A very inane and insane poem was written to me by a French-Lebanese poet entitled “Soma and the Brain”. The poet asks,

What is Soma?

WHHEEEELLLLLL ………….

SINCE YOU ASKED.

Soma is many things both here and there.

Here:

1. It’s women’s intimates apparel.

2. Yes. It’s a muscle relaxer (a.k.a. Carisoprodol).

3. It’s the Student Osteopathic Medical Association.

4. It’s a song by the Smashing Pumpkins.

5. It was written about by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World.

6. It’s San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood.

7. It’s a massage institute in Chicago.

8. Soma, in Greek, means body. The soma of a neuron (nerve cell) is often called the cell body.

There: (taken from Wikipedia)

1. In Hinduism, the god Soma evolved into a lunar deity. The moon is the cup from which the gods drink Soma, and so Soma became identified with the moon god Chandra. A waxing moon meant Soma was recreating himself, ready to be drunk again.

2. Monday is called Somvar in Sanskrit and Sanskritic languages, such as Hindi and Marathi, and alludes to the importance of this god in Hindu spirituality

3. In the Vedas, Soma is portrayed as sacred and as a god (deva). The god, the drink and the plant probably referred to the same entity, or at least the differentiation was ambiguous. In this aspect, Soma is similar to the Greek ambrosia (cognate to amrita); it is what the gods drink, and what made them deities. Indra and Agni are portrayed as consuming Soma in copious quantities. The consumption of Soma by human beings is probably under the belief that it bestowes divine qualities on them.

4. The Ninth Mandala of the Rigveda is known as the Soma Mandala  (!!!!!). It consists entirely of hymns addressed to Soma Pavamana (“purified Soma”). The drink Soma was kept and distributed by the Gandharvas. The Rigveda associates the Sushoma, Arjikiya and other regions with Soma (e.g. 8.7.29; 8.64.10-11). Sharyanavat was possibly the name of a pond or lake on the banks of which Soma could be found.

5. The plant is described as growing in the mountains (giristha, cf. Orestes), with long stalks, and of yellow or tawny (hari) colour. The drink is prepared by priests pounding the stalks with stones, an occupation that creates tapas (literally “heat”). The juice so gathered is mixed with other ingredients (including milk) before it is drunk.

Growing far away, in the mountains, Soma had to be purchased from travelling traders. The plant supposedly grew in the Hindukush and thus it had to be imported to the Punjab region.  Later, knowledge of the plant was lost altogether, and Indian ritual reflects this, in expiatory prayers apologizing to the gods for the use of a substitute plant (e.g. rhubarb) because Soma had become unavailable.

  SOMA