Asiet Malkia
Common prayer in Mandaeism
The Asiet Malkia or Asut Malkia[1] ("Salutation of Kings"[2]) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. In the prayer, the reciter wishes health and victory (asuta u-zakuta ࡀࡎࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡆࡀࡊࡅࡕࡀ) upon dozens of heavenly and ancestral figures. According to E. S. Drower, it is recited daily by priests and also before all baptisms (masbuta), ritual meals (lofani), and various rites.[3]
The Asiet Malkia is numbered as Prayer 105 in E. S. Drower's version of the Qolasta, which was based on manuscript 53 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 53).[4] Drower's version is shorter than the versions commonly recited by contemporary Mandaean priests.[5]
Etymology
Asut or asuta can be literally translated as 'healing', while malkia means 'kings' (singular form: malka).[1]
Similarly, Mandaeans typically greet each other with the phrase:[1]
- Asuta nihwilkun (Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡎࡅࡕࡀ ࡍࡉࡄࡅࡉࡋࡊࡅࡍ, lit. 'Healing be upon you (pl.)')
The response would typically be:[1]
- Asawata ḏ-Hiia nihwilak (Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡎࡀࡅࡀࡕࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡍࡉࡄࡅࡉࡋࡀࡊ, lit. 'All healings of the Living One(s) be upon you (sg.)')
Prayer
The formula asuta u-zakuta nhuilkun (ࡀࡎࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡆࡀࡊࡅࡕࡀ ࡍࡄࡅࡉࡋࡊࡅࡍ "health and victory are yours") is recited dozens of times in the prayer before the names of each uthra or set of uthras, Hayyi Rabbi, some of the prophets, and the reciter himself, almost all of whom are addressed as malka (ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ "king").
Drower (1937)
Drower's (1937) version lists the following uthras, etc.[3]
- Treasure of the Great First Sublime Life (ginza d-hiia rbia qadmaiia yaqira)
- Lord of Lofty Greatness (Mara d-rabuta ʿilaita)
- Yushamin the Pure, son of Niṣabtun
- Manda d-Hiia, son of Niṣabtun
- Hibil Ziwa
- Anush Uthra
- Shishlam Rabba
- ʿS'haq, the first great Radiancy (ʿS'haq Ziwa Rba qadmaiia)
- Sam Ziwa, the Pure, eldest, first, beloved (Sam Ziwa dakia bukra habiba rba qadmaiia)
- Hibil and Shitil and Anush
- Adatan and Yadatan
- Shilmai and Nidbai, guardian ʿutri of the flowing water (ʿuthria naṭria d-yardna; i.e., the guardian uthras of the yardna of Piriawis)
- 24 ʿutri, sons of the light
- 4 beings, sons of perfection
- Anṣab and consort (lit. cloud) of Anṣab
- Sar and Sarwan
- Zhir and Zihrun, and Bhir and Bhrun [sic] (or Bihrun), and Tar and Tarwan
- ʿUrfiʿil and Marfiʿil and Yawar Tugmur
- Shingilan ʿUtra
- Bar-Bag ʿUtra
- Shingilan ʿUtra
- Simat Hiia
- ʿIzlat the Great
- Sharat Niṭufta
- Kanat Niṭufta
- Bihrat Anana
- Abatur Rama
- ʿUṣṭuna Rabba
- Abatur Muzania
- Bar-Zahrʿil (i.e., Ptahil)
- Yahya Yuhana (i.e., John the Baptist)
- Adam, First Man (Adam gabra qadmaiia)
- Shitil, son of Adam
- malki (kings) and ʿutri and indwellers, and flowing waters and outgushings and all the dwellings of the World of Light
The word niṭufta (spelled niṭupta) originally means 'drop' and has sometimes also been translated as 'cloud'. It is also often used as an appellation to refer to the consorts of uthras.[6]
Drower (1959)
Drower's (1959) version, which differs from the version in Drower (1937), lists the following uthras, etc.[4]
- great Gate of the precious House of Mercies
- honoured First Parents
- Treasure of the great First honoured Life
- Mara d-Rabutha ʿlaita
- Yušamin the Pure, son of Niṣibtun
- Manda d-Hiia, son of Niṣibtun
- Hibil Ziwa
- Anuš ʿuthra
- Šišlam Rba
- ʿS'haq Ziwa Rba Qadmaia
- Sam Ziwa, pure, eldest, beloved, great, first Radiance
- Hibil, Šitil, and Anuš
- Adatan and Yadatan
- Šilmay and Nidvay, two guardian ʿuthras of the jordan
- 24 ʿuthras, sons of light
- 4 beings, sons of Salutation
- Nṣab and Anan Nṣab
- Sar and Sarwan
- Zhir and Zahrun and Bhir and Bihrun
- Tar and Tarwan
- Yufin-Yufafin
- Habšaba (Sunday) and Kana d-Zidqa
- Barbag ʿuthra
- Šingilan ʿuthra
- Simat Hiia
- Great ʿZlat
- Šarat Niṭufta
- Kanat Niṭufta
- Bihrat Anana
- Abathur Rama
- ʿUṣṭuna Rba
- Abathur Muzania
- Pthahil, son of Zahriel
- Yahia Yuhana
- Adam, the first man
- Šitil, son of Adam the first man
- kings and ʿuthras
- indwellings and jordans
- running streams and škintas of the world(s) of light
See also
- Brakha (daily prayer in Mandaeism)
- Tabahatan
- Shumhata
- Rahma (Mandaeism)
- Qolasta
- Litany of the Saints
- Intercession of saints
References
- ^ a b c d Nasoraia, Brikha H.S.; Crangle, Edward F. (2010). "The Asuta Wish". ARAM Periodical: 349–390. doi:10.2143/ARAM.22.0.2131045. ISSN 1783-1342.
- ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
- ^ a b Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
- ^ a b Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
- ^ Salutation of Kings (Asiet malkia) recited by Rbai Rafid al-Sabti in the Netherlands. Mandaean Museum.
- ^ Macúch, Rudolf (1965). Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic. Berlin: De Gruyter.
External links
- Salutation of Kings (Asiet malkia) recited by Rbai Rafid al-Sabti in the Netherlands
- Salutation of Kings (Asiet malkia) recited by Abdullah Khaffagi in Ahvaz in 1960
- Asiet Malkia recited by Abdullah bar Negm (recorded on 21 November 1977 by Kurt Rudolph)
- Salutation of Kings (Asiet malkia) recited at a Parwanaya service held at a mandi in Michigan
- Asiet malkia recited in Stockholm, Sweden
- Asiet malkia recited in Stockholm, Sweden (part 2)
- Asiet malkia recited in Stockholm, Sweden (part 3)
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