Vedic Mythology c5.s2.8

c5.s2.8

Soma is sometimes said to stimulate Indra to perform great cosmic actions such as supporting earth and sky or spreading out the earth (2, 15²). But it characteristically exhilerates him to carry out his warlike deeds, the slaughter of the dragon or Vṛtra (2, 15¹. 19²; 6, 47¹. ²⁠) or the conquest of foes (6, 27; 7, 22²; 8, 81⁶). So essential is Soma to Indra that his mother gave it to him or he drank it on the very day of his birth (3, 48²· ³· 329·¹⁰; 6, 40²; 7, 98³). For the slaughter of Vṛtra he drank three lakes⁵ of Soma (5, 29⁷ cp. 6, 17¹¹), and he is even said to have drunk at a single draught thirty lakes of the beverage (8, 66⁴). One entire hymn (10, 119) consists of a monologue in which Indra describes his sensations after a draught of Soma. But just as too much Soma is said to produce disease in men, so Indra himself is described as suffering from excessive indulgence in it and having to be cured by the gods with the Sautrāmaṇī ceremony⁶. Indra also drinks milk mixed with honey⁷ (8, 4⁸).