyu, usually translated as the Holy Spirit, the benevolent, creative aspect of existence. Spenta Mainyu stands in the context of Zoroastrian dualism alongside Angra Mainyu, the Destructive Spirit, illustrating the tension between order and chaos in the world.

In addition to Spenta Mainyu, several other Amesha Spentas bear the same prefix, such as Spenta Armaiti and Spenta Vohu Manah, each associated with facets of moral or natural order (for example truth, devotion, and righteous governance). The prefix marks these beings or principles as holy or beneficent rather than ordinary entities. The concept appears in primary Zoroastrian scriptures, including the Avesta, and continues to influence theological and liturgical language in later writings.

Beyond its doctrinal use, spenta occurs as a linguistic element in compound names and in scholarly transliteration of Avestan terms. Etymologically, it conveys sacredness and beneficence and has had influence on Persian and broader Indo-Iranian religious vocabulary. In summary, spenta signals holiness or benevolence in Zoroastrian thought, most prominently in the designation of the Amesha Spentas and their role as benevolent principles sustaining creation and order.