Wine (alcoholic drinks)

Wine is a kind of juice used as a drink, which is being used from ancient times. It was also popular among the gods. Specially god Indra is fond of wine (soma) because of which he is called somapā. In the present times also wine is found to be used regularly or irregularly by a section of people. Besides these, the discussions about several juices, the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa includes various types of alcoholic (wine) drinks which are known by various names, viz.

Āsava—

It is one kind of alcohol, made by the Tāla tree.^[1] In the Rāmāyaṇa it is stated that women of Laṅkā took āsava along with sugar^[2] . Āsava is referred to in the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa in the context of describing the result of stealing some thing. Here it is stated that stealing a save the sinner becomes a Tittiri bird.^[3]

Madya—

In the 16 th chapter of the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa sage Dattatreya drank wine (madya) with his living partner Kamīnī to show the other sages.^[4] Sage Dattātreya himself said that he drank strong wine (madya).^[5] In the episode of Dattātreya, king Arjuna, Kṛtavarya’s son worshiped Dattātreya by offering the preparations of rice i.e. madya.^[6] In the same episode it is quoted that whoever worshiped Dattātreya with laxmi with strong drink (madya), then Dattātreya will give blessings to the person.^[7] Again in the story of Kuvalayāśa, Madālasa was giving knowledge to Alarka about rajadharma [rājadharma?] that madya is recognized as the enemy of the rajadharma^[8] and madya is the reason for ruins for a king.^[9] In the story of killing the demon Mahiṣūsura, goddess Caṇḍikā is seen to drink madya when she was angry.^[10] We find references of madya in some other works also like the Manusmṛti, the Arthaśāstra etc.^[11]

Pāna—

In the second chapter of Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, demon Vidyutrūpa took pāna (wine) with his wife.^[12] In the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, after drinking pāna (wine) Balarāma held the beautiful apsarā Revatī by her hand and went to the prosperous garden of Raivata.^[13]

Surā—

It is a kind of spirituous liquor. Sūra is condemned in the Brāhmaṇa texts. According to the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, soma is truth, prosperity and light. On the other hand, surā is untruth, misery and darkness.^[14] The Mahābhārata also mentioned surā drink.^[15] In the Rāmāyana, Sītā offers thousand pots of surā to the goddess Ganga.^[16] In the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, Sage Dattātreya thought that other sages would not look at him if he drank wine (surā) with a lady.^[17] The sages discussed that just like the wind residing in the house of an outcaste, sage Dattātreya is not impure after drinking wine (surā).^[18] In the same chapter, sage Dattātreya drank liquor (surā) with his wife laxmi.^[19] In the chapter of Devimahatmya, Kuvera gave the goddess a drinking cup, which was full of surā.^[20] In the chapter 112, Sudeva, admits that he drank surā^[21] and in the conversation between Kripavati and sage Agasty’s brother, sage Agasty’s brother told that surā was an impure drink.^[22]

Soma—

This is a kind of wine which is mostly found in ancient Indian literature. In the Ṛgveda, the hymns of praising soma for the purification of soma are found.^[23] In the Ṛgvedic age soma was known as sacrificial drink. The Matsyapurāṇa explained about the soma drink where king Dharmartha drunk the soma,^[24] where it is also mentioned that on the occasion of śrāddha ceremony the soma drink is used.^[25] In the 7th chapter of Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, the gods i.e. Ganesha, Sūrya, Viṣṇu and Śiva and goddess Durga discussed about the soma juice.^[26] In the shatrajit’s sacrifice ceremony, lord Indra became satisfied after drinking soma juice.^[27] Also in the story of Marutta’s lord Indra was intoxicated with soma juice.^[28]

Vāruṇi—^[29]

It is one kind of alcohol^[30] The Rāmāyana mentions vāruṇi drink.^[31] According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa, when the ocean was churned by the gods and the demons, vāruni came out from the milky ocean in the form of a lady.^[32] In the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, sages did not give up sage Dattatreya even though he drank varuni with a woman.^[33]

In the sixth chapter of the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa Baladeva drank wine before resorting to pilgrimage.^[34] In the puranic time, the kings and queens were patronised to drink the alcohol carefully. For example, king Uttama, offered the best wine to his queen.^[35] The use of wine is also seen amongst the Nagas and certain divinities. For example, king Ṛtadhvaja, a Nāga king Aśvatara and his two sons also enjoying wine.^[36] The use of alcoholic drink in worship is also found to be expressed through different myths of gods and goddesses. The drinking of alcohol is frequently mentioned with lord Dattātreya^[37] , who is referred to have indulged in wine in order to test the loyalty of young sages. In the context of Dattātreya worship, the offering of madya is also described.^[38] At the time of fighting with demon Mahiṣa, the Devi also drank pāna (wine).^[39] It is also stated that a Brahmin dealing in soma is not to be invited at the śrāddha dinner.^[40]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

.....surāṃ āsavañca tālādimadyaṃ / Śrīdhara Svāmī

[2]:

Rāmāyaṇa, Sundarakāṇḍa, 9.56; 11.22; Kumārasambhava, 4.12

[3]:

ā savaṃ corayitvā tu tittiritvamavāpnuyāt // Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 15.24 b

[4]:

Ibid., 16.114

[5]:

Ibid., 16.149

[6]:

Ibid., 17.2

[7]:

Ibid., 17.11

[8]:

Ibid., 24.14

[9]:

Ibid., 24.16

[10]:

Ibid., 80.36

[11]:

Manusmṛti, 10.88; 11.94; 11.147; Arthaśāstra. 22

[12]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 2.5; 2.14

[13]:

Ibid., 6.6; 6.7

[14]:

J. Basu, India of the Age of Brahmanas, p. 60

[15]:

Mahābhārata, āśvamedhikaparva, 58.12

[16]:

surāghatasahasreṇa mans bhutadamen cha /
yakshya tvaṃ priyatama devi purīṃ punrupagata // Rāmāyana, ayodhyākāṇḍa, 36.12

[17]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 16.114

[18]:

Ibid., 16.117

[19]:

Ibid., 16.142,151

[20]:

Ibid., 79.29

[21]:

Ibid., 112.5

[22]:

Ibid., 112.18

[23]:

Ṛgveda, cha.9

[24]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 48.93

[25]:

somapā nāma pitoro / Matsyapurāṇa, 15.26; 16.11

[26]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 7.63

[27]:

Ibid, 18.1

[28]:

Ibid, 126.16

[29]:

Ibid, 18.15

[30]:

......vāruni madirā jñeyā paścima dik ca varuni /nānarthasaṃgraha /

[31]:

Rāmāyana, vālakaṇḍa, 45.36-37

[32]:

Bhāgavatapurāṇa, 8.8.30

[33]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 16.116

[34]:

Ibid., 6.6

[35]:

Varāsava, Ibid., 66.11

[36]:

sametyatairātmaja bhūpanandanairmahoragāṇāmadhipaḥ sa satyavāk /
mudo yuto’nnāni madhūni cātmavān yathopajoṣaṃ bubhuje sa bhogabhāk // Ibid., 21.118

[37]:

Ibid., 16.114

[38]:

Ibid., 17.11

[39]:

Ibid., 80.37

[40]:

Ibid., 28.28