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Haug鈥擮n the Preparation of Haoma juice among the Parsees and the Soma juice among the Brahmins鈥擮n comparison of Iranian Haoma and Brahmanic Soma ceremonies, Haug's views: "The most important part of the offerings in both Jyotistoma sacrifices and the Ijashne ceremony is the juice of the Soma plant. In both the twigs of the plant itself (the brahmanas use stalks of the Putika, which is the substitute for the original Soma and the Parsees use the branches of a particular shrub which grows in Persia) in their natural state are brought to the sacred spot, where the ceremony is to take place, and the juice is there extracted during the recital of prayers. The contrivances used for obtaining the juice, as well as the vessels employed, are somewhat different, but on closer inquiry, an original identity may be recognised. The brahmins beat the stalks of the plant, 242 24. Hodivala S.K., Indo-Iranian Religion, Bombay, 1926, p.5.

which are placed on a large flat stone, with another smaller stone, till they form a single mass; this is then put into a vessel and water is poured over it. After some time this water which has extracted the greenish juice, is poured through a cloth, which serves as a strainer, into another vessel. The Parsee priests, use instead of stones, a metal mortar with a pestle, whereby the twigs of the Haoma plant, together with one of the twigs of the pomegranate tree are bruised, and they then pour water over them to obtain the juice, which is strained through a metal saucer with nine holes. This juice (para-haoma) has a yellow colour and only very little of it is drunk by one of the two priests (the zaota) who must be present, whereas all the Brahmanical priests (sixteen in number), whose services are required at the Jyotistoma, must drink the Soma juice, and some of the chief priests (such as the Adhvaryu and Hota) must even take a very large quantity. The Parsee priests never throw any of the juice into the fire, but the Brahmins must first offer a certain quantity of the intoxicating juice to different deities, by throwing it from the variously shaped wooden vessels into the fire, before they are allowed to taste the sweet liquor! The Parsee priests only show it to the fire and then drink it. Afterwards the juice is prepared a second time by the chief priest Zaota and then thrown into a well. 25. Ibid, p.282; also for further details refer to Haug's Essays on the Parsees, 2nd ed., pp.281-283. 25 243