For a vast span of time, he delighted and played in that sacred realm, where the holy and auspicious river, pure and blessed, circled Mount Meru in a clockwise path. Driven by the swift winds, her waters split and cascaded down into the four inner peaks of Meru, flowing with great force. Surpassing all surrounding mountains, and by the command of the supreme God of gods, the river branched out in every direction and entered the mighty ocean. From her, hundreds and thousands of rivers arose, many of which became renowned throughout all the islands, mountains, and regions. Countless smaller rivers flowed as well, and in the land of Ketumāla, all the people were dark-skinned, clothed in garments washed in the holy Ganges, and they lived on jackfruit. The women there were said to possess the hue of lotuses, and their lifespans reached ten thousand years. In Bhadrāśva, by contrast, the women shone as white as the rays of the moon. The people there ate black mangoes, lived free from trouble, delighted in love, and, devoted to Śiva, enjoyed lives of ten thousand years. Their minds were wholly dedicated to the Lord, and they shone like gold. Similarly, in Ramaṇaka, the people lived on the fruit of the banyan tree. All those pure souls, devoted to meditation upon Śiva, lived for one hundred and fifty thousand years. They were golden in hue, greatly fortunate, dwelling in golden forests, numbering eleven thousand one hundred and fifty. There, they lived for as many years as their number, subsisting on peepal fruit, shining like gold, their hearts wholly offered to the Lord. In the land of the Kurus, the Kurus—those who had fallen from heaven—were all born from union, and they lived by drinking milk alone. They were mutually devoted, like chakravāka birds, free from disease and sorrow, always enjoying happiness. Those of great strength lived for thirteen thousand one hundred and fifty years, and each remained faithful to their own spouse. For these Kurus, dwellers in a heavenly realm, death came to all together. They were joyful, greatly prosperous, and partook of every kind of ambrosial food. They always possessed moonstone, remained ever youthful, had dark limbs, and their bodies were adorned with every ornament. On Jambudvīpa, there too was the splendid region of Kuru, where stood the celestial palace of Śambhu—the moon-crested Lord Śiva—shining with the radiance of the moon. In the land of Bhārata, mortals lived according to the results of their deeds. They were said to have long lives, of various colors, and bodies limited by mortality. They engaged in the worship of various gods, enjoyed the fruits of diverse actions, possessed differing kinds of knowledge and wealth, but were weak and found little enjoyment. Some dwelled on Indradvīpa, others on Kaseru, some on Tāmradvīpa, and others in the region called Gabhastimat. Some went to the gentle Nāgadvīpa, or to the Gandharva or Varuṇa regions. There were also Mlecchas and Pulindas, born of many different races. In the east dwelled the Kirātas, while at the far western end were the Yavanas. In the middle lands lived Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, and Vaiśyas, and everywhere were the Śūdras. These people were established in sacrifices, warfare, and trade, and among them, mutual dealings proceeded in an orderly fashion. Connected with righteousness, wealth, and desire, each class performed its own duties with resolve and pride, according to the proper order of life-stages. Here, human activity was directed toward heaven and liberation; their actions were bound to the passing of the ages, and not otherwise. In Kiṃpuruṣa, human lifespans reached ten thousand years. The men were golden-hued, and the women shone like celestial nymphs. All were free from disease and sorrow, devoted to Śiva, pure in nature, golden in appearance, living with their spouses, and subsisting on the fruit of the plakṣa tree. In Harivarṣa, too, the people resembled great bars of silver; all were of divine form, having fallen from the world of the gods. They worshipped Hara, the Lord of all, and drank pure sugarcane juice. Old age did not afflict them, nor did they grow feeble. There, humans lived for ten thousand years. This central region was known as Ilāvṛta. In Ilāvṛta, neither sun nor moon nor stars nor any light shone, and the people did not grow old. They were radiant like lotuses, with faces and eyes like lotus petals, and fragrance akin to lotus leaves. They were born there, devoted to existence, living on the juice of jambū fruits, unmoving and fragrant. Those who had come from the world of the gods were born there, free from old age and death. These excellent men lived for thirteen thousand years in the divine region of Ilāvṛta. By drinking the juice of the Jambu fruit, they were untouched by old age, hunger, fatigue, or death. From that land arose a special kind of gold called Jambunada, an ornament of the gods, shining like the radiant Indragopa insect. Thus, the colors, lifespans, foods, and other features of those dwelling in the nine regions have been briefly described. On Hemakuta mountain lived the Gandharvas and all the hosts of Apsaras; on Nishadha resided the Nagas—Shesha, Vasuki, and Takshaka. The thirty-three powerful sacrificial gods delighted there, while on the blue lapis mountain dwelled the perfected beings and pure Brahmarshis. The white mountain was said to be the abode of the Daityas and Danavas, and Shringavan mountain was always the dwelling place of the ancestors.