Why Soma Juice Is Used In Yaga
You must have heard about soma yaga, in which soma juice is the offering.
Vedic yajnas are mainly of three types based on the nature of the offering:
ishti, pashu, and soma.
In ishti – purodasa made of grains is offered; also ghee, curd.
In pashu – animal sacrifice is there.
In soma yaga, soma juice is offered.
If you look at the moon, you will notice that its size goes on reducing after full moon. On amavasya, moon is completely gone.
But where is it going?
It is getting consumed by the sun. Sun is a big homa kunda in which ahutis of moon are being made – 15 ahutis, each ahuti going to a particular devata. This is a perpetual yajna that goes on in the sky.
Our sages wanted to conduct the same yajna on earth. Wanted to replicate this on earth.
They started looking for an offering that would have property similar to the moon and also it should be a very nourishing food.
They found a creeper that grows and sheds leaves in cycles of 15 days like the waxing and waning moon.
Sushruta Samhita says that all soma plants have exactly fifteen leaves. On purnima it will have fifteen leaves. Then it will shed one leaf per day. On amavasya only the stalk will remain. Again next onwards leaves will start appearing one per day.
सर्वेषामपि सोमानां पत्राणि दशपंच च।
एकैकं जायते पत्रं सोमस्य अहरहस्तदा।
शुक्लस्य पौर्णमास्यां तु भवेत पंचदशच्छदः।
शीर्यते पत्रमेकैकं दिवसे दिवसे पुनः।
कृष्णपक्षक्षये वापि लता भवति केवला।
ओषधीनां पतिं सोममुपयुज्य विचक्षणः।
दशवर्षसहस्राणि नवां धारयते तनुम्॥1॥
Soma rejuvenates the body. It is used for vajeekaranam.
नाग्निर्नतोयं न विषं न शस्त्रं नास्त्रमेव च।
तस्याल मायुः क्षपणे समर्थाश्च भवन्ति हि॥2॥
Someone who drinks soma — fire, water, poison, weapons, harming mantras — they will not be able to touch him.
भद्राणां षष्टिवर्षाणां प्रसूतानामनेकधा।
कुञ्जराणां सहस्रस्य बलं समधिगच्छति॥3॥
He will get the strength of 1000 elephants.
क्षीरोदं शक्रसदनमुत्तरांश्च कुरूनपि।
यत्रेच्छति स गन्तुं वा तत्राप्रतिहता गतिः॥4॥
Nobody will be able to obstruct him.
साङ्गोपाङ्गांश्च निखिलवेदान् विदन्ति तत्वतः।
चरत्यमोघसंकल्पो देववच्चाखिलं जगत्॥5॥
He becomes all-knowing. He successfully achieves whatever he wants.
कन्दर्प इव रूपेण कान्त्या चन्द्र इवापरः।
प्रह्लाद इति भूतानां मनांसि स महाद्युतिः॥6॥
He will become brilliant and handsome.
The 48th sukta of the 8th mandala of Rigveda talks about the properties of soma.
It is tasty, like honey.
It soothes the nerves, calms down, removes anger.
Drinking of amrita leads to immortality — meaning gets one place in swarga. Makes one unconquerable by enemies. This is an expression of the courage that drinking of soma gives.
Drinking of soma increases longevity. It gives firmness of resolve and thoughts. Soma drinker will be well organized in life. His thoughts and actions will be well planned and clear.
Soma, like fire, flares up the drinker — makes him energetic.
Soma gives long life.
Makes one capable of destroying enemies — gives strength and power.
Soma makes every organ of the body function efficiently.
Soma is easy to digest.
Even very old and acute diseases will be cured by drinking soma.
Soma prevents bad dreams.
Veda says it was Gayatri who brought soma to earth from swarga. Just as Gayatri has 24 letters, soma also are 24 varieties.
The original soma was available in Hemakuta, north of Sindhu nadi, in the valleys of Himalayas and was protected by Gandharvas.
But eventually asuras destroyed it completely.
Today we don't have the original soma. Some substitutes such as mandukaparni are used in its place.
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