In the sacred land of Bharata, there dwell many peoples: the Karushas, Malavas, and those who reside amidst the Paripatra mountains; the Sauvira, Saindhava, Huna, Salva, and the inhabitants of Kosala. Alongside them are the Madrakas, Ramas, Ambasthas, and others such as the Parasikas. All these communities drink from the waters of their region and live together in places teeming with joyful, prosperous people. O noble sage, in Bharata—the land of action—there exist four ages: Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali. Elsewhere, these yugas are not found. Here, ascetics undertake rigorous austerities, and those devoted to sacrifice perform offerings; gifts are given reverently for the sake of attaining the next world. Within Jambudvipa, men worship the Purusha of sacrifice through sacred rites, while in other dvipas, the sacrificial Vishnu is honored in different ways. Even among the lands of Jambudvipa, Bharata stands foremost, for it is uniquely the land where action bears fruit, while the other regions are lands of enjoyment. Here, O best of beings, only after thousands upon thousands of births does a creature, by accumulating merit, sometimes attain human birth. The gods themselves sing in praise: “Blessed are those born in Bharata, which is the path to heaven and liberation; for there, by virtue, men are born again and again.” Those who renounce actions and their desired results to Vishnu, the Supreme Self, and, having attained greatness through action, merge into Him—these pure souls truly reach the highest state. Yet, O sage, we do not know where we will go when the karma that leads to heaven is exhausted and the body falls away; truly blessed are those humans in Bharata who are not deprived of their senses. O Maitreya, I have briefly described to you Jambudvipa and its nine regions, which stretch across one hundred thousand yojanas. Encircling Jambudvipa, which is a hundred thousand yojanas wide, lies the ocean of salt water, forming a ring. Just as Jambudvipa is surrounded by the salt ocean, so too, encircling the salt ocean, lies Plakshadvipa. Jambudvipa’s extent is one hundred thousand yojanas; Plakshadvipa, O Brahman, is twice that size. The lord of Plakshadvipa is Medhatithi, whose seven sons rule its regions: the eldest, Shantahaya, followed by Shishira, Sukhodaya, Ananda, Shiva, Kshemaka, and the seventh, Dhruva. Their domains are marked by mountains—seven in all: Gomada, Candra, Narada, Dundubhi, Somaka, Mumana, and Vaibhraja. In these delightful mountain regions, sinless people dwell always in the company of gods and gandharvas. Holy communities flourish there, and people live long lives free from sorrow and disease; happiness prevails at all times. Seven rivers, whose names cleanse sin when heard, flow to the ocean: Anutapta, Shikhi, Vipasha, Tridivaklama, Amrita, Sukrita, and the seventh, whose name completes the list. These principal mountains and rivers have been described; there are thousands of lesser ones as well, and the people joyfully drink from their waters. In these regions, there is neither the Apasarpiṇī nor the Utsarpiṇī cycle; nor is there any division of ages. Time is always equal to the Treta Yuga in Plaksha and the other islands, and in the regions adjacent to Shaka Island. There, people live for five thousand years without illness, and dharma is observed according to the divisions of class and stage of life. There are four classes: Aryaka, Kurara, Vidishya, and Bhavina—corresponding to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. In the center of Plakshadvipa stands a great tree, immense by earthly measures, called Plaksha, from which the island takes its name. There, the Blessed Lord is worshipped by these classes, beginning with the Aryakas, as the creator of the world in the form of Sima, the universal Lord Hari. Plaksha Island is encircled by a region of sugarcane juice, forming a ring equal in size to the island itself. Thus, O Maitreya, Plaksha Island has been described to you in brief; now listen to the account of Shalmali. The lord of Shalmali is the radiant Vira. His seven sons are the rulers of its seven regions: Sveta, Harita, Jimuta, Rohita, Vaidyuta, Manasa, and Suprabha. The ocean surrounding Shalmali is called Suroda; its water is sweet like sugarcane and it is twice as wide as the continent. There are seven mountains, sources of jewels, which distinguish the regions, and likewise seven great rivers. The mountains are Kumuda, Nata, Balahaka, Drona—where great medicinal herbs grow—Kanka, Mahisha, and Kakudmat, the best of mountains. The rivers, which are said to remove sin, are Yoni, Toya, Vitrishna, Chandra, Mukta, Vimocani, and Nivritti. Thus, the sacred lands and their features, the peoples, mountains, rivers, and the worship of the Blessed Lord, have been revealed to you, O Maitreya, as taught by the wise Parashara.