Rashnu is the Zoroastrian deity who weighs the soul’s deeds on the Chinvat Bridge.
In Zoroastrian afterlife tradition, the soul faces judgment after death while crossing the Chinvat Bridge, the passage separating the world of the living from the next world. Rashnu, whose name is associated with justice and rectitude, holds a spiritual balance and weighs good and evil deeds impartially.
Rashnu is part of a judging group rather than the bridge’s only guardian. Mithra and Sraosha are also associated with the tribunal, and Sraosha is described in later tradition as guiding the soul toward judgment. This explains a common mix-up: Mithra is strongly linked with covenants and justice, but Rashnu is the figure specifically identified with holding the scales.
The soul’s fate reflects its moral record, especially the Zoroastrian ideal of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. A righteous soul crosses safely, while a wicked soul cannot pass the bridge.