The Rig Veda: An Anthology

Soma, the sacred drink of ancient Indian mythology and ritual, was prepared by crushing the leaves or stalks of the Soma plant in wooden bowls with a stone and filtering the extracted liquid through a woolen sieve. The Soma juice was diluted with water, mixed with milk, and then offered to the gods and drunk by the male participants of the Soma ritual. Drinking Soma produces an exhilarating feeling of power or immortality, and like Agni, Soma exists in the Rig Veda as both a physical substance and a god. Richly figurative and metaphorical language describes the preparation of Soma, the subject of many Vedic hymns. This chapter contains 10 hymns describing Soma’s form, effects, and mythology.

In hymn 8.79, the poet praises King Soma as a fierce protector and credits him with many powers: “He covers the naked and heals all who are sick,” and has the power to “drive out of the sky and the earth the evil deed of the enemy” (121). The poet implores Soma not to terrify or enrage the worshipper with the furor of his energy, acknowledging the destructive potential the god harbors alongside his miraculous gifts.