Page:Vedic Mythology.djvu/21

third or invisible world of heaven, which is the abode of light and the dwelling place of the gods. Heaven, air, and earth form the favourite triad of the RV., constantly spoken of explicitly or implicitly (8, 106. 906 &c.). The solar phenomena which appear to take place on the vault of the sky, are referred to heaven, while those of lightning, rain, and wind belong to the atmosphere. But when heaven designates the whole space above the earth both classes of phenomena are spoken of as taking place there. In a passage of the AV. (4,143 VS. 17, 67) the 'vault of the sky' comes between the triad of earth, air, heaven and the world of light, which thus forms a fourth division3. Each of the three worlds is also subdivided. Thus three earths, three atmo- spheres, three heavens are sometimes mentioned; or when the universe is looked upon as consisting of two halves, we hear of six worlds or spaces (rajāmsi). This subdivision probably arose from the loose use of the word prthivi 'earth' (1, 1089. 10; 7, 10411) 4 in the plural to denote the three worlds (just as the dual pitarau, 'two fathers' regularly denotes 'father and mother'). - The earth is variously called bhūmi, kṣam, kṣā, gmā, the great (mahī), the broad (prthivi or urvi), the extended (uttānā), the boundless (apārā), or the place here (idam) as contrasted with the upper sphere (1, 2217. 154¹³). The conception of the earth being a disc surrounded by an ocean does not appear in the Samhitās. But it was naturally regarded as circular, being compared with a wheel (10, 894) and expressly called circular (parimandala) in the SB.6 I The four points of the compass are already mentioned in the RV. in an adverbial form (7, 725; 10, 36 14. 42 ) and in the AV. as substantives (AV. 15, 21 ff.). Hence 'four quarters' (pradiśaḥ) are spoken of (10, 198), a term also used as synonymous with the whole earth (1, 16442), and the earth is described as 'four-pointed' (10, 58³). Five points are occasionally mentioned (9, 86 29; AV. 3, 243 &c.), when that in the middle (10, 42*), where the speaker stands, denotes the fifth. The AV. also refers to six (the zenith being added) and even seven points 5. The same points may be meant by the seven regions (diśaḥ) and the seven places (dhāma) of the earth spoken of in the RV. (9, 1143; 1, 2216). Heaven or div is also commonly termed vyoman, sky, or as pervaded with light, the 'luminous space', rocana (with or without divaḥ). Designations of the dividing firmament besides the 'vault' are the 'summit' (sānu), 'surface' (vistap), 'ridge' (prstha), as well as the compound expressions 'ridge of the vault' (1, 1255 cp. 3, 212) and 'summit of the vault' (8, 922) 3. Even a 'third ridge in the luminous space of heaven' is mentioned (9, 8627). When three heavens are distinguished they are very often called the three luminous spaces (tri rocana), a highest (uttama), a middle, and a lowest being specified (5, 606). The highest is also termed uttara and parya (4, 266; 6, 405). In this third or highest heaven (very often parame rocane or vyaman) the gods, the fathers, and Soma are conceived as SIC|abiding|living in he high the fathers}}.

Heaven and earth are coupled as a dual conception called by the terms rodasi, ksoni, dvyavapṛthivi and others (S 44), and spoken of as the two halves (2, 2715). The combination with the semi-spherical sky causes the they are mer notion of the earth's shape to be modified, when the two are called 'the two great bowls (camva) turned towards each other' (3, 55 20). Once they are compared to the wheels at the two ends of an axle (10, 894).

The RV. makes no reference to the supposed distance between heaven and earth, except in such vague phrases as that not even the birds can soar to the abode of Visņu (1, 1555). But the AV. (10, 818) says that 'the two wings of the yellow bird (the sun) flying to heaven are 1000 days' journey 0