As many beings as dwell in the heavens, so too are there countless creatures in the realms of hell. For those who commit sins and turn away from atonement, the path leads inevitably to these darker worlds. Yet, for every sin, the supreme seers have prescribed a fitting atonement, each one corresponding precisely to the nature and gravity of the transgression. The sages, beginning with Svayambhu, have declared that for great sins, great acts of atonement are required; for lesser misdeeds, smaller acts suffice. All these atonements are forms of austerity, but above them all shines the supreme act: the remembrance of Krishna. When a person truly repents after a wrongful deed, the highest atonement is found simply in remembering Hari, the Lord. Indeed, by recalling Narayana—whether in the morning, at night, at twilight, at midday, or at any other time—a person’s sins are swiftly destroyed. When one remembers Vishnu, and as the burdens of accumulated afflictions are lessened, liberation is attained through repeated praise of the Lord. If, during recitation, sacrifice, worship, or other sacred acts, the mind remains fixed on Vasudeva, then no obstacle can hinder that person. Such devotion brings rewards, even the status of Indra himself. What, then, is the worth of ascending to heaven, which is only a temporary abode, compared to the supreme seed of liberation found in the recitation of Vasudeva’s name? Therefore, a twice-born man who remembers Vishnu day and night is purified, his sins diminished, and he does not descend to hell. Heaven delights the mind, while hell brings the opposite. O best of the twice-born, these names—‘heaven’ and ‘hell’—are but labels for merit and sin. The same object may cause both sorrow and happiness, envy and anger. How, then, can any object be said to be the cause of sorrow alone? That which once brought pleasure may later bring pain; what once stirred anger may, at another time, bring favor. Thus, nothing is inherently sorrowful or blissful. Happiness and sorrow are but transformations of the mind, arising as the mind colors experience. Knowledge alone is the supreme Brahman, while ignorance is bondage. The entire universe is of the nature of knowledge; nothing exists beyond it. O learned ones, understand that knowledge is both learning and ignorance. Thus have I described to you the sphere of the earth. O twice-born, I have now spoken concisely of the netherworlds, hells, oceans, mountains, islands, regions, and rivers. Tell me, what more do you wish to hear? The sages replied, “You have explained all things just as they are. Now, we wish to hear of the worlds beginning with Bhuvarloka. Please describe for us the arrangement and measurements of the planets, O highly fortunate Lomaharshana, just as they exist.” The earth—with its oceans, rivers, and mountains—extends as far as the rays of the sun and moon reach. The circumference of the earth is matched by that of the sky. The solar orbit lies a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth, and at the same distance from the sun is the orbit of the moon. A full hundred thousand yojanas above the moon, the brilliant region of the stars is seen shining. O sages, two hundred thousand yojanas above the stars, in a space of equal measure, is the planet Mercury; above Mercury is Venus. Mars is also situated two hundred thousand yojanas above Venus, and the priest of the gods (Jupiter) stands two hundred thousand yojanas above Mars. Saturn is placed two hundred thousand yojanas above Jupiter, and one hundred thousand yojanas higher still is the region of the Seven Sages (the Great Bear). Above the sages, at a distance of a hundred thousand times a thousand yojanas, is fixed Dhruva, the pole star, which is the very axis of the entire wheel of the heavens. O best of the twice-born, thus has the threefold world been briefly described to you; this earth is the fruit of sacrifice, and sacrifice is established here. Above Dhruva lies Maharloka, the world of those who dwell for an aeon, which is said to extend for ten million yojanas. Beyond that, at a distance of twenty million yojanas, is Janaloka, the abode of Brahma’s sons such as Sanandana and other pure-minded sages. Four times higher than Janaloka is Tapoloka, where the radiant, bodiless gods reside. Six times higher than Tapoloka shines Satyaloka, where there is no return to death, and which is served by Siddhas and the foremost sages. All that is accessible by foot and composed of earth is called Bhurloka; its extent has been described. The region between earth and sun, attended by Siddhas and great sages, is called Bhuvarloka, the second world. The region between Dhruva and the sun, measuring one million four hundred thousand yojanas, is known as Svarloka by those who contemplate the structure of the cosmos. This threefold world—Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka, and Svarloka—is considered created by the sages, while Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka are said to be uncreated. Maharloka is remembered as being in between the created and uncreated; it becomes empty at the end of an aeon, but it does not perish. O twice-born, I have described to you these seven great worlds and the seven nether regions; this is the expanse of the cosmic egg. All of this is encompassed above, below, and on all sides by the shell of the cosmic egg, just as a wood-apple seed is surrounded on every side. O twice-born, the egg is covered by water to a depth of ten units, and that watery enclosure is itself surrounded outside by fire.