In all seasons, the great mountain Niṣadha remains ever-pleasant, its grandeur unwavering throughout the year. At its summit, the mountain stretches for thirty-two thousand yojanas, a vast expanse crowning the land. Its sides are adorned with a variety of colors, each hue reflecting the creative qualities of Prajāpati. The eastern face of Niṣadha gleams white, and because of this purity, a Brāhmaṇa resides there. The mountain’s Kṣatriya nature, however, is said to arise from Meru itself, for many reasons. On the western side, Niṣadha takes on the appearance of the wings of a bee, dark and lustrous. The mountain is naturally circular, both in color and in its measure. Its surface shines with the iridescent brilliance of a peacock’s plume, and golden peaks crown its heights. The inner diameter of these peaks is said to be nine thousand yojanas, and this measure extends on all sides, spreading out equally. Half of the sacred altar lies to the south of Meru, while the other half stretches to the north, each measuring two thousand yojanas in both breadth and height. These two mighty mountains extend for a hundred thousand yojanas, and among them rise Śveta, Hemakūṭa, Himavat, and Śṛṅgavat. Between these mountains are the regions where people dwell, each region shining with one of the seven colors. They are separated from each other by branching rivers, making them mutually inaccessible. The region around Himavat is renowned as Bhārata. From Hemakūṭa arises Niṣadha, and from there the land is called Harivarṣa. From Ilāvṛta comes Piṣa, and from Nīla, the region well known as Samyaka. Beyond Hiraṇmaya and Śṛṅgavat lies the land known as Kuru. Altogether, there are four long regions, with Ilāvṛta at the center. Beyond Nīla and half of the altar lies the northern region, and between these two stands Meru, at the heart of Ilāvṛta. To the north rises the great mountain Mālyavat, renowned by name. Its length is thirty-two thousand yojanas, and it is famed for its precise measure in both length and breadth. Mālyavat is quadrangular, golden, and elevated, shining with the brilliance of a young sun, like a smokeless fire. It extends sixteen thousand yojanas below and spreads out another sixteen thousand above. Its circumference is three times its breadth, totaling forty thousand yojanas all around, measured as a perfect quadrangle. This mountain is great and divine, endowed with celestial herbs. Upon its slopes dwell all the hosts of gods, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas. The central Meru is surrounded by worlds and by the creators of all beings. To the west lie the regions of Bhadrāśva, Bhārata, and Ketumālā. Beside Gandhamādana is the region known as Paraīṣāparagaṇḍikā. From east to west, the span is thirty-two thousand yojanas. In Ketumālā, those who perform virtuous deeds are established, and the women of this land are all lovely to behold, their beauty radiant like the petals of a lotus.