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Table of Contents
Disclaimer
Foreword
Author’s Preface
Part I. The Search for Bliss, Longevity and Immortality
The Quest for Immortality
High Tech Somas or Inner Spiritual Somas?
Agni and Soma: The Eternal Fire and the Immortal Nectar
Individual Constitution And Rejuvenation: The Role Of The Three
Doshas
Prana, Tejas and Ojas: The Master or Soma Forms of The Doshas
Part II. Soma Ayurveda
The Soma of Food: Diet for Yoga and Longevity
Our Soma Drinks: Rejuvenating Waters And Beverages
Rejuvenative Herbs And Soma Plants
Herbs To Rejuvenate The Mind
Soma Herbs and Aromatherapy
Rejuvenation and The Skin: Ayurvedic Spa Therapies
Sexuality And Rejuvenation: Balancing Shiva And Shakti
Your Inner Ecology: Rejuvenation, Environment And Life-Style
Preparing Yourself for Soma: Preliminary Purification and Pancha
Karma
Part III. Soma Yoga
Yoga and Inner Rejuvenation
The Yogic Soma and How to Prepare It
The Yamas and Niyamas of Yoga: Conserving Your Inner Soma
Asana and Rejuvenation: The Healing Power of Physical Stillness
Prana Rasayana: The Immortal Breath of Soma
Pratyahara Rasayana: Rejuvenation and The Sense and Motor Organs
Mantra Rasayana, The Rejuvenating Power of Cosmic Sound and The
Divine Word
Deity Rasayana: The Rejuvenating Power of Devotion
Meditation, The Yoga of Knowledge and Rejuvenation of the Mind
Part IV. Esoteric Soma Teachings
Vedic Astrology And Longevity: The Influence of Time and Karma
The Search for The Original Soma Plant
Shiva as Nilakantha: Turning Life’s Poison Into Soma

2
 Selected Soma Verses From The Rigveda
Part V. Appendices: Glossary, Index, Resources
Sanskrit Terms
Bibliography
Sanskrit Texts
Relevant Books by The Author
Resources
Comments on Book

3
 Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda
The Power of Rejuvenation and Immortality

By David Frawley
(Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)

P.O. Box 325

Twin Lakes, WI 53181 USA

4
Disclaimer

This book is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. The information

contained herein is in no way to be considered as a substitute for a consultation
with a duly licensed health care professional.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and
retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Author: David FrawleyCopyright copyright 2012 by David FrawleyAll Sanskrit
translations cited in the book by the author unless otherwise indicated.Illustrations
by courtesy of Hinduism Today, including
[email protected] Edition 2012
Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-0-9406-7621-3 Library of
Congress Catalog Number: 2012932154
Published by: Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, WI53181 USA
web:www.lotuspress.com Email:[email protected] 800.824.6396

5
Foreword

By this praise unto thee, O Soma, May we enter the secret caves of intuitive
wisdoms; Do reveal unto us the luminosities that are thine, The earthly ones and
the heavenly ones. By this power and sacrament thine, Oh Soma, May we wander
freely in the secret contemplative revelations; Do kindle unto us the fires that
are thine, The earthly ones and the heavenly ones.1
Soma is one of the key words in the ancient traditions of India. It stands for all
that is gentle, beautiful, delicate, and sweet of temperament. It is also a synonym
for the Moon. A person is complimented by calling him/her saumya, moon-like. A
saumya face, saumya mien is what one looks for in choosing a friend. When one
looks at a saumya person, it generates the kind delight, the feeling of soft light that
looking at the moon generates. This is a common idiom in all the languages of
India.
Soma is part of the eternal pair of Agni-Soma. Agni is the fire element; Soma is
the water element, moonlike. This pair is the Vedic equivalent of the Taoist yin-
yang principle, balancing of the female and the male, energizer (female) and the
energized (male). We read in Rigveda that this fire wears the ocean as a robe:
Agnim samudra-vāsasam...Rigveda VIII.102.6
In the daily fire sacrament of the Vedic-Hindu tradition, one of the offerings is
made to this biune principle. The mantra for that offering is simple:
Agn ī-ṣomābhyām svāhā; Idam Agnī-ṣomābhyām, idam na mama
Unto Agni and Soma, this sincere, truthful, beautiful offering.

6
 This is unto Agni and Soma; [I seek] nothing [in] this as mine.2
The purpose of this offering is to balance and unite within oneself what appear
to be opposites but are in truth complementary principles. This balancing and
uniting reaches a point where Soma is itself called Agni; moon that is water is
called ‘immortal fire’ in the mantra:
Abhi vahnir amartyaḥ... Rigveda IX.9.6
This very gentle feminine power is identified with the mind as:
Candramā manaso jātaḥ

[Universal] mind is born from the moon... Rigveda X.90.13

This moon is the same that is “in the waters”:
Candramā apsv antarā ...Rigveda I.105.1
This mind of the waters and the moon blows towards us eternal peace:
Naḥ pavasva śam… Rigveda IX.11.3
In the mystic poetry of all spiritual traditions we hear about a state of divine
inebriation. This wine is drunk not from the mouth but in the heart.3 The wine of the
Sufi mystic is well known. When Omar Khayyam sings of the wine of dawn he
extols the intoxication of enlightenment. In the Vedic lore it is the Soma juice that
plays the same part. “Dripping the intoxication, Soma resorts in the divine
feminine”4
This is not the inebriation that renders a mind crazy, but the bliss that makes us
masters of the mind, the nectar that grants us spiritual immortality. “This Soma
finds the world, knows the world; it is the lord of the mind.”5 Thus it enters our
minds free and we discover and proclaim: “Mind itself is the lord of the mind.”6
It is no longer an enslaved mind, for Soma has rendered it free. Thus this Soma
is the one that moves with the subtlest intuitive wisdom, sends forth inspired
speech, guards the Perennial Poem and with the same Perennial Contemplation,
races in diverse ways to the luminous heaven.7
It is not intended here to summarize all the 114 paeans to Soma sung in the ninth
book of Rigveda, and many more elsewhere. The above references are just to give
a glimpse of how deep spiritual realizations are sung of in the Vedic lore.

7
 Shri Vamadeva Shastri (Dr. David Frawley) has brought out the core knowledge
of Soma in the present volume. With his Dhī (intuitive wisdom and insight) and
manman (contemplation), he has revealed the manifold connections of Soma with
centers of consciousness and vitality, secrets of immortality, diet and herbs,
Ayurvedic theory, Yoga practices and meditation, with Vedic astrology, Vastu and
many other profound regions of the deeper knowledge not easily accessible today.
The Vedic lore teaches us to see connections everywhere in the expanse from
the subtlest to the grossest, from the most minute to the most all-pervasive. Just to
look at the book’s Contents page awakens in us an awareness of the vast scale of
connections from the earth of our physical identities to the highest heavens of our
inner lights that Soma encompasses with beauty and grace. Dr. Frawley shows us
in this wonderful book his ability to see such wide and varied connections with
Soma and also provide us with the practical tools for working with them to
transform our lives.
With these myriad insights presented by him, may we seek to enjoy an unending
friendship and companionship with this immortal nectar of the Moon-Soma:
Indo sakhitvam uśmasi...Rigveda IX.66.14

Swami Veda Bharati

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, India

8
Author’s Preface

Today as most of us are living longer, we must be concerned about the quality of
our lives. Longevity is not a simple matter of having more chronological years, but
should include physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It is not merely the
quantity of our lifespan that matters but the joy, freedom, love and awareness that
we can experience along the way.
Curiously, in spite of a greater physical longevity overall today, we seem to be
suffering from more psychological malaise, depression, unhappiness, and sorrow.
Greater longevity is certainly possible but to really benefit us, it must be linked
with life of greater meaning, creativity and consciousness. This requires an ability
to connect with the immortal essence of our being.
The pursuit of longevity should be part of an inner quest for eternal truth and
bliss. Seeking to live longer physically should be connected with an endeavor to
grow and evolve in intelligence and awareness. Our lives must become a spiritual
search, not simply a running after sensory enjoyments and worldly possessions that
change from moment to moment. Certainly the spiritual life – particularly the yogic
life of meditation – can improve our health and longevity as well as our emotional
state. Yet it can offer us something far more, an inner immortality, taking our
awareness beyond the limitations of time and circumstances. In fact, if we discover
this inner immortality, how long we may actually live physically may lose its
importance. We will be able to drop the body at any moment without a sense of
loss to embrace a greater existence in consciousness itself.
The following book, Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda, weaves together the outer and
inner search for immortality and transcendence of death and sorrow. It shows that
an immortality in consciousness is our very nature – and that it is possible to
prolong our outer lives by aligning ourselves to it. The orientation of the book is
practical, presenting comprehensive knowledge and special methods to heal and
rejuvenate body and mind – and to resurrect the immortal spirit within us. Yet the
book does require that we look at ourselves, examining our nature not simply as
human beings, but as immortal souls. The book rests upon a yogic view of who we
are, what our greater existence is, the nature of mind and consciousness, and the
place of our physical life within the context of many lives and incarnations.
Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda explores different tools for prolonging our physical
lives according to Ayurveda, India’s traditional natural healing system, particularly
special foods and herbs. It adds to these yogic methods of asana and pranayama
that improve our physical energy and flexibility. In addition, it examines

9
rejuvenation of the mind, bringing in special yogic practices of mantra, pranayama
and meditation. Yet most importantly, the book connects rejuvenation of the body
and mind with our inherent immortality in pure consciousness that is their origin
and support. It does not promote a blind seeking of a long life for the body, but asks
us to open ourselves to an inner bliss, the immortality of the spirit.
The book rests upon the terminology of Ayurvedic medicine, which has an entire
system of rejuvenation (rasayana) therapies for healing and revitalizing body and
mind as one of its eight traditional branches. The book looks to Raja or classical
Yoga and its eight limbs for its practices of Yoga and meditation, placing these in
the context of the related system of Vedanta or Upanishadic knowledge for its
background theory and world view. Rejuvenation is an important concern of
traditional Yoga in both Tantric and Vedic lines. Tantric Yoga in particular contains
special practices that both promote longevity and awaken our higher energies.
Vedic rituals have as one of the fruits of their performance a long and healthy life,
which Vedic mantras set in motion at a powerful way. The book, therefore, is a
study of Ayurvedic medicine and classical Yoga as a means of awakening our inner
faculties, along with their background philosophies, worldviews and related
systems.
As the title suggests, Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda develops the ancient Vedic
theme of Soma, the nectar of immortality, but relative to all aspects of its
symbolism and application, not simply the search for the original Soma plant. It
does explore the identity of Soma as a plant, but comes to the conclusion that the
real Soma was not a single plant but a type of rejuvenative plants and their
preparations, which can be found to some extent in all geographical regions. Even
that outer plant or botanical Soma is only one aspect of the universal reality of
Soma, which also lies within us.
The key to physical, psychological and spiritual well-being lies in our Soma,
which can perhaps best be defined as the essence of bliss or Ananda arising from
the core of our being. This is not an outer Soma only, but an ‘inner Soma’ or ‘nectar
of immortality’ in our own deeper awareness. We must access this inner Soma if
we wish to discover lasting happiness and joy. The book teaches us how to
uncover, perceive, and work with the many Somas of our lives from foods, prana
and sensory impressions to art, mantra, meditation and the very delight of existence
itself.
The gaining of immortality is the main concern of all spiritual, religious and
occult traditions from throughout the world. Some groups attempt this through faith
and devotion, others through knowledge and perception, yet others through inner

10
practices involving speech, breath and mind, like pranayama, mantra and
meditation. All such methods are examined in the book, as all can be found in the
Vedic tradition in various forms.
Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda complements my other books on Ayurveda, Yoga
and Vedic astrology, which can serve as a reference for what is presented here. I
have focused the discussion on the Vedic and India based tradition, bringing other
forms of traditional medicine or modern medicine, only in a secondary manner.
This is because the aim is to bring out the Vedic view in more detail, which unlike
the others is not so commonly represented. This is not to say that other traditions
and disciplines do not have a lot to offer on this important subject. In fact,
traditional and natural systems of medicine overall have much knowledge about
rejuvenation and afford it a greater place than modern medicine.
The book rests upon my own years of experience from reciting, chanting and
meditating on the Soma hymns of the Rigveda, to working with a variety of herbs,
to exploring the different paths of Yoga, mantra and Tantra. Initially I was drawn
more to the Agni and Surya principles of light and fire in the Vedas and to the
greater science of Prana. Yet in recent years the Soma hymns and their inner
principles have come to life for me. This inner Soma has begun to speak to me and
hopefully the book is a manifestation of its voice as well. The book, therefore,
reflects more inner explorations than outer studies, though it is rooted in classical
Vedic principles applied in life and discovered through nature.
Please note that the book is meant to be complex and many sided, as per the
nature of the subject – a detailed presentation, not simply introductory in
orientation. It is not meant to be a simple study of physical longevity but to draw
the connection between physical longevity and our greater inner immortality.
Relative to Ayurvedic herbs, I have introduced a few important rejuvenative
herbs used in Ayurveda, recognizing the limited accessibility these currently have
in the West. In the Indian context much more could be said. The purpose of my
herbal presentation is to encourage the reader to explore this angle further, not to
produce a definitive herbal text.
Relative to the Sanskrit, I have used a Unicode font for the diacritical marks
helpful to pronounce mantras, as it does not require any special Sanskrit fonts in
order to read. However, Sanskrit terms that have already entered into the English
language like Shiva or Shakti, or those of more general usage, I have rendered
without any diacritical marks.
I am most happy to have a foreword from Swami Veda Bharati. Swamiji is, first

11
of all, one of the greatest living authorities on the Yoga Sutras, providing an
extensive study of the text according to both traditional sources. Yet, more
importantly for this Soma book, he is one of the greatest living authorities on the
Rigveda, which his name as Veda Bharati or ‘Voice of the Vedas’ indicates. Swami
Veda has included in his foreword to the book some of his own Vedic verses, of
which he has many more. Since a child he has been able to spontaneously compose
Sanskrit verses in the Vedic style and has a profound understanding of the Vedic
Yoga. Soma is a very rich Vedic theme, like Agni (the sacred fire), and deserves
much more attention. It unlocks the highest secrets of life and consciousness and
offers an important field for further research both in meditation and in mind-body
healing. I hope that others will examine this theme as well and bring in their own
insights by the inspiration of their own Soma.
It is my heartfelt wish that the book awakens an inner flow of Soma, allowing
the reader to connect with the supreme essence of happiness and immortality – as
well aiding in a longer and more fruitful life for all.
May the supreme Soma, the eternal and universal energy of peace, bliss and
delight, flow both within and around you for the benefit of all!8
Om Īm Śrīm Somāya Namaḥ!
Acharya David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)
Santa Fe NM, March 2012

1 Enā soma stavena te pra viśema guhā dhiyām

Yā te tejāṁsi pārthivā yā divyā tāny āviṣkṛdhi Enā te kratunā soma pra carema guhyā matīḥ

Ye te vahnayaḥ pārthivā ye divyās tān samindha naḥ

Original Soma verses by Swami Veda Bharati, among the many Vedic verses he has envisioned in his different
writings, including his Chandasi, his own special collection of Vedic verses he has composed.

2 Yajurveda mantra.

3 Rigveda VIII.48.12,hrtsu pītāḥ.

4 Madacyut...Somo gaurī adhi-śritaḥ. Rigveda IX.12.3.

5 Eṣa...viśva-vin manasas-patiḥ. Rigveda IX.28.1.

6 Manaścin manasas-patiḥ. Rigveda IX.11.9.

12
7 Note the following references for this paragraph’s statements:

Dhiyā yāty aṇvyā. Rigveda IX.15.1.

Pra vācham indur iṣyati. Rigveda IX.12.6.

Pratnam nipāti kāvyam. Rigveda IX.6.8.

Eṣa pratnena manmanā. Rigveda IX.42.2.

Eṣa divam vi dhāvati. Rigveda IX.3.7.

8 This famous Vedic chant is said in the Upanishad, which presents it to be a chant to Pavamana Soma, to the
immortal nectar.

