Sraosha- Persian GodDeity"Hearkening"

Guardian of Souls

Sraosha's most solemn duty is protecting the dead. The Hadokht Nask describes how, for three nights after death, the soul remains near the body, vulnerable to demonic attack. Sraosha guards it, fighting off the demons who seek to seize it, until the judgment at the Chinvat Bridge. He then accompanies the righteous soul across, alongside Rashnu who weighs the deeds and Mithra who oversees the accounting.

His name, Avestan for "Hearkening" or "Obedience," describes his nature exactly. He hears prayers and carries them to heaven, receives divine commands and brings them to earth. The prayers recited during the three-day vigil following death are addressed to him, invoking his protection for the soul in its most vulnerable hours.

The Night Warrior

Every night, armed with a mace, Sraosha battles Aeshma and other daevic forces who gain strength in the darkness. This nightly combat protects sleeping humanity until dawn, when his sacred animal, the rooster (parodarsh, "the one who foresees dawn"), announces his victory. The rooster's cry breaks the power of night demons and calls the faithful to morning prayers, directly opposing Bushyasta, the demon of sloth who tempts people to sleep through worship.

At the Frashokereti, Sraosha's triumph over Aeshma will be permanent.