Throughout the cycles of creation, until the ultimate dissolution, there exist sacred places—divine realms that remain constant in every Manvantara. In each era, the gods themselves return to inhabit these places, identifying with them anew. Those who have already passed dwell together, while those destined for the future remain with their own kind. The deities residing in these places continue alongside the present gods, maintaining their presence and influence. Among these celestial beings, Vivasvān, the radiant sun god, is recognized as the eighth son of Aditi. The moon god, brilliant and righteous, is known as Vasu. Venus, called Śukra, is understood to be a Daitya, a descendant of Bhṛgu, and serves as the priest of the Asuras. Jupiter, shining with great brilliance, is the revered teacher of the gods and the son of Angiras. Mercury, charming and quick, is remembered as the son of the moon god. Saturn, with a deformed appearance, is born of Saṃjñā and Vivasvān. Agni, the youthful lord of Mars, was born from Vikeśī. The daughters of Dakṣā, known by the names of stars, are remembered in their celestial fields. Svarbhānu, son of Siṃhikā, is the Asura who binds together beings. Among the moon, sun, planets, and stars, each has its presiding deity. Thus, the places and their resident gods have been described. The realm of Vivasvān, the sun god of a thousand rays, is itself white, fiery, divine, and immeasurable—made entirely of light. The abode of the directions, delightful in nature, is found within the house of the sun’s rays. Venus, with sixteen rays, is a deity composed of water, and his watery abode is red with nine rays. The twelve-rayed abode of Brahmā is yellowish in color. Saturn’s eight-rayed abode is black, aged, and iron-like. The place of Svarbhānu is also of iron, a realm marked by torment for beings. The stars serve as a refuge for the virtuous, their golden rays shining forth. They are called stars because they traverse the sky and because of their whiteness. The sun’s span is said to be nine thousand yojanas, and its disk is three times that width, as is the expanse of Bhāskara. The moon’s expanse is considered twice that of the sun, and its disk is three times as wide, owing to its fullness. Above all are the circles of the stars, each measuring half a yojana, and beyond them lie other groups. Svarbhānu moves below these circles, becoming equal and raising up the earthly shadow shaped like a disk. The third realm, filled with darkness, was created by Brahmā; from the sun, Svarbhānu departs and reaches the moon at their junctions. From the moon, he returns to the sun at the solar junctions. Because he strikes with his own radiance, he is known as Svarbhānu. A sixteenth part of the moon is assigned to Bhārgava (Venus), calculated from the span and disk in yojanas. From Bhārgava, one quarter less is known as Bṛhaspati (Jupiter), and from Bṛhaspati, both Ketu and Vakra (retrograde planets) are a quarter less. Budha (Mercury) is a quarter less than those two, based on the span and disk. The forms of stars and constellations are endowed with their own distinct shapes, similar to Budha’s, but mutually diminished in size. Above all, there are circles of stars—five hundred, four hundred, three hundred, two hundred, and one hundred—each measuring half a yojana. Nothing smaller than these exists. Above them are the planets, both fierce and sattvic. The solar, Angirasa, and retrograde planets are known as slow-moving; below them are four more, considered great planets. Soma (the Moon), the Sun, Budha (Mercury), and Bhārgava (Venus) are swift-moving. As many constellations as there are, so many stars exist, counted in crores. Among all the planets, the Sun moves below, creating a vast circle. Above him moves the Moon; above the Moon is the circle of the constellations; above them moves Budha, and above Budha is Bhārgava. Above Bhārgava is Vakra; above Vakra is Bṛhaspati; above him is Śanaiścara (Saturn), who stands above the preceptor of the gods. Above Śanaiścara is the circle of the Seven Sages, and above them is Dhruva (the pole star). Above Dhruva lies the entire heaven. Each planet is situated above the circle of the constellations at a distance of two thousand yojanas, plus hundreds more. The spaces between the stars and planets are arranged one above the other. The planets, the Moon, and the Sun shine in the sky with divine radiance, joined to the constellations and moving in a fixed order. The Moon, Sun, planets, and stars each occupy their own high and low houses. When they come together or separate, people see them simultaneously, for they are positioned and joined with one another in this way. The wise understand their conjunctions without confusion. Thus is the arrangement of the earth and the luminaries. The continents, oceans, mountains, regions, rivers, and their inhabitants are all part of this grand design. By the power of the Sun, this arrangement of the luminaries is established—a revolving system with an inner space, compact in the middle, and fixed from Dhruva. All these realms are vast, circular, and elevated, created by the Lord for the proper conduct of the world. At the beginning of the kalpa, this arrangement was established by the Self-born, with forethought. Thus is the arrangement of all that is composed of light, eternally maintained for the harmony of creation.