Hear now the account of the destinies that befall beings according to their deeds, as revealed in the sacred discourse. Those who dwell in impurity, who live by deceit, or who cut down forests without just cause, find themselves struggling through the sword-leaf forest—a place of torment reserved for such actions. Shepherds, hunters, and those who set fires, as well as Brahmins who maliciously set fire to others’ homes, fall into the flames as a consequence of their misdeeds. Those who obstruct the vows of others or who have fallen from their own ordained duties are cast into the midst of biting tortures. Celibates who, during the day, emit semen even in dreams, and those whose sons become their teachers, are brought low and become food for dogs. There are, indeed, hundreds and thousands of hells where all who have committed evil deeds are sent to suffer, cooked in the fires of torment. In the same way, countless other sins are suffered by men of various castes, who, as a result, dwell in these myriad hells. Anyone who acts against the duties of their caste and station—whether by deed, mind, or word—falls into hell. There, the dwellers of hell see the gods above, their own heads hanging downward, while the gods look down upon them, seeing the hell-dwellers facing below. All beings—immovable ones, worms, goats, birds, cattle, men, the righteous, the gods, and the liberated—exist in their respective orders. From the first order to the second, each receives a thousandth part in succession, and all these great beings remain in their state until liberation is attained. As many creatures as there are in heaven, so many dwell in hell as well. The doer of sin, if he turns away from atonement, is destined for hell. For every sin, there are corresponding atonements, as declared by the supreme seers who have remembered and prescribed these remedies. For great sins, there are great atonements; for small sins, small atonements, as taught by the wise beginning with Svayambhu. All atonements are acts of austerity, but above all, the remembrance of Krishna is supreme. If a person feels true remorse after committing a sin, his highest atonement is simply to remember Hari. By remembering Narayana—morning, night, twilight, midday, and at other times—a person’s sins are immediately destroyed. When all accumulated afflictions are diminished through the remembrance of Vishnu, one attains liberation, O learned ones, by the repeated praise of Vishnu. For one whose mind is fixed on Vasudeva during recitation, sacrifice, worship, and similar acts, there are no obstacles, and he attains rewards such as the status of Indra. What comparison is there between ascending to heaven, which is marked by return, and the supreme seed of liberation, which is found in the recitation of 'Vasudeva'? Therefore, a twice-born man who remembers Vishnu day and night does not go to hell; purified, all his sins are diminished. Heaven delights the mind, while hell is the opposite. O best of the twice-born, 'hell' and 'heaven' are simply the names given to the results of sin and merit. A single object may be the cause of both sorrow and happiness, envy and anger; thus, how can any object be of the nature of sorrow alone? That very thing which once brought pleasure may later bring sorrow; what once caused anger may also bring favor. Therefore, nothing is inherently sorrowful nor inherently joyful—these are merely transformations of the mind, characterized as happiness, sorrow, and so forth. Knowledge alone is the supreme Brahman; ignorance is considered bondage. This entire universe is of the nature of knowledge, and nothing exists beyond it. O learned ones, know that knowledge alone is both learning and ignorance. Thus have I described to you the sphere of the earth. O twice-born, I have concisely described all the netherworlds, hells, oceans, mountains, islands, regions, and rivers. What more would you wish to hear? The sages then replied: “You have told us everything just as it is. Now we wish to hear about the worlds beginning with Bhuvarloka. Likewise, please explain the arrangement and measurements of the planets, O highly fortunate Lomaharshana, just as they are.” Hear then the structure of the universe: The earth, with its oceans, rivers, and mountains, is said to extend as far as the rays of the sun and moon shine. The extent and circumference of the earth are matched by the extent and circumference of the sky above. O Brahmins, the solar orbit is a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth, and at the same distance from the sun lies the orbit of the moon. A full one hundred thousand yojanas above the moon, the entire region of the stars is seen shining. At two hundred thousand yojanas above the stellar region, in a space of equal measure, Mercury is situated, and above Mercury is Venus. Mars is also established at the same distance above Venus, and two hundred thousand yojanas above Mars stands the priest of the gods, Jupiter. Saturn is positioned two hundred thousand yojanas above Jupiter, and one hundred thousand yojanas above that is the region of the Seven Sages. Above the sages, at a hundred thousand times a thousand yojanas, is fixed Dhruva, the axis of the entire wheel of lights. O best of the twice-born, this threefold world has been described to you in brief. This earth is the fruit of sacrifice, and sacrifice is established here. Above Dhruva is Maharloka, where those who dwell for an aeon reside; Maharloka is said to be ten million yojanas in extent. Beyond that, at twenty million yojanas, is Janaloka, where the sons of Brahma such as Sanandana, and pure-minded sages, are said to dwell.