'Rasa' ('' रसा) means "moisture, humidity" in
Vedic Sanskrit, and appears as the name of a western tributary of the
Indus in the
Rigveda (verse 5.53.9).
In
RV 9.41.6,
RV 10.108 and in the
Nirukta of
Yaska, it is the name of a mythical stream supposed to flow round the earth and the atmosphere (compare
Oceanus), also referring to the underworld in the
Mahabharata and the
Puranas (compare
Styx).
The corresponding term in
Avestan is ''Ranha''. In the
Vendidad, Ranha is mentioned just after
Hapta-Həṇdu, and may possibly refer to the ocean (Sethna 1992).
References
★ Sethna, K.D. 1992. The Problem of Aryan Origins. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan.
★ Talageri, Shrikant: The Rigveda: A Historical Analysis, 2000. ISBN 81-7742-010-0 (
chapter 4)