13
Soma as the Principle of Inner Unfoldment

14
 Part I.
The Search for Bliss, Longevity and Immortality
We have drunk the Soma. We have become immortal. We have reached the Gods.
We have entered the realm of heavenly light. What now can the ungrateful do to
us, what harm of the mortal, O immortal Soma?
Grant peace to our hearts when drunk, O drop. Gracious as a father to his son,
as a friend to a friend, wise and of good counsel, O Soma extend our lives for
our souls.
Rigveda VIII.48.3-4

15
The Quest for Immortality

From the unreal lead us to the real. From darkness lead us to light. From death
lead us to immortality.
Soma Chant from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I.3.28
The quest for immortality has been the ultimate concern of all human beings
since the beginning of time. We all naturally want to live forever and never die.
Whatever may be our other pursuits in life for wealth, fame, knowledge or
happiness, whether we attain them or not, a greater seeking for immortality remains
in the background waiting for us to take it up as our highest goal.
This desire for deathlessness, however, is no mere hope, fantasy or delusion. It
reflects the innate urge of the immortal soul hidden within us, which itself is never
born and never dies. In our inmost being, we are one with the eternal and infinite
and maintain a deep wish to return to it as our true home. Our physical life journey
must eventually cause us to recognize this greater spiritual origin and goal. Our
longing for immortality is an indication of our deeper Self and essence that we can
never forget, which dwells far beyond the travails of this mortal realm.
At the same time as much as we wish for immortality, we have an equally deep
fear of death. Death appears as the great barrier for all things in our lives, the end
of all that we can do in this world and all that we hold dear within it. We innately
sense that there is something unnecessary about death, which holds the tragedy of
human existence, and calls into question our entire outer reality. We cannot accept
death as final, and sense something greater within us beyond its grasp.
Yet we observe that each creature that is born grows old and eventually dies in
the inevitable course of time. Infancy turns into youth, then into maturity, decline,
debility and finally complete cessation of life for all creatures. We watch our pets
and our parents grow old and die, and then experience it for those of our own
generation and for ourselves. The aging process appears as the great leveler in life,
affecting equally the rich and the poor, the famous and the ordinary. The relentless
ticking of our biological clock seems to rule over all else that we do with an
imperial and unbending force.
Certainly, we see people who live longer and age better than others, maintaining
health, intelligence and happiness well into their later years. Such long-lived
individuals represent another desirable goal of life, which is longevity, but they
still stand on this side of death, compared to which even a long life is but a short
episode in the enduring world of eternity. Longevity, however helpful, is not

16
enough to take us beyond death.
Realizing the inevitability of death, we have sought to create or to discover
another life beyond the demise of the body. Most of what we call religion has
arisen to deal with the issue of death and offers some continued existence beyond
the limitations of our earthly life. Religion has envisioned an afterlife in various
forms; sometimes a resurrection of the physical body in a heavenly world where it
will not die again, or gaining an immortal subtle body of light or energy that unlike
the physical body does not need to die. Religion tells us that through faith, belief
and good works that we can be led to such a greater life after death, as a reward
for our good thoughts and actions here.
On the other hand, deeper spiritual and mystical teachings, particularly the great
meditation traditions of Asia, emphasize an immortality of consciousness not only
beyond the mortality of the physical body, but beyond any type of creaturely
existence in this or in subtler realms. They teach that our own inner essence exists
not only beyond death but also beyond birth, ever free of limitation to body or form
in this world or another. We can take birth in any number of bodies and, more
importantly, we can reach a state in which we no longer dwell in time and its
limitations and are under no compulsion to be born again.
Yet whatever our spiritual background or our religious views, we all want to
live longer, if not go beyond death altogether. The quest for immortality therefore
has two levels, outer and inner, physical and spiritual.
The first or outer aspect of the quest for immortality is rejuvenation of
the body and mind, which includes the promotion of physical longevity.
The second or inner aspect is immortality of the spirit or consciousness,
which can include the continued existence of a subtle mind or astral
body.
However, we must recognize that the quest for immortality is part of a greater
seeking for perfect happiness. The longing for immortality is linked with a greater
quest for an end to all suffering. It is not simply an unending existence that we wish
for but an immortal bliss.
Physical Immortality, Rejuvenation and Longevity
The question then arises: “Is physical immortality at all possible?” There are
indications in the Yoga tradition of India that a few rare individuals have achieved
if not physical immortality, at least great longevity extending through many ordinary

17
human lifetimes. Various mystical and esoteric traditions suggest the same, such as
the longlived prophets of the Bible or the Taoist immortals of ancient China. The
Vedic rishis of India were said to have lived for very long periods of time,
extending into the centuries, through accessing the power of Soma, a special energy
connected with the healing forces of nature and the inner powers of the psyche
arising from special Yoga and meditation practices. Hindu thought mentions
various chiranjivas or ‘long lived sages’, some who are said to be still alive.
There are other traditions of immortal ascended masters, though sometimes their
immortality is said to be in a subtle, not a physical body, or only accessible to
those of a certain purity of mind and heart. While there are often a number of
fantasies and illusions associated with such ideas, there seems to be a core of truth
behind them as well.
Classical Tantric Yoga – which teaches us to work with the secret energies of
nature like the Kundalini – has developed special outer methods of extending
physical longevity, including the use of powerful herbs, minerals, gems, and
elixirs, much like other alchemical traditions worldwide. These are combined with
special inner Tantric Yoga practices of pranayama, mantra, and yantra and working
with the deities and powers of nature in a precise spiritual science of inner
transformation to take us beyond our ordinary human limitations.
Probably the most famous yogic case of physical immortality is that of
Mahavatar Babaji, the immortal Himalayan Yogi introduced to the world by
Paramahamsa Yogananda, one of his disciples, in Paramahamsa Yogananda’s
classic Autobiography of a Yogi.1 Babaji and his female companion Mataji are
said to live in yogically energized immortal physical bodies in special retreat
areas of the high Himalayas above Badrinath along with a select group of
disciples, some of which have also taken on undying physical bodies themselves.
However, such yogic achievements of physical immortality are so extremely
rare as to be for all practical purposes impossible for the ordinary human being.
They rest upon a special birth in yogic families in the Himalayas after an exalted
spiritual birth that took one to the highest spiritual realization already, not on any
ordinary human birth. They involve a pure diet and environment, and special yogic
practices from birth along with these great masters - nothing like an ordinary, much
less stressful modern human life in a toxic urban environment. There is no reason
for us to think that such a physical immortality is possible for us or even desirable
for the type of mentality that we have in the world today.
It is mainly in the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo – one of the greatest spiritual
masters and visionaries of modern India – that one finds a clear and specific

18
discipline designed to develop physical immortality, which is addressed in great
depth and detail in his voluminous and profound writings.2 However, in Sri
Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga, physical immortality is not the prime concern but only
the ultimate highlight, following a comprehensive yogic development of a deeper
devotion and awareness within us. Moreover, Aurobindo approaches the
immortalization of the physical body not as a personal achievement for furthering
our mundane desires, but as part of a long-term evolutionary process for
developing a higher type of human being, if not a higher species altogether. It is not
physical immortality for the ordinary person that Aurobindo seeks but that of the
realized soul, who has transformed the mind and emotional nature. He realizes that
the current human being with its various negative karmic and genetic influences
requires a considerable recasting before it is worthy of a prolonged existence or
can naturally hold a higher consciousness.
Aurobindo aims at a long-term, if not millennial creation of a new spiritual
being on Earth, not just making we existing humans live longer or avoid physical
death such as we are in our current undeveloped states of awareness and
intelligence. It is an evolutionary goal of the species that he seeks, which we can
individually help prepare the way for, but are quite unlikely to attain personally.
His disciples seek the development of a new humanity, not simply their own longer
physical existence.3 Moreover, his Integral Yoga seeks this transformation of the
human being through a new descent of Divine grace or Shakti – the force of the
Divine Mother – not simply through outer methods of diet, herbs or yoga
techniques, much less scientific or genetic breakthroughs. It rests upon awakening
to and surrendering to that descent of grace from above, which has its own powers
and processes. Aurobindo puts us in contact with this higher evolutionary Shakti
that is a powerful Divine force already present in the spiritual atmosphere of the
planet.
Yet while physical immortality is nearly impossible, physical rejuvenation is
something attainable to some degree for everyone. One can undergo special
Yogic and Ayurvedic rejuvenative regimens that can remove years off of one’s
biological age and effectively prolong one’s life beyond what would otherwise be
achievable. This doesn’t mean that such methods can turn an eighty year old into a
forty year old, but it is possible to be happier, healthier and more aware far beyond
one’s ordinary age! The body is always rejuvenating itself and replacing its old
cells with new. New pranas are ever moving through us with every sunrise and
sunset. Rejuvenation aims at speeding up this natural process of revitalization,
which ordinarily declines with age.

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 A physical longevity of a hundred years should be the norm for human beings if
we live a healthy natural life in a clean natural environment, even longer if we are
doing Yoga practices. The fact that we do not have such longevity is a sign of an
unhealthy life-style on our own parts or an unhealthy culture. The added
complication for any personal pursuit of longevity today is that it is difficult for we
as mere individuals to prolong our lives, if our environment and way of life
collectively is toxic and unhealthy, which is now the case almost everywhere on
the planet. It can be hard to live long and healthy in a world that is polluted,
disturbed and full of conflict, even if the individual is otherwise well informed as
to what to do to prolong their existence.
The pursuit of longevity, therefore, is not merely a personal issue but an
ecological concern today. We are beginning to see declining longevities in the
western world along with the artificial life styles that are part of the high tech
media age. Prolonging our own lives and protecting the life of the planet cannot be
turned into separate issues. Indeed we may need to sacrifice some of our own
personal time to ensure the health of the planet for future generations.
Physical longevity also has important spiritual implications. Longevity is very
desirable for those on the spiritual path because having made the great effort
necessary to awaken to one’s higher purpose in life – which is very difficult in any
age – one wants a full life in order to progress along it as much as possible. The
right pursuit of physical longevity can be a helpful aid to the deeper pursuit of
the immortality of the spirit. This is probably its most important value, as long
life without spirituality not only has no real value but also removes us from the
soul that is the very source of life. Otherwise, we are only seeking immortality for
our ego and desire nature that inevitably leads to suffering and confusion. We are
merely seeking more time to enmesh ourselves further in the karmic complications
of the earthly realm that end in sorrow.
Immortality and Rejuvenation of the Mind
If immortality of the body is nearly impossible, the further question arises
whether immortality of the mind is possible? Certainly it is easier to keep the mind
young than it is to stop the body from aging. In fact, as we age in our bodies, we
often feel younger in our minds – and usually hold a youthful image of ourselves in
our minds that no longer corresponds to our outer appearance.
It is possible to have a fresh, clear and youthful mind even in an old and
decaying body. We see many elderly people even above eighty years of age with
active, creative and cheerful minds, able to excel the young in expression, logic or

20
insight. All of us have encountered such individuals who surprise us by their age.
For them age has helped them mature in mind and spirit, the effect of which is more
energy and vitality for their inner being. This should be normal for humanity, with
those older in years becoming elders in wisdom by developing clarity and vitality
of mind and heart.
While the body matures and ceases to grow around the age of twenty-five, the
mind usually does not fully mature until around the age of fifty, and can keep
growing as long as one is alive. One of the great sorrows of many older people –
particularly in this culture that rarely honor its elders – is that though their minds
are not old, they are treated according to the condition of their bodies, and their
advice accordingly is not heeded. Their wisdom seems lost on the younger
generation that does not want to look at inner realities but remains enmeshed in
outer sensations.
It is possible to rejuvenate the mind so that a seventy, eighty or ninety year old
person can have a youthful and creative mind. However, it is difficult to make the
mind young if the mind has already been made old by years of mindless and
thoughtless living, in which there is no cultivation of creativity or inner awareness.
Yet those who have developed a creative and spiritual mind in their youth can
easily maintain it to the end of their lives, and leave this world with full
consciousness and no regrets!
Besides maintaining a youthful mind into old age, there is also a search for
immortality of the mind, or at least its continuity, beyond the death of the physical
body. Many spiritual teachings contain methods to prepare the mind to continue
beyond death. The mind’s ability to transcend death is reflected in the phenomenon
of rebirth, which depends upon the mind being able to survive death and take on a
new body. In the case of ordinary rebirth, the mind falls into a deep slumber and its
memories of the previous life are almost entirely lost before awakening in the new
life. Yet after following higher Yoga practices, one can carry much of one’s mind
and intelligence into the next birth and maintain a continuity of awareness after
death.
According to yogic thought, the mind is by nature undying, though it does go
through phases of manifestation and rest. The mind does not die with the death of
the physical body. It simply undergoes a period of withdrawal, followed by a new
active phase after awakening in a new body. The inner core mind carries the
samskaras or karmic tendencies that propel us from one birth to another. That inner
mind survives the death of the body and its tendencies take it on to a new body.

21
 Yet it is only the core of the mind that has this immortality, not our ordinary
outer mind and ego, with its personal thoughts, emotions and memories bound to
the outer world of the current birth. At the time of death the mind is reduced to its
core tendencies, much like the latent state of the mind in the state of deep sleep.
The outer aspect of the mind is dissolved and only the inner core of the mind goes
on to another birth. This means that the immortality of the mind is limited and
broken by the death of the body, hidden by an ignorance that prevents the ordinary
person benefiting from it, and making it difficult for them to access past life skills
and wisdom. Most of us cannot experience our mind’s greater existence beyond the
body because we cannot sustain our awareness after death from one life to another.
But it is something that we can learn to develop.
Higher Yoga practices allow us to contact the hidden immortality at the core of
the mind and gradually spread it to the rest of the mind, making it eventually into a
conscious possession of our daily awareness. Great yogis carry their personalities
and minds into successive births. We see this also in the concept of tulkus and the
reincarnation of the Dalai Lamas of Tibetan yoga. The more evolved a soul
becomes, the more it holds its mind and intelligence through the reincarnation
process, not losing it at death. For such exalted souls, death and rebirth are like
going to sleep at night and waking up in the morning, not any real end or beginning
of existence.
Immortality of the Spirit or Higher Self (Atman or Purusha)
Yet besides this ‘broken’ immortality of the mind, there is a deeper unbroken
immortality within each one of us. Our spirit or inner Being is immortal by nature
and exists beyond the phases of withdrawal and manifestation of the mind from
birth to birth. Our true Self consists of pure unmodified awareness, immutable,
changeless and serene. Our true nature resides in pure consciousness beyond all
the shifting currents of time, space and action that we experience through the mind.
We can always access this immortality of our inner Being even when the body is
dying.
The fact is that in our true nature we are not born and do not die, we do not
suffer and are ever beyond gain and loss, pleasure and pain, advance and retreat.
Death is an illusion of our outer experience through the mind, not an enduring truth
of our inmost Self. Death is perhaps the ultimate illusion, whose veil we must rend
asunder to find our true reality. It is the body that dies, not we ourselves as the
masters of the body. This immortality of the Spirit should rule over our entire
existence; we should not be mere victims of the ups and downs of the body, mind
and senses. We should not be victims of death but use death to take us to yet a

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greater awareness.
This immortality of the spirit is absolute, without qualification or diminution.
It is there for everyone to experience. It is the ground of experience itself. The
mind has only a relative immortality, enduring at its core but undergoing death and
withdrawal in its outer layers. Its immortality is enshrouded in ignorance and is not
a fact of experience in our lives.
Yet this immortality of the spirit is not without its relevance for the body. The
inner immortality of consciousness contains the power to rejuvenate body and
mind, should we aim to do that. It is the wellspring of immortal Prana or undying
life-energy that is ever accessible within our deepest hearts. We all have the power
of immortality within us already as the most intimate layer of all that we are. The
issue is how to access our immortal consciousness and connect it with our outer
nature, particularly to the surface mind where most of us experience life.
In this regard, our pursuit of immortality is something of a joke that we play
upon ourselves. The problem is not that we unfairly die, and the solution is not to
learn how to preserve our existing personality beyond death. The problem is that
we have forgotten our natural immortality, which resides in our inner awareness,
and are looking for it where it does not exist, in the physical body and outer
personality bound by time. We confine ourselves to the mortal outer aspect of our
being, which must eventually die whatever we may do. We are trying to make
lasting that which is inherently impermanent and fleeting, which only leads to
frustration, failure and sorrow. The solution is to give up our attachment to what
dies and merge back into our immortal nature beyond death. This is the real going
beyond death.
Death only affects the body and the mind, which are but the instruments of the
spirit, and like any instrument are subject to friction, decay and ultimate
destruction. The body is our outer instrument somewhat like our automobile,
necessary to take us places in the material world that is the main focus of our outer
existence. But the body is not who we really are and its fulfillment is not our true
fulfillment. The mind is our inner instrument, something like our computer,
necessary for us to deal with information, particularly about the external world. It
is crucial for our outer functioning but its fulfillment is also not that of our true
nature either. Our spirit or consciousness is the being or person who operates these
two instruments and is not limited by their functioning, like the person who
operates the car or the computer.
When our car breaks down, we don’t say, “I am dead”. When our computer

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crashes, we similarly don’t feel that we are no more. Yet because of our deep-
seated attachment to the physical body that occurs through the mind, we feel that
physical death is the end of who we are as well. This is only because we do not
understand ourselves. Death is merely the end of the limited outer personality but
does not touch the real person within us. Death is just a moment in time in which
we transition from one realm of experience to another, nothing more than a
doorway. For our inner being, death can be a release from the ego and its endless
desires. It is a means of purifying our outer nature so that we can grow more
spiritually in another life. As the Bhagavad Gita so eloquently states: “Of that
which is real, there is no non-existence. Of that which is unreal, there is no
existence.”4 What is bound by death never truly exists and what is not bound by
death can never be killed.
The surest means to go beyond death and gain immortality is simply to rest in
our own immortal Self, the core consciousness within us that is the detached
witness of all the movements of the body and mind. You are immortal as you are in
your inner being and can never fall prey to death or dissolution. This is an eternal
truth, not any mere hope or speculation. It is the most enduring and powerful of all
truths. It does not require belief or salvation but merely the awakening of an inner
knowing.
We can all breathe a big sigh of relief here, if we wish, and accept the
immortality, peace and transcendence of our inner being, letting go of the entire
realm of death. There is nothing holding us back from this except our own
reluctance to do so based upon our identification with our surface ego. However,
such letting go is very difficult to do owing to our deep-seated attachment to the
body and mind extending over many lifetimes. Yet there are many tools to help us
through Yoga and meditation to make the task easier and quicker.
The Three Key Points
Mortality of the Body
Relative Immortality of the Mind
Absolute Immortality of the Consciousness
These are the three aspects of death, rejuvenation and immortality to reflect
deeply upon. The body is mortal and akin to death as it is a limited material
structure. Its existence can be prolonged but must eventually come to an end.
1. The mind has a relative immortality, broken up into segments by the birth

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 and death of one body as it moves on to another. The mind continues
until it is merged into the pure consciousness beyond time and space of
which it is but the reflection.
2. Our inner consciousness alone has an absolute immortality regardless of
what happens to the body or mind. But we must detach from body and
mind in order to realize it.
The crucial issue, therefore, is how we can access and realize the natural
immortality of our inner being? The prime means to do this can be described
simply. It requires aligning the mind with our inner being. This means merging our
outer mind into pure consciousness, and extending the unconscious immortality of
the mind into the conscious immortality of the spirit. To do this is a matter of
sadhana or spiritual practice covering many decades, in fact many lifetimes. It is
not a quick fix or the result of a special therapy, retreat or technique. It is the
essence of our striving as an immortal soul.
Deep meditation aligned with Self-inquiry is the ultimate means of gaining
immortality, merging into the immortal Self in the heart.5 This is the main approach
of Advaita or Non-dualistic Vedanta and the related Yoga of Knowledge. Other
yogic practices can be powerful aids, particular a deep love and devotion for the
Divine within us along the path of Bhakti Yoga. In fact, Yoga in the classical sense
was originally devised as a science of consciousness devised to bring us to our
higher immortality called the Atman or Purusha, the true Self. Traditional
Kundalini Yoga, as found in the Hindu Tantras, is formulated to bring about the
opening of the crown chakra or lotus of the head, which carries our deeper
immortal consciousness and energy, the Shiva and Shakti principles of Tantric
thought.6
Yet to merge the minds into our immortal Self is aided by bringing harmony and
purity to the physical body, which means to rejuvenate the body as well. For the
pursuit of inner immortality, physical longevity is a great aid as it is a process that
cannot be easily achieved in a short span of time. But physical longevity is not an
end-in-itself or a means of prolonging mere outer enjoyments.
The Vision of Heaven and the Subtle Body
As death and suffering seem part of this physical world, many people have
longed for some heavenly world or paradise in which death and suffering do not
occur. Such higher worlds do exist, though not always in the way we might imagine
them to be.

