Description of the Worlds

Sanatkumara said

The extent to which the rays of sun and moon spread and light things is known as the size of the earth, called Bhuloka. The solar disc is a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth and its measure is always thousands of yojanas. The earth's world is said to extend as far as the moon, which is a hundred thousand yojanas beyond the sun. Above the moon, with the nakshatras, is the whole circle of planets, each tens of thousands of yojanas beyond the one before: Budha, then Shukra, then Mars, then Brihaspati and then Shani. The circle of the seven sages is a hundred thousand yojanas above this, and Dhruva a hundred thousand yojanas above the sages. For all luminous bodies Dhruva is like the pivot of a wheel. Bhuvarloka and Svarloka are above Bhuloka but below Dhruva. Maharloka is a crore yojanas above Dhruva, where those destined to survive the end of a kalpa live, like Brahma's seven sons: Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana third, Kapila, Asuri, Vodhu and Panchashikha. Shukra stands two hundred thousand yojanas above this, and Soma's son two hundred thousand below. Sage, Mars is two hundred thousand above this, Jiva the guru two hundred thousand above, and Shani two hundred thousand above Jiva. These are said to be the seven planets, and they stay in their respective signs. There is a world eleven hundred thousand yojanas above the seven sages. From Dhruva's position the universe's extent is said to be a hundred thousand yojanas. Tapoloka is said to be eight hundred thousand yojanas from Janaloka, and the bodiless gods called Vairajas live there. Satyaloka is said to be forty-eight crore yojanas from Tapoloka, known as Brahma's world, where those of unsullied mind live, celibates with knowledge devoted to true dharma, and humans who go there from Bhuloka reside there too. In Bhuvarloka, sages who have gained siddhi remain in the form of gods. Gods, Adityas, Maruts, Vasus, Ashvins, Vishvadevas, Rudras, Sadhyas, nagas, birds and others live in Svarloka. The nine planets are beyond this, as are the sinless rishis. Kaleya, Sanatkumara told Vyasa, he had thus told in detail of the seven great worlds, the seven nether regions and the universe.

The wood-apple fruit has a top half and a bottom half, and likewise the universe is covered in every direction by the sheath of the cosmic egg, which is surrounded by a sheath of water ten times as large, then sheaths of fire, wind, space and darkness, and then by Mahat, twice as large as the elements. Purusha is established, surrounding Mahat and Pradhana. No number can be set on Ananta, the supreme self, who is called Ananta because he has no measure. Sage, this is the cause behind all causes and is beyond Prakriti. From the unmanifest, who has no birth, thousands and hundreds of thousands of such cosmic eggs emerge. As there is hidden fire in wood, hidden oil in sesame and hidden ghee in milk, so everything exists in the unknowable supreme self. This is the original seed from which everything emerges, and it is beyond the cosmic egg. From Mahat to all the differences, gods and the rest are like sons, as are the seeds of everything else. When a tree sprouts from a seed the original tree does not decay. Fire arises from the sunstone because of the sun, and so creation arises with Shiva, though he does not desire it. Gods and others result from the union of Shiva and Shakti and arise by their own karma. Shiva is called Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra, and everything that arises from him also dissolves into him. Shiva is described as the cause behind all action.

Vyasa said

Sanatkumara, omniscient one, please dispel a great doubt of mine. Sage, are there worlds beyond this universe?

Sanatkumara replied

Lord among sages, there are worlds beyond this universe; I will tell of them specifically but briefly. Vaikuntha is famous as the world beyond Brahma's, radiant and very resplendent, where Vishnu is established. Beyond it is the very wonderful world of Koumara, where the dazzling, radiant commander, Shambhu's son, lives. Beyond that is the very radiant, divine, supreme world of Uma, where Shivaa Shakti, mother of the three divinities, lives. She is Prakriti, greater than the greatest, with sattva, rajas and tamas, yet Devi herself is without attributes, and Shivaa's self has no transformations. Shiva's eternal world, it should be known, is above this, indestructible, greatly divine and always full of great brilliance, where Shambhu Maheshvara, the supreme brahman, shines. Relying on the three gunas he is progenitor and lord of all three divinities. There are no worlds above this, but Goloka is near it, where the mothers of cows, called Sushilas, loved by Shiva, live, tended by Shankara's command by the radiant protector named Krishna, who, though he acts by his own wishes, is established there by Shiva's powers. Vyasa, Shiva's world is extraordinary and needs no support, enchanting and radiant with many kinds of things, though it cannot be described in words. Shiva, crest jewel of all gods, presides there, the stainless supreme self, served by Vishnu, Brahma and Hara. Sanatkumara said he had thus told everything about the location of the universe and the worlds above it, and asked what else Vyasa wished to hear.