The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c14.10

v1.c14.10

The atmosphere is described sometimes as watery or dark : it is most often conceived of as divided into the upper or heavenly and the lower or earthly region, but the threefold division is also found. In that case, however, there is confusion with the heavenly region : the third of the spaces is declared to be the place where are the waters, the Soma, and the birthplace of the celestial Agni, and again Viṣṇu is placed there : a similar confusion of the upper one of the regions, when but two are reckoned, with the heaven which is properly above it, can be noted. The presence of the waters of the sky in the air leads to its being conceived as an ocean, while from a different point of view the clouds are regarded as mountains, and the conception of seven rivers is transferred bodily from its original home on earth to the upper regions.