Soma & Vaisnavism

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhakta Eduard,

Pamho. AgtSP.

 

> > I was wondering about the soma plant. [...] Is there regulations in any

> > vaisnava sampradayas against drinking soma?

> The most significant - and rather natural - regulation that I know of is

> that the soma plant has not yet been definitely identified.

 

That is true; as far as my understanding goes soma is not manifest during

Kaliyuga (although I am not able to back this up from scripture). However,

there was a time when soma was manifest and identified and at that time

there were also vaisnavas present. I was just curious as to know if there

were any vaisnava regulations regarding soma. Actually I would be surprised

if I found that there was. The Supreme Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita

(9.20) that "Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the

heavenly planets, worship me indirectly." Here soma is strongly linked with

karma-kanda and thus not in line with vaisnava philosophy which aims for

transcendence. Still, there could be some negative injunctions regarding

soma.

 

 

> Once this has

> been achieved, you may hire a bunch of virgins plucking the leaves of that

> plant in the pale moon-light (or was it during new moon?).

 

That is interesting. Do you have a reference that it is the leaves they

pick? I am asking because the Rg Veda describes that it is the stalk which

is pressed during the soma sacrifice:

 

"Strong, mountain-born, the stalk [of the soma plant] hath been pressed in

the streams for rapturous joy: Hawk-like he settles in his home."

(Rg Veda 9.62.4)

 

 

> Don't ask me

> for the further steps of its preparation, but please do inform me once you

> managed to start your first soma plantation, I believe I'll be a good

> cutsomer ...

 

Maybe I will give such a project a miss :-)

 

 

> > Has soma ever been used in some forms of deity worship?

> As far as I know it's for an elevated consciousness of the priests and

> other participants during a yajna. I can't imagine any Deity would really

> need this!?

 

Well, I guess ultimately any Deity does not really need anything. However,

a certain type of worship is desired by the Deity and the devotees carry out

this worship as nicely as possible. As such I cannot see any problem with

soma having been a part of some sort of Deity worship. However, as you, I

would be surprised to find that it was (seeing the connection between soma

and karma-kanda).

 

I hope this meets you well.

 

Your servant,

Thakura-seva dasa