Shal Shulta

The Shal Shulta (Classical Mandaic: ࡔࡀࡋ ࡔࡅࡋࡕࡀ, romanized: Šal Šulta) is a commonly recited prayer in Mandaeism.^[1] It is numbered as Prayer 171 in E. S. Drower's version of the Qulasta,^[2] which was based on manuscript 53 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 53).^[3]

The Ṭabahatan (Prayer 170) directly precedes the Shal Shulta prayer.^[2]

Contents

The prayer begins with the lines, "Praised be the First Great Radiance" (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡔࡀࡁࡀ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ ࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡀ, romanized: mšaba ziua rba qadmaia).^[4]

The prayer starts with praising the:^[4]

• radiance (ziua) (mšaba ziua rba qadmaia)
• light (nhura) (mšaba nhura rba qadmaia)
• wellspring (aina) and date palm (sindirka) (mšaba aina u-sindirka rba qadmaia)
• source (tana/kana)^[a] (mšaba tana kasia ḏ-b-gu aina rabtia kasita qadmaita šria)
• Shishlam Rabba (mšaba šišlam rba ḏ-l-kipa ḏ-aina u-sindirka iatib)
• Ezlat Rabtia (mšaba ʿzlat rabtia)
• Yawar (mšaba iauar rba ḏ-mn kanpia ḏ-ziua ʿṣṭarar)
• Simat Hayyi (mšaba simat hiia ʿmaihun ḏ-kulhun malkia, ḏ-mina hun ḏ-kulhun almia, ḏ-mn himat razia kasiia ʿpiršat)
• Yardna (mšaba hak iardna rba qadmaia)
• 360 Yardnia
• Shkinta (mšaba hak škinta rabtia kasita qadmaita)

Afterwards, admonitions from Yawar are mentioned. Finally, Habshaba (Sunday), Bihram Rabba, Abatur Rama, Mahziel (the first great word), Haia-Šum, Yawar Rabba, and Yur Rabba are addressed in lengthier invocations.^[4]

See also

• Brakha (daily prayer in Mandaeism)
• Asut Malkia
• Tabahatan
• Shumhata
• Rahma (Mandaeism)
• Qulasta
• List of Qulasta prayers

Notes

1. Gelbert & Lofts (2025) suggest that tana may have in fact been a misreading of kana.