What is the "ancient statute" referred to in the Rig Veda?

Question

Soma is a drink, derived from a plant that's now unknown, that played an crucially important role in Vedic ritual; the Soma Yagna, in which Soma was offered to the gods, is extensively discussed in the Vedas and it was the chief Vedic method of worshipping the gods. The god of this drink is Chandra the moon god, and in his capacity as the god of the Soma drink he is often called Soma, Pavamana, or Indu. Here is a verse from the Ninth Mandala of the Rig Veda (often called the Soma Mandala) in praise of him:

Winning the friendship of the Deities, Indu flows in a thousand streams to make them joyful. Praised by the men after the ancient statute, he hath come nigh, for our great bliss, to Indra.

My question is, what is this "ancient statute" about praising Soma? The verses of the Rig Veda are already of timeless antiquity, having been heard by sages directly from the gods from time immemorial. So what statute is so old that it's even considered ancient by a Rig Vedic verse?

Answer 1

Griffith's version is known for its notorious mistranslation of words whose occurrence are rare. The dham pūrva maghan is transalated as *earlier domain portion (goes to Indra) * by Jamison and Brereton. Here is the translation of verse 5

IX 97 (5)

The drop, coming here to fellowship with the gods, purifies himself in a thousand streams for exhilaration. Being praised by men, he has gone along his earlier domain, to Indra for great good portion.

The domain is understood as various realms the Soma traverse from being prepared until it is consumed by the Gods.

IX.66 (2)

From those two you rule over all, self-purifying one—from the two domains [=Heaven and Earth] that stand facing (each other), o Soma.

Rigveda mentions 7 domains beside Heaven and Earth. So by earlier domain, the poet meant that Soma goes to Indra in its purest form and gives vigor to Indra which is known as the foremost recipients of the Soma sacrifice. Also, Indra and Agni are the only two Gods that rules all the domains.

Answer 2

1. Don't know the actual hymn but the word "sanAtanam", if that is what is present in it, also means eternal.

2.In general, nobody and no entity is capable of calculating back to time t=0 when creation first took place, i.e, when Nirguna parabrahma first had the sankalpa to create. Therefore, no matter how far back we go, there is always something preceding it.