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a, the Maha-bharata, the Purawas, the Dharma-sastras, especially the works of Manu, Yajnawalkya, and other inspired lawgivers, and the ISTiti-sastras or ethics, but its ordinary applica- tion is to the Dharma-sastras; as Manu says, " By ^ruti is meant the Veda, and by Sm/'iti the institutes of law," ii. 10. SMii'/TI-CHANDRIKA. A treatise on law, according to the Dravi(:^ian or Southern school, by Devana Bha/^/a. SOMA. The juice of a milky climbing plant (Asdepias acida), extracted and fermented, forming a beverage offered in libations to the deities, and drunk by the Brahmans. Its exhilarating qualities were grateful to the priests, and the gods were repre- sented as being equally fond of it. This soma juice occupies a large space in the ii/g-veda ; one Ma^i^ala is almost wholly 302 SOMA. devoted to its praise and uses. It was raised to the position of a deity, and represented to be primeval, all-powerful, healing all diseases, bestower of riches, lord of other gods, and even iden- tified with the Supreme Being. As a personification, Soma was the god who represented and animated the soma juice, an Indian Dionysus or Bacchus. " The simple-minded Arian people, whose whole religion was a worship of the wonderful powers and phenomena of nature, had no sooner perceived that this liquid had power to elevate the spirits and produce a temporary frenzy, under the influence of which the individual was prompted to, and capable of, deeds beyond his natural powers, than they found in it something divine : it was to their apprehension a god, endowing those into whom it entered with godlike powers ; the plant which afforded it became to them the king of plants ; the process of preparing it was a holy sacrifice ; the instruments used therefor were sacred. The high antiquity of this cultus is attested by the references to it found occurring in the Persian Avesta ; it seems, however, to have received a new impulse on Indian territory." — JFhitriey. In later times, the name was appropriated to the moon, and some of the qualities of the soma juice have been transferred to the luminary, who is Oshadhi-pati, or lord of herbs. So Soma is considered the guardian of sacrifices and penance, asterisms and healing herbs. In the Puramc mythology Soma, as the moon, is commonly said to be the son of the Eishi Atri by his wife Anasiiya, but the authorities are not agreed. One makes him son of Dharma ; another gives his paternity to Prabhakara, of the race of Atri ; and he is also said to have been f)i'oduced from the churning of the ocean in another IManwantara. In the Yish7iu Pura?ia he is called " the monarch of Brahmans ; " but the Brihad Ara^iyaka, an older work, makes him a Kshatriya. He married twenty-seven daughters of the Bishi Daksha, who are really personifications of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms ; but keeping up the personality, he paid such attention to Rohi??i, the fourth of them, that the rest became jealous, and ajipealed to their father. Daksha's interference was fruitless, and he cursed his son-in-law, so that he remained childless, and became affected with consumption. This moved the pity of his wives, and they SOMA—SOMAPAS. 303 interceded with tlieir father for him. He could not recall his curse, but he modified it so that the decay should be periodical, not permanent. Hence the wane and increase of the moon. He performed the Raja-suya sacrifice, and became in consequence so arrogant and licentious that he carried off Tara, the wife of Brihaspati, and refused to give her up either on the entreaties of her husband or at the command of Brahma. This gave rise to a wide-spread quarrel. The sage Usanas, out of enmity to Bi'ihaspati, sided with Soma, and he was supported by the Danavas, the Daityas, and other foes of the gods. Indra and the gods in general sided with Brihaspati. There ensued a fierce contest, and " the earth was shaken to her centre." Soma had his body cut in two by diva's trident, and hence he is called Bhagnatma. At length Brahma interposed and stopped the fight, compelling Soma to restore Taril to her husband. The result of this intrigue was the birth of a child, whom Tara, after great persuasion, declared to be