the abode of persons who have achieved the merit of righteousness.  The bird Sumukha, the son of Suparna, beholding that all the birds on Meru were of golden plumage, reflected that he should leave that mountain inasmuch as there was no difference between the good, middling, and bad birds.  The foremost of luminaries, the sun, always circumambulates Meru, as also the moon with (his) attendant constellation, and the Wind-god too.  The mountain, O king, is endued with celestial fruits and flowers, and it is covered all over with mansions made of furnished gold.  There, on that mountain, O king, the celestials, the Gandharvas, the Asuras, and the Rakshasas, accompanied by the tribes of Apsaras, always sport.  There Brahman, and Rudra, and also Sakra the chief of the celestials, assembled together, performed diverse kinds of sacrifices with plentiful gifts.  Tumvuru, and Narada and Viswavasu, and the Hahas and the Huhus, repairing thither, adored the foremost of the celestials with diverse hymns.  The high-souled seven Rishis, and Kasyapa the lord of creatures, repair thither, blessed be thou, on every parva day.[40] Upon the summit of that mountain, Usanas, otherwise called the Poet, sporteth with the Daityas (his disciples).[41] The jewels and gems (that we see) and all the mountains abounding in precious stones are of Meru.  Therefrom a fourth part is enjoyed by the holy Kuvera.  Only a sixteenth part of that wealth he giveth unto men.  On the northern side of Meru is a delightful and excellent forest of Karnikaras, covered with the flowers of every season,[42] and occupying a range of hills.  There the illustrious Pasupati himself, the creator of all things, surrounded by his celestial attendants and accompanied by Uma, sporteth bearing a chain of Karnikara flowers (on his neck) reaching down to his feet, and blazing with radiance with his three eyes resembling three risen suns.  Him Siddhas truthful in speech, of excellent vows and austere ascetic penances, can behold.  Indeed, Maheswara is incapable of being seen by persons of wicked conduct.  From the summit of that mountain, like a stream of milk, O ruler of men, the sacred and auspicious Ganga, otherwise called Bhagirathi, adored by the most righteous, of universal form and immeasurable and issuing out with terrific noise, falleth with impetuous force on the delightful lake of Chandramas.[43] Indeed that sacred lake, like an ocean, hath been formed by Ganga herself. (While leaping from the mountains), Ganga, incapable of being supported by even the mountains, was held for a hundred thousand years by the bearer of Pinaka on his head.[44] On the western side of Meru, O king, is Ketumala.[45] And there also is Jamvukhanda.  Both are great seats of humanity, O king.[46] There, O Bharata, the measure of human life is ten thousand years.  The men are all of a golden complexion, and the women are like Apsaras.  And all the residents are without sickness, without sorrow, and always cheerful.  The men born there are of the effulgence of melted