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 Some of our imagined heavens are little more than glorified physical worlds in
which a resurrected physical body, much like our earthly flesh body, continues,
hosted by a personality much like our flawed earthly personality, perhaps indulging
in continued sensory pleasures. Such heavens are but earth in disguise and appeal
to the wishful thinking of the human ego that does not want to face its own mortality
or discover the real immortality of the soul that is not physical or form based.
Other heavens are portrayed as realms of a subtle or astral body, in appearance
much like our physical body but made of light or lifeenergy, radiant and blissful,
able to fly or transform itself in various ways, beyond the travails of physical
matter and its impermanence, even having wings like an angel! Such subtle bodies
are akin to our dream body as the subtle worlds are also the dream worlds. These
are more genuine heavens in which the soul can enjoy refined impressions much
like great art or beautiful music, along with a deeper love and devotion. Yet even
these subtle realms are still bound by time and desire, located on this side of death.
Beyond these heavens of subtle energy and pure form are formless heavens and
higher realms of space in which we have no form body but exist in mind alone,
with vast powers of thought, vision, perception and awareness. This formless body
is called a ‘causal body’, as it holds the causal power behind all that we can
become in the form-based worlds. In it we stand at the heart of creation above any
specific manifest worlds, a truly exalted state like a divine co-creator.7
However, even these causal realms are beneath the realm of pure immortality
which is beyond all manifestation, form or formless. All worlds of embodied
existence, physical, subtle or causal, are limited by karma and rebirth. One must
eventually leave even the highest heavenly worlds for another birth until all ones
karmas are worked out.
Many yogis and occultists work to develop their subtle bodies in order to
access these subtle or astral realms after death or even during life. Some occultists
aim to live in the subtle body with its greater powers and enjoyments after the
death of the physical body. Yogis also can develop the subtle body as a vehicle for
deeper practices of devotion or meditation, even if they do not pursue the subtle
realms as the final goal of their journey. Yet other yogis strive to develop the
causal body as the prime instrument to reach our true nature as pure consciousness,
as the higher mind is but one step removed from pure awareness. In this way a
development of these more refined vestures of the soul can serve as important
steps in a higher realization of immortality.
However, regeneration of the physical body, particularly the brain and nervous

26
system, can help us energize the subtle body as well. A rejuvenated subtle body,
with our inner prana and senses revitalized, helps rejuvenate the physical body as
well. So developing the subtle body and a greater pursuit of rejuvenation and
immortality can be linked together in various ways. The subtle body, on one level
at least, can also be defined as our ‘Soma body’ or body of enjoyment, which
represents the fruit of our actions in the gross of physical body, as well as the
essence of the energies and motivations that we put forth in our physical lives.
Karma, Death and Destiny
Our lives are limited by the karma and destiny of our souls. Karma consists of
the results of our actions and their energetic residues, stemming back to distant
previous lives. Destiny could be best defined as a karmic inevitability, a fixed
karma that it is very difficult, if not impossible to change. The Vedic astrology
chart is a good index of our karmas, as we will discuss later in the book.
Yet if our lives are based upon karma, including a certain ‘karmic longevity’ or
lifespan that we may be born with, we might ask: “Of what use is the seeking of
rejuvenation or greater longevity?” The answer to this question is that karma as a
result of our habitual actions can be changed, though we cannot likely change all of
our karmas in a single life. We can improve, modify or shape our karmas for the
future. There are special yogic means of altering and transcending karma through
mantra, ritual, service and offerings, which come into play here. Yogic methods of
rejuvenation, properly employed, can reduce the negative inertia of our karmas, as
well as project a more positive karma into life.
This does not mean that all karmas, including disease, injury or premature death,
can be overcome for everyone. But karma is something we do, something we are
constantly creating and, therefore, something we can alter. It is not something
imposed upon us from the outside. If we work to create a karma of well-being in
body, mind and spirit, it will help neutralize any corresponding negative karmas of
suffering, death and disease.
The seeking of rejuvenation begins with ‘karmic rectification’ as it were, which
means seeing what karmas we have set in motion in life and where they are likely
to lead us. It implies assuming ’karmic responsibility’ for who we are, accepting
that we are the result of our own actions, which means giving up any blaming of
others for our condition in life. We must first face the fact of our karmas in life and
acknowledge that we have created them, including the type of circumstances,
vocation and community setting that we find ourselves dwelling in. We can observe
the karmas that we have set forth in our bodies and minds by how we live and what

27
our daily routine has become. Only after we have taken responsibility for our
karmas can we really begin to change them. Once we have accepted the ‘wisdom
of karma’, then we can begin to free ourselves from the negative effects of karma,
including any premature aging or loss of mental acuity, by developing higher
spiritual and healing practices.
Yet we must always remember: our inner being exists beyond karma, which is
only the mechanism that unfolds the connection of cause and effect operative in the
body and mind. If we reside in our inner core awareness, death cannot touch us,
regardless of what happens to the body or when. Our immortal inner being is the
matrix for proper energization and rejuvenation of body and mind as it holds the
power of eternity.
Death and Immortality
All great spiritual teachings tell us that the path to immortality lies through
death, not by avoiding it. Death itself can be used as a doorway to take us beyond
time. As we examine how to go beyond death, we must remember this key
principle: That which is immortal can never truly become mortal and that which
is mortal can never truly become immortal.8 Nothing can change its nature. What
can die must die and cannot continue on forever, whatever we may try. Only what
is by nature deathless will never die. If we can die to what is mortal or death
bound in this life, we gain access to the immortal and deathless reality even while
alive. As the great poet Rabindranath Tagore so eloquently stated “Let me carry
death in life that I might know life in death.”
In this regard, we must discriminate between the soul’s wish for immortality and
the urge of the ego to never die. The soul seeks an inner immortality in
consciousness that involves going beyond the formbased body and thought-based
mind. The ego seeks to continue its worldly drives and ambitions by renewing the
body. The soul seeks for true immortality beyond the body. The ego wants to make
immortal that which is inherently mortal and wants to prolong the body as long as it
can, often even if unwell. The ego is rooted in the fear of death.
The soul meanwhile is not afraid of death but only of ignorance or lack of
awareness. The soul is happy to discard the body if the body is too old or unwell
and can no longer serve as a useful vehicle for its inner growth. For the soul the
loss of the physical body is just a change of clothes, not a loss of its essence. Even
if we are pursuing longevity and rejuvenation, we should not fear the inevitable
death of the body. We should use the life of the body to pursue the immortality of
the soul, which as eternal life is the source of all real healing as well. This

28
immortality of the soul does not consist of long lasting physical existence but of
realizing that our true nature of pure awareness never dies.
More important than learning how to live longer is learning how to reconcile
ourselves with the inevitability of our own death. If we learn to die every day to
the ego, then our entire lives will be rooted in immortality. We cannot make what is
inherently mortal, namely our ego and desire based life and identity, immortal,
though this is precisely what most of us want and are seeking in our so-called
pursuit of immortality. We want our physical personality to continue beyond its
normal time range, even if we have not properly cared for our bodies. What we
need to discover for real immortality is the higher awareness within us that never
takes birth, which is unborn and without form or desire. This exists on the other
side of death, not on this side!
We should ask ourselves the fundamental question: Are we worthy of
immortality or even greater longevity as we currently are? What is our desire to
continue based upon? Is it a seeking of a higher truth or more time to pursue what
are ego-based drives, personal desires and worldly acclaim? Are we hoping that
our unenlightened life-style can continue as long as we want, with outer affluence
and pleasure and no karmic side effects?
The key to both inner immortality and outer rejuvenation rests in letting go of
desire based seeking, to die to our ordinary urges in the realm of time and
circumstances. Death is not an enemy or an obstacle that we must fear for our
greater existence, but an opportunity for inner growth that we must honor. The
phenomenon of death is not just our own physical death, which we naturally fear,
but the ability to die, forget or let go of what has no enduring value, the outer
surface appearances of our lives.
One can only know the immortal Self by dying to the mortal self and ego. One
can only enter into the pure consciousness beyond death by letting go of the mind
and its attachments in the field of time. To think that we can make our ordinary
personality immortal is but wishful thinking, an attempt to prolong a shadow into
light. Note the experience of the great sage, Ramana Maharshi, who as a mere lad
of sixteen went into a deep meditation on death and moved beyond it to a
realization of the immortal Self that remained throughout his life.9 This is what is
required.
The key to immortality is to die willingly while alive, which is to die to the ego
or bodily identity even while the body persists. Through dying inwardly while
alive, one gains an immortality even beyond death. We must learn to die daily to

29
the known and limited, accepting our outer lives are but an offering to the inner
spirit. Then everyday will be a new birth into eternity.
The spiritual journey is from death to immortality, combining a preliminary
phase of death to the outer world in order to lead us to an inner immortality. Death
is the great teacher and giver of immortality, not the denier of it. That is why in
many Yogic teachings like the Katha Upanishad,10 death is the guru, or why great
deities of Yoga like Lord Shiva also personify death. Yet this mystic death requires
not the mere outer death of the body but an inner state of silence, stillness, and
quiescence. Only that within us that dwells in a state of perfect peace can go
beyond death and gain immortality.
Death, in fact, is an illusion, perhaps the greatest of all illusions. No one has
ever really died and no one ever will really die. Death is but a change of clothes
for the immortal soul that cannot be diminished by any external action or agency.11
Our true being, the Atman or Purusha, is inherently beyond all death and suffering.
It is only because of our false identification with the body and mind that we fall
under the illusion of death. This means that we need not fear death, which is but a
moment in time, but should lift our sense of who we are beyond any outer time
based identities to immutable consciousness itself. It is only on the basis of an
inner sense of deathlessness that any lasting rejuvenation can be possible, not out
of a fear of death or an attempt to avoid death. In affirming the deathlessness of our
inner being, we can access its powers of immortality.
Purification and Renewal
All rejuvenation practices require preliminary purification, which can be
described as a kind of voluntary dissolution or death. These purification
procedures have some kinship with death in the sense that they involve rest,
reduction of movement, silence and stillness. They involve various forms of fire
purification, whether promoting sweating as in the use of saunas, fiery spicy herbs
to purify the body, fiery breathing practices or fire based forms of meditation. As
such, they are called tapas in Sanskrit, meaning generation of transforming heat.
This inner purification is aided by external fire rituals, like Vedic yajnas or fire
sacrifices to purify our home and environment.12 Purification practices are allied
with fasting, withdrawing from sensory activity, solitude and various factors that
are like a simulated death or return to the womb. In this way, we can turn
withdrawal and death into a creative force to generate new life and awareness
within us. Such practices are usually part of pratyahara or the yogic phase of
internalization of the prana, senses and mind.13

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 After such an inner death, one has a second birth while living. The body, mind
and senses are renewed. One experiences life as one did as a child, as though each
day was the first day of creation. True rejuvenation is a second birth for body,
mind and spirit that lifts us into a higher order of existence that can transcend our
actual physical death. Through the spiritual death of the ego, one can enter into the
immortal life of the spirit. There are many symbols of this mystic death process in
world spiritual literature, such as Shiva, Osiris, Adonis, or Jesus. True
resurrection is not of the body but the awakening of the immortal Self of pure
awareness within us.
This mystic death and rebirth can also be achieved through Divine love, as love
has the power to endure beyond death. It can be gained through deep meditation,
through immortal wisdom. It usually involves working with the healing powers of
nature through the plants, rocks, waters, air and fire, as nature is ever renewing
itself. It is the essence of the inner alchemy of Yoga and Tantra.
Such a second birth perhaps best occurs at the time of one’s midlife or aging
crisis, in the period from ages forty-five to seventy, when one has the greatest
wisdom in life and the body is still capable of producing new energy. Many
traditional cultures have special rituals and social events that support such a
change of life. Yoga and Ayurveda have turned this inner rejuvenation into a
precise science and art.
Realization of our immortal Self is possible for all of us, though likely to be
attained by very few, as it requires going beyond the ordinary human mind,
emotions and attachments. Rejuvenation of the mind, at least to some degree, is not
difficult for all of us if we but seriously take up Yoga and meditation practices.
Rejuvenation of the body, similarly, is something that we are all capable of at least
to some degree. Yet for all of these to be truly beneficial and efficacious, our
mindset must change. We must look within. We must work on ourselves. We must
connect with the greater universe of consciousness and also look into our inner
being and its treasures of the unknown, the great mystery that is both life and death,
and which carries and unites both together in an ongoing transformative process of
cosmic existence.
Yet even if you are not interested in the issue of immortality at the current stage
of your life, particularly if you are young, you should note that the practices that
promote longevity are helpful to promote general well-being and improve the
quality of our awareness as well. They allow us to develop a positive joy,
happiness and bliss within regardless of what may happens to us externally. They
are the essence of Yoga as a means of Self-realization, which is ultimately the

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realization of our immortal Self.

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High Tech Somas or Inner Spiritual Somas?

King Soma, your manifestations that are in Heaven, on Earth, in the

mountains, in the plants and in the waters; with all those happy in mind, free of
anger, welcome our offering.
Rigveda I.80.4
Soma originally refers to the nectar of immortality in Vedic thought which goes
back to the most ancient period of India’s great civilization.14 It has echoes in
ancient Persian, Greek and Celtic cultures and their sacred plants and trees,15 as
well as to similar traditions from throughout the world. Soma in the Vedas is called
Amrita, which means both nectar and immortality (a-mrita, also meaning ‘non-
dying’) and is one of the most important Vedic deities and symbols. Soma is said to
be the king, the progenitor and ruler of all.
Soma remains a subject of great fascination in world literature and speculation
extending to modern times, as in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, a world
dominated by the mind control through high tech drugs called Somas. The question
is whether we will seek an inner spiritual Soma that liberates the mind and heart or
will rest content with a high tech outer Soma that makes our lives increasingly
artificial and chemically controlled?
Soma as a Great Symbol
Soma is perhaps the most universal metaphor for the human quest for
immortality, not only at a physical level but also at mental and spiritual levels. It
symbolizes our quest for renewal and for immortality much like the Holy Grail,
which itself conceals a Soma symbolism of the mystic beverage. It is indicated by
the search for the fountain of youth or fountain of immortality, the sacred waters
that restore our vitality. A similar symbolism occurs in stories from all over the
world of sacred plants and their healing powers.
Yet the Vedic and yogic Soma, is not simply a powerful botanical agent; it is
part of a greater cosmic vision extending from healing plants and waters on Earth
to the supreme bliss of the eternal Ananda in the highest heaven from which the
entire universe arises as an outer expression. Soma is usually described as a
special substance or elixir that once imbibed or awakened has the ability to
transform body, mind and heart. We are all seeking such a magic potion, pill or
nectar to bring a greater meaning and happiness into our lives.
Soma is the symbol of a deeper knowledge and awareness and of the spiritual

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quest overall.16 Soma is said to be the essence of all the Vedic teachings, the aim
of which is to make us immortal. The Rigveda, the oldest Vedic text, contains an
entire book or mandala, the ninth, devoted to the subject of Soma with cryptic
chants, esoteric mantras and powerful meters that even today the world’s greatest
minds are not able to entirely comprehend.17 These Soma hymns are among the
greatest writings in all Sanskrit or world literature, and are worthy of deep
examination for unfolding all the mysteries of existence. Yet Soma also refers to
poetry, mantra and chant of the highest order –wherever and whenever it may occur
– which itself can evoke the flow of divine grace within us.
Soma, which also means ‘bliss’, reflects our lifelong seeking for happiness,
which is intimately related to our seeking of immortality as the highest form of
happiness. This ‘search for our bliss in life’ has become a bit of cliché in New Age
thought but retains a deeper significance that each one of us needs to examine. Even
if we are not on the spiritual path, we are seeking some form of Soma or bliss as
our highest goal. And we want that Soma to last or for ourselves to become
immortal in it.
Each one of us should ask ourselves at a deep level of the heart: “Have I found
my bliss or Soma in life or is my search continuing? Is my current Soma or source
of happiness and enjoyment enough, or will I need to move on to something more
meaningful in the course of time? What is the highest Soma that I can aspire to and
how can I reach it?”
Yet Soma, like happiness, is something elusive and hidden. It cannot be given to
us quickly, easily or from the outside. We have to look deeply within ourselves in
order to discover it. Soma is an inner essence, not an outer form or object. Soma
indicates the juice, the rasa in Sanskrit, the essence of beauty and delight hidden in
things, which requires a special process of extraction in order to bring out and
appreciate it.
This process of extracting the Soma is symbolized by the plant stalk that must be
ground down with a mortar and pestle in order to remove its sweet juice. Yet
everything that we take into our bodies and minds – whether food, beverages or
sensory impressions – possesses a certain taste. This taste notifies us of the quality
of the substance that we are imbibing and helps us understand how it may affect us
after we have digested it. We naturally gravitate towards those items that have a
taste and essence that is pleasant and promotes a sense of well-being, from the
sugars in food and drinks, to beautiful sounds and colors, to sweet emotions like
love and joy. These all reflect how the pursuit of Soma is programmed into our
nervous systems.

