From: Patrick Ryan
Message: 41780
Date: 2005-11-06
----- Original Message -----
From: "mkelkar2003" <smykelkar@...>
To: <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 10:26 AM
Subject: [tied] Re: Proto Vedic Continuity Theory of Bharatiya (Indian)
Langauges
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel J. Milton" <dmilt1896@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "mkelkar2003" <smykelkar@...> wrote:
> >
> > > All the Rig Vedic flora and fauna are indigenous to the Indian
> > > subcontinent (Lal 2005).
> > > M. kelkar
> > >
> > If you can state that so confidently, then you must have the
> > answer to a much-debated question.
> > What was soma?
> > Dan Milton
>
> Soma does not refer to a particular variety of plant. It means nectar
> or essence or the gist to be offered to the Gods. That Soma is a
> particular plant with hallucinogenic property is a dubious assumption.
>
> M. kelkar
***
Patrick:
Frankly, I find the last remark absolutely incredible.
Whatever it was, só:ma was certainly something quite specific.
Whether it was from a 'magic mushroom' or 'fermented juice' of some fruit
(wild pears are a good possibility).
If we look at Bharati culture, the only drug that seems to be in general
disfavor is alcohol. And, of course, só:ma is no longer in evidence either.
I suspect the Indo-Aryan speakers were users of alcohol; and the population
they came into were, like Native Americans, were genetically incapable of
handling it.
Temperance among this population would have had great chances of succeeding.
***