gold.  On the summits of Gandhamadana, Kuvera the lord of the Guhyakas, with many Rakshasas and accompanied by tribes of Apsaras, passeth his time in joy.  Besides Gandhamadana there are many smaller mountains and hills.  The measure of human life there is eleven thousand years.  There, O king, the men are cheerful, and endued with great energy and great strength and the women are all of the complexion of the lotus and highly beautiful.  Beyond Nila is (the Varsha called) Sweta, beyond Sweta is (the Varsha called) Hiranyaka.  Beyond Hiranyaka is (the Varsha called) Airavata covered with provinces.  The last Varsha in the (extreme) north and Bharata’s Varsha in the (extreme) south are both, O king, of the form of a bow.  These five Varshas (viz., Sweta, Hiranyaka, Elavrita, Harivarsha, and Haimavat-varsha) are in the middle, of which Elavrita exists in the very middle of all.  Amongst these seven Varshas (the five already mentioned and Airavata and Bharata) that which is further north excels the one to its immediate south in respect of these attributes, viz., the period of life, stature, health, righteousness, pleasure, and profit.  In these Varshas, O Bharata, creatures (though of diverse species) yet, live together.  Thus, O king, is Earth covered with mountains.  The huge mountains of Hemakuta are otherwise called Kailasa.  There, O king, Vaisravana passeth his time in joy with his Guhyakas.  Immediately to the north of Kailasa and near the mountains of Mainaka there is a huge and beautiful mountain called Manimaya endued with golden summits.  Beside this mountain is a large, beautiful, crystal and delightful lake called Vindusaras with golden sands (on its beach).  There king Bhagiratha, beholding Ganga (since) called after his own name, resided for many years.  There may be seen innumerable sacrificial stakes made of gems, and Chaitya tree made of gold.  It was there that he of a thousand eyes and great fame won (ascetic) success by performing sacrifices.  There the Lord of all creatures, the eternal Creator of all the worlds, endued with supreme energy surrounded by his ghostly attendants, is adored.  There Nara and Narayana, Brahman, and Manu, and Sthanu as the fifth, are (ever present).  And there the celestial stream Ganga having three currents,[47] issuing out of the region of Brahman, first showed herself, and then dividing herself into seven streams, became Vaswokasara, Nalini, the sin-cleansing Saraswati, Jamvunadi, Sita, Ganga and Sindhu as the seventh.  The Supreme Lord hath (himself) made the arrangement with reference to that inconceivable and celestial stream.  It is there that[48] sacrifices have been performed (by gods and Rishis) on a thousand occasions after the end of the Yuga (when creation begins).  As regards the Saraswati, in some parts (of her course) she becometh visible and in some parts not so.  This celestial sevenfold Ganga is widely known over the three worlds.  Rakshasas reside on Himavat, Guhyakas on Hemakuta, and serpents and Nagas on Nishadha, and ascetics on Gokarna.  The Sweta mountains are said to be the abode of the celestial and the Asuras.  The Gandharvas always reside on Nishadhas, and the regenerate Rishis on Nila.  The mountains of Sringavat also are regarded as the resort of the celestials.