Xrôshtag and Padvâxtag (Xrà Âà ¡tag and PadvÃÂxtag) are a pair of Manichaean divinities, always depicted together, who serve as the personifications of the words "call" and "answer". The call is uttered from above by the "living spirit", and is answered from below by the man who wishes to be saved.
In Manichaean cosmology, The "Call" issued by Xrà Âà ¡tag represents the salvific initiative of the Living SpiritâÂÂa divine entity sent to rescue the trapped light in the material worldâÂÂreaching out to the soul with an invitation toward redemption. This divine act reflects a core dualistic principle in Manichaean doctrine: the divine Light actively seeks to awaken the imprisoned soul in Darkness through spiritual messaging. Xrà Âà ¡tag in this nature is a hypostatic figure, indicating that the divine intention to save is a constant presence in the cosmological structure.
The "Answer" in this dynamic thus symbolizes the awakening of gnosis in the believerâÂÂthe recognition of divine origin and the will to return to it. This reciprocal structure elevates the salvific process to the culimation of a dialogical exchange: salvation here, in Manichaeism, is not imposed but offered and chosen, reinforcing the faithâÂÂs emphasis on individual enlightenment and self-realization. The mutual presence of these two divinities in iconography and texts emphasizes the necessary synergy of divine outreach and human assent for liberation from material bondage.