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 being a
manifestation of an underlying divinity. Time is conceived as 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 is depicted riding 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 divine storehouse of the
elixir. Since the elixir was an intoxicating drink, the god Soma was
also associated with drunkenness.
When the gods drink soma, it is said that
the Moon wanes because the gods are consuming its immortal 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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