Through the lineage of their descendants, the people of Bhārata have come to enjoy this sacred land. Over the course of cosmic time, as the cycles of Kṛta, Tretā, and the other yugas unfold, there are seventy-one such cycles within each Manvantara. The auspicious Manvantara that governs our world has been described, as well as the Svāyambhuva Manvantara of the past. Now, listen as I recount the continents that originated from Manu. Rudra continued, “Next, I shall describe to you the true nature of Jambūdvīpa, the number and extent of its oceans and continents, and the regions within it. You will hear of the rivers that flow there, the measurements of the great elements, and the separate courses traced by the sun and the moon. The world is divided into thousands of regions within the seven continents, but to list them all in order is beyond the scope of this narration. Instead, I will describe the seven continents, together with the sun, moon, and planets, whose measures have been determined by wise people through reasoning. Yet, know this: things that are truly inconceivable cannot be grasped by mere reasoning; what lies beyond nature is to be understood as inconceivable. Now, hear about the nine regions of Jambūdvīpa as they truly are—their vast extent and their perfect circular form—measured in yojanas. Jambūdvīpa measures one hundred thousand yojanas all around, filled with diverse peoples and marked by auspicious divisions. It is crowded with Siddhas and Cāraṇas, adorned with great mountains rich in all kinds of minerals, rocks rising from their slopes, and encircled on all sides by rivers that originate from these mountains. This continent of Jambūdvīpa is vast and splendid, perfectly circular, surrounded by nine regions, and is the very source of all living beings. Around it, on all sides, lies the salt ocean, equal in extent to Jambūdvīpa itself. Six great mountain ranges, called the Varsha mountains, stretch eastward from Jambūdvīpa, while the oceans on both the eastern and western sides penetrate deeply into the land. Among these mountains, Himavat is mostly covered in snow, Hemakūṭa shines golden, and the great mountain Niṣadha is known everywhere for its pleasantness. At the very center stands Meru, the mountain of four colors—golden and crystalline, both round and square in shape, and towering in height. Its sides shimmer with various hues and are endowed with the qualities of Prajāpati. Meru rises from the navel circle of Brahmā, the supreme lord. On its eastern side, Meru appears white, signifying Brahmanhood; on the southern side, it is yellow, representing the Vaishya status. On the western side, it takes on the color of a bee’s wing, indicating the Shudra status, while the northern side glows red, signifying the Kṣatriya status. Thus, the mountain’s colors are explained. Meru is naturally round in color and size, but it also displays blue beryl, bright white, golden, and peacock-tail hues, with golden peaks crowning its heights. These mountain kings are attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, and the distances between them are said to be nine thousand yojanas. At the very heart of Jambūdvīpa lies Ilāvṛta, the region that arises from the great Meru, extending nine thousand yojanas in every direction. At its center stands the great Meru, radiant like a smokeless fire, with half of Meru lying to the south and the other half to the north. The six regions here are the Varsha mountains, each with a summit prescribed as one yojana. Each region rises two thousand yojanas, which is said to be the length of Jambūdvīpa. The mountains themselves stretch two hundred thousand yojanas in length, though Nīla and Niṣadha are somewhat less than the others; Śveta, Hemakūṭa, Himavat, and those with peaks are included in this measure. Niṣadha is described as equal in size to Jambūdvīpa itself; Hemakūṭa is less by one-twelfth, and Himavat is less than Hemakūṭa by one-twentieth. Hemakūṭa, the great mountain, measures eighty-eight thousand yojanas, while Himavat stretches for eighty thousand yojanas from east to west. Because the continent is circular, the increase and decrease in the size of the regions and mountains are described, and the same holds true for those in the north. Within these lands, surrounded by steep and uneven mountains, are the inhabited regions. These are separated by rivers and are inaccessible to one another, each populated by beings of many kinds and various species. This is the region of Himavat, where the lineage of Bhārata dwells. Beyond Hemakūṭa lies the land called Kiṃpuruṣa. Beyond Hemakūṭa and Niṣadha is Harivarṣa, and beyond Harivarṣa is Ilāvṛta, situated beside Meru itself. Beyond Ilāvṛta is the renowned region called Nīla, followed by the famous Ramyaka. Beyond Ramyaka is Śveta, known as Hiraṇmaya, and still further is Śṛṅgavān, remembered as Kuru. On the bow-shaped land, there are two regions, known as southern and northern, and there are four islands, with Ilāvṛta at the center, all four-sided. South of Niṣadha is regarded as the southern half of the altar, and beyond Śṛṅgavān is the northern half. On the southern half of the altar are three regions, and three also on the northern; between these, Ilāvṛta is to be known, where Meru stands at the center. To the south of Nīla and to the north of Niṣadha rises the great mountain called Mālyavat, extending northward. Its breadth and height are each two thousand yojanas, and its length is thirty-four thousand yojanas. To its west stands the mountain known as Gandhamādana, equal to Mālyavat in length, height, and breadth. Thus is the wondrous expanse of Jambūdvīpa, its mountains, regions, and the lands inhabited by all beings, described as they truly are, in accordance with the ancient wisdom.