With the rivers weaving their silvery nets into the shoulders of the wind, and divine children wandering in delight to witness marvels, the realm above was a place of endless wonder. Sometimes, doubts would stir among those who bore thunderbolts, discs, spears, swords, and other weapons of power; at other times, the houses would resound with the celestial music of Tumburu and Narada, filling the air with divine melody. In some regions, immense gatherings of clouds crowded the sky, their vastness like the waters at the end of an age, appearing as if masterfully painted in varied forms, yet remaining silent as mutes. Elsewhere, rainclouds shimmered with beauty, dark as the wings of mountain birds; in other places, clouds gleamed with the golden glow of sunlight dripping through. Some clouds were adorned with the cool, gentle radiance of the moon, raining down soft light; in other places, the ocean of clouds lay utterly still, windless, appearing as a net of emptiness. The wind, in some places, swept over the grass on terraces, making them lush and green; elsewhere, the shining surfaces of clouds were pure and bright, sparkling with the luster of moving clusters of leaves. There were places where the dust-laden wind made the land resemble the valleys of Mount Meru, while in other places, the sky was adorned with the radiance of celestial palaces and the beauty of heavenly maidens. Sometimes the sky was empty, encircled by the wild dance of the Mothers; elsewhere, it was filled with the ever-roaring, agitated hosts of great yogis. In certain places, assemblies of sages rested in tranquil meditation, serene and peaceful, equally distant from agitation, bringing delight to the virtuous. Elsewhere, groups of celestial women—kinnaras, gandharvas, and gods—sang together, while noble gods moved about, surrounded by steadfast cities. There were cities with blocked entrances, great cities enclosed, cities conjured by illusion, and towns yet to arise. Somewhere, lakes reflected the wandering moon, while others held waters perfectly still; in some places, gatherings of accomplished beings assembled, and in others, the moon had just risen. Some places blazed with the brilliance of sunrise; others lay in the darkness of night. In some, the sky was tinged with the hues of twilight, and elsewhere, it was veiled with mist. The sky, in places, shone white with celestial palaces; elsewhere, clouds poured down rain. Sometimes, the sky appeared solid, serving as a resting place for the worlds. In some regions, hosts of gods and demons moved swiftly upward and downward; in others, they traveled in every direction—east, west, north, and south. There were places where hundreds of leagues were difficult to traverse, shrouded in smoke; elsewhere, the sky was filled with indestructible, dense darkness. Some regions sparkled with an imperishable, vast radiance, like the sun or fire; in others, cold prevailed, as in the depths of the Himalayas or the abodes of the moon and other celestial lights. Great forests of wish-fulfilling trees danced atop lofty cities in some places; elsewhere, celestial cities fell from the sky, toppled by the defeat of demons. In certain places, streaks of fire marked the descent of celestial vehicles; elsewhere, the sky was agitated by the collision of hundreds of comets. Sometimes, the sky was seized by groups of auspicious planets; elsewhere, it was enveloped in darkness, and in other places, it shone with the radiance of day. Thunderous clouds roared fiercely in some places; elsewhere, silent clouds drifted softly. In some places, the wind scattered fragments of white clouds like clusters of flowers. There were regions utterly empty and spotless, immediately serene—gentle, peaceful, and clear, like the heart of one who knows. In some places, flocks of parrots and frogs created a throaty clamor, while the field of the sky-dwellers was adorned with stars in the emptiness. Elsewhere, birds such as golden-crested peacocks and others served as vehicles and resting places for the goddesses among the Vidyādharas. Peacock circles danced within the clouds in some places; in others, the ground appeared dark with fire-parrots, as if it were a meadow. Sometimes, the clouds became vehicles for the lord of the departed, the mighty buffalo; elsewhere, black clouds were consumed by horses, mistaking them for grass. Some regions were filled with cities of the gods, others with cities of demons; some cities were inaccessible to each other, and some were riddled with narrow lanes. In certain places, the terrifying dance of Bhairava shone forth, resembling a mountain of families; elsewhere, groups of celestial women crowded the cities of the Gandharvas. The ocean, in some places, was dried up by thousands of trees toppled from trembling mountains; in others, it was cooled by the waters of sky-lotuses conjured by illusion. Sometimes, the lord of mountains danced with wings, accompanied by Vinayaka; elsewhere, mountains were hurled up by roaring winds. In some places, the wind was cool and delightful, moistened by showers of moonbeams; elsewhere, waters, trees, and mountains were scorched by burning fire. There were places of utter silence, with not even the slightest wind; elsewhere, the sunrise appeared like flames as tall as mountains. The deep rumble of thick, rain-laden clouds intoxicated the monsoon in some places; elsewhere, the path was impassable due to battles between gods and demons. In some regions, swans of the sky-lake were summoned by melodious calls; elsewhere, the wind plundered the lotuses on the banks of the celestial river Mandakini. Because of the presence of embodied beings and rivers like the Ganges, there were hollows within, filled with fish, sharks, and crocodiles leaping about. Some places resembled the depths of the underworld, or the shadow cast by the earth from the sun, or the dark hollows of a crow; and in some regions, the orbs of the moon and sun were swallowed up. Elsewhere, magical groves of flowers were stirred by the winds of heaven, where celestial women were startled by showers of falling blossoms and snow. Passing through the hollows of fig trees, swarming with mosquitoes and insects, and filled with beings from all three worlds, that excellent lady, having traversed them and released the sky, prepared once again to descend to earth. As the two women descended from the sky toward a mountain village, their awareness fixed in knowledge and mind, they beheld the earth below. There, they saw the lotus of the heart of a man, vast as the cosmic egg, with eight petals facing the directions, crowded with mountain-like filaments, and radiantly beautiful with the fullness of its own bliss.