Kushta

{{Short description|Mandaic religious concept of truth}} {{For|the city|Istanbul}} [[File:Kushta asinkun.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A Mandaic sign that reads ''kušṭa asinkun'' ({{lang|myz|ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ ࡀࡎࡉࡍࡊࡅࡍ}}, "May truth strengthen/heal you") at Yahya Yuhana Mandi]] {{Mandaeism}} In Mandaeism, '''kushta''' or '''kušṭa''' ({{langx|myz|ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ|lit=truth}}, {{IPA|mid|ˈkuʃtˤa}}) can have several meanings. Its original literal meaning is "truth" in the Mandaic language, and is thus typically used to refer to the Mandaean religious concept of truth. The same word is also used to refer to a sacred handclasp between the right hands of two people that is used during Mandaean rituals such as the masbuta, masiqta, and priestly initiation ceremonies.<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=0-19-515385-5|oclc=65198443}}</ref><ref name="auto">Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford at the Clarendon Press.</ref>

==In the World of Light== Mandaeans believe that in the World of Light, the '''Mšunia Kušṭa''', or the world of ideal counterparts, exists, where everything has a corresponding spiritual pair (''dmuta'').<ref name="Buckley 2002"/> Alternatively, ''kušṭa'' can be used as a synonym for Hayyi Rabbi, or God in Mandaeism.<ref name="Buckley 2002"/>

In the 69th chapter of the Mandaean Book of John, Manda d-Hayyi addresses Etinṣib Ziwa (Splendid Transplant), son of Yushamin, as "Truth, beloved by all excellencies."<ref name="ddy">{{citation|mode=cs1 |url=http://www.gnosis.org/library/The_Mandaean_Book_of_John_Open_Access_Ve.pdf |first1=Charles G. |last1=Häberl |author-link=Charles G. Häberl |first2=James F. |last2=McGrath |author-link2=James F. McGrath |date=2019 |title=The Mandaean Book of John: Text and Translation |version=Open Access Version |publisher=De Gruyter |place=Berlin/Boston}}</ref> E. S. Drower interprets a reference in the Haran Gawaita to being looked upon by and rising with Transplant upon death as a reference to Ṣauriel, the Angel of Death.<ref>{{cite book|last=Drower|first=Ethel Stefana|author-link=E. S. Drower|title=The Haran Gawaita and The Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa: The Mandaic text reproduced together with translation, notes and commentary |location=Vatican City |publisher=Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana |year=1953 |at=Page 7, footnote 8.}}</ref> Book 1, chapter 1 of the Left Ginza likewise observes that Ṣauriel is called "Death" in this world, but "Truth" (Kushta) by those who know about him.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Buckley |first=Jorunn Jacobsen |author-link=Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley |year=1982 |title=A Rehabilitation of Spirit Ruha in Mandaean Religion |journal=History of Religions |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=60–84 |doi=10.1086/462910 |jstor=1062203 |s2cid=162087047 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062203|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Carl H. Kraeling interprets the concept of Kushta as having developed from an entity in the pleroma representing truth as the directive force of Hayyi's actions, alongside Manda d-Hayyi as his hypostatic reason.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kraeling |first=C. H. |year=1933 |title=The Mandaic God Ptahil |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=152–165 |doi=10.2307/593099|jstor=593099 }}</ref>

==In rituals== [[File:Salah Choheili kushta 2025.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Rishamma Salah Choheili performing the kušṭa (ritual handclasp) with a Mandaean during a masbuta ritual at Wallacia Mandi during Parwanaya 2025]]

The ''kušṭa'' handclasp is exchanged dozens of times between the novice and initiator during priest initiation ceremonies. It is also exchanged during rituals that need to be performed by priests, such as masbuta and masiqta rituals.<ref name="Buckley 2002"/>

