Contending for the cosmos: a Zoroastrian poet’s mysterious rival

Abstract The ancient Zoroastrian hymn of worship dedicated to the frauuaṣ̌i- s (affirmative choices) righteous mortals and divinities refers an important discourse that takes place between unnamed poet-sage his mysterious rival, named Gaōtəma. figure Gaōtəma has intrigued Avestan scholars through years, but significance implications Gaōtəma's identity, presence in hymn, date not been seriously studied. This article first examines context which is presented hymn. Building upon this, it then evaluates four potential identities for Gaōtəma: Avestan, Turanian, Buddhist, Vedic. Conducting a multidisciplinary comparative assessment, eventually argues favour Vedic identity Gaōtəma, specifically who was proponent Rig divinity Indra. investigation into concomitantly provides perspectives on certain aspects religion, often context.