To the south of the mighty Mount Meru lies half of a great altar, with the other half stretching to its north. Each half of this altar measures two thousand yojanas in both breadth and height, forming a vast and awe-inspiring expanse. Flanking this altar are two majestic mountain ranges, each extending for a hundred thousand yojanas. These are the renowned mountains: Śveta, Hemakūṭa, Himavat, and Śṛṅgavat. Nestled among these mountains are the inhabited regions, each shining with one of the seven distinct colors. These lands are separated by the branching courses of rivers, making them mutually inaccessible to one another. Within this sacred geography, the region of Himavat is celebrated as Bhārata, the land known to us. Beyond Hemakūṭa lies Niṣadha, and from there the land is called Harivarṣa. From Ilāvṛta extends Piṣa, and from the mountain Nīla, the region known as Samyaka. Beyond the mountains Hiraṇmaya and Śṛṅgavat lies the land called Kuru. In this vast world, there are four great regions set out lengthwise, with Ilāvṛta occupying the central position. Beyond Nīla and half of the altar lies the northern region, and between the two halves of the altar, Mount Meru stands at the very heart of Ilāvṛta. To the north of this lies the lofty mountain Mālyavat, famed by name. Mālyavat stretches for thirty-two thousand yojanas, and is renowned for its remarkable length and breadth. This mountain, Mālyavat, is quadrangular in shape, golden in color, and rises to great heights. It gleams with the brilliance of a young sun, shining like a smokeless fire. Its expanse reaches sixteen yojanas below and spreads out sixteen yojanas across, while its circumference is three times its breadth, measuring forty thousand yojanas all around. Mālyavat is measured as a quadrangle, its great circumference encircling it on all sides. This is no ordinary mountain—it is great and divine, endowed with celestial herbs of wondrous potency. Upon its slopes and in its caves dwell hosts of gods, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas. Mount Meru itself is surrounded by all the worlds and by the creators of beings. To the west of Meru lie the regions of Bhadrāśva, Bharata, and Ketumālā. Beside the mountain Gandhamādana is the land called Paraīṣāparagaṇḍikā, stretching thirty-two thousand yojanas from east to west. In this land, the Ketumālās reside—people devoted to virtuous deeds. The women of Ketumālā are all beautiful, their radiance likened to the delicate glow of lotus petals. Here, the lord, a son of Brahmā, moves freely, traversing the land at will and with the swiftness of thought. To the east of Mālyavat lies another region, Apūrvā Gaṇḍikā. In this land live the Bhadrāśvas, always joyful in their minds. The men here are white in complexion, full of enthusiasm, and endowed with great strength. They shine with the cool radiance of the moon—their color and faces resembling the full moon itself. Their lives extend to ten thousand years, free from disease and suffering. South of the Śveta mountain and north of Nīla, the women of this region are devoted to pleasure, pure of heart, and untouched by the decay and foulness of old age. Here also stands a magnificent tree—a vast nyagrodha, or banyan, red in color. This ancient tree has endured for one hundred thousand years, plus an additional five hundred, standing as a silent witness to the ages in this blessed land.