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Soma and Art
To approach the subject of Soma at a deeper level, it is helpful to look into the
realm of art, which has a special Soma of its own, as well as a connection to
immortality. As the great German poet Goethe said, “Life is short but art is long.”
In this regard, art as a refined pursuit of sensation is another pursuit of Soma at an
intellectual level. The aesthetic experience involves extracting an essence of
delight from the outer forms and shapes that we perceive through the senses. For
example, for the painter, a still life is not simply a bowl of fruit on a table to eat,
but colors, forms and patterns of delight for the inner eye to imbibe and appreciate.
The artist finds enjoyment in the light behind things, not in the actual objects, which
recede in the background and merely become staging devices to reveal that
enduring light of beauty, which most of us, in our outer pursuits in life, fail to
recognize.
There are Somas or powers of beauty and delight everywhere in the universe,
which itself is structured by the light of consciousness. Each thing that we
encounter in nature possesses a certain beauty, energy or characteristic quality that
communicates some truth or delight of the universe to us, whether it is the texture of
a rock or the patterns of clouds in the sky. This ‘Soma of nature’ has a natural
healing and calming quality for us that we all know of whether in beautiful sunrises
or sunsets or the gentle luminosity of the Moon.
There are beautiful and healing Somas in the various forms of light, in the
waters, the air, the cosmic spaces, and in the Earth itself down into its deepest
caverns. Our lives can benefit immensely from learning how to access all these
natural Somas or sacred powers of life. Unfortunately, we usually prefer to remain
at the surface level of our human experience, running after the human Somas of our
social and technologically based lives that are often artificial, dulling and
disturbing to our deeper aspirations. Yet all of us have experienced this beauty or
Soma of nature, whether in a sunset, sunrise, mountain or ocean vista, and can
cultivate it more deeply if we wish. We can all appreciate the art of Soma behind
the movement of life.
Soma, Yoga and Tantra
The Upanishads describe the Self as the rasa or essence of all, which in turn is
connected to space.18 Our own inner being is an essence, not a body, form or
instrument. Beyond the artistic rasas or essences of beauty and delight, are the
spiritual or yogic rasas, which lead us to the bliss or Ananda behind all existence.
The Yogi seeks to develop this deeper level of rasa beyond even art, though he may

35
use artistic tools like chanting, music or visualization in the process.
The Yogi takes his vision from the outer forms of objects to the underlying
essential qualities of the five great elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether.
These in turn he takes back to their subtle sensory essences as the root energies of
smell, taste, sight, touch and sound. These in turn he resolves into the actions of the
five sense organs (ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose) and five motor organs (voice, hand,
feet, urogenital, excretory). These in turn he resolves into the mind, ego,
intelligence and nature itself (Prakriti), which is all ultimately resolved into the
seer or Purusha, the immortal Self. This is the movement of the 25 tattvas or
cosmic principles in the philosophy of Yoga and Samkhya.19
Tantric Yoga, in its traditional form, is itself a science of extracting the essence
of delight and awareness from the whole of life. It works with the forms of art and
deeper yogic examination, following out the movement of rasas back to the
essential powers of Shiva and Shakti as cosmic consciousness and its creative
power. Even the left handed Tantra that at times used sacred rituals involving
sexual practices or the use of intoxicants, was part of a seeking of rasas or
essences beyond the outer forms employed.
The Legendary Soma Plant
In one of its prime Vedic symbolisms, Soma is described as a magical plant or
herbal preparation that rejuvenates the body and mind, promoting healing and
granting ecstasy and immortality. Though the Soma plant is described in various
ways in early Vedic texts, it recedes into myth and legend in later Hindu teachings.
There continues to be much debate in the scholarly world as to the identity of the
original Soma plant, if indeed it was an actual particular plant at all.
Based upon my own research in Vedic texts going back forty years, including
thirty years of published writings,20 I do not think that Soma was ever regarded as
a single plant or species. The Vedic Soma is referred to as a type of plants and as
various plant preparations, including using milk, honey, ghee and yogurt. Soma
appears to refer to rejuvenative plants in general, not one species, and can also
refer to the juice or essence of any plant. Soma is ultimately the healing essence of
all the plants and beyond that even the essence of all healing, joy and well-being.
Plant Somas do exist and their usage will be discussed in the herbal chapters of
this book. The appendix also contains an examination of the possible identity of
Vedic Soma plants in its “Search for the Original Soma Plant.” Special Soma herbs
can indeed bring about marvelous changes to our nervous and endocrine systems, if

36
we are prepared properly to take them. Stories of sacred and powerful herbs can
be found throughout the world and form an important component of mystical, yogic
and shamanic traditions worldwide. They are part of our inner quest.
Yet the plant form or botanical aspect is only one side of Soma symbolism and
should not be taken literally. The plant also has a deeper meaning. The Vedas speak
of the universal tree, the immortal fig or banyan tree, whose branches are below
and whose root is above.21 The cosmic fig tree in the Rigveda is lauded foremost
among the plants, which are described as abounding with Soma.22 Soma is the
cosmic plant, which can be symbolized as a tree, such as we find in many mystical
traditions. Yet the cosmic plant is often regarded as a flower like the even more
common lotus in Vedic thought, or the mystic rose of European thought.
This cosmic plant moreover exists inside of us. It is our own nervous system at
a physical level, which resembles a tree with various branches. In Vedic
symbolism, the spine is sometimes symbolized also as a reed or bamboo.23 This
mystic plant is also the subtle body with its system of subtle currents called nadis
and energy centers called chakras, which are symbolized by flowers or lotuses.
Later Tantric Yoga texts abound in such symbolisms and recognize an inner Soma
or nectar through which bliss and immortality is gained.
Some scholars may argue that this yogic symbolism was added at a later point
of time to an earlier Vedic nature worship. However, given the deep symbolism of
early ancient teachings from the Vedas of India to the Egyptian Book of the Dead,
it is clear that a spiritual and yogic indication was part of the meaning of Soma, if
not its most important implication, from the very beginning. The Vedic chants
themselves are said to be types of Somas, which is also related to poetic or seer
inspiration. Somas are not simply plants or beverages taken in the physical body,
but ecstatic experiences in meditative states, other altered states of consciousness,
or even in dreams and visions. Such an ‘inner drinking of the Soma’ is likely the
real absorption of this sacred essence that Soma implies in its Vedic symbolism as
the creative power behind the entire universe.
The yogic quest for Soma is part of an inner alchemy of Self-realization, not
simply an outer seeking of intoxication or use of powerful healing plants. This
Vedic ‘Soma alchemy’ does consider the role of plants and minerals, not only as
rejuvenating substances outwardly, but also as indications of inner processes and
energies of the deeper psyche. We can compare the Vedic pursuit of Soma with
how the great psychologist Carl Jung explained medieval European alchemy,
which appeared to the modern mind as little more than a confused superstition
based upon a misunderstanding of how chemicals really work but at a deeper

37
examination could be seen to contain a symbolism of psychological regeneration, a
sophisticated system of self-integration. It is this inner alchemy of Soma that is its
real secret and true power. To discover it we must expand our examination of
Soma from a botanical level to all aspects of life and consciousness.
All our life processes yield various types of Soma, enjoyment or vitality,
whether it is eating, breathing, sensing, feeling or thinking. There is a rasa or
essence of delight in all things that we can access through a higher awareness. Life
itself should be an experience of Soma or lasting joy extending to all that we do.
Soma reflects the ultimate movement of life as it seeks unification, integration,
expansion and immortality. The Vedic Soma is part of a greater set of symbolisms
than its botanical implications. Such inner types of Soma occur throughout Vedic
and Tantric teachings as mantra, pranayama, devotion and meditation. In fact, we
could say that the practice of Yoga in its classical sense, which is a pursuit of
samadhi or a lasting state of bliss, is the ultimate quest for Soma – that Yoga is the
supreme science of Soma for healing body and mind and taking us beyond all death
and suffering.
The Pursuit of Soma: the Alchemy of Happiness
Soma is ultimately the bliss of our own existence that we must pursue by our
very nature. We are all seeking our bliss or looking for our Soma in one form or
another. We are all striving to get high, to transcend, to experience something
greater, to go beyond, to achieve a peak experience, to gain lasting fame, to get into
the zone, and so on, seeking happiness according to many different formulas and
perspectives. Behind these diverse pursuits is an aspiration for the bliss at the core
of our being that does not diminish or die, which is lastingly satisfying and
refreshing. Most of our Soma-seeking, as it were, may begin as crude or gross,
running after sensory stimulations, but we ultimately must refine our pursuit of
happiness through the higher pursuits of art, mysticism and spirituality if we wish
to gain the immortal bliss that is the real goal of our heart’s wishes. If we do not
consciously search out this eternal bliss, we will only consign ourselves to
transient happiness that ends in lasting sorrow.
What provides us our happiness, bliss and Soma in life – or what we think does
so – becomes our passion, inspiration or addiction that becomes the prime focus of
our striving. Soma can be whatever exhilarates the senses, prana, mind and heart,
in which all our worries and problems are forgotten. We should choose our Somas
in life carefully because once we have become accustomed to a particular form of
Soma, delight or pleasure, even if it is limited, we will find it difficult to give up.
External Somas, the pleasure that arises through the body and the senses in

38
particular, easily breed dependency. Only the internal Somas of the deeper mind
and heart, our deeper inspirations, are truly liberating.
Look at your own life and begin to observe the happiness, Somas, rasas or
essences that you are cultivating on a daily basis. What are the Somas or prime
forms of enjoyment that you seek in your food, exercise, sensory impressions,
associations, work or spiritual practice? What are your favorite items, events or
interests, and what is it that attracts you to them? What essences are you imbibing
in life from the various flowers of experience that you visit on a daily basis? Will
their honey or nectar prove sweet and enduring, or end bitter or sour?
All of our life experience is a cultivation of Soma, as it were, a taking in of
various essences that become deposited in our memory, which leave us with a
residual sense of happiness or sorrow, fulfillment or lack, success or failure. What
kind of body of Soma or inner essence of experience are we building up in life?
This will reflect our karma and destiny as well as the flow of grace within us.
Once we have become aware of the pitfalls of the outer pursuit of enjoyment or
become exhausted by its limitations, the following questions arise: Can one pursue
a higher and more refined Soma that resides within oneself, so that one need not
seek happiness on the outside? What is the alchemy of our own happiness, the
chemistry of our own bliss that we need to develop? How can we reach that
essence of immortality that is the highest energization of all our potentials? After
all, the pleasure and happiness that we seek externally remains elusive, expensive,
unreliable and unpredictable.
Our primary outer Somas are our sensory pleasures through taste, touch, sound,
sight and smell. Most of our lives consist of a pursuit of new or more powerful
sensations, which can be gross and noisy or subtle and refined. This sensate
seeking keeps our Soma focused in the outer world where it easily becomes lost
and dispersed. We end up as consumers rather than as creators, shopping for what
we have been told we should have, rather than bringing into existence what is for
the good of all and for our own greater well-being.
To evolve in consciousness and in happiness, we need to follow a deeper
search for Soma that looks to the hidden essence of life, ultimately to the ground of
Being-Consciousness-Bliss itself, what the great Yogis call Sat-Chit-Ananda. This
is the supreme Soma beyond name, form, number and action, above all desire,
seeking, imagination, gain and loss. This supreme Soma is difficult to understand
but can be best approached with an honoring of the sacred. Our inner life or
spiritual quest begins when we initiate this search for the mystic Soma.

39
 The religious pursuit of heaven is another kind of seeking of Soma or bliss.
Heaven is often described as flowing with healing waters, nectars, milk and honey
or Soma. Yet it is easier to access Soma, or the love-bliss energies of the universe,
in subtle realms of pure thought, deep feeling, and devotion beyond the physical
body, through the more refined instrument of the subtle astral body made of light
and prana. Such Somas of the heavenly worlds reflect the essence of our
experience in life, particularly our good karmas and spiritual striving, which grant
us a taste of Soma after death. Yet even these subtle realms of Soma are inferior to
the bliss of pure consciousness beyond all form and should not be regarded as the
ultimate. Once we have experienced such astral Somas, we must return to physical
life for further inner growth.
Soma and Enjoyment
Soma at the most basic level is whatever allows us to feel good in life, starting
at an outer level of what we can call ‘outer Somas’ that include sensory
enjoyments, sexual pleasures, athletic accomplishments, monetary gains, worldly
successes and achievements of all kinds. We gain a sense of Soma or contentment
from listening to music, from being entertained, from any significant particularly
unexpected gains, from social recognition, by becoming famous, and so on. This
outer pursuit of enjoyment is our main Soma quest in life. Whatever free time or
extra resources have, we use it for everything from eating good food, to searching
out the latest new equipment, seeking out new partners or friends, or taking special
vacations, in which we pursue our outer Soma.
Yet the outer Somas that we seek are not always good, healthy or without side
effects. On the negative side, outer Somas include junk food, sugar, alcohol,
tobacco, stimulants, and recreational and medicinal drugs of all types.24 We even
gain a strange delight in perversions, negative emotions, anger, hatred, the
unhappiness of others, or even in our own unhappiness in life, much like the
pleasure in watching war or horror movies. In these diverse phenomena, there is a
strong or intense experience that we merge into: an absorption, intoxication, self-
forgetting or self-transcendence, a touch of if not ecstasy, at least fascination.
These peak experiences of our outer lives do not just involve expanded external
experiences. They cause our brains to secrete more positive chemicals, the famous
endorphins, which bring a sense of contentment to our entire body and nervous
system. It is this internal counterpart of our outer gains that hides the mystery of the
deeper Somas that we can learn to experience directly inside ourselves.
Apart from these outer Somas, there is an entire range of inner Somas. These

40
include all aspects of creativity and spirituality, in which our focus is within. The
key to our inner growth is to move from lower Somas to higher Somas, which grant
us peace and contentment, connecting us to our inner bliss and immortality, rather
than wearing ourselves out in the external pursuit of happiness that is largely an
escape from our internal emptiness and sorrow.
The outer seeking of Soma that our pursuit of enjoyment reflects, we should
note, is not a quest for immortality – which requires discipline, austerity and deep
search – but an indulgence in mortality, which hastens our aging process and
causes disease. It is a running after the outer world rather than discovering the
universe inside ourselves. This outer pursuit of desire and pleasure dissipates the
senses, weakens the will, causes us to lose our independence, and eventually
exhausts our vitality. It makes us lose our inner peace, happiness and contentment.
As long as we are caught in the outer pursuit of enjoyment, we must remain trapped
in mortality and cannot find the immortal.
This outer pursuit of happiness is called bhoga or enjoyment in Sanskrit, which
is said to lead to roga or disease. The inner pursuit of happiness is yoga, which
requires forgoing short-term enjoyment to achieve lasting bliss. If we are serious
about our quest for immortality, the pursuit of transient sensory, emotional and
intellectual stimulation cannot be our main preoccupation in life. We must face the
mortality of our outer enjoyments in order to approach the reality of immortal bliss,
which cannot be shaken by the pleasures and pains, gains and losses of the outer
life. Our outer enjoyments or outer Somas become inner poisons, as it were, if we
do not bring a deeper search into our lives.
The Allure of High Tech Somas – the Soma of the Media
In our commercial and high tech era today, we are ever seeking new and more
sophisticated outer Somas, particularly as dished out through the entertainment
realm and the mass media. In all these, the main thing is the sophistication of the
equipment, bigger screens with better colors and better sounds. They do not
actually change us internally or give us more control over how we think and feel.
We are becoming largely inert spectators, letting other people run our lives and
being content to form the audience and rate the performers and pay for their
performance.
Yet while our media equipment has improved in radical ways over time from
crude radios to sophisticated home entertainment systems, the content that we are
witnessing has seldom changed from the same old sex, aggression and violence. In
fact, the content of our entertainment has arguably gotten worse. We have better

41
camera shots, but of a world that is egoistic, self-promoting, rude and bombastic,
not at all subtle and refined. We have highlighted physical reality and bodily
movement, and any refinement of feeling seems receding in the distance. We are
giving up living our own lives and instead living by proxy through our entertainers,
or withdrawing into our own fantasy reality.
We are now trying to create a virtual reality, including an ideal powerful or
beautiful self through our computer screens that we can access at any time. We can
find our Soma in and get dependent on the media, without leaving our rooms, much
less doing anything to improve our lives. Even when we travel, we must take the
computer with us as our primary companion, to sustain our virtual reality. We put
little television screens on the backseats of our automobiles to keep our children
preoccupied with the media reality as they find the world of nature to be boring.
While this technology may make our lives easier and communication better on
some levels, it carries a background inertia to remove us from our own minds and
from the world of nature – and place our sense of identity, purpose and value in the
media realm and its judgments that remain superficial and blind to the greater
reality.
Through its powerful sensory displays of light, color, sound and rapid
movement the mass media produces a very powerful kind of Soma in our nervous
system that draws our attention and makes us passive both to ourselves and to the
world around us. The mass media hooks into our brains and changes their
chemistry, creating an artificial appetite and an addiction to entertainment and the
news. We can become addicted to media impressions as effectively as to drugs –
and without knowing it. Look at the behavior of people when any major media
attraction is going on, an important sports event, for example. They literally shut
off from their own bodies and minds and become glued to the screen. What
happens on the screen elicits strong mental, emotional and physical reactions
within their own nervous systems, like being plugged into an energy current, even
though such events rarely concern them personally.
Note that most of our media fascination is with the negative or painful in life.
Our movies predominate in violence and have numerous scenes of destruction and
death. Our poor heroes and heroines go from one life threatening event or attack to
another, experiencing various traumas or picking up various injuries along the way.
Our news is mainly of crime, war, disasters, scandals or impending catastrophes.
We let people into our minds that we would never let into our homes. We are
addicted to negative sensations or violent Somas because these are more
emotionally engaging to us, better distracting us from our own internal emptiness.
We must remember that whatever information or enjoyment that we are receiving

42
through the mass media has been selected, programmed and filtered by various
vested interests, planned to make us to react one way or another, generally in an
unthinking manner. We are not simply being entertained but are being conditioned
and controlled, which means having the movement of our own prana and our own
internal chemistry altered.
Often when I notice someone I know watching a television program, I ask him
or her, “What are you looking at?” They quickly reply with the nature or name of
the particular program. To this, I respond, “What you are really looking at is a
screen.” One of the prime laws of how the mind works is that the mind tends to
imitate its environment. This means that in the media world today, we also look at
the world and ourselves like a screen. We become reactive, programmed, almost
two dimensional in our responses. The screen gains a greater reality than the
impressions in the life around us, which we lose our sensitivity to. We live from
media event to media event, in media time far removed from the rhythms of nature
or the currents of our own physiology. Our own personal lives lose both their value
and their interest for us, as what happens to us in daily life from sunrise and sunset
cannot compare to the rapid drama and sensation that happens on the screen in a
few minutes. The result is that we stop living our own lives or even having our
own lives apart from the media. Our Facebook image can become our real life or
main preoccupation in life.
The rapid flow of media impressions easily addicts us, stimulating the nervous
system much more than nature’s gentle flow of subtle light. The media has
programmed our minds and nervous system to require its sensory input as a kind of
food or drug. Without our daily meal, bath or inundation of media images, we feel
empty and can undergo withdrawal symptoms like an addict without his drug. Our
computer and television screens, our 3D movies, which are but an indication of
more technology to come, create an exhilaration and a fascination, but also reed a
deep dependency down to the subconscious level that is insidious in its effects. It
starts in our childhood when we do not have any spiritual self-defense of wisdom
or awareness. Then we become consumers for life.
Yet the side effects of our virtual reality lives are now becoming obvious.
Boredom and depression are increasing rapidly throughout our high tech society,
and new forms of entertainment seem to be just preparing a greater malaise for our
world in the decades to come. We forget that external stimulation breeds internal
emptiness and inertia, which must catch up with us in the end. It also can adversely
affect our health causing immune system disorders, hormonal and nervous system
problems.25

