After describing the oceans, mountains, continents, regions, and rivers in summary, the sage paused and asked, “What more do you wish to hear?” To this, the devoted Maitreya replied, “O revered Brahman, you have explained to me the entire earth. Now, O wise one, I wish to hear about the worlds that begin with Bhuvarloka. Please tell me, in the same clear manner, about the arrangement and measurements of the planets, as I inquire of you.” The venerable Parāśara then spoke: “The extent of the earth, with its oceans, rivers, and mountains, is considered to reach as far as it is illuminated by the rays of the sun, the moon, and fire. O twice-born one, the measure of the sky is said to be equal to the diameter of the earth, from one side to the other. “O Maitreya, the orbit of the sun lies one hundred thousand yojanas above the earth. At the same distance beyond the sun is the orbit of the moon. A further one hundred thousand yojanas above the moon shines the entire circle of the stars. Two hundred thousand yojanas above the stars is the planet Mercury; and at the same distance above Mercury is Venus. Mars is situated at the same distance above Venus, and two hundred thousand yojanas above Mars is Jupiter, the priest of the gods. Saturn is positioned two hundred thousand yojanas above Jupiter, and one hundred thousand yojanas above that is the circle of the Seven Sages, the Saptarṣis. “Above the sages, at a distance of one hundred thousand yojanas, is Dhruva, the fixed point that acts as the axis of the entire circle of luminaries. O great sage, thus the three worlds have been described in terms of their height. This earth is the field of sacrificial merit, and sacrifice itself is established here. “Above Dhruva is Maharloka, the world where those who dwell for a kalpa reside, and it is said to be ten million yojanas above. Two hundred million yojanas above that is Janaloka, where the pure-minded sons of Brahmā, such as Sanandana and others, are renowned to live. Four times that distance above Janaloka is Tapoloka, where the Virājas, the gods free from burning and suffering, are established. Six times that distance above Tapoloka shines Satyaloka, the world of Brahmā, where there is no return to mortal existence. “Whatever is composed of earth and can be traversed by foot is called Bhūrloka, and I have described its extent to you. The region between the earth and the sun, frequented by accomplished beings and sages, is known as Bhuvarloka, the second world, O best of sages. The distance between Dhruva and the Sun, which is fourteen niyutas, is called the world of heaven; this too has been described by those who contemplate the arrangement of worlds. “O Maitreya, this triad of worlds—Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, and Svarloka—is considered artificial, while Jana, Tapas, and Satya are the three that are not artificial. Between the artificial and non-artificial worlds lies Maharloka; it becomes empty at the end of a kalpa, but does not perish completely. “I have described to you these seven worlds, O Maitreya, and also the seven nether regions; this is the expanse of the Brahmāṇḍa, the cosmic egg. This cosmic egg is encased by a shell, sideways, above, and below, just as the seed of a wood-apple is surrounded on all sides. “O Maitreya, this egg is enveloped by water, ten times its own size. It is surrounded by all the elements, and outside, it is further encircled by fire. Fire is encased by air, air by space, and space by the principle of elements; space itself is surrounded by the great principle. These are the seven coverings, each exceeding the previous in size. “Encompassing the great principle is Pradhāna, established beyond; it is endless, and its measure cannot be known. Its extent is immeasurable, O sage, and because it is the cause of all, that Prakṛti is supreme. There are thousands upon thousands of such cosmic eggs, and hundreds of crores and hundreds of millions as well. “Just as fire pervades the oil within sesame seeds, so too does the Self, endowed with consciousness and self-awareness, pervade Pradhāna. Both Pradhāna and the Self, as the essence of all beings, are sustained by the power of Viṣṇu and the great intellect, and are endowed with the nature of dependence. Of these two, the cause of their distinction and dependence is the power which acts as the cause of agitation at the time of creation, O wise one. “Just as wind, when mixed with water, supports hundreds of droplets, so too does the power of Viṣṇu sustain Pradhāna and the Self. And as from the original seed arise roots, trunks, branches, and so on, so too do other seeds originate from the first. From those, others arise, and from them yet others, O sage; all these follow the characteristics and causes of the preceding ones. “Thus, from the unmanifest, the great principle and others are born; from them, the specific elements arise, and from those, gods and others; from them, their sons, and from their sons, other descendants. Just as a tree does not diminish by the sprouting of new seeds, so too, there is no diminution in beings from the creation of other beings. “Just as proximity and such—like space and time—are causes for a tree, so too, in the transformation of the universe, is the Blessed Hari alone the cause. As in a grain of rice, the root, the stalk, the leaves, and the sprout, as well as the stem, the sheath, the flower, the milk, and likewise the grains of rice, the husks and the grains—all come forth into manifestation, O best of sages, when the proper combination of causes for growth is obtained. “In the same way, in various actions, the gods and others, having obtained the power of Viṣṇu, indeed come forth into manifestation.