Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t4.12

c5.s3.t4.12

The abode (*sadhastha*) of Soma is often referred to²¹; once, however, mention is made of three, which he occupies when purified (9, 103²), the epithet *triṣadhastha*, 'having three abodes', being also applied to him in another passage (8, 83⁵). These three abodes may already designate the three tubs used at the Soma sacrifice of the later ritual (TS. 3, 2, 1²; KŚS. 9, 5¹⁷. 7⁴; cp. RV. 8, 2⁸); but BERGAIGNE (BRV, 1, 179) regards them as purely mythological. A similar remark applies to the three lakes of Soma which Indra drinks (5, 29⁷·⁸; 6, 17¹¹; 8, 7¹⁰)²². The epithet *tripṛṣṭha*, 'three-backed', is peculiar to Soma. Being applied to the juice at least once (7, 37¹) it probably refers (as Sāyaṇa thinks) to the three admixtures, much as the Agni's epithet *ghṛtapṛṣṭha* alludes to ghee being thrown on the fire²³.