*aēšma-daēva (Aeshma) is the demonic entity of wrath, anger, and fury in Zoroastrianism.
His chief adversary is Sraosha (Sarosh yazad, Soroush izad) who was created to counter the former by Ohrmazd. As per Yasht 11.15, “Whom the holy Ahura Mazda has created to withstand Aeshma, the fiend of the bloody mace”. Another example you can look at is Yasna 57.25, which displays how Sraosha is invoked to protect one from the Wrath-demon.
Aeshma is also noted as the messenger of Ahriman (degenerative spirit), and he also opposes Asha (order, truth) who is the messenger of Spenta Mainyu (bright spirit).
I could go on but, anyways —
During Frashokereti (final renovation/renewal of the universe), Aeshma will be defeated and overthrown by Sraosha, once and for all.
We believe he is driven away through prayer. Yatha Ahu Vairyo manthra (the Ahunvar) is one of the most sacred Gathic manthra and drives all manners of daeva, including aeshma.daeva, away.
He is usually associated with distraction from the good religion, improper worship/lack of worship (distorts the true intent behind Yasna), “brutality against cattle”, drunkenness, violence in war, murder, slaughter, excessive fighting/mayhem (causing such even amongst the daevas!), etc.
So, as much as this is can be considered a demonic force, it is also demon that can be present within us (psychologically).
Now, Sraosha is translated as “good conscience”, or “observance”. We should also understand this as “inspiration”. Sraosha allows us to “hear” the words of God and God’s Immortals. Root “srū–” means “to hear”. By “hearing” God we allow ourself to be inspired by God’s higher wisdom, leading us to remain faithful and righteous, to gain new insights about the world. After all, Vohu Manah (Good Mind) brings the Mazdaen Seer Zarathustra to Ohrmazd (God of Wisdom), from there Sraosha does sing to our prophet.
Indeed, it was by Sraosha that Zarathustra was revealed the proclamations of Ahura Mazda. He is also routinely associated with the Amesha Spentas (Bounteous Immortals) in Gathic scriptures.
Sraosha makes the amazing wisdom of Ohrmazd and the Immortals, yazatas/etc, heard. Because of this it is Sraosha who helps Asho Zartosht restore the good religion of the Ahuras (virtuous lords). In one Gathic commentary (Varshtmansar, Yasna 28) the Brilliant Immortals come to our aid “through Sraosha”.
In Yasht 11.14 Ohrmazd proclaims Sraosha to be the teacher of a great spiritual clarity (“daēnō-disō”, “teacher of Revelation/Sight”). He spreads the teaching of Asha, the order brought by the good and wise Lord, and truly shares with us the beauty of life (he himself is said to have learnt everything directly from Ahura Mazda, and like I’ve mentioned, was the first to speak the melodies of the Gathas which he recited to Asho Zartosht).
One of the Yazata’s epithets is “ashya” (from ashi), which means “rewards, fortune” (hence why Parsees call him Asho Sarosh yazad). Actually, he is also called the brother of Ashi (divinity of wealth, piety). Another epithet denotes his possession of a mace of “strong” or “lordly” value, contrasting Aeshma’s; the “bloody” mace, which is actually present in the first verse I used.
So, Aeshma is like the pure diabolical opposite of Sraosha. That which aims to corrupts this good, holy force, and seeks to block it, to turn our heads away and cover our ears so that we may act out of spite, ignorance, and impulsiveness.
Aeshma goes on to influence some other religions. You might recognize the demon-prince Asmodeus/Ashmedai (I recognize him in Judaism, I think Christianity too, unsure about Islam). If I remember correctly he represents the sin of lust. From my understanding, archangel Raphael opposes and defeats him in some writings, like the book of Tobit.
Here’s a nice source about Aeshma, if anyone wants a read: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/aesma-wrath.
Lovely reply a friend of mine sent in regards to Izad Soroush: Zoroastrianism allowed INFINITE CHOICE and forethought, Sraosha was not an "enforcer" of a "narrow mindset", he pushed people towards endlessly striving for more artistic inspiration into the unknown.
Often times Sraosha is translated as “obedience”, but notably this entails a special INTUITION/INSPIRATION, he is the teacher of Sight who brings revelation and makes the divine heard. It’s about having an open mind... In that sense it leads to “obedience” or alliance with Asha (The Flow).
Aeshma, on the other hand, is Bloody Mindlessness. Aeshma is wild ignorance, a closed mind.
As a religious parallel, Farahmand notes that the ancient Greek poets had claimed to derive their knowledge from the Muses (which shares a common IE etymological root with Mazda; “to think, reflect”) whom the poets “only HEAR their fame/glory.” Again, in Zoroastrianism, it is Sraosha who makes the wondrous wisdom of the Immortals HEARD, and inspires us with higher knowledge/superb wisdom of the Mindful Creator, Ahura Mazda.
He is very much a warrior in that he directly combats evil, stagnation, and the gloom of the daevas. He is praised in strong relation to Mithra and Rashnu, and in fact the three stand on the Chinvad Bridge to judge passing souls.
An epithet he shares with Mithra is “tanu-manthra”, “embodying the sacred speech, divine prayers.” (Manthra being the sacred prayer / formula / chant / invocation, c.f. Skt. Mantra.)
One (Sraosha) is Mental Clarity, the other (Aeshma) is Mental Distortion.
We also can compare Sraosha (from IIr root *sru-) to a Vedic cognate, Shruti. Shruti denotes “that which is heard” (reception of The Divine), and in relation to this, the Hindu Saints believe that when the Vedas were revealed, the ancient Rishis/priests “saw the Mantra” itself (which I can connect to Sraosha, whose body is the Manthra!).
