DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0381
Soma-sacriftces.
369
first the flesh of slaughtered animals, and secondly the juice
of the Soma plant {Asclepias Adda) often mentioned before.
At one time all kinds of animals were sacrificed, as, for ex-
ample, horses (see p. 329), but in the end a goat was usually
selected. Parts of the flesh were burned in the fire as
offerings to the gods, and parts were eaten by the priests.
But the great central act of the whole ceremony was the
presentation of the exhilarating Soma-juice to the gods, some
of it being poured out for the deities and some being drunk
by the performers and institutors of the sacrifice. This was
done on the fifth day at the morning, midday, and evening
libations (savana). In fact the animal sacrifice, though it
preceded the Soma-libation, was really subordinate to it.
The idea seems to have been that the sacrificer killed the
animal instead of sacrificing himself; and as the body of the
animal when sacrificed in the fire was borne upwards to
the gods, so did the sacrificer—represented by the animal—
ascend to the skies. It was only after he had been thus
admitted to the society of the gods in heaven that he be-
came fit to quaff the divine beverage and to become one
with the heavenly king Soma himself.
Indeed this purifying and invigorating juice, supposed
to confer physical strength and to make the heart of men
and gods glad, came to be regarded as the water of life—
the nectar which purified soul and body and conferred
immortality. It was then itself personified and deified. The
god Soma was the Bacchus of India, and the fermented
juice of the Soma plant was in ancient times to the Indian
community very much what the juice of the grape was to
the Greeks and Romans (compare p. 12). Happily for
Indian households, the drinking of stimulating liquor has
never been permitted except at special religious ceremonials.
So much for the religious life of the Brahman householder
in ancient times.
Bb
369
first the flesh of slaughtered animals, and secondly the juice
of the Soma plant {Asclepias Adda) often mentioned before.
At one time all kinds of animals were sacrificed, as, for ex-
ample, horses (see p. 329), but in the end a goat was usually
selected. Parts of the flesh were burned in the fire as
offerings to the gods, and parts were eaten by the priests.
But the great central act of the whole ceremony was the
presentation of the exhilarating Soma-juice to the gods, some
of it being poured out for the deities and some being drunk
by the performers and institutors of the sacrifice. This was
done on the fifth day at the morning, midday, and evening
libations (savana). In fact the animal sacrifice, though it
preceded the Soma-libation, was really subordinate to it.
The idea seems to have been that the sacrificer killed the
animal instead of sacrificing himself; and as the body of the
animal when sacrificed in the fire was borne upwards to
the gods, so did the sacrificer—represented by the animal—
ascend to the skies. It was only after he had been thus
admitted to the society of the gods in heaven that he be-
came fit to quaff the divine beverage and to become one
with the heavenly king Soma himself.
Indeed this purifying and invigorating juice, supposed
to confer physical strength and to make the heart of men
and gods glad, came to be regarded as the water of life—
the nectar which purified soul and body and conferred
immortality. It was then itself personified and deified. The
god Soma was the Bacchus of India, and the fermented
juice of the Soma plant was in ancient times to the Indian
community very much what the juice of the grape was to
the Greeks and Romans (compare p. 12). Happily for
Indian households, the drinking of stimulating liquor has
never been permitted except at special religious ceremonials.
So much for the religious life of the Brahman householder
in ancient times.
Bb