Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t4.21

c5.s3.t4.21

When imbibed Soma stimulates the voice (6, 47³; 9, 84⁴. 95⁵. 97³²), which he impels as the rower his boat (9, 95²). This is doubtless the reason why Soma is called 'lord of speech' *vācas pati* ³³ (9, 26⁴. 101⁵) or leader of speech, *vāco agriya* or *agre* (9, 7³. 62²⁵⁻⁶. 86¹². 106¹⁰). He is also said to raise his voice from heaven (9, 68⁸). In the Brāhmaṇas *vāc*, 'speech', is described as the price paid by the gods for Soma³⁴. Soma also awakens eager thought (6, 47³). So his worshippers exclaim: 'We have drunk Soma, we have become immortal, we have entered into light, we have known the gods' (8, 48³). Thus he is also spoken of as a lord of thought and as a father, leader, or generator of hymns³⁵. He is a leader of poets, a seer among priests (9, 96⁶). He has the mind of seers, is a maker of seers (9, 96¹⁸) and a protector of prayer (6, 52³). He is the 'soul of sacrifice' (9, 2¹⁰. 6⁸), a priest (*brahmā*) among the gods (9, 96⁶), and apportions to them their share of sacrifice (10, 85¹⁹). Soma's wisdom thus comes to be predominantly dwelt upon³⁶. He is a wise seer (8, 68¹). He knows the races of the gods (9, 81². 95². 97⁷. 108³). He is a wise man-seeing wave (9, 78²). Soma with intelligence surveys creatures (9, 71⁹). Hence he is many-eyed (9, 26⁵) and thousand-eyed (9, 60¹).