In the heart of creation, there exists a wondrous land where forests flourish with trees whose trunks are as thick as two strong arms entwined, their branches stretching out three hastas wide and long. The pale stamens of their blossoms, dusted like powdered cinnabar, cast a gentle hue across the woodland. This entire forest radiates with a soft, enchanting glow, alive with an abundance of fragrant, beautiful flowers. The air thrums with the music of intoxicated bees, weaving among the blooms, their hum mingling with the sweet scents. Such a forest is no ordinary place. It is a gathering ground for beings of many kinds: dānavas and daityas, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, kinnaras, apsarases, and mighty serpents all roam beneath its boughs. Within this sacred realm lies the hermitage of the blessed Kaśyapa, lord of creatures, his ashrama bustling with hosts of siddhas and sages, each engaged in their own spiritual practices amidst a network of hermitages. Between the majestic Nīla and Kumbha mountains flows the serene river Sukhā. On its bank sprawls a vast forest, and within it stands a splendid palm grove, delightful and beautiful to behold. This grove stretches fifty yojanas in length and thirty in breadth, its trees soaring up to half a krośa high. The trees here are mighty and unyielding, their thick trunks resembling great sticks of collyrium, curved and heavy with enormous fruit. The air in this grove is rich with fragrance, and the place is visited by perfected beings. It is said that the mighty elephant Airāvata himself makes his home here. Between Airāvata, Rudra, and the divine mountain, a land extends a thousand yojanas in length and a hundred in breadth. The ground here is formed from a single slab of stone, barren of trees and shrubs, and everywhere covered by water to the depth of a foot. Thus are described the inner valleys near the sacred mountain Meru, each detailed in its proper order. Now, let us turn to the mountain valleys of the southern direction, as described by Rudra. Between the mountains Śiśira and Pataṅga lies a land of white earth, where creepers shed their leaves and trees are sparse. Atop Ikṣukṣepa, a summit adorned with trees, there is a delightful fig grove alive with flocks of birds. The fruits of this grove resemble great tortoises in their size and shape. In this region, many rivers flow, their waters clear and sweet. Here stands the hermitage of the lord Kardama, the progenitor, surrounded by sages. The forest around it forms a perfect circle, measuring a hundred yojanas. Further on, between Tāmrābha and Pataṅga mountains, a great lake lies, a hundred yojanas wide and twice as long, its shores adorned with lotuses like young suns, each with countless petals. The lake is home to perfected beings and gandharvas. At the center of this lake rises a grand peak, a hundred yojanas in length and thirty in breadth, glittering with minerals and gems. Atop it is a majestic avenue with jeweled gateways and arches, leading to the great city of the vidyādharas. Here, the vidyādhara king Puloma resides, attended by a hundred thousand followers. Likewise, between the mountains Vikhākhā and Śveta, another lake shimmers. On its eastern shore stretches a magnificent mango grove, its golden-hued, fragrant fruits as large as great jars. This grove is frequented by gods and gandharvas. Between Sumula and Vasudhāra mountains lies a land thirty yojanas wide and fifty long, known as Bilvasthalī. Here, the fruits glow like coral, and as they fall, they moisten the earth. Secretive beings who subsist on bilva fruits dwell here. Between Vasudhāra and Ratnadhāra mountains, a fragrant kimśuka grove always blooms, spreading its scent for a hundred yojanas. Here, perfected beings reside, and water is ever-present. In this same region is the great abode of the god Āditya. Each month, the lord Sūrya, progenitor of all, descends here, and gods and others worship him as the creator of time. Between Pañcakūṭa and Kailāsa mountains lies a land a thousand yojanas long and a hundred wide, white as a swan, inaccessible to lesser beings, appearing like a stairway ascending to heaven. Now, the valleys of the western direction are revealed. Between Supārśva and Śikhi mountains lies a land a hundred yojanas in every direction, its rocky surface always hot and difficult to touch. In its center is a circular area, thirty yojanas wide, the abode of fire. Here, the divine Samvartaka fire—the fire that destroys worlds—blazes eternally without need of fuel. Between the mountains Kumuda and Añjana is a land called Ātuluṅgasthalī, a hundred yojanas wide, covered with yellow fruits and inaccessible to all beings. A sacred lake, frequented by perfected beings, lies here, as does the forest of Bṛhaspati. Between the yellow and white mountains stretches a great valley, many hundreds of yojanas long, adorned with lotuses and filled with the humming of bees. In this valley stands the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. Between the great white and pale mountains is a rocky area, thirty yojanas wide and ninety long, devoid of trees. A clear pond, adorned with many kinds of lotuses, lies here, and at its center grows a great banyan tree, five yojanas in size. Here, the god Maheśvara, clad in blue garments, dwells, worshipped by yakṣas and others. Between Sahasraśikhara and Kumuda mountains rises a peak fifty yojanas long and twenty wide, as high as Ikṣukṣepa, frequented by many birds and adorned with various fruits and sweet saps. Here is the great hermitage of Indra, built by divine intention. Between Śaṅkhakūṭa and Ṛṣabha mountains lies the delightful land called Puruṣasthalī, many yojanas in length, endowed with fragrant kaṅkolaka fruits the size of