with it? The medicine has to work on that which causes us to grow old, become weaker and
die.’
Brahaspati smiled. ‘What I told you does have something to do with how we age. Because
as it appears, nature has a sense of humour. The very thing that keeps us alive is also what
causes us to age and eventually die. When oxygen reacts with our food to release energy, it
also releases free radicals called oxidants. These oxidants are toxic as well. When you leave
any fruit out and it goes bad, it’s because it has been “oxidised” or the oxidants have reacted
with it to make it rot. A similar “oxidising process” causes metals to corrode. It happens
especially with the new metal we have discovered — iron. The same thing happens to our body
when we breathe in oxygen. The oxygen helps convert the food we eat into energy. But it also
causes the release of oxidants into our body which start reacting inside us. We rust from the
inside out, and hence age and die.’
‘By the holy god Agni!’ exclaimed Nandi. ‘The very thing that gives us life also slowly kills
us?’
‘Yes,’ said Brahaspati. ‘Think about it. The body tries to store everything that you need from
the outside world to survive. It stores enough food so that even if you don’t eat for a few days
you won’t die. It stocks up on water so that a few days of thirst will not kill you. It seems
logical, right? If your body needs something, it keeps some of it as backup for possible
shortages.’
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Shiva.
‘On the other hand, the body does not store enough oxygen, the most crucial component of
staying alive, to last for more than just a few minutes. It doesn’t make sense at all. The only
explanation can be that the body realises that despite being an elixir, oxygen is also a poison.
Hence it is dangerous to store.’
‘So, what did Lord Brahma do?’ asked Shiva.
‘After a lot of research, Lord Brahma invented the Somras, which when consumed, reacts
with the oxidants, absorbs them and then expels them from the body as sweat or urine.
Because of the Somras, there are no oxidants left in the body’
‘Is that why the sweat released from the body is poisonous the first time after a person
drinks the Somras?’
‘Yes. Your sweat is particularly dangerous the first time after you drink the Somras. Having
said that, remember, sweat and urine released from the body even after a person has drunk
the Somras for years remains toxic. So you have to eject it from the body and make sure that it
does not affect anyone else.’
‘So, that’s why the Meluhans are so obsessed with hygiene.’
‘Yes. That’s why all Meluhans are taught about two things from a young age — water and
hygiene. Water is the cleanest absorber of the effluents that the Somras generates and
excretes as toxins. Meluhans are taught to drink gallons of water. And everything that can be
washed, should be washed! The Meluhans bathe at least twice a day. All ablutions are done in
specific rooms and the waste is carried out by underground drains safely out of the city’
‘Strict hygiene standards!’ smiled Shiva, as he remembered his first day in Kashmir and
Ayurvati’s strong words. ‘What goes into manufacturing the Somras?’
‘Manufacturing the Somras is not without its fair share of difficulties. It requires various
ingredients that are not easily available. For example, the Sanjeevani tree. The empire has
giant plantations to produce these trees. The manufacturing procedure also generates a lot of
singke
(singke)
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