Nice essay on the Vedic verses about the mysterious drink Soma.
My opinion on Soma Yajña is that the ritual is a form of controlled laboratory experiment to perform astronomical calculations. The amount of the juice extracted in the ritual is a measure of some celestial motion.
My opinion on Soma Yajña is that the ritual is a form of controlled laboratory experiment to perform astronomical calculations. The amount of the juice extracted in the ritual is a measure of some celestial motion.
Soma is also used for denoting the moon who travels across the Nakshatras (constellations of stars known as lunar motions). I think the Soma Yajña measured the specific amount of motion that the moon effected in a certain period, as distributed to the Dēvas (stars and planets).
Nakshatras = lunar *mansions
Until this astronomical meaning is decoded, we will not understand this ritual correctly. Jyotisha (astronomy) is a Vedānga, without knowing which, Veda cannot be understood.
Perhaps an entheogen is used for bringing clarity to the mind for calculations, but that is secondary.
Perhaps an entheogen is used for bringing clarity to the mind for calculations, but that is secondary.
Similar to the Soma Yajña, the Aswamedha ritual also had a certain utility for astronomical calculations, whose meaning we unfortunately lost over time. The “Yūpa” object here also shows a container that could be used for measuring.
