Note 1. Although the names for earth, sky, and heaven vary in different parts of the Veda, yet the expression diváh rokanám occurs so frequently that we can hardly take it in this place in a sense different from its ordinary meaning. Professor Benfey thinks that rokaná may here mean ether, and he translates 'come from heaven above the ether;' and in the next verse, 'come from heaven above the earth.' At first, every reader would feel inclined to take the two phrases, diváh vâ rokanâ´t ádhi, and diváh vâ pâ´rthivât ádhi, as parallel; yet I believe they are not quite so.

The following passages will show that the two words rokanám diváh belong together, and that they signify the light of heaven, or the bright place of heaven.

VIII, 98, 3. ágakkhah rokanám diváh.

Thou (Indra) wentest to the light of heaven. I, 155, 3.

III, 6, 8. uraú vâ yé antárikshe—diváh vâ yé rokané.

In the wide sky, or in the light of heaven.

VIII, 82, 4. upamé rokané diváh.

In the highest light of heaven.

IX, 86, 27. tritî´ye prishthé ádhi rokané diváh.

On the third ridge, in the light of heaven. See also I, 105, 5; VIII, 69, 3.

The very phrase which we find in our verse, only with kit instead of vâ, occurs again, I, 49, I; VIII, 8, 7; and the same sense must probably be assigned to VIII, 1, 18, ádha gmáh ádha vâ divâh brihatáh rokanâ´t ádhi.

Either from the earth, or from the light of the great heaven, increase, O Indra!

Rokaná also occurs in the plural:

I, 146, 1. vísvâ diváh rokanâ´.

All the bright regions of heaven.

Sâyana: 'All the bright palaces of the gods.' See III, 12, 9.

The same word rokaná, and in the same sense, is sometimes joined with sû´rya and nâ´ka.

Thus, I, 14, 9. sû´ryasya rokanâ´t vísvân devâ´n—hótâ ihá vakshati.

May the Hotar bring the Visve Devas hither from the light of the sun, or from the bright realm of the sun.

III, 22, 3. yâ´h rokané parástât sû´ryasya.

The waters which are above, in the bright realm of the sun, and those which are below.

I, 19, 6. yé nâ´kasya ádhi rokané, diví devâ´sah â´sate.

They who in the light of the firmament, in heaven, are enthroned as gods.

Here diví, in heaven, seems to be the same as the light of the firmament, nâ´kasya rokané.

Thus rokaná occurs also frequently by itself, when it clearly has the meaning of heaven.

It is said of the dawn, I, 49, 4; of the sun, I, 50, 4; and of Indra, III, 44, 4.

vísvam â´ bhâti rokanám, he lights up the whole sky.