The Religions Book

96

We concentrate our minds

upon the most radiant

light of the Sun god, who

sustains the Earth, the

Interspace and the Heavens.

Gayatri Mantra

Rig-Veda

new tradition, religious rituals
and sacrifices were considered
important, because they were
thought to maintain the order of
the cosmos. They also ensured
that participants understood their
place within that order and
aligned themselves with it.
Sacrifice was the primary rite
of the Vedic tradition. It was a
symbolic reenactment of the
creation of the world and invoked
deities who represented either
universal qualities, or different
features of the one, true reality. It
was through this worship that a
human fulfilled the most important
of human tasks: forging a link to
the divine. The ritual sacrifice was
believed not only to provide a
connection to the invisible realm,
but also to establish the right
ordering of things. In exchange for
the sacrifice, a human might obtain
protection from evil forces and
accrue worldly benefits—such as
better crops, good weather, robust
health, and increased happiness.
Sacrifice in this context simply
meant making an offering to the
gods, generally of food or drink.

Fire was an essential part

of any sacrificial ritual; fire was

thought to exist in both heaven and

earth, and thus have a divine

power that could reach the gods.

As the Vedic religion developed

it became important that the

sacrifices were performed by

the right people (the Brahmin

class) and in exactly the correct

form. Details of the hymns to

recite and actions to perform

were carefully prescribed.

Sacrificial ground needed to be

carefully prepared in a particular

area as recommended by the

ritualistic literature of the Vedas.

The texts also specified the right

wood needed to light the sacrificial

fire, and the type of vessel required

to hold the sacrificial offering (huti).

Priests were expected to feed the

sacrificial fire with offerings that

might include ghee, cereal, fruit,

or flowers, while chanting hymns

from the Vedas.

The sacrifice also needed to be

performed on an auspicious date. It

might be an offering to a particular

god or goddess, but especially

favored were Agni, Varuna, and

A RATIONAL WORLD

Indra. Agni is the god of fire; his

most important role is to manifest

as the fire that burns on the

sacrificial altar, destroying any

demons who may attempt to

disrupt the sacrifice. Varuna, the

god of the sky, water, and celestial

ocean, is also the guardian of rta—

the cosmic order. He is the most

prominent god of the Rig-Veda

(the ritual book of the Vedas),

responsible for separating night

and day. He is believed to have

created the waters, to prevent the

rivers and oceans from overflowing,

and to sustain the universe. Indra,

the god of thunder, rain, and war,

is known for his indulgence in

soma, a sacrificial drink (see below);

securing his goodwill is considered

essential—he is locked in an

eternal struggle against the forces

of chaos and nonexistence, and

it is his efforts that separate and

support heaven and earth.

Gods as aspects of order

As Hinduism developed, the Aryan

gods of the Vedas were joined and

in many cases superseded by

others. Minor Vedic gods were also

The drink of the gods

The ritual drink soma appears

in the Vedas and the sacred

texts of Zoroastrianism, the

ancient Persian religion, which,

like Hinduism, has its roots

in very early Aryan cultures.

Produced by pressing the juice

from certain plants, it had

intoxicating, possibly stimulant

and hallucinogenic properties.

The Rig-Veda describes it as

“King Soma,” proclaiming: “We

have drunk soma and become

immortal: we have attained the

light the Gods discovered.” It

was prepared by priests as an

offering to the gods in order that

its energizing properties might

assist and inspire them, although

it seems likely that the priests

themselves also partook.

Fly agaric (Amanita muscari)

or psilocybin mushrooms may

have been the source of soma;

both are common inducers of

trance in shamanic rituals.

Marijuana and ephedra have

also been proposed, the latter

for its highly stimulating effects,

consistent with descriptions

of the god Indra downing soma

as a preparation for battle.