bilva fruits. Intoxicated elephants and other creatures dwell here. Between Kapiñjala and Nāga mountains is a land two hundred yojanas long and wide, adorned with diverse forests, clusters of grapes and dates, many trees and creepers, and numerous lakes. Between Puṣkara and Mahāmegha mountains lies a great land, sixty yojanas wide and a hundred long, flat as a palm and devoid of trees and shrubs. On its side are four great forests and lakes, each many yojanas in size. There are also lands and valleys of various sizes—ten, five, seven, eight, thirty, and twenty yojanas—some of which are extremely terrifying due to the destruction of mountains. Rudra now describes the abodes of the gods upon the mountains. On the mountain Shanta is the playground of Mahendra, where the grove of Pārijāta trees, belonging to the king of the gods, flourishes. On its eastern side rises Kunjara mountain, upon which stand eight ancient cities of the Danavas. On the splendid Vajraka mountain are many ancient cities of the Rakshasas, known as Nilakas, who are masters of transformation. On the great Mahanila mountain are the ancient cities of the Vidyadharas, and fifteen thousand renowned cities of the Kinnaras, ruled by kings such as Devadatta and Chandra. These golden cities have entrances that lead below the earth. On the mountain Chandradaya is the abode of the Nagas, their underground entrances hidden in caves. The Danava lords, devoted to their own realms, are established here. On Venumati are three great cities of the Vidyadharas, each a hundred yojanas in breadth and length, ruled by kings like Ulukaroma and Mahavetra. On each mountain king, Garuda himself is present. On Kunjara mountain, Pashupati always resides—the great god Mahadeva, bearing the bull, Shankara, the supreme yogi, the primeval person, is established here. On Vasudhara is the abode of the Vasus and the flower-bearing ones. The peaks of Vasudhara and Ratnadhara hold eight and seven ancient cities, belonging to the Vasus and the Saptarishis. On Ekashringa is the seat of Prajapati, Brahma of four faces. On Gajaparvata, the goddess herself, surrounded by the great elements, abides. On Vasudhara mountain dwell sages, Siddhas, and Vidyadharas, and there are eighty-four other cities with grand walls and gateways. In the mountain called Anekaparvata live the Gandharvas, skilled in battle, led by their lord Rajarajaikapingala. The Suras, Rakshasas, and Danavas have cities on Panchakuta and Shatashringa, while the Yakshas possess a hundred cities. On Tamrabha is the hundred-citied city of Takshaka. On Vishakhaparvata is the abode of Guha. On the mountain Shvetodaya stands the great palace of the Gandharvas. On Harikuta is the god Hari. On Kumuda is the abode of the Kinnaras, and on Anjana are the great serpents. On Sahasrashikhara is the abode of the Daityas, fierce of action, and there are a thousand ancient cities of the Hemamalins. On Mukuṭa, upon the mountain’s wing, are four abodes. Thus, the mountains of Meru are adorned with the abodes of the gods. On the boundary mountain Devakuta, the layout of the cities is described. At a distance of a hundred yojanas is the birthplace of Garuda. On its side are seven Gandharva cities, each thirty yojanas wide and forty long, inhabited by the Agneyas, a powerful race of Gandharvas. There is also a city of the Simhikeyas, thirty yojanas in circumference, and the city of the Kalakeyas. On the southern inner slope is the city Sunan, thirty yojanas wide and sixty-two long, belonging to the proud shape-shifters. In the midst of Hemakuta stands the banyan tree of Mahadeva. Now, Kailasa is described. On its slope is a region a hundred yojanas long, adorned with a garland of worlds. In its center is an assembly hall, and there stands the celestial palace called Tatpushkara, the abode of Dhanada. Here reside the great treasures: Padma, Mahapadma, Makara, Kacchapa, Kumuda, Shankha, Nila, Nanda, and Mahānidhi. The guardians of the worlds, beginning with Chandra, dwell here. The river Mandakini flows nearby, along with Kanakamanda and Manda, and other rivers as well. On Kailasa’s eastern side are ten Gandharva cities, each a hundred yojanas long and thirty wide, ruled by kings like Sakubahuharikesha and Citrasena. On the western peak are forty Yaksha cities, each eighty yojanas long and forty wide, led by Mahamali, Sunetra, and Chakra. On the southern side, in the caves of Kunjadari, stretch a hundred cities of the Kinnaras, extending to the ocean, ruled by a hundred kings headed by Druma and Sugriva. Here, the sacred marriage of Rudra and Uma took place. Gauri performed austerities, and Rudra, in the form of a hunter, remained there. Soma and Shankara, standing together, surveyed Jambudvipa from this place. The grove of Uma here is sung by many Kinnaras and Gandharvas, adorned with flowering creepers, and it is where Maheshvara attained the form of Ardhanarishvara. The autumnal forest of Kartikeya flourishes here. Between Pushpa and Citrakrauncha, Kartikeya was anointed, and on the eastern slope lies Kalapagrama, the abode of Siddha sages. Thousands of hermitages of great sages—Markandeya, Vasishtha, Parashara, Nala, Vishvamitra, Uddalaka, and others—are found here. On the western mountain king, Nishadha, its central peak is the abode of Vishnu and Mahadeva. On the northern slope is the great city Lamba, thirty yojanas wide, belonging to the Rakshasas. On the southern side is an underground city. To the west of Prabhedaka are the ancient cities of gods, Danavas, and Siddhas. Atop this mountain is the great Soma rock, where, on the full moon, Soma himself descends. On its northern side is Trikuta, where Brahma sometimes abides. Here too is the abode of Agni, worshipped by the gods in embodied form.