At dawn, after witnessing a remarkable vision in his dream, the royal sage—whose valor rivaled Indra's—bathed according to sacred rites, his senses firmly controlled. Having fulfilled his purpose, he worshipped Janardana with heartfelt devotion, offering prayers as he wished. Then, before him appeared the venerable sage Atri, a repository of austerities. The righteous king shared his dream of the Lord of gods with Atri, and listened intently as the words spoken by the deities were revealed to him. "O king," the sage assured him, "there is no further need for deliberation. You have received the grace of Janardana, the Lord of gods." Thus, the king, after worshipping the gods and offering oblations into the sacred fire, attained all his desires through the boon granted by Keshava. To the north of that hermitage, which was frequented by the destroyer of Tripura, stood a mountain adorned with peaks of dazzling jewels and trees that fulfilled wishes. In the midst of the Himalayas, upon its vast back, rose Kailāsa, the mountain where the illustrious Kubera dwelled with the Guhyakas. There, unimpeded by apsaras, the king of Alakā delighted in his realm. At the foot of Kailāsa, pure and cool waters arose, forming a sacred lake named Mandodaka, whose waters resembled milk and curds. From Mandodaka flowed the divine and auspicious river Mandākinī. On its bank spread the divine Nandana, a great and wondrous forest. To the northeast of Kailāsa was the fragrant Saugandhika mountain. Nearby stood the splendid Suvela mountain, composed of all metals, and facing it was Chandraprabha, shining white like a precious gem. Close by was the renowned divine lake Acchoda, from which flowed the pure and auspicious river Acchodakā. On its bank grew the divine and vast Caitraratha forest, and upon that mountain dwelt Maṇibhadra with his followers—the fierce commander of the Yakṣas, surrounded by Guhyakas. The holy Mandākinī river, with its pure waters, flowed through this land. In the center of the earth's circle, where the great ocean enters, to the southeast of Kailāsa, stood the mountain Śiva, abundant with all herbs. There was the radiant Suvela mountain, made of cinnabar, and facing it the great Sūryaprabha, its peaks glowing red and golden. At the foot of Sūryaprabha lay a vast and divine red lake, from which the mighty river Lauhitya arose. Its banks were lined with a sorrowless forest, a great woodland, and upon that mountain dwelt the self-controlled Yakṣa Maṇidhara, surrounded by gentle and virtuous Guhyakas. To the northwest of Kailāsa was the mountain Kakudman, rich in healing herbs. On Kakudman was the origin of Rudra and the birth of Kakudmin, and nearby stood the mountain Añjana and the three-peaked Trikakuda. There, a great mountain composed of all elements shone like lightning, and at its foot lay the vast and divine Mānasa lake, frequented by perfected beings. From this lake arose the sacred Sarayū river, purifier of the worlds, and on its bank grew the renowned and divine Vaibhrāja forest. Here dwelled Brahmadhātā, a mighty and self-controlled Rākṣasa, son of Prahetita and attendant of Kubera, possessing boundless power. To the west of Kailāsa was the divine mountain Varuṇa, foremost among mountains and adorned with veins of gold. Beloved of Bhava, it shone resplendently, heaped with divine rocks of pure gold and shining ore. With hundreds of blazing golden peaks that seemed to pierce the sky, the formidable and lofty Śṛṅgavān mountain stood. On that mountain resided the lord of mountains, Dhūmralohita, and at its foot lay the lake called Śailoda. From Śailoda flowed the sacred and auspicious river Śailodakā. Between those mountains, the river Cakṣuṣī made its way to the western ocean. To the north of Kailāsa rose the sacred mountain Sarvauṣadha, and facing it was the foremost of mountains, white and made of orpiment. There stood the great and divine Hiraṇyaśṛṅga mountain, rich in wondrous herbs, and at its foot was a vast and divine lake with golden sands. The delightful Bindusara lake was there, where King Bhagiratha, seeking the Ganges, dwelled for many years. It was here that the bones of the king's ancestors, washed by the waters of the Ganges, ascended to heaven; here, the goddess Tripathagā first descended. From the foot of Soma, the goddess was born, dividing herself into seven streams. The region was adorned with sacrificial posts of jewels and celestial palaces of gold. There, Indra performed sacrifices and attained perfection alongside the hosts of gods. The radiant path of shadows and the circle of stars could also be seen here. At night, the radiant goddess Tripathagā appeared, and after traversing the sky and heaven, she descended to earth. Falling upon the highest part of Bhava, she was restrained by the power of yoga; some of her drops, fallen in anger, reached the earth. By those drops, many lakes were formed, and thus the lake was called Bindusara. When Bhava's wrath suddenly checked her, knowing her intent and the harsh purpose of the goddess, I broke through and entered the netherworld, carrying Śaṅkara with the current. Then, perceiving her arrogance, Śaṃkara became angry and resolved to make the river disappear from his own limbs. At that very moment, he saw the king before him—his veins standing out, emaciated, his senses disturbed by hunger—bearing witness to the trials and blessings of this sacred journey.