A sacred chant, hymn, or religious verse, particularly in Zoroastrianism; a metrical composition in ancient Indian literature.
From Sanskrit 'gāthā' (song, verse), related to Proto-Indo-European 'gʰenh₂-' (to give birth, produce). The word entered English through studies of ancient Persian and Indian religious texts.
The Gathas are among the oldest sacred texts still in religious use—scholars believe they were written by the prophet Zoroaster himself around 1500 BCE, making them older than most Hindu scriptures!
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