Direction to buy Soma

[Madhav Deshpande]

The Aitareya-Braahma.na (3rd Adhyaaya, I think) begins with a statement: praacyaam ha vai dizi
devaa.h somam akrii.nan, tasmaat praacyaam dizi kriiyate.  The gods bought Soma in the eastern
direction, and hence Soma is to be bought in the eastern direction.  This is understood in the
commentaries as referring to the eastern side of the sacrificial enclosure.  That is fine in the context of ritual
performance.  However, does this statement have any relevance for the history of IA migrations?  If
Soma is originally to be found on the Muujavat mountain (somewhere in Afghanistan? Hindukush?),
does this AB statement indicate a location of the gods to the west of Muujavat, so that this mountain
would be to their east?  Any thoughts?

                                                              Madhav Deshpande