Parāśara spoke: Priyavrata, a noble king, took as his wife the daughter of the great sage Kardama. From this union, O King, were born to him eleven sons—ten together and one more—each a source of joy and pride to their father. These sons were celebrated for their wisdom, valor, and discipline, and their names were renowned throughout the worlds. Listen, O best of listeners, to their names: Āgnīdhra, Agnibāhu, Vapuṣmān, Dyutimān, Medha, Medhātithi, Bhavya, Savana, Jyotiṣmān, and Satyanāma. Each was famed for strength and heroism, and they were deeply beloved by their father. Among these sons, Medha, Agnibāhu, and Putra were especially devoted to yoga. Blessed from birth, they remembered their past lives and were uninterested in the rule of kingdoms. Pure in heart at all times, they performed every action rightly, without desire for personal gain. Priyavrata, O sage, divided the seven continents of the earth among his seven great-souled sons. To Āgnīdhra, he gave the continent of Jambū; to Medhātithi, the land of Plakṣa; to Vapuṣmān, he granted Śālmalī; Jyotiṣmān was made king of the Kuśa continent; Dyutimān was appointed lord of Krauñca; Bhavya became ruler of Śāka; and Savana was given the continent of Puṣkara. Āgnīdhra, thus established as lord of Jambūdvīpa, had nine sons, each equal in virtue to Prajāpati himself. Their names were Nābhi, Kimpuruṣa, Harivarṣa, Ilāvṛta, Ramya, Hiraṇvān, Kuru, Bhadrāśva, and Ketumāla, the virtuous king. Now, hear how Āgnīdhra divided Jambūdvīpa among these sons. He gave the southern region, called Himāhvān, to Nābhi; Hemakūṭa to Kimpuruṣa; Naiṣadha to Harivarṣa; and Meru, the central land, to Ilāvṛta. Ramya received the region at the foot of Nīla mountain; Hiraṇvān was given the northern Śveta region; Kuru received the land north of Śṛṅgavān; Bhadrāśva was given the region east of Meru; and Ketumāla received Gandhamadana. Thus did the noble king assign each region to his sons. Having installed his sons as rulers of these lands, Priyavrata withdrew to the sacred place of Shalagrama to pursue ascetic practice, O Maitreya. In the eight regions beginning with Kimpuruṣa, perfection and happiness are natural and effortless. The people there do not experience opposites, nor are they subject to old age or death. Righteousness and unrighteousness are absent, as are distinctions of superior, inferior, or middling. There is no division of ages; only the region called Himahvaya belonged to the great-souled Nābhi. Nābhi’s son was the illustrious Rishabha, born of Merudevi. From Rishabha was born Bharata, the eldest of a hundred sons. Rishabha ruled the kingdom righteously, performed many sacrifices, and finally installed his eldest son Bharata as lord of the earth. Thereafter, Rishabha retired to the hermitage of Pulastya to practice asceticism, determined to follow the way of the forest-dwelling sages. He practiced severe austerities, and as his body grew emaciated from penance, his veins stood out in his thinness. Naked, with only a strip of cloth in his mouth, he departed on the path of heroes. Because his father gave this land to him when he renounced the world, this region became known throughout the worlds as Bharata. To Bharata, a supremely righteous son named Sumati was born. After fulfilling his duties and performing sacrifices, Bharata entrusted the kingdom to Sumati, thus transferring his prosperity to his son. Devoted to yoga, Bharata gave up his life at Shalagrama and was reborn as a brahmin in the foremost family of yogis. O wise one, from Sumati was born Indradyumna; from him came Parameshthi, and his descendant was Pratihara. Pratihara’s son was Pratiharta. From Bhuva came Udgitha, and his son was Prastara. Prithu’s son was Nakta, and Nakta’s son was Gaya. Nara was born to Gaya; his son was Virat, whose son was a man of great strength and intelligence. His son was Mahanta, and his son was Umanasyu. Tvashtri was the son of Tvashtri, and Viraja was the son of Raja. To King Śatajid were born a hundred sons, chief among whom were Viśagu and Jyotiḥ. Through them, the peoples of the earth increased. They divided the land of Bhārata into nine regions, and in ancient times, their descendants enjoyed the land of Bhāratī. With the creation of the Kṛta, Tretā, and other yugas, the cycles of time were established. This, O sage, is the creation of Svāyambhuva, who filled the world. But in the Varāha kalpa, he was the lord of the previous manvantara. Thus, O Maitreya, have I recounted to you the sacred lineage and the divisions of the earth as established by the noble kings of old.