Who is Soma
Soma, also known as Chandra, is one of the eight Vasus, a group of elemental deities in Hindu tradition. In Vedic literature, Soma is primarily the deified plant and its sacred juice, used in rituals and praised in the Rigveda (e.g., Rigveda 9.1). Over time, Soma became identified with the moon, which is said to contain the celestial nectar (amrita). The Mahabharata (Adi Parva) lists Soma among the Vasus, born of Dharma and Vasu. As a lunar deity, Soma presides over the mind, emotions, and the rhythmic cycles of time.
He is the lord of the stars and plants, and his waning and waxing phases symbolize the cosmic flow of nourishment. In Puranic mythology, Soma is the son of Atri and Anasuya (according to the Shiva Purana) or born from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) as described in the Bhagavata Purana (8.6). He married the 27 daughters of Daksha (the lunar asterisms), but his partiality for Rohini led to a curse causing him to wane, later mitigated by Shiva who placed the crescent moon on his head. Iconographically, Soma is depicted as fair-complexioned, holding a lotus, and seated on an antelope-drawn chariot or riding the antelope itself. The crescent moon adorns his crown.
He is associated with the element of water and the night. Regional worship includes the Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat, where Soma is said to have built the temple to Shiva. In South India, Chandra is worshipped in temples like the Thingalur temple. Soma's role in Hindu cosmology is as the ruler of the lunar mansion (Nakshatras) and the bestower of vitality and fertility. His mantra, 'Om Somāya namaḥ', is chanted for mental peace and emotional balance.
Roots of the name
The name 'Soma' derives from the Sanskrit root 'su' (to press or extract), referring to the sacred juice of the Soma plant used in Vedic rituals. In the Rigveda, Soma primarily denotes the deified plant and its intoxicating beverage.
The term 'Chandra' (from 'chand' meaning 'to shine') is a later epithet for the moon, emphasizing its luminous quality. Regional variants include 'Indu' (bright drop), 'Shashank' (hare-marked), and 'Nishakara' (night-maker).
The shift from plant to lunar deity is debated; some scholars argue that Soma as moon appears only in post-Vedic texts (e.g., Shatapatha Brahmana 11.1.2.1). The Amarakosha (1.3.14) lists Chandra among synonyms for the moon.
In South India, the deity is often called 'Chandran' or 'Somaskanda' in composite forms.
Where the deity first appears
Soma first appears in the Rigveda (c. 1500–1200 BCE), where the entire Mandala 9 (hymns 9.1–9.114) is dedicated to Soma Pavamana, the purified soma juice.
Here, Soma is a divine plant and drink, praised as the lord of plants, king of rivers, and father of the gods (Rigveda 9.96.5). The identification with the moon emerges in the Brahmana period; the Shatapatha Brahmana (11.1.2.1) states that the moon is Soma, the king of the Brahmins.
In the Mahabharata (Adi Parva 66.12), Soma is listed among the eight Vasus, born of Dharma and Vasu. The Puranas solidify the lunar identity: the Bhagavata Purana (8.6.20) describes Soma emerging from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), while the Shiva Purana (2.1.8) presents him as son of Atri and Anasuya.
The Ramayana (1.35.14) also mentions Chandra as a deity. By the Gupta period, Soma/Chandra is firmly established as a Navagraha (nine planets) and Dikpala (guardian of the northeast).
Episodes from scripture
Slaying of Vritra
Marriage to Daksha's Daughters
Abduction of Tara
Names by which the divine is addressed
What they hold
Form, mudras, weapons & vahana
Soma is depicted as a fair-complexioned youth, often white or pale like moonlight. He wears white garments and a crown adorned with a crescent moon.
In his hands, he holds a lotus and a mace or a club. His vahana (vehicle) is an antelope-drawn chariot, or he rides an antelope itself.
In South Indian bronze iconography, Chandra is shown standing with two arms, holding a lotus in each hand, and a crescent on his head. In North Indian miniature paintings, he is often seated on a lotus throne, with a halo and a crescent.
The dhyana-shloka from the Brihat Samhita (58.1) describes him as 'white as jasmine, wearing white garments, and holding a mace and lotus.' Regional variations include the depiction of Soma as part of the Navagraha panel, where he is shown with a crescent and a rosary. The Shilpa Prakasha (a medieval Orissan text) prescribes his image with two arms, holding a lotus and a pot of nectar.
Philosophical interpretations
In Vedic theology, Soma is the deified plant and its juice, a divine drink that grants immortality and strength to gods and humans. In the Rigveda, Soma is identified with the cosmic principle (Rigveda 9.96.5). In Advaita Vedanta, Chandra is a manifestation of the Supreme Brahman, a temporary form for worship (upasana).
In Vishishtadvaita, Soma is a celestial being subordinate to Vishnu, serving as a devotee and ruler of the lunar sphere. In Dvaita, he is a distinct deity with a specific role in the cosmic hierarchy. In Tantric traditions, Soma is associated with the moon channel (ida nadi) and the cooling, nourishing aspect of the divine.
The Shiva Purana (2.1.8) presents Soma as a devotee of Shiva, who placed the crescent on his head to mitigate Daksha's curse. In Vaishnava texts, Soma is sometimes considered a partial incarnation of Vishnu (Bhagavata Purana 8.6.20). The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.4.6) identifies the moon as the king of the Brahmins, linking Soma to the priestly class.
Sacred utterances
A favourite verse
Vedic remediation guidance
- Mental restlessness
- Mother's health
- Emotional imbalance
- Chandra-Mangala dosha
Soma is identified with the Moon because the Rigveda (9.1) describes the sacred juice as the celestial nectar that the Moon itself contains, and iconography shows the crescent adorning his crown as the vessel of amrita. Worship of Soma is most recommended when the Moon is afflicted by a weak Mercury in a dusthana (6th, 8th, or 12th house), during the Sade Sati period of Saturn transiting the 12th, 1st, and 2nd from the natal Moon, or when an afflicted Saturn occupies the 8th house, causing mental restlessness, emotional imbalance, or Chandra-Mangala dosha. The remedial pattern involves reciting the Soma mantra "Om Som Somaya Namah" 108 times on a Monday, using a white rudraksha mala, ideally during the Shukla Paksha (waxing Moon) in Rohini, Hasta, or Shravana nakshatra. Complementary observances include fasting from grains, wearing white garments, offering white flowers and rice to a Shiva linga, and donating milk or white cloth to a Brahmin. This practice pacifies the Moon, restores emotional stability, and improves maternal health.
The year of Soma
Tīrthas & major shrines
Where to read further
Dance, music, art & literature
Soma/Chandra appears in classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam, where the Navagraha theme includes a piece on Chandra. In Carnatic music, the kriti 'Chandram Bhaja Manasa' by Muthuswami Dikshitar praises the moon deity. Hindustani compositions include 'Chandra Prabha' in raga Chandrakauns.
In painting, Tanjore and Mysore schools depict Chandra as part of Navagraha sets, often with a pale complexion and crescent. Pahari miniatures show him riding an antelope. Folk traditions in Gujarat celebrate Somvati Amavasya (new moon on Monday) as auspicious.
The Somnath temple in Gujarat, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is associated with Soma's penance. In Southeast Asia, Chandra appears in Balinese Hindu art as a lunar deity, and in Thai astrology, the moon god is called 'Phra Chan'. The Japanese Buddhist deity Gatten (moon) is influenced by Hindu Chandra.