The Asiet Malkia or Asut Malkia[1] ("Salutation of Kings"[2]) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. In the prayer, the reciter wishes health and victory (asuta u-zakutaࡀࡎࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡆࡀࡊࡅࡕࡀ) upon dozens of heavenly and ancestral figures. According to E. S. Drower, it is recited daily by priests and also before all baptisms (masbuta), ritual meals (lofani), and various rites.[3]
The Asiet Malkia is numbered as Prayer 105 in E. S. Drower's version of the Qulasta, which was based on manuscript 53 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 53).[4] Drower's version is shorter than the versions commonly recited by contemporary Mandaean priests.[5]
The formula asuta u-zakuta nhuilkun (ࡀࡎࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡆࡀࡊࡅࡕࡀ ࡍࡄࡅࡉࡋࡊࡅࡍ "health and victory are yours") is recited dozens of times in the prayer before the names of each uthra or set of uthras, Hayyi Rabbi, some of the prophets, and the reciter himself, almost all of whom are addressed as malka (ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ "king").
malki (kings) and ʿutri and indwellers, and flowing waters and outgushings and all the dwellings of the World of Light
The word niṭufta (spelled niṭupta) originally means 'drop' and has sometimes also been translated as 'cloud'. It is also often used as an appellation to refer to the consorts of uthras.[6]