O great sage, in the eight wondrous regions beginning with Kimpurusha, perfection is innate to all, and happiness is attained without effort. The people there are untouched by the opposites of pleasure and pain, nor do they suffer the ravages of old age or death. Righteousness and unrighteousness do not exist among them, and there is no notion of superiority, inferiority, or mediocrity. There is no division of ages at any time in these eight regions. Among these, the region known as Himahvaya was ruled by the great-souled Nabhi. His son, resplendent in virtue, was Rishabha, born of Merudevi. From Rishabha was born Bharata, the eldest among a hundred sons. After ruling the kingdom with righteousness and performing many sacrifices, Nabhi installed his eldest son Bharata as lord of the earth. Having fulfilled his kingly duties, the highly fortunate Nabhi retired to the hermitage of Pulastya, determined to follow the path of forest-dwelling asceticism. There, he practiced austerities as prescribed, and his body grew thin from penance, with veins standing out upon his frame. Naked, with only a strip of cloth in his mouth, he departed this world on the heroic path. Thus, this region became renowned among the worlds as Bharata. It is said that when Nabhi set out for the forest, he gave this land to his son Bharata. O Bharata, to Bharata was born a supremely righteous son, Sumati. After performing the proper sacrifices, Bharata bestowed the desired kingdom upon Sumati, transferring his own 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. Now, listen as I recount the lineage that followed. From the illustrious Sumati was born Indradyumna; from Indradyumna came Parameshthi; from Parameshthi, Pratihara, and from him, his son Pratiharta. Bhuva's son was Udgitha, whose son was Prastara. From Prithu was born Nakta, and Nakta's son was Gaya. Nara was the son of Gaya; his son was Virat, and from him was born a son endowed with great strength and intelligence. His son was Mahanta, and Mahanta's son was Umanasyu. Tvashtri was the son of Tvashtri, and Viraja was the son of Raja. Śatajid, the king, had a hundred sons, foremost among whom were Viśagu and Jyotiḥ. By them, the peoples of the land increased, and this land of Bhārata was divided into nine regions. In ancient times, the descendants of these rulers enjoyed the land of Bhārata. With the creation of the Kṛta, Tretā, and other yugas, the cycles of time known as yugas were established. This, O sage, is the creation of Svāyambhuva, who filled the world. In the Varāha kalpa, he was the lord of the previous manvantara. Maitreya then spoke: "O Brāhman, you have described to me the creation of Svāyambhuva. I wish now to hear about the entire expanse of the earth. How many oceans, islands, regions, mountains, forests, rivers, and cities are there, as well as the abodes of gods and others? What is the measure of all this, its foundation, and its nature? O sage, please describe its arrangement properly." Parāśara replied: "Maitreya, listen as I briefly speak of this, for even in a hundred years, its full detail cannot be told. There are seven islands: Jambū and Plakṣa, Śālmalī, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka, and the seventh, Puṣkara. These islands are encircled by seven oceans, each with different waters: salt, sugarcane juice, wine, clarified butter, curds, milk, and water. Jambūdvīpa lies at the center of all these islands. In its midst rises the golden mountain, Meru, which extends sixteen thousand leagues below the earth and thirty-two thousand above. At its base, it is sixteen thousand leagues wide in every direction, shaped like the pericarp of a lotus. To the south of Meru lie the mountains Himavat, Hemakūṭa, and Niṣadha; to the north are Nīla, Śveta, and Śṛṅgī. Of these, two in the middle measure a hundred thousand yojanas, while the others are each ten thousand less. Their height is three thousand leagues, and they extend as far as their width. Bhārata is the first region, followed by Kimpuruṣa, then Harivarṣa to the south of Meru. In the north are Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, and the Uttarakurus, just as Bhārata is in the south. Each of these regions measures nine thousand yojanas, and at their center lies Ilāvṛta, with the golden Meru rising high. To the east of Meru is Ilāvṛta, extending nine thousand yojanas, and there are four great mountains there. These are the buttresses of Meru, rising to a height of ten thousand yojanas: Mandara to the east, Gandhamādana to the south, Vipula to the west, and Supārśva to the north. On these mountains grow the kadamba, jambū, pippala, and banyan trees, each as tall as the mountain peaks themselves—eleven hundred yojanas high. The great jambū tree there gives its name to Jambūdvīpa; its fruits are the size of mighty elephants. When these fruits fall and break upon the mountain slopes, their juice flows everywhere, forming the renowned river Jambūnadī.