This is an artist's depiction of Soma.
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Windows to the Universe original image
Soma
According to Hinduism, every part of the
cosmos is seen as an action of a
god. Time is the endless repetition of the same long cycle where gods, demons
and heroes repeat their mythological actions. In Hindu
mythology, Soma represents
the god of the Moon. He rides through the sky in a chariot drawn by white horses.
Soma was also the name of the elixir of immortality that only the gods can drink.
The Moon was thought to be the storehouse of the elixir. When the gods drink soma,
it is said that the Moon wanes because the gods are drinking away some of its
properties. Some people think that the Moon is inhabited by a hare. That is why all hares are viewed as incarnations of Soma.
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