ra/jas ¦ n. ‘coloured or dim space’, the sphere of vapour or mist, region of clouds, atmosphere, air, firmament (in Veda one of the divisions of the world and distinguished from div or svar, ‘the sphere of light’, and rocanA divaH, ‘the ethereal spaces’, which are beyond the rajas, as ether is beyond the air; often rajas = ‘the whole expanse of heaven or sky’, divided into a lower and upper stratum, the rajas uparam or pArTivam and the rajas uttamam or paramam or divyam; hence du. rajasI, ‘the lower and higher atmospheres’; sometimes also three and RV. i, 164, 6 even six such spheres are enumerated, hence pl. rajAMsi, ‘the skies’), RV.; AV.; TS.; VS.; Br.
Sanskrit Dictionary