A common formula used in at the beginnings of Mandaean prayers and during rituals is ''{{Transliteration|myz|kušṭa asinkun}}'' ({{langx|myz|ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ ࡀࡎࡉࡍࡊࡅࡍ|lit=May truth strengthen you (plural)}}, {{IPA|mid|ˈkuʃtˤa aˈsɪnəχon}}),<ref name="Qulasta2025">{{cite book |last=Gelbert |first=Carlos |last2=Lofts |first2=Mark J. |date=2025 |title=The Qulasta |location=Edensor Park, NSW |publisher=Living Water Books |isbn=978-0-6487954-3-8}}</ref> which can also be translated as 'May truth heal you' or 'May truth make you whole'. The word ''asinkun'' is derived from the root ''a-s-a'', which can mean 'to strengthen' or 'to heal'.<ref>Ethel S. Drower and Rudolf Macuch. 1963. ''A Mandaic Dictionary''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.</ref> The singular form, also commonly used, is ''{{Transliteration|myz|kušṭa asiak}}'' ({{langx|myz|ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ ࡀࡎࡉࡀࡊ|lit=May truth heal you (singular}}). During rituals (masbuta, etc.), priests also often say ''{{Transliteration|myz|kušṭa asiak qaimak}}'' ({{langx|myz|ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ ࡀࡎࡉࡀࡊ ࡒࡀࡉࡌࡀࡊ|lit=May truth heal and strengthen you (singular)}}<ref name="MandaicDictionary">{{cite book|first1=Ethel Stefana|last1=Drower|author-link1=E. S. Drower|first2=Rudolf|last2=Macúch|author-link2=Rudolf Macúch|title=A Mandaic dictionary|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1963|location=London|page=27}}</ref>) as a blessing for the Mandaeans being baptized.

==Prayers== Prayer 178 of the Qulasta contains 10 repetitions of {{transliteration|myz|kušṭa asiak}} (singular) / {{transliteration|myz|kušṭa asinkun}} (plural). The Mandaic text is from Al-Mubaraki (2010),<ref>{{cite book |last=Al-Mubaraki |first=Majid Fandi |last2=Mubaraki |author-link=Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki |first2=Brian |date=2010 |title=Qulasta – 'niania & Qabina / Mandaean Liturgical Prayer Book (Responses & Marriage) |volume=2 |location=Luddenham, New South Wales |publisher=Mandaean Research Centre|isbn=9781876888152}}</ref> and the English translation below is based on that of Gelbert and Lofts (2025).<ref name="Qulasta2025"/>

{|class="wikitable" |+ |- ! scope="col" style="width: 50%;" | Mandaic transliteration ! scope="col" style="width: 50%;" | English translation |- |{{poem quote|{{transliteration|myz|italic=no| kušṭa asiak tagai kušṭa asiak rbai kušṭa asiak burzinqai kušṭa asiak naṭra ḏ-burzinqai kušṭa asiak ziua rba qadmaia kušṭa asiak nhura rba qadmaia kušṭa asinkun ahai tarmidia kušṭa asinkun hiia abahatai kušṭa asiak ganzai{{efn|The Mandaic {{transliteration|myz|ganza}} is a variant of {{transliteration|myz|ginza}}.}} kušṭa asiak naṭra ḏ-ginzai }} }} |{{poemquote| Kušṭa strengthen thee, my crown. Kušṭa strengthen thee, my teacher. Kušṭa strengthen thee, my turban. Kušṭa strengthen thee, guardian of my turban. Kušṭa strengthen thee, great first radiance. Kušṭa strengthen thee, great first light. Kušṭa strengthen you, my brother-priests. Kušṭa strengthen you, Life and my parents. Kušṭa strengthen thee, my treasure. Kušṭa strengthen thee, guardian of my treasure. }} |}

==Bibliography== thumb|right|Kushta (handclasp) between a Mandaean priest and another Mandaean during the 1930s in southern Iraq A two-volume study, titled ''Kushṭā: a monograph on a principal word in Mandaean texts'' and written by Waldemar Sundberg (1953, 1994), has been published by Lund University Press.

*{{cite book |last=Sundberg |first=Waldemar |date=1953 |title=Kushṭā, a monograph on a principal word in Mandaean texts. Volume I: The Descending Knowledge |location=Lund |publisher=Lund University Press |isbn=}} *{{cite book |last=Sundberg |first=Waldemar |date=1994 |title=Kushṭā, a monograph on a principal word in Mandaean texts. Volume II: The Ascending Soul |location=Lund |publisher=Lund University Press |isbn=9179662927}}

==See also== *Drabsha, the symbol of Mandaeism *Rushuma *Secret handshake *''Via et veritas et vita'' *Religious views on truth

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://mandaeanpriests.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/57 Sydney 2014 Masbuta 11: Kushta (Oath)]

Category:Mandaean philosophical concepts Category:Mandaic words and phrases Category:Truth Category:Hand gestures Category:Mandaean rituals