8. Drinks and Juices

The sensation of thirst is the psychological correlate of the metabolic functions of water. In direct importance drink comes next to air and before food. Thus in social psychology drink has played a more important part than food, especially since the primitive discoveries of formentation and distillation made alcohol a constituent of drinkables. After being weaned from his mother's milk man finds a natural drink in water. But as experimentation in food-material proceeded, the sensation of thirst was supplemented by the sense of taste. The resulting complex sense of drink was satisfied by a series of discoveries which

I 412 gave to drinkables certain properties both of food and of drugs.6 Amrta:- In the Rv. Amrta is not found as a name of a divine drink. The term Amrta occurs as an attribute of Soma 7 which was regarded as a divine drink. The term Amrta signiIying a celestial drink occurs in the S.Br.8 In the Br. P, Amrta occurs as a divine drink and its recovery by gods is also referred to (106.30), (93.17). Soma and Sura:- Soma and Sura constituted the principal drinks of the Rgvedic Aryans.9 Soma was probably a sacrificial drink and it must have originally been a popular 10 drinks also, popular drink. drink of gods. did not behave righteously and did not perform sacrifices, the gods did not get the share of Soma (4.32). One who sells Soma is said to suffer in the Rudhirandha hell (22.22). Elsewhere the Somavikrayan is included among the Pariktidusaka brahmins (220.132). A seller of Soma and a drinker of Soma are stated to fall down from the status of their high birth but with the Rgvedic people Sura was a more The Brahma Purana also refers to Soma as a sacrificial Thus it is said that han as king Vena ad 6 ERE, Vol. V, P.72. 7 Macdonell, HSL. 98 8 SBW. 26. 385 (n). ibid. 43. 251. ff. 9 Das, A.C.: Rgvedic Culture, P. 208 ff. 10 CHI. 1.102.

413 (223.29,30). To drink Sura is considered to be an evil and it is stated that one who drinks Sura suffers in hell (22.9). Balarama had great fondness for Madira and once being intoxicated he dragged the river Yamuna with his plough (A.198). In the Bhavisyakathana it is said that people would be addicted to Madya. (230.7). 11 Honey was used with food by the Rgvedic Indians. The Brahma Purana states that one who gives in dana either Madhu or something mixed with Madhu bears endless merits (220.30). Among the other drinks Iksurasa and Gorasa seem to be popular (47.45). The Matsyandi and Phanita (the inspissated juice of sugar cane and other plants) are also referred (220.159-161). The juice of the Jambu tree flows through the Jambudvipa and it removes diseases and old age. The Jambu fruits are as big as elephants (18.24-28). When the sinners are dragged in the Yamaloka they crave for fragrant drinks (215.30,31). A yogin who drinks water mixed with milk gets strength (238. 44). Takra (Gujarati Chasa) is also referred to as an item of food for a yogin (234.6). The seven great oceans are said to consist of Lavana, Iksu, Sura, Sarpis, Dadhi, Dugdha and Jala (18.12). 11 Das A.C., Op.Cit., P. 206.