Let me tell you, O noble one, of a wondrous city whose splendor is sung in the sacred Skanda Purāṇa. Its walls are fashioned from pure crystal, and the floors shimmer with the green radiance of beryl gems. Thresholds of lustrous red jewels mark every entrance, with doorposts that gleam and interiors adorned throughout with precious stones and jewels. Each house within this city is graced by golden pillars, while flags and banners flutter proudly at every dwelling. Throughout the city, pools, wells, tanks, and lakes are found, all pristine and clear as the morning sky. These waters are alive with swans and cranes, and the banks are beautified by flocks of peacocks. In some places, peacocks dance in vibrant display; elsewhere, the melodious calls of cuckoos fill the air. The city teems with groups of men and women, honored by all the orders and stages of life, from students to elders. Rows of archways, adorned like garlands of the moon, shine with celestial beauty. Within this vast city lies Alakā, the delightful domain marked by Kubera’s palace. There too is Bhogavatī, the divine city and excellent abode of Varuṇa. Saṃyamanī, the foremost city governed by Dharmarāja, stands in majesty, as does the beautiful city of the gods, protected by Vāsava. Many more splendid cities exist beyond even these, each radiant in its own unique glory. In some quarters, the gates are crafted in the form of plantain trees, and auspicious jars of barley sprouts are set out, inviting prosperity. Elsewhere, young twice-born boys are engaged in Vedic study, their voices echoing ancient wisdom. Some people, having bathed after sacrifices, are giving gifts; others are busy planting groves or constructing works, or preparing for pilgrimages to holy places. In certain places, speakers praise the topics of stories and discussions, while elsewhere, wrestlers compete and actors are absorbed in drama. The city is enlivened by playful young girls, dark-complexioned and sixteen years old, their laughter and joy filling the air. Thus, O Vyāsa, this delightful city was created by the power of Yoga-māyā. It is vast and greatly expansive, holy and a refuge for the virtuous. This beautiful, eternal city is known as Viśālā. One who always utters the name ‘Viśālā’ is honored in the realm of Śiva. Viśālā, and another like her, bestow both enjoyment and liberation upon people. The merit gained here becomes inexhaustible, as is sung of in the rites for ancestors. Wherever they may go, when they die, they attain the abode of Śiva. The fruit in Viśālā is eternal; the rest cannot be described. There is no doubt that even the greatest sins born of evil are washed away. Thus, O Vyāsa, the city was established: Viśālā and Kuśasthalī. So concludes the forty-seventh chapter, named ‘The Account of Viśālā,’ in the section on the greatness of the Avanti region, in the fifth Avanti Khaṇḍa of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Śrī Skanda Mahāpurāṇa. I have received this auspicious tale from the mouth of Vyāsa himself, concerning the cycles of creation. It is most secret, more secret than all secrets, and the best; it should not be given to just anyone. This is the most meritorious tale of Vyāsa, supreme and remover of sin. Its authority endures for as long as the cycles of Brahmā, the supreme lord. As many as are the limited numbers, so many are there; listen, O noble one. Taking up that enumeration, listen to the numbers, O best of the twice-born. There are thirty kalās in a muhūrta, so say the wise. By the particular movement of the sun, he always enters the twilight. The two fortnights, the months, the seasons, and the solstices are declared. Such is the sacred account, radiant with wisdom and auspiciousness, as received from Vyāsa’s own lips.