6 Notes a apama somam amrta abhumaganma jyotir avidama devan In ancient times Soma was pressed in almost every temple of the Deva kingdom, using the Linga (or Lingam), a heavy stone-mill. According to the legends, it was their only trump in the long conflict with the Asura. Big Soma factories like Vijayanagar (earlier Matanga) produced millions of doses in average 3-5 harvests per year. Soon Soma became an inner-political instrument. Statues and reliefs showing ingredients or the making of were destroyed, the recipe was only known to the highest Dravid priests. Reforms · Criticism Part of a series on In Western literature Soma often refers to some form of intoxicating drug; it is also the brand name of the prescription muscle relaxant Carisoprodol. 4 Candidates for the Soma plant Karma · Samsara In the Hom yast of the Avesta, the Yazata (divine) Haoma appears to Zoroaster "at the time of pressing" (havani ratu) in the form of a beautiful man. Yasna 9.1 and 9.2 exhort him to gather and press Haoma plants. Haoma's epitheta include "the Golden-Green One" (zairi-, Sanskrit hari-), "righteous" (asavan-), "furthering righteousness" (asa-vazah-), and "of good wisdom" (hu.xratu-, Sanskrit sukratu-). See also: Chandra In Hindu art, the god Soma was depicted as a bull or bird, and sometimes as an embryo, but rarely as an adult human. In Hinduism, the god Soma evolved into a lunar deity.