ऋषिभ्यस्तु सहस्राणां शतादूर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः । मेढीभूतः समस्तस्य ज्योतिश्चक्रस्य वै ध्रुवः
Above the sages, at a distance of one hundred thousand yojanas, is Dhruva, which is fixed as the axis of the entire circle of luminaries.
त्रैलोक्यमेतत्कथितमुत्सेधेन महामुने । इज्याफलस्य भूरेषा इज्या चात्र प्रतिष्ठिता
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 is established here.
ध्रुवादूर्ध्वं महर्लोको यत्र ते कल्पवासिनः । एकयोजनकोटिस्तु यत्र ते कल्पवासिनः
Above Dhruva is Maharloka, where those who dwell for a kalpa reside; it is said to be ten million yojanas above.
द्वे कोटी तु जनो लोको यत्र ते ब्रह्मणः सुताः । सनन्दनाद्याः प्रथिता मैत्रेयामलचेतसः
Two hundred million yojanas above is Janaloka, where the pure-minded sons of Brahmā, such as Sanandana and others, are renowned to reside.
चतुर्गणोत्तरे चोर्ध्वं जनलोकात्तपः स्थितः । वैराजा यत्र ते देवाः स्थिता दाहविर्जिताः
Four times that distance above Janaloka is Tapoloka, where the Virājas, the gods free from burning (suffering), are established.
षड्गुणेन तपोलोकात्सत्यलोको विराजते । अपुनर्मारका यत्र ब्रह्मलोको हि संस्मृतः
Six times that distance above Tapoloka shines Satyaloka, the world of Brahmā, where there is no return to mortal existence.
पादगम्यन्तु यत्किञ्चिद्वस्त्वस्ति पृथिवीमयम् । स भूर्लोकः समाख्यातो विस्तरोस्य मयोदितः
Whatever is composed of earth and can be traversed by foot is called Bhūrloka; its extent has been described by me.
भूमिसूर्यान्तरं यच्च सिद्धादिमुनिसेवितम् । भुवर्लोकस्तु सोप्युक्तो द्वितीयो मुनिसत्तम
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.
ध्रुवसूर्यान्तरं यच्च नियुतानि चतुर्दश । स्वर्लोकः सोपि गदितो लोकसंस्थानचिन्तकैः
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.
त्रैलोक्यमेतत्कृतकं मैत्रेय परिपठ्यते । जनस्तपस्तथा सत्यमिति चाकृतकं त्रयम्
O Maitreya, this triad of worlds is considered artificial; while Jana, Tapas, and Satya are the three that are not artificial.
कृतकाकृतयोर्मध्ये महर्लोक इति स्मृतः । शून्यो भवति कल्पान्ते योत्यन्तं न विनश्यति
Between the artificial and non-artificial worlds, Maharloka is remembered; it becomes empty at the end of a kalpa, but does not perish completely.
एते सप्त मया लोका मैत्रेय कथितास्तव । पातालानि च सप्तैव ब्रह्माण्डस्यैष विस्तरः
O Maitreya, I have described to you these seven worlds, and also the seven nether regions; this is the expanse of the Brahmāṇḍa.
एतदण्डकटाहेन तिर्यक् चोर्ध्वमधस्तथा । कपित्थस्य यथा बीजं सर्वतो वै समावृतम्
This is encased by the shell of the cosmic egg, sideways, above, and below, just as the seed of a wood-apple is surrounded on all sides.
दशोत्तरेण पयसा मैत्रेयांडं च तद्वृतम् । सर्वोम्बुपरिधानोसौ वह्निना वेष्टितो बहिः
O Maitreya, the egg is enveloped by water, ten times its size; it is surrounded by all the elements, and outside, it is encircled by fire.
वह्निश्च वायुना वायुर्मैत्रेय नभसा वृतः । भूतादिना नभः सोपि महता परहिवेष्टितः । देशोत्तराण्यश्षोआ!णि मैत्रेयैतानि सप्त वै
Fire is encased by air, air by space, O Maitreya, 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.
महान्तं च समावृत्य प्रधानं समवस्थितम् । अनन्तस्य न तस्यान्तः संख्यानं चापि विद्यते
Encompassing the great principle is Pradhāna, established beyond; it is endless, and its measure cannot be known.
तदन्तमसंख्यातप्रमाणं चापि वै यतः । हेतुभूतमसेषस्य प्रकृतिः सा परा मुने
Its extent is immeasurable, O sage, and because it is the cause of all, that Prakṛti is supreme.
अंडानां तु सहस्राणां सहस्राण्ययुतानि च । ईदृशानां तथा तत्र कोटिकोटिशतानि च
There are thousands upon thousands of such cosmic eggs, and hundreds of crores and hundreds of millions as well.
हारुण्यग्निर्यथा तैलं तिले तद्वत्पुमानपि । प्रधानेऽवस्थितो व्यापी चेतनात्मात्मवेदनः
Just as fire pervades oil in sesame seeds, so too does the Self, endowed with consciousness and self-awareness, pervade Pradhāna.
प्रधानं च पुमांश्चैव सर्वभूतात्मभूतया । विष्णुशक्त्या महाबुद्धे वृतौ संश्रयधर्मिणौ
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.
तयोः सैव पृथग्भावकारणं संश्रयस्य च । क्षोभकारणभूता च सर्गकाले महामते
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.
यथा सक्तं जले वातो बिभर्त्ति कणिकाशतम् । शक्तिः सापि तथा विष्णोः प्रधानपुरुषात्मकम्
Just as wind, when mixed with water, supports hundreds of droplets, so too does the power of Viṣṇu sustain Pradhāna and the Self.
यथा च पादयोर्मूलस्कन्धशाखादिसंयुतः । आदिबीजात्प्रभवति बीजान्यन्यानि वै ततः
And as from the original seed arise roots, trunks, branches, and so on, so too do other seeds originate from the first.
प्रभवन्ति ततस्तेभ्यः सम्भवन्त्यपरे द्रु माः । तेपि तल्लक्षणद्र व्यकारणानुगता मुने
From those, others arise, and from them yet others, O sage; all these follow the characteristics and causes of the preceding ones.
एवमव्याकृतात्पूर्वं जायन्ते महदादयः । विशेषान्तास्ततस्तेभ्यः संभवंत्यसुरादयः । तेभ्यश्च पुत्रास्तेषां च पुत्राणामपरे सुताः
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.
बीजाद्वृक्षप्ररोहेण यथा नापचयस्तरोः । भूतानां भूतसर्गेण नैवास्त्यपचयस्तथा
Just as there is no diminution in a tree from the sprouting of seeds, so too, there is no diminution in beings from the creation of other beings.
सन्निधानाद्यथाकाशकालाद्याः कारणं तरोः । तथैवापरिणामेव विश्वस्य भगवान्हरिः
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.
व्रीहिबीजे यथा मूलं नालं पत्राङ्कुरौ तथा । काण्डकोषस्तु पुष्पं च क्षीरं तद्वच्च तण्डुलाः
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,
तुषाः कणाश्च सन्तो वै यान्त्याविर्भावमात्मनः । प्ररोहहेतुसामग्र्यमासाद्य मुनिसत्तम
The husks and the grains, indeed, all come forth into manifestation, O best of sages, when the proper combination of causes for growth is obtained.
तथा कर्मस्वनेकेषु देवाद्याः समवस्थिताः । विष्णुशक्तिं समासाद्य प्ररोहमुपयान्ति वै
In the same way, in various actions, the gods and others, having obtained the power of Vishnu, indeed come forth into manifestation.