Dear Piya,

> sura = "strong" drink
> meraya = stronger than sura (less water?)
> majja = very "dry" liquor (strongest of them all).

Sanskrit sources give further useful information about these:

1. Suraa: liquor distilled esp from fermented barley (Indian whiskey ?).
Known from Vedic times onwards, but its use was frequently condemned.
2. Maireya: a distilled liquor drunk by the upper classes. It was sugar-
or honey-based, flavoured with flowers, to which further sweetening agents,
astringents and pepper was added. This sounds to me more like a kind of
aperitif or liqueur type of drink.
3. Madya: alcoholic drink in general, but esp distilled spirits.

In addition to these, many other alcoholic drinks were known in ancient
India, not all of which were, of course, distilled beverages.

Could it be that the Buddha was primarily condemning the use of distilled
drinks ? One might note that, in Britain, the drinking of beer, ale or
cider was the normal source of liquid intake for many people up until the
early 19th century, even at breakfast time, since "raw" water was too
dangerous for the health. Thus, beer-like drinks were considered to be
healthy and praiseworthy, hardly leading to drunkenness, but spirituous
liquors were condemned though widely drunk by the poor, as per Hogarth's
etchings.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge