________________
PROHIBITION AND INDIAN CULTURE
policy when in all other countries there is no such ban on intoxicating drinks.
It is an astonishing fact of history of the world that from the ancient times the Vedic, the Buddhist and the Jaina religious teachers drew out attention for the utter neccessity of prohibition of wine and of such other intoxicating drinks not only from the religious ceremonies but from all the fields of daily life. The exception was made only for the medical treatment. Through their efforts in India most of the population of India following various religions have debarred the intoxicating drinks. I want here to trace the history of this great achievement.
41
Soma of the Vedic age was an intoxicating drink of the Aryans and it was an important item of the sacrifices performed by the Vedic people. This can be shown from the Rgveda itself in which the "whole of the ninth mandala and six hymns in other mandalas, are devoted to its praise." The soma was specially meant for the sacrificial rituals but the sura was 'essentially a drink of ordinary life. It was the drink of men in the sabhä-assembly and gave rise to broils'. So it is but natural that though praised in Ṛgveda, Taittiriya Samhita and Satapathabrahmana, it is also disapproved in Ṛgveda itself and in other Vedic texts. The Atharvaveda condemns the sură as an evil. But it should be noted that according to Tait. Brāhmaṇa soma was the paramannam for gods and sură was for Men. 1.3.3.2-3.
Various types of Abhiseka mentioned in the Vedic Texts could not be concluded without the final drink of Sura. This shows that Surd was an important drink in Vedic times.
Amrta mentioned in the Vedas and later literature was certainly an intoxicating drink, but as regards its preparation the scholars are not unanimous in their opinion".
The list of intoxicating drinks in India is a very large one. A list of 48 types of such intoxicating drinks is prepared by Prof. Omprakash in his book: Food and Drinks in Ancient India (p. 298). This shows that the early Indians were keen on having various types of intoxicating drinks.
Historians say that apart from the Vedic Aryans there were Dravidians who inhabited India. And 'they consumed two intoxicating drinks-Ira and Māsara
Even though people were addicted to Süra or such other intoxicating drinks it must be noted that evil effects of drinking were known and the Nirukta: VI-27 mentions drinking sura as one of the great sins such as the killing of a Brahmin. There were some Brahmins who seeing the evil effects of the Sură,
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