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 Without our media highs, sometimes even with them, we must face our
emotional lows. We are progressively unable to be alone, to be in silence, to
appreciate nature, or to experience life as it is without a camera somewhere. At the
same time we are becoming progressively incapable of deep or lasting
relationships as we become more used to relating to the images of people rather
than to actual individuals. Rapid media sensations are like speed or cocaine,
pumping us up outwardly but eventually leaving us depleted within. They destroy
our contentment and detachment in life and make us hypersensitive, viscerally
reactive to the fluctuations of political, economic or social events in the outer
world, the on-going turbulence from throughout the world that the media blares as
the daily news.
New High Tech Drug Somas: Brave New World
Our culture has become increasingly drug oriented both in terms of recreational
and medicinal drugs. Nearly thirty percent of our children take medications every
day, while over fifty percent of teenagers experiment with recreational drugs. Over
ninety percent of our seniors take at least ten different drugs daily to sustain their
health. It seems rare to find a person whose blood stream and nervous system is not
in some way chemically altered or contaminated.
Modern medicine has created a new Soma of high tech designer drugs including
special anti-depressants, sedatives and pain relieving agents to make us feel better.
Some of these Soma drugs exist to counter the dullness or wearing out of our
nervous system caused by our media addictions. All tend to be expensive and have
significant side effects that we are only beginning to discover. Our medicine now
prescribes powerful drugs first, and only recommends natural healing after the
drugs have failed or damaged our nervous system. We rarely seek out the cause of
disease in wrong diet, lack of exercise or emotional disharmonies, but quickly
embrace soothing drugs to cover over the symptoms of our lives out of balance.
The use of anti-depressants has become so rampant that it is becoming the norm,
rather than the exception for our psychological issues.
There is also a new range and availability of recreational drugs, narcotics and
psychedelics, from old standards like heroin or cannabis, to a whole new set of
designer drugs that can be mixed together in various new and powerful
combinations. We can easily find a bewildering diversity of drugs to choose from,
as often can our own children, a smorgasbord of intoxicants to choose from.
Meanwhile the war on drugs has expanded to a literal war that makes our borders
unsafe, as well as provoking overseas conflicts.

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 On top of these overt drugs, our foods and beverages contain many chemical
additives of different types. Our food industry has created its new high tech Somas
of junk food, with high fructose corn syrup augmenting our sugar cravings. People
take as their main beverages soft drinks that have little natural within them. We
have new Somas of Coke and Pepsi that are nutritionally of little value but easily
addict the nervous system, using media entertainers to sell them, connecting one
artificial Soma with another. More people are drinking alcohol as well, not simply
as a sidelight but as their prime beverage, their main Soma in life. Even natural
foods stores now abound with large alcohol sections that seem to be the most
rapidly growing sections of the stores.
We can add to these artificial food and drink Somas, the chemicals in our air,
water and soil, the pollutants that seem to be everywhere around us. These also
contaminate our nervous systems and make us prone to other drug or media
addictions. The artificial chemicals that have come into our bodies cause us to
crave more from the outside as well. As we become more chemically dependent
our lives become more mechanical as well, losing the freshness of prana and
awareness.
Along with high tech Soma drugs we are trying to remake the physical body at a
high tech level as well. Genetic manipulation, still in its initial phases, is part of
this process. It includes plastic surgery, Botox and other ways to make our bodily
appearance more attractive, without actually improving our internal energy or state
of awareness. This high tech body remaking is a dangerous process that can leave
us progressively artificial inwardly and outwardly. Besides artificial chemicals,
we have plastic in our bodies as part of our own self-image.
These Somas of the modern media and high tech realms resemble the Somas of
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and it is possible that they will remain the
dominant cultural force for decades to come. Clearly our culture has become more
adept in producing outer Somas, in stimulating and distracting ourselves externally,
but we have not gained lasting happiness in the process, much less internal peace
or peace in our society. Faced with the obvious limitations and dangers of these
high tech Somas, we need to develop an alternative; a return to nature to find the
real essence of Soma, beauty and delight that does not depend upon external
stimulation or artificial equipment. We need the inner Soma that no one can give to
us, that cannot be bought, that does not require any equipment or change our natural
chemistry.
These high tech Somas, including the many new drugs, can provide much
entertainment and be of medical benefit in acute conditions, but they can reduce the

45
quality of our life and awareness. They tend to remove us from our own direct
experience of reality and make us dependent upon the media and the medical
establishment for our well-being. We remain spectators and consumers, in a world
where others run our lives and occupy our minds and hearts with their own secret
agendas. These outer Somas, however high tech in nature, cannot bring fulfillment
to our inner being. They can only stimulate our senses and push our emotional
buttons so that we do not develop the power of attention to look within. The way to
inner rejuvenation is along a different route, not through the outer stimulation of the
nervous system but through its inner calming and quiescence through Yoga and
meditation. While we can use the media and computer worlds to enhance our outer
lives, we should not allow them to substitute for our deeper inner search or
become our dominant reality.
The Transformative Power of the Inner Soma
Though we have access to many new forms of enjoyment in this media age, we
are getting progressively agitated, bored and depleted. We fail to realize in our
outer pursuit of enjoyment that true happiness or Soma comes from the inside. It
can never be bought, much less produced externally. True happiness is a positive
energy and contentment within our own hearts, minds and nervous systems. Real
Soma comes from within, not from the outside. It is not a dramatic external
sensation but a subtle internal flow of grace. It heightens our awareness and
independence; it does not breed addiction or dependency, though it remains ever
fascinating, engaging and uplifting in its effects.
The outer factors that appear to provide us with happiness are simply triggering
our own inner current of happiness or inner Soma to flow, but in a distorted manner
that we ourselves do not control. Entertaining media impressions or mood
elevating drugs irritate our nervous systems to release the same chemicals of
contentment that are the natural products of our inner well-being, depleting them in
the process. The problem is that we identify this feeling of well-being or Soma
with the outer factors that cause it to arise. We confuse the external factors that
stimulate our Soma with the Soma itself, thinking that our actual happiness and
well-being depends upon them. We then lose our inner Soma and get addicted and
dependent on these outer forms of enjoyment, losing our inner integrity in the
process.
All outer forms of Soma – to the extent that they become our primary focus in
life – weaken or agitate our inner Soma. They promote inertia, decay and death,
particularly of the mind. Some outer drug based Somas can keep the body alive
artificially a bit longer, but cannot vitalize us from within. They cause us to lose

46
our real Soma or happiness and become hostage to some external agency to make
us happy or to take care of us. The result is that we are not happy or content in
ourselves or in our own lives, relationships or occupations. We go from
entertainment to therapy and back again, not connecting with the flow of grace
inherent in the natural movement of life.
We need to recognize that the inner Soma is much more important than the outer,
which is at best an external complement. While not having the same external hype,
allure and drama, this inner Soma has a much deeper transformative power. The
inner Soma invigorates and vitalizes us in an organic manner, just as the outer
Soma can take away our energy and motivation. When we begin to awaken
spiritually and enter into a life of conscious awareness, we gradually turn away
from the outer Somas and begin to seek the Soma or nectar of bliss within. There
are inner Somas, flows of peace, bliss and cooling delight that can satiate our inner
being, which are released into our minds and nervous systems through Yoga and
meditation that are more exhilarating than any drug, sensation or media show,
breed no dependency, have no side effects, rely on no equipment and have no
price.
The true spiritual alchemy, the way of Yoga and meditation, is to learn to extract
the inner Soma directly, apart from any external stimuli, through the light of
awareness hidden in our own hearts. This involves discovering a deeper inner
contentment, detachment, peace and bliss through spiritual and creative practices,
through our own individual experience and direct perception of life that itself is a
movement of cosmic joy.
Soma and Cultural Renewal
Our culture, particularly its artistic, philosophical and spiritual forms,
represents our collective Soma. It is not enough to strive to develop our personal
Soma; we also should strive to uplift the Soma of our culture. Our current culture is
sunk in lower level commercial Somas that are making us more insensitive and
less gentle or refined. Our primary Somas are of drugs, machines, fast foods and
mass production. These do not provide a suitable vehicle for the soul in us, our
eternal being to emerge.
To renew our culture and take us beyond our current global crisis, we need to
develop a new cultural Soma. This is to develop a culture not only of beautiful art
and music, sophisticated science and profound philosophy, which are certainly
important; it also means to develop a culture of Yoga and meditation, a culture born
of self-control, not of seeking to exploit the world around us. To develop our own

47
individual Soma, we must also strive to connect with and develop the world
cultural Soma. We should bring more Soma into our lives and into our
environment, not for our own enjoyment, but for enhancing the world in which we
live and helping nature to evolve and manifest the Divine light.
One of the first signs of our inner Soma beginning to awaken is a greater sense
of beauty in nature, which can lead us into the artistic realm as well. Nature is full
of Somas, rasas or nectars, not just in dramatic storms of sunsets but also in the
subtle hues of the moss, lichen and rocks, in the very textures of the Earth. When
we start to live in nature more than in the media, we can access a new level of
Soma and delight. We can once more integrate our human world into the greater
conscious universe. We can also integrate more of nature and spirituality into the
media, which will then become more a means of our secondary expression than our
primary activity that will shift to the inner worlds.
The Spiritual Search for Soma
The awakening of devotion to the Divine within our hearts is the main spiritual
sign that our inner Soma is coming to the front of our being. This also means
honoring the sacred nature of all life. On the level of emotions, it is love that
allows our Soma to flow. The higher the love, the purer and more lasting will be
the flow of Soma. This inner devotion is not a matter of mere emotionality, but a
more refined sensitivity to the Divine ground of existence as an unbounded
expansion of beneficence and grace.
As our inner Soma develops, we become conscious of ourselves as an immortal
soul, seeking divinity through many lives, many births and deaths, connecting to our
undying aspiration to the internal and the infinite. We seek our happiness in
expanding our sense of divine love, awareness and higher perception, not only
through formal yogic or mystical practices, but also through a change of our attitude
and values in life. We enter into various yogic or mystical experiences, including
the unity consciousness called samadhi, in which the inner currents of Soma-bliss
flow throughout the channels of the nervous system and subtle body, improving our
health, well-being, happiness and joy. The Shakti or electrical power of Soma
brings a rain of higher knowledge into every corner of our minds.
Each one of us has a certain amount of inner Soma that we are born with,
depending on our level of awareness from previous lives. This is our inherent
capacity for peace, happiness, creativity, love and spirituality. Not all of us use our
inner Soma wisely. Most of us deplete it in transient and trivial pursuits through the
body and senses. The pursuit of the outer forms of Soma through sensory

48
enjoyments depletes our internal Soma. Once our inner Soma is depleted, we
easily fall into depression, anxiety or anger. Our innate happiness, curiosity and
will to live get reduced. Therefore it behooves us to protect our inner Soma as the
treasure of immortality it is for us, and to seek to develop it in a way that will not
fail us. Soma leads us to the rejuvenation of body and mind, aligned with the
awakening of the spirit. But if we do not first turn away from the outer Somas, we
may not be able to access those that are within.
We need to create a new inner body of bliss or ‘body of Soma’, which is a
receptacle of love, compassion and delight. We must move out of our physical
body as our vehicle for happiness and move into our bliss body, which is
ultimately a power of awareness, not any outer body or external vehicle at all.
When we fully enter into our body of bliss, we have true immortality, whether we
continue to use a physical body or not.
Longevity and Happiness
The main reason we pursue longevity is because we are happy to be alive and
healthy and see aging and death as suffering. However, longevity itself does not
provide happiness. We can live long physically infirm or psychologically
distressed. Some people linger on for years in chronic diseases. Others can last
long in a state of depression or decreased mental functioning.
The first thing we need to realize is that happiness is our very nature; bliss is the
core of our being. Our inner happiness does not depend upon a good physical
longevity. In fact, we can live happy and fulfilling lives that are not long in
duration. Many great yogis and sages have lived lives that were ordinary in length
or even short, like Shankara, the greatest philosopher of India, who only lived to
the age of thirty two or Jesus who only lived to thirty three. We should not confuse
longevity with happiness, or a short life with a failed life.
Our happiness does not depend upon living long but upon realizing the truth of
our inner being and connecting to the bliss within. This may take decades or
lifetimes to fully accomplish, but is a realization that ultimately takes us outside of
time altogether. Our eternal being is not increased by a long life, nor decreased by
a short life. In this regard, the search for our inner Soma is more important than the
seeking of greater longevity. Without that inner Soma, longevity will not fulfill our
soul. It may become something artificial or distorted, a continuation of selfish and
sensate drives and passions beyond their normal or natural span.
Rejuvenation and Immortality through the Inner Soma

49
 A healthy and harmonious physical rejuvenation depends upon developing and
strengthening our physical and vital Somas. Rejuvenation of the mind depends upon
developing and strengthening our mental and emotional Somas. Immortality of the
spirit depends upon developing and strengthening our connection with the supreme
Soma of universal love, joy and compassion. There are several aspects to these
processes, which can work together.
Soma-increasing foods (fruits, nuts, dairy, root vegetables, whole
grains) to nourish a higher quality energy and tissue in the body.
Soma-increasing herbs (tonic, nervine and rejuvenative agents) for
strengthening the body and mind.
Soma-increasing sensory impressions (sights and sounds born of nature
and spiritual aspiration) to nourish and revitalize the mind and senses.
Turning within and slowing down: rest, relaxation and deep sleep,
stillness, silence and spacing, learning to hold and conserve our energy
within.
Soma-increasing emotions, devotion and associations born of the
spiritual heart.
Soma-increasing pranayama and pranic exercises, calming and
deepening the breath and vital force.
Soma-increasing mantras, visualizations, thoughts and affirmations to
increase the Soma of the mind.
Soma-promoting deep meditation and samadhi, to unfold the deepest
Somas of the bliss of awareness.
Soma increasing diet and herbs are part of the Ayurvedic approach to Soma.
They are covered under Ayurvedic rejuvenation or rasayana practice, which is an
important aspect of Ayurvedic treatment starting with the ancient classics of
Charak and Sushrut Samhitas. The section relative to the treatment of disease in
Charak Samhita deals with rejuvenation first!26 For Ayurveda, the development of
Soma is the key to good immunity, good longevity and optimal health, as well as to
good progeny.
Inner factors for developing Soma come under Raja Yoga or Yoga in the
broader sense of the combination of knowledge, devotion, service and energy
practices. Classical Yoga can be defined as a means of developing our inner Soma,

50
Exploring the Variety of Random
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Wahnsinn verfallen, mordet den Learchos, während Ino sich mit
Melikertes ins Meer stürzt. Vgl. Nauck, trag. fr. p. 383. Nur die Titel
kennen wir von dem Phrixos des Achaios, Nauck p. 586, und dem
Athamas des Xenokles, catvio qvköv, Nauck p. 597, in der römischen
Tragödie führen zwei Stücke, des Accius und des Emiius , den Titel
Athamas liibbcck, röm. 'Trag. 204. 526). Die lokale Tradition der
Sage haftet vor allem an dem Namen des athamantischen Gefildes,
niSiov Aftug.caTiov Ap. Rh. 2, 514. Zunächst desjenigen im
thessalischen Phthiotis: aufser den am Anfang angeführten Stellen
sei noch Steph. s. v. "A).og citiert, wonach die 50 Stadt Alos oder
Halos ihren Namen in Bezug auf das Irren des Athamas von aln oder
nach Theon von einer Dienerin des Athamas , die ihm die Ränke der
Ino entdeckt haben sollte, ableitete. Am wichtigsten aber ist, was
Jlcrodot 7, 197 von der Stadt Halos erzählt: dort herrschte der
Brauch , dafs der Älteste aus dem Geschlecht der Athamantiden das
Leiton, d. i. das Rathaus der Stadt, meiden mufste, widrigenfalls er
schonungslos dem Zeus Laphyco stios geopfert wurde. Begründet
wurde dies damit, dafs Kytissoros, der Sohn des Phrixos, gerade als
die Achäer nach einem Götterspruch den Athamas zur Sühne des
Landes hätten schlachten wollen , seinen Grofsvater befreit habe.
Vgl. Plat. Min. 315, Sehol Ap. Rh. 2, 663. (Ebenso verfolgte in
Orchomenos jährlich am Feste der Agrionia die Priester des Dionysos
Aa
The text on this page is estimated to be only 24.00%
accurate

