In the vast and mysterious realms beneath the earth, there exist wondrous cities and domains ruled by powerful beings. There is the city of the king of the rākṣasas, and the abodes of Kumbhila and Khara. The serpent Hemaka has his own city, as does Pāṇḍuraka. The illustrious palace of Nedaka, lord of serpents, is found here, along with the dwelling of Viśālākṣa. O sages, on the third level, there is no doubt, this region is called Nīlabhūmi. Here lies the city of Gajakarṇa and the town of Kuñjara. The great Muñja, lord of worlds, has his abode here, and so does Vṛkavaktra. Descending further, on the fourth lower level, stands the city of Vainateya. The wise Virojana, lion among demons, rules over his own city nearby. Not far from there is the city of Vidyujjihva, the sagacious king of the rākṣasas. The serpent Kirmīra, as well as Svastika and Jaya, also have their domains here. On the fifth level, always known as the “heap of gravel,” there are yet more cities: those of Suparvan, Puloman, and Mahiṣa. Here, the son of Suramā, Śataśīrṣa, dwells joyfully. In this manner, there are thousands upon thousands of cities belonging to nāgas, dānavas, and rākṣasas, each resplendent in its own way. But in the seventh region, known as Pātāla, at the farthest western reaches, the atmosphere changes. This realm is filled with asuras and venomous serpents, contented yet ever the enemies of the gods. Great cities teem with the sons of Diti, and are crowded with daityas and dānavas. At the very end of Pātāla, O best of brāhmaṇas, stretched across many yojanas, dwells a being of awe-inspiring form. His body is like a washed conch, his garments are blue, and his strength is immense. He has golden horns and a shining, pure face, radiating resplendence. His form blazes with a garland of tongues, flickering with flames of fire. His thousand eyes, and twice as many more, shine brilliantly. He is adorned with a garland of eyes, bright as jasmine and the moon. His vast body is sometimes seen reclining, sometimes seated, surrounded by mighty serpents with powerful coils, great wisdom, and noble souls. This is Śeṣa, Ananta, the king of all nāgas, resplendent and glorious. Thus, these seven lower regions, known as Rasātala, have been described. Beyond these lies a realm unseen, inaccessible even to perfected sages. It is composed of earth, water, fire, wind, and ether, O best of the twice-born. Now, let me explain the course of the Sun and the Moon. By their radiance and light, these two are elevated along with their orbits. Half the expanse of the Earth is considered, elsewhere, as external. The heavens are regarded as equal in extent to the circumference of the Earth. The Sun is known as the source of light and is remembered as rising from the Earth. In this region, the term 'Mahī' is applied to denote the principle of the Earth. Now, learn the number of yojanas in the orbit of the Sun: its diameter is three times its breadth, and the circumference of the orbit is measured accordingly. Next, I shall state the measurement of the Earth along with its yojanas. Thus, the extent has been enumerated here in the Purāṇa.