The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c14.11

v1.c14.11

The position of the different sub-divisions of the air appears to lie above the earth, though it has been suggested that the view was held that there was air above and below the earth,⁴ thus explaining the appearance and disappearance of the sun. No passage of the Rigveda proves this suggestion : if the sun, as Savitṛ, is said to go round night on both sides,⁵ this expression need mean, and probably does mean, nothing more than that night is enclosed between the two bounds of sunrise and sunset. On the other hand, there is one passage at least where the presence of the whole of the air above the earth is clearly asserted.⁶ Moreover, a passage in the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa⁷ suggests that the view taken of the motion of the sun was that, after it had travelled across the sky with light blazing upon the earth, during the period of the night it returned back by the same way as it had come, but with its light turned away from the earth. With this it is in perfect harmony if the Rigveda⁸ declares once that the light which the steeds of the sun bear is sometimes bright and sometimes dark, or the other statement⁹ that the *rajas*, which accompanies the sun to the east, is different from the light which rises with the sun. Elsewhere¹⁰ the question is raised, but not answered, Where in the daytime are the stars ?