673 Atbamas Athamas 674 schein Geschlecht mit dem

Schwerte, Plut. sikalischen Charakter des Mythos, indem er xtqp.
'EXlrjv. 38). In Boiotieu war es der hei Nephele und den Widder, wie
auch die VerKoroneia gelegene Berg Laphystion mit dem bindung
desselben mit der Argonautensagc if fif kos des Zeus Laphystios, an
dem die Atha- für sekundär erklärt. Vgl. noch Minerrini in massage
haftete, Paus. 9, 34,5; ferner östlich Bull. Napol. N. S. 7, No. 155
und Stall bei vom Kopaissee das athamantische Gefilde, Paus. Pauli/
1, 2 p. 1962 ff. 1526 f. und die im Arti9,24, 1, mit Akraiphniou,
Steph. s.v., und dem kel Argonautensage oben p. 529 f. angegebene
Berge Ptoon, dessen Eponymos Ptoos ein Sohn Litteratur. des
Atbamas und der Themisto genannt wird, Keine der vorhandenen
Sagen ist dem Paus. 9, 34, 6. Die Königsgeschiehte von Or> 10
Minyerstainme so eigentümlich, wie die Atbachonionos bei Paus. 9,
34, 6 ist in ihrer chro- massage, die im südlichen Thessalien, wie in
nologischen und genealogischen Verwirrung Boiotieu, den
Hauptsitzen jenes Stammes, gleich weder für Sage noeb für
Geschichte brauchbar. heimisch war. Athamas erscheint als der Die
monumentale Überlieferung kommt Heros der athamantiseben
Ebenen, die in beifür die Atbamassage nicht in Betracht. Nur den
Landschafton durch Fruchtbarkeit, namenteine einzige Bildsäule wird
von Plin. n. h. 34, lieb Weizenbau , ausgezeichnet waren; der 140
erwähnt, die den über die Ermordung des Mythos ist in seinem Kern
ein agrarischer (vgl. Learchos trauernden Athamas darstellte, ein
Lauer, Syst. d, Myth. 219. 406. Die Ableitung Werk des Erzgiefsers
Aristonidas in Rhodos. des Namens von fraco „saugen" und a priv.
Kallistratos 14 besebi-eibt ein Bild : Atbamas 20 („der Heros der
stetig bewässerten Niederung") die Ino verfolgend. Auf einem
vorbaudenen bei Forchhammer scheint wenigstens sachlich Bild ist
Athamas bis jetzt noch nicht sicher begründeter, als die von Polt in
der Zcitschr. nachgewiesen; angenommen aber bestritten: /'. vergl.
Spr, 7, 164, nach der er mit sk. clhma Miliin, gal. myth. 610. li.-
Rochrtte, mon. in- „stark wehen" zusammenhängen soll (vgl. Bened.
28. Mus. Borb. 1, 49 (hinter der das Bac- fey 2, 272. Muys,
Griechenland und der Orient chuskind von Hermes empfangenden
Ino). p. 3, No. 8. Buttmann, Myth. 2, 244 verbinUnter den Neueren,
die die Atbamassage det den Namen mit hebr. Adam = Mensch),
kritisch behandelt haben, ist an erster Stelle Nephele, Phrixos, der
Widder einerseits, anderem Müller , Orehomenos p. 133 If. , zu
nennen, seits Zeus Laphystios, der die verzehrende der dieselbe als
echt minyeiseh bezeichnet und 30 Glut der Hundstage darstellt,
deuten darauf ihren Kern in dem Kultusbrauche des Sühn- hin, dafs
der Athamasmythos in seiner uropfers, das dem Zeus Laphystios aus
dem Ge- sprünglichsten Fassung den Gegensatz zwischlecht der
Athamantiden gebracht wurde, sehen der fruchtbaren Regenzeit und
der sensucht. Ebenso K. Eckermann, Lehrbuch der genden Glut des
Sommers zum Inhalt hat. Beligionsgeschiehte und Mythologie 1845 ,
1. Eine bestimmtere Ausdrucksform erhielt aber p. 2490'. Eine
physikalische Erklärung gab der die Sage in der Gegend von Halos
durch den Sage P. V. Forchhammer, Hellenikap. 17011'., wel- Brauch
des Menschenopfers, das in ältester eher, indem er in ihr den
Wechsel des Wasser- Zeit dem verderblichen Zorn der Gottheit,
Standes im Kopaissee dargestellt glaubt, damit namentlich dem
Urheber sengender Glut, zur die Natur des Mythos insofern richtig zu
er- ju Versöhnung dargebracht , nachher durch das kennen scheint,
als in demselben der Wechsel Widderopfer ersetzt wurde , letzteres
in der zwischen Nässe und Trockenheit ausgedrückt Bettung des
Phrixos , des Athamas und der .ist, dadurch aber, dafs er jeden Zug
auch der flüchtenden Athamantiden (Llerod. 7, 197) ausspätesten
Überlieferung aus dem Niederschlag gedrückt; das Widderfell, das
Symbol der und Emporsteigen der Dünste zu erklären Regenwolke,
wurde als Jiog niöäiov (Hesych. sucht, ins Absonderliche verfällt.
Forchharn- s. v.) bei Prozessionen zur Versöhnung des mers
physikalischer Deutung schliefst sich in zürnenden Zeus angewendet,
wie der Brauch der Hauptsache Ed. Gerhard, Griech. Mißhol. von
Demetrias zeigt, Dikaiarch bei Müller, §§ 6S3ff. an, hebt aber neben
derselben den geogr. gr. 1, p. 107. Wie im thessalischen Haetbischen
Gedanken und die sakrale Bedeu- 50 los, so bot auf dem boiotiseben
Berge Laphytung der Sage hervor; letztere allein wird von stion der
Kultus des Laphystios der AthamasWieseler in Paulys Hedlenc. 4,
548f. betont, sage eine Anknüpfung. Hier in Boiotieu bilder in der
Inosage die Erinnerung an die volks- dete sich die spätere Form
derselben aus. tümlichen Hindernisse, die der Verbreitung des Die
Kadmostochter Ino, die Pflegerin des Dioolympiscben Heradienstes
gegenüberstanden, nysos, gehört dem boiotischen Sagenkreise an ;
erkennt. Preller , Gr. Myth. 2, 310 ff. identi- mit ihr kamen
dionysische Elemente in die ficiert Athamas mit dem als Gott der
winter- Sage, wie auch Dionysos selbst als .laqpiiorios liehen Stürme
gedeuteten Zeus Laphystios, auf erscheint (Et. Magn.}: die Raserei
des Athadessen Kultus die ursprüngliche Sage allein mas und die Ino
, die Bacchantin auf dem beruhe. Gegen seine Auslegung wendet
sich co Pamafs, Learchos, vom Vater als Hirsch oder H. D. Müller,
Mythologie der griech. Stämme Löwe — dionysische Tiere —
angesehen, tragen 2, 15811". Indem er die Sage den Minyern ab-
diesen Charakter. Ino, die Gegnerin der Wolke, spricht, nennt er
Athamas den Repräsentanten die das Saatkorn dörrt und den
Mifswachs der mit Aiolern verschmolzenen pbthiotischen hervorruft,
im Dienste des Glutgottes AacpvAchaier. Insofern ist die Sage
historisch, ortog, wurde in der Sage die Vertreterin der übrigens aber
überwiegend religiösen Inhalts, Unfruchtbarkeit, dazu geeignet als
Dämonin nämlich prototypisch für den uralten Gebrauch des
unfruchtbaren Meeres. Ethisch umgestaltet des Menschenopfers.
Müller leugnet den pby- wurde die Sage zu dem landläufigen
Märchen Röscher, Lexikon der gr. u. rüm. Mytbol. 22
The text on this page is estimated to be only 25.92%
accurate

G75 Athenais Athene (Gewittergöttin) 676 von der bösen

Stiefmutter und ihren Ränken 3, p. 273. Piud. Ol. 7, 35. Apollod. 1 ,
3, C gegen die beiden Geschwister. Apollodor giebt (vgl. auch Ap.
Uli. 4, 1310f. u. Stesichoros in dasselbe am einfachsten wieder; die
äufserliche den ScJwl. z. d. St. u. unten S. 694f.). DaKombination der
Erzählung von Phrixos und nach verschlang Zeus seine erste
Gemahlin die von der Raserei des Athamas verrät sich Metis (s. d.) ,
als sie noch mit der Athene dadurch, dafs dieselbe auf den Hafs der
Hera schwanger war, und gebar dann diese selbst zurückgeführt
wird, während der ethische Ge- aus seinem Haupte, welches ihm
Prometheus danke verlangt, sie als Strafe für das an den oder
Hephaistos mittelst eines Beiles zerspalNephelekindern begangene
Unrecht aufzufas- tete. Athene aber sprang in leuchtender sen (wie
bei Philostephanos, Schul. II. H 8(3). 10 Rüstung mit
hochgesehwungenem Speere 'Wenn aber in dem 3. Teile der Sage
Atha- und schon mit der Aigis (s. d.) angethan (vgl. inas für die an
Ino und ihren Söhnen verübte die Verse bei Galenos a. a. 0.) aus
dem Haupte Gewalt nach Thessalien verwiesen wird, so ihres Vaters,
indem sie lauten Schlachtruf ist wiederum eine thessalische Tradition
mit erschallen liefs , von welchem Himmel und der boiotischen
verknüpft; das Herumirren des Erde furchtbar wiederhallten (vgl.
Hom. hg. Athamaa und sein Verkehr mit den Wölfen 28, 9 u. Find. a.
a. 0.1. Als Ort der Geerinnert ebenso an das Schicksal des Bellero-
burt wird von Apollodor a. a. 0. (vgl. auch phon (Hom. Z 201) wie an
die'ähnliehe Strafe das alte Dichterfragment b. Galen a. a. 0.) des
Xebukad-Xezar (Dan. 4, 30). Themisto der Tritonüufs, den man sich
im äufsersten scheint eine sekundäre Figur, vielleicht nur 20 Westen
dachte und später in Libyen und andie Wiederholung der Nephele;
die Xainen derwärts {Welcher, Gr. 1, 311 u. 314. Papeihrer Söhne
sind, wie die Magd Ale aus Mos, Benseier, Wortb. d. gr. Eigenn. s. v.)
lokalivon lokaler Bedeutung (Müller, Orchomenos 214) sierte,
angegeben. Davon hiefs Athene Tritound stammen aus irgend einer
Genealogie, wie geneia. Dafs in diesem Mythus von der Geüberhaupt
die Genealogien der rninyeischen burt der Athene eine Reihe von
direkt auf die Fürstengeschlechter willkürlich iu einander
Gewitterwolke und den Blitz hinweisenden verwirrt sind. Wie die
dramatischen Dichter Anschauungen anzuerkennen sind, dürfte
keidie Tradition der Sage beeinflufst haben, kön- nem Zweifel
unterliegen. Die gewitterschwannen wir gerade in der Athamassage
verfolgen. gere Wolke erscheint darin in verschiedenen — 2) ein
Nachkomme des Aioliden, Gründer 30 Bildern, bald als das Haupt
des schwangeren von Teos, Paus. 7, 3, 6. Strab. 14,633. Steph.
Gewittergottes Zeus, bald als Aigis (s.d.); der s. v. Tiag. Pherekydes
bei Schal. Plat. Hip- Blitz, welcher die Wolke spaltet, als spalparch. p.
335. C. I. Gr. 3078. 3083. — 3) Sohn tendes Beil und als blitzende
Lanze ; der des Oinopion, des Kreters, der nach Chios aus- Donner
endlich als furchtbarer Schlachtruf, wanderte, Paus. 7, 4, 8.
[Seeliger.] Auch die Verlegung der Geburt an das Ufer Athenais
(A&qvcttg), Tochter des Hippobo- des im äufsersten Westen
fliefsenden Tritontos , Gemahlin des Autochthonen Alalkome-
Stromes , der wahrscheinlich mit dem Okeaneus (s. d.), Mutter des
Glaukopos: Steph. Byz. nos identisch ist, da Tgitav Grenzstrom bes.
v. 'AXahtopeviov. [Röscher.] deutet (Boscher, Gorgonen 30), weist
auf das Athene, 1) als Göttin der Wetterwolke w Gewitter hin, da
den Griechen die Gewitterund des Blitzes. wölken aus dem
westlichen Okeanos aufzusteiAthene (bei Homer A&rjvn, 'A&nvai'n,
TluX- gen schienen. (Siehe die Belege bei Boscher, t).ag 'A9rjvn,
TluU.ag Adr/vair] etc., auf attischen Gorgonen S. 30 f. u. 119 und
vgl. Berglc in I^ieck-. Urkunden vor Eukleides A&nvuiu, woraus spä-
eisens Jahrb. 1860 S. 29Stf. Lauer, Syst. d. ter die ebenfalls attischen
Formen 'A&rivda gr. Myth. 320. Myriantheus, die Arcins S. XIX. und
A&nvü hervorgingen, bei Pindar und So- Schwarte, Urspr. d. Myth.
83.) Wie richtig pholcles auch 'A&ava: vgl. Index z. C. I. Gr., und
naheliegend diese Deutung ist, erkennt Pape-Bcnseler, M'örterb. d.
griech. Eigenn. 1, man namentlich an einer von Aristokles beim 23.
Welcher, Götterl. 1, 301) ist ebenso wie Schol. z. Pind. Ol. 7, 60
erhaltenen Version die germanische mit ihr in den wesentlich- 50 der
Sage, wonach Athene in einer Wolke versten mythischen Funktionen
zu vergleichende borgen war und infolge eines Blitzschlages Valkyre
(Mannhardt , Germanische Mythen des Zeus plötzlich aus derselben
hervortrat. 557 ff. u. 562 ff.) ursprünglich für eine Göttin Für das
hohe Alter und die weite Verbreitung der Wetterwolke und des
daraus hervor- dieser Geburtssage zeugen die vielen Bildspringenden
Blitzes zu halten. Die Mythen werke, von denen die grofsartige
Gruppe des und Beinamen , in welchen sich diese An- Pheidias im
vorderen Giebelfelde des Partheschauung noch mehr oder weniger
deutlich non das berühmteste geworden ist. In späteoffeubart, sind
kurz folgende. Den Mythus ren schlechtbeglaubigten Mythen, welche
jevon der Geburt der Athene aus dem Haupte denfalls der
Spekulation einzelner Theologen, des Zeus scheint bereits Homer zu
kennen, da tio Philosophen und Dichter oder lokalen Aner sie
ößQtixonuzQq (11. 6, 7471, TQiroytviia (11. schauungen
entsprungen sind, erscheint Athene 4, 515 u. ü.; vgl. S. 076, 19 ff.)
nennt und von als Tochter des geflügelten Giganten Pallas Zeus sagt,
er selbst habe sie geboren (11. 5, (Cic. de not. d. 3, 23. Tzet:. :.
Lykophr. 355), 875, 880). Die erste ausdrückliche Erwähnung oder
des Poseidon und der Tritonis (llcrod. der Geburt aus dem Haupte
des Zeus findet 4 , 180) , oder des Itonos (Etym. M. 479 , 49. sich
bei Ilcxiod. Th. 924. Am vollständigsten Simonides 'bei Tzetzes a. a.
0.), oder endlich erzählen dieselbe Hom. Inj. 28, ein Dichter- des
Hephaistos (A. Mommsen , Heortol. 83). fnignieiit b. Galen, de Hipp,
et Plat. dogm. Eine deutliche Beziehung zum Gewitter, das
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accurate

