*mitra (Proto-Indo-Iranian, nominative *mitras) was an important Indo-Iranian divinity. Following the prehistoric cultural split of Indian and Iranian cultures, names descended from *mitra were used for the following religious entities: Mitra (Sanskrit ), a deity (asura) who appears frequently in the ancient Indian text of the Rigveda. Mithra (Avestan Mi?ra-, Mi?r?), a yazata mentioned in the Zoroastrian sacred scripture of the Avesta, whose modern Persian equivalent is Mehr.