Above the realm of the great sages, at a distance of one hundred thousand yojanas, shines the radiant Dhruva, the steadfast pole star, fixed as the very axis around which the entire circle of luminaries revolves. O wise Maitreya, thus have the three worlds been described in terms of their vast heights: this earth, known as Bhūrloka, is the field where sacrificial merit is earned, and where the sacred rites of sacrifice are established. Far above Dhruva lies Maharloka, the world where those who dwell for the span of a kalpa reside, situated ten million yojanas above. Still farther, two hundred million yojanas above, is Janaloka, the celebrated abode of the pure-minded sons of Brahmā, such as Sanandana and his brothers. Four times that distance above Janaloka is Tapoloka, where the Virājas, the gods free from suffering, are established. And six times that height above Tapoloka shines Satyaloka, the world of Brahmā himself, where there is no return to mortal existence. All that is composed of earth and can be traversed by foot is called Bhūrloka; its extent has been spoken of. Between the earth and the sun lies Bhuvarloka, the second world, frequented by accomplished beings and sages. The space between Dhruva and the sun, measuring fourteen niyutas, is known as the world of heaven, as described by those who contemplate the cosmic arrangement. This triad of worlds—Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, and Svarloka—is considered artificial or temporary, while Jana, Tapas, and Satya are the three eternal worlds. Between the transient and the eternal lies Maharloka, which becomes empty at the end of a kalpa, yet does not perish completely. O Maitreya, I have thus described to you the seven worlds above, as well as the seven nether regions below; this is the vast expanse of the cosmic egg, the Brahmāṇḍa. This entire universe is encased by the shell of the cosmic egg, surrounded on all sides—above, below, and sideways—just as the seed of a wood-apple is enveloped by its shell. This cosmic egg is further encased by water, ten times its size, and then by all the elements, and outside that, by fire. Fire is enveloped by air, air by space, space by the principle of elements, and this principle by the great principle. Each covering is ten times greater than the one before it, making seven coverings in all. Beyond the great principle lies Pradhāna, the unmanifest, which is endless and immeasurable, its extent beyond comprehension. Because it is the cause of all, this Prakṛti is supreme. Know, O sage, that there are thousands upon thousands of such cosmic eggs, and hundreds of crores and hundreds of millions as well, all pervaded by the Self, endowed with consciousness and self-awareness, just as fire pervades oil in sesame seeds. Both Pradhāna and the Self, as the essence of all beings, are sustained by the power of Viṣṇu and the great intellect, ever dependent on that divine force. The cause of their distinction and dependence is that very power which, at the time of creation, acts as the cause of agitation. Just as wind, when mixed with water, supports countless droplets, so too does the power of Viṣṇu sustain Pradhāna and the Self. From the original seed arise roots, trunks, branches, and other seeds; from those, yet others, all following the characteristics and causes of their predecessors. Thus, from the unmanifest, the great principle and others are born; from them, the specific elements arise, and from those, the gods and other beings; from them, their sons, and from their sons, further descendants. Just as the tree does not diminish by the sprouting of seeds, so too is there no diminution in beings by the creation of others. Proximity, space, and time are causes for a tree, and in the transformation of the universe, the Blessed Hari alone is the ultimate cause. As in a grain of rice, the root, stalk, leaves, sprout, stem, sheath, flower, milk, and grains—all come forth into manifestation when the proper combination of causes is present. In the same way, in various actions, the gods and others, having received the power of Viṣṇu, come forth into manifestation. That Viṣṇu is the Supreme Brahman, from whom this entire universe arises, in whom the world exists, and into whom it will dissolve. That Brahman, that supreme abode, is the highest state beyond existence and non-existence, by whom all that moves and does not move is pervaded and from whom it arises. He alone is the root-prakriti, the manifest form, and the universe itself; into him all things dissolve, and in him they abide. He is the doer of actions, worshipped as the sacrifice, and also the fruit of that action; all the means, such as the ladle and so on—nothing exists apart from Hari. Now, O Maitreya, hear further: In the heavens, the Lord appears in the form of a dolphin, composed of stars, and this form is that of Hari himself; at the tail of this celestial dolphin is established Dhruva. As this form revolves, it causes the moon, the sun, and the other planets to revolve; the stars follow it in their rotation, like spokes revolving around a wheel. The sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets are all bound to Dhruva by bonds made of wind, and thus remain fixed in their courses. This constellation in the sky, called the dolphin-shape, is said to be Nārāyaṇa; he himself is the support of all the abodes, holding them in his own heart. The son of Uttānapāda, having worshipped the Lord of the world, became that shining star—Dhruva—established at the tail of the dolphin. Janārdana, the Lord, is the support of the dolphin and the overseer of all; the dolphin supports Dhruva, and in Dhruva, the sun is established. Thus is the wondrous order of the cosmos, O sage, all pervaded and upheld by the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu.