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Friday, January 22, 2010

HOAMA, the elexir of Immortality

Hoama (Sk. Soma),  is that divine immortalizing juice of ecstasy (Ra-fedra), of fervor for the Divinity. In line with the dual imagery of the Avesta, hoama is said to be concealed in the growths of earth, in the waters of existence; & even here in our physical being. It has to be squeezed out with conscientious, hard effort and offered to Ahura Mazda; for in this ritual we mimic the relevance of selfless actions to conquer all opposition
Zarathushtra himself, was preparing for a Hoama  sacrifice when he received his first inspiration.


From the Atarsh Neyash: “Aesmo Zasto, Baresmo Zasto, Gao zasto, Havano Zasto”.


It complements the path of Vohu Mano (the Path of Love & Devotion) transforming the devotees' love for an abstract Godhead, into actionable Love of Humanity & all creations.


This is the inner meaning of performing all actions in the name of Ahu, the Immortal Creator of all Life. Vohu mano’s supreme gift-LOVE, comes only to those who have achieved the transformation of worship of the Creator, into Love of all of God’s creation.







This pathway of Love, is the path of Sav-angha 
For Ahura Mazda, who commands (not demands) our Love & Affection, is to be loved along the whole spectrum of Love one is capable of feeling:
The love of a Friend, a Sibling (sister/brother), a Parent (father, mother), a Child (son, daughter) or Spouse (husband, wife) - For he is to the devotee, one in all, one & all & all in all.



The term Sev-ishta in the Gathas & its cognate Sav-angha seen in the Havan Geh invocation, both referring to Hoama, & its liturgy involving squeezing the juice out of its stems are derived from the root ‘Sav/Sev”.
The complementary meanings are:
That which enables one to be in communion with the lord, 
That which binds (through love), 
That which is contrived (method/procedure). 


This is mysticism, Holy Communion. It is in these different senses that the word has been used in the Gathas, & on the physical plane of wearing & tying our kusti. 


Cognate words such as Ut-sav (festivity), Aa-sav (elixir) or Sav-n (pressing of soma/homa leaves for juice) all of which are associated with delight & ecstasy.




From Atash Neyash: Khvarenangho Savangho Mazda-dhatahe
That Royal, radiant, Purifying Hoama, instituted by Mazda.


Thriving mainly in the cool mountainous climes of  ancient Greater Khorasan, (see Balkh-Margiana Archeological Complex), traditionally the highly conservative Zarathushtis of Yazd (Iran),  use Ephedra (genus Ephedra), known locally as hum or homa, & have been exporting them to their co-religionists in India.   



According to researchers the Hoama/Soma priests can be described accurately as "Millers & Smiths". Ephedra shrubs, on being burnt, produce a reducing atmosphere (better than regular wood charcoal), suitable for smelting metals such as gold & copper from their ores (which was what Balkh was famous for). I believe this is the genesis of our temples using silver strands of wire instead of bound stems of an actual creeper plant in the Bareshma ceremonies.



According to David Frawley[1] :
 “Euchrist, the Christian Greek for the holy sacrament is derived from Vedic Su-haritas. Thus when Christ says at the last communion that “this is my body”, the actual Greek term for body being “Soma”, (Avestic Hoama) the vedic God of Immortal wine & nectar. Frawley therefore considers the last communion to be the Christian modification of the soma sacrifise, & the medieval search for the holy grail, reflecting the search for the ancient soma challis, the vessel in which the immortal soma was held & from which it could be partaken of, to achieve immortality.”








In the Vedas (IX.68.7) we find a complementary extrapolation of Yasna 44.18 (See the blog on Spiritual Quest), detailing how the ritual of squeezing Soma (Hoama) out of Ephedra stems, with diligince & devotion is intristically aligned to the goal of self realization.







 “The Ten maidens (senses) are purified when your stems are diligently pressed, O Soma, as you are also held by the thoughts & insights of the seers. Through atomic points &  invocations that purify, as you are held, reveal to us the energetic path to self realization".





Verethreghna (Behram Yazad) is closely associated with Haoma and the preparation of this “Elixir of Immortality".


However, whereas Hoama is considered a divine nectar, the ambrosia evolving-purifying mortality into immortality; we find that the Rigveda is focused on the processing of Soma in the context of acquisition of material wealth & Indra (the reigning deity at that time) consuming huge amounts of Soma (Hoama). It is here that Hoama, said to produce spiritual intoxication (rafedra- bliss) in the devotee; takes on a degenerative modification, becoming a producer of physical intoxication, possibly through mixing with poppy seeds & other similar hallucinogens. Thus when later sections of the Vedas dispensed with Indra (& his might is right philosophy), it dispensed with Soma (Hoama) too.


Based on this negative transformation under Indra, some Avesta translators went further  trying to sever Hoama's connection from the message of Zarathushtra.







An example is the word “Muthrem” that has been wrongly, mischeviously & maliciously translated by some translators as urine,  to show Hoama in poor light. 
However, according to Dr Stanley Insler (The Gathas of Zarathushtra, Dr Stanley Insler, 1975, P290-291).
 “Two things stand in the way of   interpreting this word as urine. The word means solid excretement & “Maresma” is the word for urine in the Avesta. “Therefore I attribute the word to the root “mu”, to be deluded, foolish, appearing as “mura”,  dumb; & posit, therefore the meaning “Folly” for “muthra”.”




Yasna 48.10.
Kadaa Mazda maa Naroish-Naro Vesantey, 
Kadaa Ajain Muthrem aah-hyaa mada-hyaa
Yaa Angra-yaa Kara-paa-no Uroopa-yenti , 
Yaa chaa shratu dushey-kshthro Dakhyu-naam

When , O Mazda, shall I attain that unending prosperity of self realization,

When will I be able to expunge (remove) this
hideous folly from our community 
Of  surrendering their ability to reason; of being Blind & Deaf to the Truth, to Reality,

Which is how the degenerate & destructive rulers ensure submission & conformance from the naive & the trusting.










[1] Gods, Sages & Kings, Vedic Secrets of ancient Civilization. David Frawley.







2 comments:

zaneta said...

very interesting and very inspiring to read, i was quite fascinated with the link to Haoma and the Christian Holy Communion, the scholar RC Zaehner saw a connection between the Haoma ceremony and the Christian Communion as well-THANKS so much for the historical information also.

nasaquasmaya said...

again very interesting link between christian and soma - in the divine liturgy (nessessian) christ is sheethed in light perhaps that is part due to his soma experiences.