G77 Athene (Gewittergöttin) Athene (Kriegsgöttin) G78 in

vielen Sagen indogermanischer Völker braucht kaum hervorgehoben
zu werden, dafa »ls ein furchtbarer Kampf der gewaltigsten auf
dieser Gleichheit der Naturbasis das ungeGötter gegen entsetzliche
Kiesen und Unge- mein nahe Verhältnis der Athene zu Zeus und
häuer gefafst wird, verrät auch der Kampf der ihre
Wesensähnlichkeit mit diesem GewitterAthene gegen die Giganten
und die Gorgonen gotte beruht (vgl. darüber Arist. 1 p. 14 Udf. (a.
diese). Als diejenigen Giganten, welche Athene Q. Wacker, G. 1, 308.
2, 280—82). Wie die erlegte, gelten Pallas und Enkelados (Apullod.
übrigen Gewittergottheiten und Gewitterdä1, 0, 2. Vera. Arn. 3,
578ff. Paus. 8, 47, l. monen (vergl. Röscher, Gorgonen Kap. 2), ist
Vgl. Eur. Ion 987 tf. 1528. Arist. 2, p. 15 Jjdf. sie furchtbar (östvri,
vgl. Hes. Theog. 1)25 u. Quint. Smyrn. 14, 684). Besonders populär
war 10 Lamprokles b. Schol. •/.. Ar. Nuh. 967), von die Sage von
Athenes Gigantenkampf in Athen, gewaltiger Kraft (äXnr)taGa Hom.
Inj. 28, 3. ä wie aus der Sitte erhellt, der Göttin an ihrem Jibg äXxipa
■O'tös So}>h. Ai. 401. Vgl. Liv. 42, Hauptfeste einen Peplos mit
eingewebten Dar- 51 Z&eviüg. Paus. 2, 30, 6. 32, 5),
unbezwingstellungenderGigantomachiedarzubringen(7iHr. lieh
(ddduetzog 9tä Soph. Ai. 450. 'Azqvtwvt] Hek. 466 u. Schal. Verg.
Ciris 30. Vgl. u. S. 693, bei Hom.; vgl. darüber Curtius, Grundz.5
599) 18). Von ihrer Teilnahme am Gigantenkampf — aus diesem
Begriff mag sich die vielleicht führte Athene nach Suidas die
Beinamen A- nicht ursprüngliche Vorstellung von ihrer yuvToXintQa,
(-oXhtg) oder riyaftocpoftig {Cor- Jungfräulichkeit entwickelt haben
(vei'gl. mit. p. 115 0). Noch deutlicher tritt die Ge- irao&ivog äöfirjg
und Ähnliches) — und mit witterbedeutung der Athene in der Sage
von 20 leuchtenden oder blitzenden Augen begabt ihrem Kampfe mit
der Gorgo hervor, die (vgl. II. 1, 200 und die häufigen Epitheta sich
nur als Gewitterwolke verstehen läfst yXavKcÖTtig, yogyämg (C. /.
Gr. 6280B) und (vgl. Röscher, die Gorgonen und Verwandtes
o^vStgitrig (Paus. 2, 24, 2), womit nicht blofs S. 117). Als Erlegerin
dieses Ungeheuers galt die der Athene geltende Heiligkeit der
NachtAthene vorzugsweise in Attika (Eur. Ion 987 f. eule (yXav£),
sondern auch der Gedanke zuApollod. 2, 4, 3. Euhemcros 6. Hgg. P.
Astr. sammenhängt, dafs sie die Menschen mit Scharf2, 12; vgl. auch
Diod. 3, 70) und wohl auch blick und Sehkraft begäbe (vgl. Röscher,
GorinTegea (Röscher, Gorgonen8l), während nach gonen 72, Anm.
140 und besonders Paus. argivischer Sage Perseus (s. d.) unter
ihrem Bei- a. a. 0. 3, 18, 2. u. Flut. Lyk. 11). Auf die staude die
Medusa tötete. So wurde das Gor- 30 Gewitterbedeutung der Athene
ist wohl auch goneion und die Aigis (s. d.) zu einem wesent- die
eigentümliche tegeatisehe Erzählung von liehen Attribute der
Athene, und die Göttin der Locke der Gorgo zu beziehen , welche
erhielt die Beinamen yogyocpovog , yogyämig Athene der Sterope
oder Asterope (= der und rogyco (Soph. Ai. 450. Fr. ed. K. 759, 2.
Blitzenden) gegeben haben sollte, um dieselbe Eur. Hei. 1316. Ion
1478. fr. ed. Nauck 362, in Zeiten der Not als wirksames Amulett
an46. Orph. hg. 32, 8. Palaeph. 32. Yölcker, zuwenden (Apollodor 2,
7, 3 u. Paus. 8, 47, 5). ilgthol. d. iapet. Gesehl. S. llöff. u. 386).
Wahrscheinlich liegt dieser Sage ein eigentümVon anderweitigen
Beziehungen der Athene lieber Gewitterzauber , der sich auch sonst
zum Gewitter und anderen meteorologischen nachweisen läfst, zu
Grunde (vgl. Röscher, GorPhänomenen ist aus der Ilias Folgendes
her- 40 gonen S. 81 ff.). Auch in dem schönen Mythus vorzuhaben.
IL 5, 7 läfst Athene dem Dio- von Bellerophon (s. d.), den Athene als
XaXtvItig med Feuer von Haupt und Schultern flam- die Bändigung
und Zügelung des Pegasos d. i. men, ebenso wie sie 18, 203 ff. dem
Achill die des geflügelten Donnerrosses lehrt, spielt sie Aigis um die
Schultern wirft, eine goldene wohl die Rolle einer Gewittergottheit
(Paus. Wolke um sein Haupt legt und Flammen her- 2,4, 1.5). Da
schon von Homer der Donner mit ausschlagen läfst. Nach II. 11, 45
donnert sie dem Klange einer ehernen Trompete (adcXitty^) zu
Agamemnons Ehre. II. 4, 74ff. wird ihr verglichen wird (II. 21, 388),
so wird sieh die Herabfahren vom Himmel geradezu mit dem
argivische Athene ZaXniy'g, die als Erfinderin Fluge eines feurigen
Meteors verglichen. Sie der Trompete gilt (Schol. z. II. 18, 219; vgl.
allein unter allen Göttern fährt (mit Hera) auf 50 Paus. 2, 21, 3) als
Göttin des Donners erkläeiDem flammenden Wagen (oxEK f^-oysa)
nach ren (Röscher, Gorgonen 87 f.). Sophokles (Ai. IL 5, 745 u. 8,
389 (vgl. auch Aesch. Eum. 14ff.) vergleicht daher die Stimme der
Athene 405 Ddf. und Lauer S. 358). Als unverkenn- einer ehernen
Trompete. Nur zweifelnd wage kennbare Blitzgöttin erscheint Athene
nament- ich in diesem Zusammenhange die thebanische lieh auf
makedonischen Münzen, welche sie in Athene "Oy-na (auch "Oyya
oder 'OytiaCn) zu der Linken den Schild hebend, in der Rechten
nennen (vgl. Benseler-Pape u. d. W.). 'Oyy.a den Blitz schwingend
darstellen (Preller, gr. könnte recht wohl mit Syxäofrai, schreien, M.'2
1 , 170). Ähnliches findet sich auch auf brüllen (vergl. die 'A.
'EyyJXaö'og bei Hesych.) Münzen von Athen, Syrakus, Epirus, der
Könige zusammen hängen. von Antigonos' Stamm, Domitians und
einiger co 2) Athene als Göttin des Krieges, andern römischen Kaiser,
auch der Lokrer, da Da in den Mythen der meisten indogerman die
Göttin zur Rache derKassandra durch manischen Völker das Gewitter
als ein Kampf den ihr von Zeus gegebenen Blitz, wie Euripides der
Götter gegen furchtbare Dämonen , der sagt, den Lokrischen Aias
scheitern liefs (Troad. Blitz als Waffe und der Donner als Schlacht80.
Vgl. Welcher, Gölterl. 2, 281; s. u. S. 692, 6). ruf oder Wutgebrüll
oder als Vorzeichen des In Aeschylos Eumeniden 827 sagt Athene
von Sieges erscheint (vgl. Röscher, Gorgonen 40. sich selbst, sie
allein wisse den Zugang zu 66. 83. 87. 116), so sind alle
Gewittergottheideni Gemache, wo der Blitz versiegelt sei. Es ten zu
Kriegsgöttern , d. h. zu Lenkern der 22*
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679 Athene (Kriegsgöttin) Athene (Kriegsgöttin) G80

menschlichen Kämpfe und Rettern tapferer Helden geworden. So
auch Athene , welche bereits in der llias die Rolle der vornehmsten
Gottheit des Krieges spielt und einen höchst charakteristischen
Gegensatz einerseits zur weibischen Aphrodite, anderseits zu dem
„berserkerartig wütenden" Ares bildet. Ihren Lieblingen wie Tydeus,
Diomedes, Odysseus, Achilleus, Menelaos, Herakles, Perseus,
Bellerophon, Iason (s. diese) hilft sie in unzähligen Kämpfen iu und
Abenteuern und verleiht ihnen den Sieg, indem sie es sogar nicht
verschmäht mit ihnen den Kriegeswagen zu besteigen (vgl. Welcher,
Götterl. 1, 317. Preller, griech. Myth.- 1, 371. v. Sybel, Mythologie der
llias 259 f.). So ist sie zuletzt, namentlich in Athen, zur
Personifikation des Sieges, zur Athena JVt'xij geworden, als welcher
ihr auf der athenischen Akropolis ein herrlicher kleiner Tempel
geweiht war. (Vgl. C. I. Gr. 145ff. 150 und die 'A. NUn zu 20 Megara
bei Paus. 1, 42, 4; s. S. 689). Ihre sonstigen hierher gehörigen
Beinamen sind 'AXaXy.ofiivrj oder /UuXy.oiiivqCg , welche
vorzugsweise in der böotischen nach ihr benannnten Stadt
Alalkomenai verehrt wurde (II. 4, 8. Strabo 9, 413. Steph. 30 Byz. s.
v. 'AXccXy.. Et. M. v. Kimoig), 'AXxtSijitos (zu Pella in Makedonien Liv.
42, 51), 'Agtia (zu Athen und in Platää; vgl. Paus. 1, 28, 5. 9, 4, 1 ;
s.C.I.Gr:Am),'Alioc (zu Tegea: Paus. 2, 17, 7 u. ö.) von äXia 40
Schutz (vgl. Hes. op. 543), äoQv&agarjg (C. I. Gr. 3538) ,
äyiazpazog, äyiXstn, Xni"Tig,iyQiv.väoLfiog,noXiu.rjd6y.og,
cpoßsetazQcizrj , ntQBtnoXLg bei Epikern (vgl. auch C. I. Gr. 3538 u.
4269 u. Schol. z. Ar. Nub. 967), LTaXXäg, vom Schwingen der
Blitzeslanze (vgl. II. 16, 141), noöu.uxog (in Athen, Thessalien und
anderwärts; vgl. 0. I. 50 Gr. 1068), ngotiaxogua (Paus. 2, 34, 8).
Bereits die ältesten Bildwerke der Athene, die sogenannten
Palladien, stellen die Göttin als .eine vorkämpfende mit erhobenem
Schilde und gezücktem Wurfspeer dar (Müller, llandb. d Arch. § 68 u.
368, unten S. 690). Die ebenfalls aus zahlreichen Monumenten
bekannte Darstellung der Athene als viy.rjrpooog , d. h. wie Zeus mit
der Nike auf der ausgestreckten Hand (vgl. auch die Statue im
Athenetempel oo zu Elia Caes. b. c. 105), erklärt sich am besten aus
Versen wie lies. sc. llerc. 339 (j/t'xr/v üttrtvazrjg jjspalv v.cti XvSoQ
t'xovaa). Als i'ocnqpoQog ist sie natürlich auch lioqvo'pÖQog (C I. Gr.
0833. Arist. Alk.. 1 p. 17 Ddf.). Mit dieser ihrer kriegerischen
Bedeutung hängt es eng zusammen, dafs Athene auch als Göttin der
Kriegsmusik, welche vorzugaAthene troniachus auf e. panatheu.
Preisvase (vgl. u. S.G91). weise mit Trompeten und Flöten
hervorgebracht wurde (Müller, Dor.1 2, 333f.), sowie als Schutzgöttin
des Streitrosses und des Kriegsschiffes verehrt wurde (Herod. 1, 17.
Athen, p. 517a. Gellius 1, 11, lff.; vgl. Od. 4, 708). So sehr entsprach
der Klang der Trompete und Flöte dem kriegerischen Sinne der
Göttin, dafs sie in verschiedenen Sagen als Erfinderin der beiden
Instrumente genannt wurde. Der verbreitetste dieser Mythen führte
die Erfindung der Flöte auf das Pfeifen und Zischen der
Gorgonenschlangen zurück, welches diese bei der Enthauptung der
Medusa hören liefsen (Pind. Pyth. 12, 0 — 12 u. Schol. Norm. 24 ,
36). Sehr bekannt ist auch der Mythus, wonach Athene den Silen
Marsyas(s. d.\ weil er die von ihr erfundene aber wegen Entstellung
des Gesichts weggeworfene Flöte aufgehoben katte, gezüchtigt
haben soll (Paus. 1, 24, 1. Apollod. 1, 4, 2. Hyg. f. 165). Vgl. auch
die Beinamen EofißvXi'cc (Jlüller, Orchomcnos 79. 356), 'Aqöäv (lies.
s. v.), Movoiy.ri (C. I. Gr. 154 und Plin. 34, 8, 19, 57), ZäXniyh, (in
Argos: Paus. 2, 21, 3; vgl. Welcher, Götterl 2, 300). Endlich galt
Athene für die Erfinderin der Pyrrbiche, des bekannten
Waffentanzes, von dem es hiefs, dafs sie selbst ihn zur Feier des
Sieges über die Giganten (Titanen) zuerst getanzt oder die
Dioskuren gelehrt habe (Epich. b. Schol. Find. Pyth. 2, 127. Dion. II.
7, 72. Arist. 1,24 Ddf. PfaUeiy. 796B; vgl. Lübeck, Agl. 541) und
welcher deshalb ihr zu Ehren an den Panathenäen mit prächtiger
orchestischer Ausstattung aufgeführt wurde (Mommsen, Heortol.
123, 163 u. ö.). Als Göttin des Kriegsrosses und des Streitwagens —
in der ältesten Zeit gab es noch keine bewaffneten Reiter — tritt
Athene in korinthischen und attischen Sagen auf. In Attika soll sie
den Erechtheus (s. d.) die Bespannung des Wagens, in Korinth den
Bellerophon (s. d.) die Zügelung des Pegasos gelehrt haben (Hom.
hy. in Pen. 13. Verg. Geo. 3, 113ff. Aristid. Ath. p. 18f. Panath. p.
170. Schol. p. 62 Dind. Pind. Ol. 13, 65), weshalb sie hier als
XaXivizig und Jauuciiznog verehrt wurde (Paus. 2, 4, 1. 5. Schol. Ar.
Nub. 967). In Arkadien galt sie als Erlinderin des Viergespannes (Ctc.
N. D. 3 , 23) , und in Barke erzählte man ebenso wie iu Athen,
Poseidon habe die Zucht, Athene das Lenken der Rosse verliehen
(Soph. El. 727. Steph. Byz. s. v. Baoy.n. Hesych. s. v. BctQuaioig).
Hierauf bezieht sich wohl der Beiname 'lititia, welchen Athene in
Kolonos führte (I'aus. 1, 30, 4. Pind. 01. 13, 79. Soj>h.
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G81 Athene (ti. d. Webens etc..) Athene (Cf. ,1. Klugheit

etc.) G82 überhaupt als Erfinderin der Sehifffahrt galt dieser ihrer
Funktion als Vorsteherin aller und zu Mothone als 'Avsfiärig verehrt
wurde weiblichen Kunstfertigkeit, besonders des Spin(Aristid. p. 19
7)<7/'. Paus, 4, 35, 5. LyJtO- nens und Webens, welches den Alten
stets als phron 359 u. Schul.). Wahrscheinlich hän- ein Sinnbild
höchster weiblicher Klugheit und gen mit der Bedeutung der Athene
als Schiff- Erh'ndsamkeit erschien — man vergleiche den fahrtsgöttin
die eigentümlichen Kultsitten der uraltenund vielfach verzweigten
metaphorischen Schiffsprozession und Regatta zusammen, welche
Gebrauch der beiden Verba v(paivstv und texere an den
Fanatheuüen eine so bedeutende Holle in Redensarten wie ft/](Jfa,
d'ökov, fiktiv vrpaispielten (A. Mommsen, Heortöl. 1871". 197 f.).
veiv — hat sich nun ein doppelter Gedanke Nicht undenkbar
erscheint es, dafs auch aus 10 entwickelt: einmal dafs Athene auch
die Erden Bildern des Wagengespannes und des finderin aller
sonstigen menschlichen KunstSchiffes die ursprüngliche Anschauung
der Wolke fertigkeit, sodann dafs sie überhaupt eine hervorleuchtet
(vgl. Lauer, Syst. d. gr. Mylh. Göttin der Klugheit und Besonnenheit
sei (vgl. 358. Poscher , Gorgonen 93, Anm. 194 und Paus. 8, 36, 3).
Hierzu kommt noch vielleicht Schwarte, d. poet. Naturansch. 2,
18ff). die 77. 15, 668 ausgesprochene Vorstellung, 3) Athene als
Göttin des Spinnens dafs die Göttin des das Dunkel plötzlich erund
Webens u? s. w. hellenden Blitzes den menschliehen Augen
Aufserordentlich weit verbreitet ist die Vor- Scharfblick und die
Fähigkeit, Göttliches wahrstellung, dafs Wolke und Nebel eine Art
Ge- zunehmen, verleihen könne, sowie die Thatspinnst
oderKleidseien(vgl.7l7«n?i/
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accurate

683 Athene vG.d. Ackerbaues u.d. Baumzucht) Mutter der

Athene auf diese ihre AVesenseigenschaft zurückzuführen. Dem
entsprechen auch die Beinamen: BovXai'ct , bei welcher die
attischen Buleuten schwuren (Antiphon de chor. 45), 'jfißovXia (in
Sparta: Paus. 3, 13, 6; vgl. das Verbuni ävaßovXtiwfiat),'jyoQaiu (in
Sparta: Patts, 3, 11, 9), d. i. Vorsteherin der Volksversammlungen
auf dem Markte, Maxuving (in Arkadien: Paus. 8, 36, 3), d. i.
Erfinderin von verschiedenen Batschlüssen und Listen, JlQuvoia (vgl.
Dem. 25, 34. Aesch. 3,110. Paus. 10, 8, 6. Welcher, Götterl. 2, 306.
Preller, gr. Mi/th.- 1, 155 f.), Zzad[iict, d. h. die billig Abwägende
(Hesych.) u. s. w. Der letztere Beiname dürfte auf eine Thätigkeit
der Göttin gehen wie sie Äschylos schildert , wo Athene den
Grandsatz des Areopags aufstellt, dafs Gleichheit der Stimmen für
den Beklagten entscheide. 5) Athenes Beziehungen zur Baumzucht
und zum Ackerbau. In Attikaund auch anderwärts scheint Athene
seit ältester Zeit wichtige Beziehungen zur Baumzucht und zum
Ackerbau gehabt zu haben , wie sowohl aus der Erechtheussage als
auch aus dem in engem Anschlnfs an dieselbe entwickelten
Festcyklus der Athene in Athen hervorgeht. So behauptete man, dafs
der uralte Ölbaum auf der athenischen Akropolis, welcher nahe einer
salzigen Quelle wurzelte und für den ältesten Ölbaum von ganz
Attika galt, eine Schöpfung der Athene sei. Es ging die Sage,
Poseidon und Athene hätten um die Herrschaft in Attika gestritten
und Poseidon, um seine Macht zu beweisen, zuerst seinen Dreizack
in den kahlen Felsen gestofsen; „dann aber habe Athene unmittelbar
daneben den ersten Ölbaum wachsen lassen und sei für die
Schöpfung dieser den Hauptreichtum Attikas ausmachenden
Kulturpflanze sowohl vom Erechtheus als von den Göttern als die
wahre und echte Herrin der zukunftsreichen Stätte anerkannt
worden." (Apollod. 3, 14, 1. Hi/gin. /'. 164. Vgl. Manuhardt, W.U. F.
25ff.). Eine ähnliche Rolle spielte der Ölbaum auf Khodos, wo zu
Lindos gleichfalls der Athene geheiligte Ölbäume gezeigt wurden
(Anthol. 15, 11). Das Fest dieser die Ölkultur fördernden und
schützenden Athene hiefs Skiropkoria, welcher Name wohl mit
yrjCxiQQäg d. i. der weißliche Kalkboden, auf welchem die Olive
vorzugsweise gedeiht, sowie mit dem Beinamen der Athene ZxiQcig
zusammenhängt (vgl. Mommsen, Jicort. 54). Es fiel gerade in
diejenige Zeit, in welcher die Olive blüht und daher vorzugsweise
von Hagel, Platzregen und Sturm gefährdet ist (Mommscn a. a. 0. S.
55 f.). Eine ganz ähnliche Bedeutung wie für die Olivenzucht hatte
Athene in Attika auch für den Ackerbau. Dies ist namentlich in der
Sage von Erechtheus (s. d.) ausgesprochen, welcher genau
genommen nichts anderes als die Personifikation des Samenkornes
ist und seine Entwickelung darstellt. Erechtheus nämlich oder
Erichthonios war der Sohn des Hephaistos und der Erde oder der
Atthis, der Tochter des Kranaos, von Hephaistosgezeugt, als seine
Liebe von der Athene schroff zurückgewiesen war. Athene (Schutzg.
d. Städte) 684 Athene aberzog den kleinen Erechtheus auf, bestellte
einen Drachen zum Wächter desselben und übergab ihn den
Töchtern des Kekrops, Aglauros, Pandrosos und Herse (s. d. u. vgl.
S. 702) in einer Kiste mit dem Verbote diese zu öffnen. Die
Jungfrauen waren aber ungehorsam, öffneten deu Kasten und
wurden, als ßie das Kind von Schlangen umwunden oder geradezu
als Schlange erblickten, getötet oder in mit Wahnsinn bestraft,
indem sie sich von dem Burgfelsen herab oder ins Meer stürzten.
Dafs sich die Erechtheussage auf Wachstum und Gedeihen im
Pflanzenreich bezieht, geht aus den Figuren der Sage selbst hervor.
„Der sprossende Keim des Bodens (Egix^oviog = Gutland) wird
gepflegt von den Taugöttinnen Herse und Pandrosos sowie vCn
Aglauros (s. d.), der Personifikation der heiteren Luft (vgl. Und. fast.
1, 681 f. Steph. Bijz. s. v.'JyQavXrj), nach2u dem ihn Gaia oder Arura
(der Erdboden) ans Liebt geboren hat. Die neben Pandrosos (Paus.
9, 35, 2) verehrte Thallo (Blüte) sicherte dem Erdensöhnehen sein
Gedeihen; Thallo war die eine der attischen Hören" (Mommscn,,
Hcort. 5 f.). Fragen wir, welche Bedeutung Athene in dieser
Natursymbolik habe , so kann es auch hier kaum einem Zweifel
unterliegen, dafs Athene in der Erechtheussage die Holle einer
gütigen, allen Wetterschaden vom Ge30 treide abwehrenden
Wolkengöttin spielt. Die bösen Wetter, welche dem Getreide, sobald
dessen Halme eine gewisse Höhe erreicht haben, schaden können
(Mommscn a. a. 0. 10), scheint man sich unter dem Bilde der
Gorgonen und Giganten vorgestellt zu haben. Beachtenswert scheint
, dafs Athene selbst die Beinamen nävägoeos und"jyXavQog führte
(Schol. Ar. Li/s. 439. Harpocr. u. Suid. s. v. "jyXavgog). Die Feste,
welche dem Erechtheus imd der Athene io galten , waren: 1) Die
Chalkeeu, ein uraltes Fest des Hephaistos und der Athene, die
Erfindung des Pfluges und die Erzeugung des Erechtheus feiernd, 2)
die Procharisterien, zu Ende des Winters für die emporkeimenden
Saaten von allen Beamten der Athene gefeiert, 3) die Plynterien, ein
Ernteanfangsfest, 4) die Arrhephorien, vielleicht ein Dreschfest, 5)
die l'anathenäen , wahrscheinlich das Fest des Ernteschlusses
(Mommscn, Jicort. 7 — 14. PrclM kr, gr. Myth.- 1, 163 — 169).
Wahrscheinlich wurde mit Rücksicht auf diese ihre agrarische
Bedeutung Athene mit Aliren in den Händen abgebildet und KrijOi'a ,
d. i. Spenderin und Schützerin der Habe, genannt: Jlippoer. de
insomn. 1 , p. 378 Foe's. Vergl. A. Mommscn, Delphika 255. Welcher,
Götterl. 1, 314. 6) Athene ala Schutzgöttin der Städte (vgl.
igvat'nroXtg 11. 6, 305). r>o Aus den besprochenen Funktionen
erhellt, dafs, abgesehen vom Zeus, keine andere Gottheit sich mehr
zur besonderen Haupt- und Schutzgöttin der Städte eignete, als
Athene. Als solche führte sie die bezeichnenden Beinamen IJoXiag
(TloXiÜTtg) oder IloXio^xog und wurde vorzugsweise in Tempeln,
welche im Bereiche der ältesten und festesten Stadtteile , der
Burgen oder Akropolen tnoXtig,
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685 Athen» (Kult) Athene (Litteratur u. bisb. Doutgn.). 686

