[1] Soma (Sanskrit: सोम), or Haoma (Avestan), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was an important ritual drink for early Indo-Iranian peoples, and the later Vedic and greater Persian cultures.
It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, which contains many hymns praising its energising qualities.
In this aspect, soma is similar to the Greek ambrosia (cognate to amrita); it is what the gods drink and what makes them deities.
Indra and Agni are portrayed as consuming Soma in copious quantities.
The consumption of soma by human beings was probably under the belief that it bestowed divine qualities on them.