Identity And Understanding of Soma Plant In Perspective of Indian Bioculture And Medicine
International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology April 10, 2022 A. Ahirrao Y., A. Patil D.
The identity of the Soma plant, the most sacred plant in the Rigveda whose juice was offered to deities, remains unresolved despite centuries of investigation. A literary survey of ancient Sanskrit texts and modern research catalogues 26 plant species claimed as the true Soma, including one fungal and one gymnospermic species, plus 14 substitutes and 13 other species with names derived from 'Soma'. Although investigators have identified psychoactive plants and their active principles, no satisfactory botanical identification of the original Vedic Soma has been achieved, leaving it a botanical enigma.