axQonö).ns) lagen, verehrt (Arist, 1 p. 17 Dil/'.), Aias
gemifshandelten Blassandra erwähnt Sui was zweifellos
hauptsächlich auf Athenes Be- das s. v. noivi). Im argivisehen
Athenekultus deutung als Göttin des Krieges zurückzuführen spielte
das Bad des malten Götterbildes im ist. Solche Tempel hatte sie nicht
blofs in Athen, lnachos eine wichtige Holle, die man durch sondern
auch in Argos {Axpia Jlesych.), in Me- den Hinweis auf das Bad der
ans dem Gigangara (Paus. 1,42, 4), in Sparta, wo sie von ihrem
tenkampf blut- und staubbedeckt zuriickgckelir mit ehernen Platten
ausgeschlageneu Tempel teil Göttin mythisch zu begründen sucht
(Ktilauch den Beinamen ^«iy.t'oixoj führte (Paus, 3, lim.hymn. in
laraer. Fall. ltf. u. Schal.). Heilig 17, 1 ö". ), und wohl überall da, wo
sie noXioi'xog, warder Athene die Eule (yXav£), die Schlange noXicig
oder iroXiärtg hiefs, z. B. in Chios (lle- 10 (Plut. ile Is. et Os. 71), der
Hahn (Paus. 6, 26, 2), rod. 1, 160), Erythrai (Paus. 7, 5, 9), Priene
der von ihr geschaffene Ölbaum, die Krähe (C. I. Gr. 2904;' vgl.
3048), Troizen (Paus. (Paus. 4, 34, 6), die Granate (S. 089).
Hinsicht2, 30, 6), Tegea (Paus. 8, 47, 5), llion (Dion. lieh der
verschiedenen Athenefeste zu Athen, Hai. 6, 69), Megalopolis (Paus.
8, 31, 9) u. s. w. Delphi u. s. w. vgl. A. Mommsens Hcortologie (Vgl.
Index z. C. I. Gr. 4, 3 p. 16. Welcher, und Delphika sowie
Schoemann, Gr. Alterth.'G. 2, 310ff. und Preller, gr. M- 1, 174, 1.) 2,
444ff. und den Artikel Minerva in Paulys Den berühmtesten und in
jeder Hinsicht aus- Pealenc. 5 S. 49 ff. Ferner war ihr der dritte
gebildetsten Kult hatte natürlich die Göttin Tag der Monats-Dekaden,
geheiligt, was sieh von Athen , welche ursprünglich wohl der wohl
aus einer verkehrten Deutung des Namens Stadt den Nunien gab
ider Plural 'A&rivai 20 Tqnoyiviia erklärt (Preller, gr. M.'2 1, 168, 2),
bezeichnet ebenso wie AXaX-xoptvcti — von von Monaten der
böotische 'AXaXxoiiiviog , der 'A9. celalHOfiivrj — wohl eine Mehrheit
von ätolische 'A&rjvcctog (K. Fr. Hermann, griech. Ansiedelungen,
die alle der Athene heilig Monat skunde 44. Mommscn, Delphika
255) und waren), später aber wieder nach ihrer Haupt- der attische
Skirophorion (Mommscn, Heortol. kultstätte die athenische Göttin
(Afrrjvuia, 442), so genannt von einem dem Schutze der '.ld-gvä)
genannt worden zu sein seheint (vgl. Olive geltenden Feste, bei
welchem die Priesterin 'A&rjvi] 'AXaXxoutvnis). Die älteste Form des
der Atheneden ersten Rangeinnahm. ZusammenNamens 'A&rjvn
dürfte ebenso wie TJaX.Xdg die Stellungen der hauptsächlichsten
Kultstätten der Blitzgöttin bezeichnen, wenn er mit aör-ijg Athene
findet man bei E. Rückert, Der Dienst Lanzenspitze, Pfeilspitze
(Hesych. s. v. Fich, 30 der Athene nach seinen örtlichen
Verhältnissen WärterbJ 7) zusammenhängt. Ich erinnere an
dargestellt. Hildburgh. 1829. C. 0. Müller „Paldie Thatsache dafs die
geschwungene Lanze, las" in Allg. Encycl. 3, 10 (1838) = Kl. Sehr. in
der wir oben ein Symbol des Blitzes er- 2, 134ff. Gerhard, Gr. Myth.
(1854) § 24Gff. kannt haben, wohl das älteste Attribut der Litteratur
und bisherige Deutungen. Athene ist, und dafs man sich — wie die
Bild- C. 0. Müller, Minervae Poliadis Sacra etc. werke lehren — den
Blitz regelmäfsig als eine Götting. 1820. Ders., Pallas Athene in Allg.
aus metallenen Spitzen bestehende Waffe vor- Encycl. 3, 10 (1838)
= Kleine Sehr. 2, 134 ff. stellte. Am nächsten unter allen Gottheiten
Welcher, Aschyi. Tril. p. 277 ff. Ders. Göttcrverwandter Völker stehen
der Athene entsehie- lehre 1, 298ff. u. 2, 778ff. Puckert, Dienst der
den die germanischen Valkyren, welche nicht 40 Athene nach seinen
örtl. Verhältnissen. Hildblofs die deutlichsten Beziehungen zu Blitzen
burgh. 1829. G. Hermann, De gracca Minerva und Gewitterwolken
haben, unter Blitz und Lips. 1837 = Opusc. 7, 260 ff. Creuzer,
SymDonner durch die Lüfte fahren , leuchtende bolik 3, 308 ff. u.
505 ff. Jacobi, Handwörterb. Speere, Panzer, Helme tragen und auf
Wol- (1835) 156ff. Lauer, System d. gr. Myth. (1853) kenrossen
reitend gedacht wurden, von deren 311 ff. Krause in Patilus Pcaleuc.
5, 42 ff. Mähnen Tau in die Thäler (vergl. A. näv- Gerhard, Gr. Myth.
(1854) 1, 224 ff. Prelier, ÖQooog) und Hagel in den Wald fällt,
sondern Gr. Myth.- 1, 145ff. Schwarte, Ursprung d. auch insofern der
Athene gleichen, als sie Myth. (1860j, 83ff. Benfey, TPIT9.NIJ
A0ANA, wie diese die tapfern Helden schützen und besond. Abdruck
aus den Nachr. von der hgl. geleiten und als himmlische Weberinnen
(d. h. 50 Ges. d. Wiss. Göttingen 1868. M. Muller, als Göttinnen der
Wolken und des von die- Vorles. üb. d. Wiss. d. Sprache, deutsch v.
Bu'ttsen abhängigen Wetters oder Schicksals) auf- ger' 2, 534 ff.
Myriantheus in d. Augsburger treten, welch letztere Funktion
unverkennbar Allg. Ztg. Beilage 1875 S. 2770ff. Koscher, an die
Athene Ergane erinnert (vgl. Mann- Die Gorgonen und Verwandtes
(1879), 52 und hardt, German. Mythen S. 557 ff. Grimm, d. 72 ff.
Ders. Nektar u. Ambrosia (1883), 93 ff. Myth.3 389 ff). Aufserdem
haben die übrigen Voigt, Beiträge zur Mythologie des Ares und
anerkannten Götter und Dämonen des Gewit- Athena. Leipzig.
Studien 4, 239 f. Die früters mancherlei Züge mit der Athene gemein
heren Deutungen s. b. Lauer a. a. 0. 318f. (vgl. Schwarte, Ursprung
der Myth. u. Poscher, Kückcrt und G. Hermann fassen Athene
ebendie Gorgonen und Verwandtes). In Betreff der eo so wie einige
antike Erklärer als Personischon frühzeitig mit Athene identifieierten
Mi- fikation der Weisheit. Welcher , Preller u. a. nerva s. d. u. vgl.
Preller, r. Myth.3 1, 289 f. deuten sie als Athergöttin , wobei freilich
7) Kult. Aus dem Kultus der Athene ist manche Funktionen der
Atheue völlig uuverhervorzuheben, dafs ihr Stiere (Suid. s. v. Tav-
ständlich bleiben. M. Müller a. a. 0. S. 534 goßokog) und Kühe
geopfert wurden (Hom. LI. will auch in Athene die Morgenröte
erken6, 93. 11, 729. Ov. Met. 4, 755; vgl. auch nen. Der erste,
welcher mit Bestimmtheit die Eustaih. p. 2S3, 31 u. 1752, 24).
Ilische Jung- Athene als Göttin der Gewitterwolke erklärt frauenopfer
zur Sühne der von dem lokrischen hat, ist Lauer gewesen, dem sich
dann Schwartz,
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687 Athene in iL Kunst (thronend) Benfey *) , Myriantheus

und Roseher angeschlossen haben. Diese Deutung allein vermag fast
alle Mythen und Funktionen der Athene auf eine gemeinsame Wurzel
zurückzuführen. Einzelne Mythen, in welchen Athene eine Rolle
spielt, s. unter Achilleus, Aias, Aigis, Argo , Argonauten, Bellerophon,
Daidalos , Danaos, Diomedes, Erechtheus, Erichthonios, Giganten,
Gorgoneu , Herakles, Hephaistos, Kadmos, Kekrops, Marsyas,
Prometheus, Odysseus, Perseus, Telemachos, Teiresias, Tydeus etc.
[Röscher.] Athene in der Kunst. Die Anfange der Bildung der Athene
geheu in die dunkeln ältesten Zeiten zurück ; ja sie weisen über
Homer hinaus. Ein scharfer Dualismus geht durch dieselben, wohl
dem entsprechend , der ursprünglich zwischen Pallas und Athene
bestanden haben mag, die bei Homer bereits ein unzertrennliches
Ganzes sind. Die Gegensätzlichkeit besteht darin, dafs wir einerseits
einen ruhig, unbewaffnet, mütterlich thronenden (wir nennen ihn
den der Athene Polias) , und andererseits einen die Waffen
schwingenden , stehenden oder schreitenden (wir nennen ihn den
der Palladien) Typus finden. 1) Der thronende Typus. Das Bild der
Athene in ihrem Tempel zu llion, das in der llias Z 90, 302 erwähnt
wird (die älteste Erwähnung eines Götterbildes überhaupt), war ein
Sitzbild (vgl. Strabo 13 p. 601). Endoios der Kreter und Dädalide
machte ein Sitzbild , das vor dem alten Poliastempel der Burg zu
Athen geweiht war (Paus. 1, 26, 4); ein anderes Sitzbild von Holz
machte derselbe als Bild der Polias für Erythrai, die alte athenische
Kolonie; demselben gab er einen Polos auf den Kopf und die
rjXaxürri in jede Hand (Puus. 7, 5, 9); andere alte Sitzbilder gab es
nach Strabo 13 p. 601 in Phokaia, ebenfalls altattischer Kolonie mit
Poliaskult , in der Kolonie Phokaias Massalia, in Chios und in Rom ,
sowie in anderen Städten. Wie das uralte HolzbilJ der Polias zu Athen
ausgesehen hat, ist uns leider nirgends ausdrücklich berichtet; die
Frage ist vielfach, zuletzt von 0. Jahn, de amtiquiss. Min. Pol.
simulacris und Gerhard, aliad. Alih. 1, 255 ff. behandelt worden.
Nach meiner Ansicht geht schon aus den obigen Nachrichten über
die Foliasbildcr der ältesten attischen Kolonieen hervor, dafs auch
das Bild Athens ein Sitzbild war; dies zu bestätigen kommt vieles
hinzu: vor allem die kleinen Votivbilder, die der Göttin vor ihrem
Tempel selbst dargebracht wurden und die sicherlich nicht eine vom
Kultbilde total verschiedene Bildung zeigten; alle jene altertümlichen
Votivstatuctten aus Tcrracotta, die in grofser Zahl und zum Teil in
grol'ser Tiefe auf . *) Worin Benfey a. a. 0. 24 Athene als Göttin der
"Weisheit direkt aus dem nütze erklären will, insofern dieser alles,
aucli das tiefste lHmkel, erhelle, so h|irieht dafür der l'nistaiid, dafs
die Griechen den Itlitz mit einem treffenden oder zündenden
Gedanken verglichen nahen (vgl. oben s, 878, 'J';. 088, 20). Athene
in d. Kunst (thronend) 688 der Burg Athens gefunden wurden,
zeigen aber eine thronende Göttin mit Polos auf dem Haupte, ohne
alle Waffen oder Attribute ; dieselben Figuren wurden auch den
Toten zu Athen ins Grab gegeben; zuweilen, aber selten, ward eine
Aigis auf die Brust gemalt oder ein hoher Helmkamm aufgesetzt (s.
Panofka, Berl. Terracott. Tf. 2. Stackeiberg , Gräber d. Hellenen Taf.
57. Gerhard, Ges. Abb. Taf. 22. Arch. 10 Ztg. 1882, S. 265); dazu
kommt ein Sitzbild aus Marmor auf der Akropolia (Le Bas, voy., mon.
fig. pl. 2, 1 ; Jahn a. a. O. Taf. 1, 2, 3), das von einigen {Jahn a. a.
0. p. 5 ff.) dem Endoios zugeschrieben wird, was indes nicht
erweisbar ist; die Statue zeigt in der bewegteren Haltung der Beine
ein Abweichen von dem starren Typus; auch zeigt sie die Aigis, die
demselben ursprünglich wohl nicht zukam. — Die Stellen attischer
Dichter, die 0. Jahn als 20 Zeugnisse für die den Palladien gleiche
Bildung der Polias anführt (Aisch. Eum. 79, 258; 60 Thronende
Atheno (nach Stackelbeiy, Gräber tfcr Bell. Taf. 57). Soph. Kl. 1254;
Kur. Hei. 1234; Arist. ar. 830) sind dies nicht; die in der Dichtung
herrschende Vorstellung von Athene ist von Homer an eine von
jenem sitzenden waffenlosen Poliastypus so durchaus verschiedene,
sodafs es denkbar wird, tlafs sich auch die attischen Dichter selbst
bei Erwähnung des l'oliasbildes nicht mehr genau an denselben
hielten, sondern oo die gewöhnliche Vorstellung eintliefsen liefsen,
was um so mehr geschehen konnte, als jenes heiligste Bild gewift
nicht immer offen zu gehen war. Die Panathenäischen Preisvasen
alier. die Jahn ebenfalls für seine Ansicht anführt, beabsichtigen
offenbar überhaupt nicht ein bestimmtes Bild wiederzugeben,
sondern wollen nur das Gefäfs mit einer Figur der Stadtgöttin als
Göttin, nicht als Idol schmücken;
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