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In these Vedic texts, Soma is praised as the lord of plants and forests; the king of rivers and earth; and the father of the gods. The entire Mandala 9 of the Rigveda is dedicated to Soma, both the plant and the deity. [16] The identification of Soma as a lunar deity in the Vedic texts is a controversial topic among scholars. [9]
The most important myth about Soma is about his theft. In it, Soma was originally held captive in a citadel in heaven by the archer Kṛśānu. A falcon stole Soma, successfully escaping Kṛśānu, and delivered Soma to Manu, the first sacrificer. Additionally, Soma is associated with the moon in the late Rigveda and Middle Vedic period.
The god, the drink, and the plant probably referred to the same entity, or at least the difference was ambiguous. In this aspect, soma is similar to the Greek ambrosia (cognate to amrita); it is what the gods drink and what makes them deities. Indra and Agni are portrayed as consuming Soma in copious
The most prominent deity is Indra; Agni the sacrificial fire and messenger of the gods; and Soma, the ritual drink dedicated to Indra, are additional principal deities. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Deities by prominence
The Pavamana Mantra (pavamāna meaning "being purified, strained", historically a name of Soma), also known as pavamāna abhyāroha (abhyāroha, lit. "ascending", being an Upanishadic technical term for "prayer" [1]) is an ancient Indian mantra introduced in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.3.28.) [2] [3] [4]
The text of the hymn is taken from a longer poem, "The Brewing of Soma". The poem was first published in the April 1872 issue of The Atlantic Monthly . [ 2 ] Soma was a sacred ritual drink in Vedic religion , going back to Proto-Indo-Iranian times (ca. 2000 BC), possibly with hallucinogenic properties.
Soma is associated with the warrior-god Indra, and appears to have been drunk before battle. For these reasons, there are stimulant (ephedrine-like) plants as well as entheogenic plants among the candidates that have been suggested. Soma is also often associated with light and Indra is the "Lord of Light" as shown in "RV 8.82.25".
Its first occurrence is in the Rigveda, where it is considered one of several synonyms for soma, the drink of the devas. [2] Amrita plays a significant role in the Samudra Manthana, and is the cause of the conflict between devas and asuras competing for amrita to obtain immortality. [3] Amrita has varying significance in different Indian religions.