ORIENTAL SERIES.

SOMASOMAPAS, 303
interceded with their father for him. He could not recall his
curse, but he modified it so that the decay should he periodical,
not permanent. Hence the wane and increase of the moon.
He performed the Kaja-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
Bnhaspati, 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 Bnhaspati. There ensued a
fierce contest, and " the earth was shaken to her centre." Soma
had his body cut in two by $iva? s trident, and hence he is called
Bhagnatma. At length Brahma interposed and stopped the
Soma to restore Tara to her husband The
fight, compelling
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 End ha was given : from him the Lunar race
sprung.
According to the Furiums,
the chariot, of Soma has three
wheels, and is drawn by ten horses of the whiteness of the jasmine,
five on the right half of the yoke, and five on the left.
The moon has many names and descriptive epithets, as
Chandra, Indu, Sasi, 'marked like a hare;' Nisakara, 'maker
of night;' Nakshatra-natha, 'lord of the constellations;' Sita-
marlchi, '
having cool rays ;' Sitansu, '
having white rays ;' Mn-
ganka, 'marked like a deer;' Siva-sekhara, 'the crest of $iva; }
Kumuda-pati, '
'
lord of the lotus ; $weta-vajl, '
drawn by white
horses.'
SOMADEYA BHA2TA, The writer or compiler of the
collection of stories called Katharsarit-sagara.
SOMAKA. Grandfather of Drupada, who transmitted his
name to his descendants,
SOMA-LOKA, See Loka.
SOMA-EATHA, SOMESWAKA. 'Lord of the moon/ The
name of a celebrated Lingam or emblem of $iva at the city of
Somnath-pattan in Gujarat. It was destroyed by Mahmiid of
Ghazni.
SOMAPAS. '
Soma-drinkers.' A class of Pitris or Manea
who drink the soma juice, See Pitna