In that blessed land, the comforts of every season abound. The earth is clear and free from mud, auspicious in every way. The people who dwell there are of noble lineage, blessed with enduring youth and great wealth. They drink the nectar-like milk of their milch cows, savoring its sweetness. Among them, character, appearance, and affection are all equal and alike; harmony pervades their lives. Disease and sorrow are unknown to them, for they are ever devoted to happiness. Endowed with great vigor, they live long lives, steadfast in their relationships, never seeking love elsewhere. Such a realm is perceived only by those who know the highest truth—what more can be said of its wonders? In the course of creation, the fourteen Manus themselves became progenitors once again. When this was spoken, Romaharṣaṇa addressed the assembly, continuing his narration. He spoke of the middle region of the world, a diverse land that yields both auspicious and inauspicious results. This land is known as Bhārata, the home of the Bhārata people, so named because of the very meaning of the word. Nowhere else upon earth is action prescribed for mortals as it is here. The lands are separated by the vast ocean, making them mutually inaccessible. Among these are the islands called Nāga-dvīpa, Saumya, Gāndharva, and Vāruṇa. The island of Bhārata itself stretches a thousand yojanas from south to north, and its breadth from east to west is nine thousand yojanas. At its easternmost end dwell the Kirātas, while at the western edge are remembered the Yavanas. The people there are steadfast in their pursuits—some engaged in worship, others in warfare or trade. Within Bhārata, each caste performs its own duties, joined with righteousness, wealth, and desire. All human activity here is undertaken for the sake of heaven and liberation. He who conquers the entirety of this land is called the emperor; one who rules his own realm is known as a sovereign. Romaharṣaṇa promised to explain these distinctions in detail again. He then described the mountains of Bhārata: Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Śuktimān, and Ṛkṣa, among many thousands of others, great and small. Among the foremost peaks are Sandara, Vaihāra, and Durdura, as well as Vātandhama, Nāgagiri, and Pāṇḍura. There are Puṣpagiri, Ujjayanta, and Raivataka, and countless others, some small and sustaining little life, unknown to most. From these mountains flow the rivers that nourish the land: Gaṅgā, Sindhu, and Sarasvatī; Irāvatī, Vitastā, Vipāśā, Devikā, and Kuhū; Kauśakī, Tridivā, Niṣṭhīvī, and Geḍakī. There are Veda, Smṛti, Vedavatī, Vṛtraghnī, Sindhu, and Reva; Pāśā, Carmaṇvatī, Nūpā, Vidiśā, and Vetravatī. The Śoṇa, Mahānada, Narmadā, Surasā, and Kriyā flow as well, along with Tamasā, Pippalā, Śyenā, Karamodā, and Piśācikā. There is Saneru, Shuktimati, Mankuti, Tridiva, and Kratu; Tapi, Payoshni, Nirvindhya, Sripa, and the river Nishadha; Toya, Mahagauri, Durga, and Vannashila. Among the most revered are Godavari, Bhimarathi, Krishnavena, and Banjula. Thus is the land of Bhārata described, rich with mountains and rivers, inhabited by noble and steadfast people, and set apart as the sacred ground of action for mortals, where the pursuit of righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation shapes the destiny of all who dwell within its bounds.