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The Ashem Vohu (, Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬆𐬨⸱𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬏 aṣ̌əm vohū) is the second most important manthra, and one of the most important prayers in Zoroastrianism. It is dedicated to Asha, a Zoroastrian concept denoting truth, order or righteousness.
Together with the Ahuna Vairya, the Yenghe hatam, and the Airyaman ishya; the Ashem vohu forms the four manthras that enclose the Gathas in the Yasna. It is also at the end of most of the prayers in the Khordeh Avesta, except a certain few, most notably the Fravarane.
The text poses a number of challenges for a grammatical analysis. The term vohū translates to good and can be used as a regular adjective or as a noun. In the latter case it acquires the meaning of possession, comparable to the English noun good in the sense of item of merchandise. The first line can therefore mean both "asha is the best possession" or "asha is good, it is best." The term uštā is equally ambiguous. It can be derived from ušta (desired things) or from ušti (desire). Finally, the term ahmāi can refer to itself or to the next words hyat̰ aṣ̌āi. These ambiguities have resulted in a number of diverging translations, none of which has found universal acceptance.
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This version shows some phonological and linguistic peculiarities compared to the extant Avestan version. Ilya Gershevitch has, therefore, opined that the Ashem Vohu must have been known to the Sogdians before they converted to Zoroastrianism. Combined with the fact that it contains no specific Zoroastrian beliefs, Gershevitch concluded that the manthra should be considered to be pan-Iranian.
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