the son of Soma, and to whom the name of Budha was given : from him the Lunar race sprung. According to the PuraTias, the chariot of Soma has three wheels, and is drawn by ten horses of the whiteness of the jas- mine, five on the right half of the yoke, and five on the left. The moon has many names and descriptive epithets,, as Chandra, Indu, >S'asi, 'marked like a hare;' ISTi^akara, 'maker of night;' Xakshatra-natha, 'lord of the constellations;' iS^ita- marichi, ' having cool rays ;' Sitansu, ' having white rays ;' Mri- ganka, ' marked like a deer;' /Siva-sekhara, 'the crest of iS'iva; ' Kumuda-pati, ' lord of the lotus ; ' /S'weta-vajT, ' drawn by white horses.' SO]MADEYA BHATJA. The writer or compiler of the collection of stories called Katha-sarit-sagara. SOMAKA. Grandfather of Drupada, who transmitted his name to his descendants. SO]\IA-LOKA. See Loka. SOJMA-NATHA, SOMEaS^^ARA. ' Lord of the moon.' The name of a celebrated Lingam or emblem of ^Siva at the city of Somnath-pattan in Gujarat. It was destroyed by Mahmiid of Ghazni. SOMAPAS. ' Soma-drinkers.' A class of Pitris or Manes who drink the soma juice. See Pit?'is. 304 SOMA- VANSA—SRI-SAILA. SOMA-YAN/SA. See Cliandra-vansa. /S^ADDHA. I, Faith, personified in the Yedas and lauded in a few hymns. 2. Daughter of the sage Daksha, wife of the god Dharma, and reputed mother of Kama-deva, the god of love, ^RADDHA-DEVA, .S'RADDHA-DEVA. JNIanu is called by the former name in the Brahma?ias, and hy the latter in the Maha-bharata. The latter is commonly applied to Yama. /S'RAUTA. Belonging to the Siwti. See ^S'ruti and Sutra. ^'RAUTA-StJTRA. See Sutra and Yedangas. aS'RAYASTI. An ancient city which seems to have stood near Faizabad in Oude. aS'RI. ' Fortune, prosperity.' i. The wife of Yish?zu. (See Lakshmi.) 2. An honorific prefix to the names of gods, kings, heroes, and men and books of high estimation. .S'RI BHAGAYATA. See Bhagavata PuraTza. , >S'Rl DAMA CHARITRA. A modern drama in five acts by Sama Raja Dikshita, on the sudden elevation to alSuence of Sri Daman, a friend of Kr/shwa. It is not a good play, " but there is some vivacity in the thoughts and much melody in the style." — J'Filson. aS'RI-DHARA SWAMI. Author of several commentaries of repute on the Bhagavad-gita, Yish?iu Pura?za, &c. /SRI HARSHA. A great sceptical philosoj^her, and author of the poem called JSTaishadha or iSTaishadhiya. There were several kings of the name. .S'RI HARSHA DEYA. A king who was author of the drama RatnavalT. /S'i^/XGA-GIRI. A hill on the edge of the AYestern Ghats in Mysore, where there is a math or monastic establishment of Brahmans, said to have been founded by /S'ankaracharya. SEI^GARA TILAKA. 'The mark of love.' A work by Rudra Bha^/a on the sentiments and emotions of lovers as exhi- bited in poetry and the drama. aS^/NGA-YERA. The modern Sungroor, a town on the left bank of the Ganges and on the frontier of Kosala and the Bhil country. The country around was inhabited by Nishiidas or wild tribes, and Guha, the friend of Rama, was their chief. >SRI-aSAILA. The mountain of *S'rI, the goddess of fortune. It is a holy place in the Dakliin, near the K?-ishwa, and was SRI- VA TSA—SU-BHANU. 305 formerly a place of great splendour. It retains its sanctity but has lost its grandeur. Also called /Sri-parvata. /SRI-VATSA. A particular mark, said to be a curl of hair on the breast of Yishwu or Knsh?za, and represented by ^^ aSRUTA-BODHA. a work on metres attributed to Kali-dasa. It has been edited and translated into French by Lancereau. ^RUTA-KIRTTI Cousin of Sita and wife of ^'atru-ghna. ^RUTAESHL A i^^'shi who did not receive the /Sruti (revelation) direct, but obtained it at second-hand from the Yedic i^ishis. ^SRUTI. '^Vliat was heard.' The revealed word. The Mantras and Erahma?zas of the Vedas are always included in the term, and the Upanishads are generally classed with them. STHALl - DEYATAS, DEYATAS. Gods or goddesses of the soil, local deities. STHANU. A name of ^iva. STHAPATYA-YEDA. The science of architecture, one of the Upa-vedas. STHUYA, STHUiYl-KARYA. A Yaksha who is repre- sented in the Maha-bharata to have changed sexes for a while with iSikhawfiini, daughter of Drupada. SU-EAHU. 'Five-armed.' i. A son of Dhnta-rash/fra and king of Chedi. 2.