RG ST 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Samaveda, Atharvaveda, Aranyaka
Document Summary
Agni, the god of fire, is the god who receives the offerings and conveys them to the other gods through its smoke. Important because it is through the medium of the fire that the offerings that are made by the priests are conveyed up to the heavens. Objects turn to smoke that rises up to the sky. People in heaven an enjoy the essence of the object. Any source of heat is treated and manifested as fire. Priest"s job is to attune the natural world and the divine world. They are qualified for the job because they have knowledge of the vedas. Soma is the divinized plant of immortality (amrita), whose juices are extracted and then sacrificed to the gods. The plant, if ingested, gives people an altered state of consciousness. When you drink this substance, you become immortal spiritually. Particularly associated with the priestly caste, just like fire. Concerned with keeping law and order on earth.
