The sages say that in the central portion of the top of Sumeru is the abode of Brahma, made of gold, 10,000,000 Yojanas in area, and of four equal sides.

Surrounding the abode of Brahma are the eight abodes of the eight Lokapalas situated respectively in the directions presided over by these Lokapalas. Each of these abodes has the color of its own Lokapala and each extends over 2 1/2 thousand yojanas. (The names of these abodes are given in other Puranas. Thus:

Manovati is the abode of Brahma.

Amaravati " " Indra.

Tejovati " " Agni.

Sanyavati " " Yama.

Krishnangana " " Nairita.

Sradhavati " " Varuna.

Gandhavati " " Vayu.

Mahodaya " " Kubera.

Yasovati " " Isa.

THE GANGES.

*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 7.*

The Avatara Vamana asked Bali, the Daitya King, for as much s.p.a.ce as he could cover in three steps. The first step covered the earth. Vamana then raised his foot over the heavens and the stroke of his left toe-nail caused a hole in the cosmic egg. Water entered the hole from outside, water that carried the washings of Vishnu's feet and that was consequently capable of purifying all the impurities of the world and that was in itself very pure, water that was then called Bhagavat pudi.

In a thousand yugas the stream reached the highest point of Svar Loka, called Vishnupada.

Dhruva carried the stream on his own head with ever increasing devotion.

The seven Rishis (of the Great Bear) carry the sacred water in their braided tufts of hair, as something better than Mukti, for the stream of devotion flows from Vishnu direct.

Thence the stream pa.s.ses through the path of the Devas, studded with thousands and thousands of starry chariots, till it overflows the lunar regions and fall down on the abode of Brahma in Meru.

There the stream divides itself into four parts called Sita, Alakananda, Vankshu and Bhadra.

The Sita flows from the abode of Brahma through the highest mountain ranges, she comes down to Gandha Madana, thence through Bhadrasva Varsha she falls into the salt ocean towards the east.

So the Vankshu flows through the Malyavat range into Ketumala Varsha and falls on the west into the Salt ocean.

The Bhadra flows north from the Sumeru peak through several mountain ranges down to Sringavat range and pa.s.ses through Kuru in to the Salt ocean.

The Alakananda flows south from the abode of Brahma through several mountain ranges to Hema Kuta and thence to Himalaya till it reaches Bharata Varsha (_i.e._ Nabhi Varsha) and at last flows through it into the Salt ocean.

There are a thousand other rivers and a thousand other mountains in each Varsha.

[The real source of the Ganges is not the melting of snow in the Himalayas. That may be the source of the waters that swell the bed of the Ganges, as we see it. But the Ganges is something more than a volume of waters. There is a spiritual current underlying its waters. That current comes from regions higher than the highest peak of the Himalayas. Hence the great sanct.i.ty attached to it].

THE MYSTERIES OF THE VARSHAS.

*SKANDHA V. CHAP. 17-19.*

Of the nine Varshas, Bharata is the field of Karma (I must now once for all remind my readers that Bharata when mentioned as a Varsha means Nabhi Varsha, the whole of this visible earth from the highest point of the Himalayas downwards). The other Varshas are places of fruition of the merits of those that go to Svarga. Hence they are called terrestrial (Bhouma) Svargas.

(Svarga is of three kinds: -

a. Divya viz. Svarga proper or Swar Loka.

b. Bhouma or terrestrial and c. Bila or Patalic.

_Sridhara_.)

_Ilavrita._ - The dwellers of this Varsha live for ten thousand years of human measure. They are like Devas. They have the vitality of ten thousand elephants. Their body is strong like the thunderbolt They enjoy with women all their lives and only one year before death do the women bear children. They always live as it were in Treta Yuga.

Narayana - the Maha Purusha pervades all the Varshas for their good, in different forms of His Chatur Vyuha (Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Anirudha).

In Ilavrita, Bhava or Siva is the only male. Other males do not enter that Varsha, for they know the curse of Bhavani (Durga) that whoever should enter the Varsha was to become a female.

Bhava is adored by millions of women. He meditates on the fourth, the Tamasa Murti of Mahapurusha _viz._ Shankarshana. He recites the following mantra and runs about: -

"Om Namo Bhagavate Maha Purushaya Sarva-guna Sankhaynaya Anantaya Avyaktaya Namaha."

"Om, Salutations to Bhagavat Maha Purusha, salutations to the manifester of all Gunas, the Endless, the Unmanifested."

Then follows a prayer to Sankarshana for which readers are referred to the original _Bhadtasva_.

Bhadrasravas is the lord of Bhadrasva. He and his followers dwell there, they meditate on the Hayasirsha aspect of Vasudeva, they recite the following mantra and run about.

"Om Namo Bhagavate Dharmaya atma-visodhanaya namah."

"Om salutations to Bhagavat Dharma; salutations to him who purifies the soul."

Then follows a prayer to Hayagriva _Harivarsha_.

The renowned saintly Daitya Prahlada with the dwellers of this Varsha adore Him and recite the following mantra.

"Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Nara Sinhaya Namastejastejase aviravir bhava vajranakha vajra-danstra Karma-Sayan randhaya randhaya tamo grasa om Svaha Abhayam Abhoyam atmani bhuyisthuh om kshroum."

"Om salutations to Bhagavat Sri Hrisinha, Salutations to the fire of all fires! Manifest Thyself! Manifest thyself O thunder-nailed! O thunder-toothed! Burn up, burn up all desires! devour Tamas! Om Svaha!

Freedom from fear, freedom from fear be in us. Om! Kohraum!"

_Ketumala._

Pradyumna or Kamadeva presides over Ketumala in order to please Lakshmi Samvatsara (one year), the daughters of Samvatsara _viz:_ the nights and Sons of Samvatsara _viz:_ the days. The days and nights are 36,000 in number _i.e._ as many as are contained in the full term of a man's life (one hundred years). These days and nights are the lords of Ketumala Lakshmi with whom the dwellers of Ketumala adore Kamadeva.

(The mantra and prayer are then given.)

_Ramyaka._

Matsya (The Fish Incarnation) presides over Ramyaka. Manu is the King.

(Mantra and prayer follow)