Soma

Soma
   Soma was a divine, intoxicating drink favored by INDRA, king of the gods, according to the Vedas. It was made from a celestial plant taken to Earth by an eagle and was said to confer immortality on gods and humans. BRAHMIN priests in Vedic times oversaw its preparation, offered it to the gods, and drank it themselves at their rituals. The drink was used in such quantities that the YAJUR VEDA includes a chant to alleviate the effects of exces-sive Soma drinking.
   Soma was most used by the priests of the SAMA VEDA. A majority of hymns in the Sama Veda itself praise the Soma, personified as a god. In fact, Soma is said to have inspired the composition of Vedic hymns. The drink is said to be sweet and milky. Various attempts have been made to identify the Soma plant. Today it is the name of a vine that does not appear to have intoxicating properties.
   The Vedic god Soma acts as the husband of the dawns, supports the Earth and sky, and makes the Sun light up. In late Vedic times Soma was con-nected to the Moon. In modern Hindu mythology Soma is the Moon god and the lord of all plants. Scholars identify the beverage Soma with the Haoma, which was also offered to the gods in the Avesta, the scripture of the ancient Persians.
   Further reading: Alfred Hillebrandt, Vedic Mythology. Translated from the German by Sreeramula Rajeswara Sarma. Vol. 1 (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990); J. Stevenson, trans., Translation of the Samhita of the Sama Veda (Varanasi: Indological Book House, 1961); David Stophlet and Martin Schwartz, Haoma and Harmaline: The Botanical Identity of the Indo-Iranian Sacred Hal-lucinogen “Soma” and Its Legacy in Religion, Language, and Middle-Eastern Folklore (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989).

Encyclopedia of Hinduism. . 2007.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • soma — soma …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Soma — (Sanskrit: ), or Haoma (Avestan), from Proto Indo Iranian * sauma , was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo Iranians, and the later Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, which contains many… …   Wikipedia

  • SOMA — (von griechisch σῶμα soma „Körper“) bezeichnet in Biologie und Medizin: den Körper einer Zelle, siehe Soma (Zellbiologie) Körperzellen, die nicht zu den Keimzellen zählen, siehe Somatische Zelle den Leib oder Körper des Menschen im Gegensatz zu… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Soma — puede significar: En biología: soma: planta psicotrópica de India. soma: droga fantástica consumida por los personajes de la novela Un mundo feliz, de Aldous Huxley. soma: el cuerpo de una neurona. soma: totalidad de la materia corporal de un… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Soma — bezeichnet: in Biologie und Medizin (hier von griechisch σῶμα soma „Körper“): Soma (Zellbiologie), den Körper einer Zelle Somazellen, Körperzellen, die nicht zu den Keimzellen zählen; siehe Somatische Zelle den Leib oder Körper des Menschen im… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • soma — [ sɔma ] n. m. • 1892; gr. sôma « corps » ♦ Biol. 1 ♦ L ensemble des lignées cellulaires non sexuelles de l organisme (opposé à germen ). ⇒aussi hérédité. 2 ♦ Corps cellulaire du neurone. ● soma …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • SOMA — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sōma — shi 相馬市 Geographische Lage in Japan …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • soma (1) — {{hw}}{{soma (1)}{{/hw}}s. f. 1 Carico posto sulla groppa di un quadrupede | Bestia da –s, atta al trasporto di carichi; (fig.) chi si sottopone a un lavoro eccessivo e sfibrante. 2 (fig., lett.) Onere morale. 3 (fig., lett.) Oppressione, spec.… …   Enciclopedia di italiano

  • şoma — ŞOMÁ, şomez, vb. I. intranz. A nu avea, a nu găsi de lucru; a fi şomer. – Din fr. chômer. Trimis de LauraGellner, 01.05.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  şomá vb., ind. prez. 1 sg. şoméz, 3 sg. şi …   Dicționar Român

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”