III. In the genealogy of the Kings and the geography of their dominions, the Varshas (countries) and Dvîpas are all regarded as terrestrial regions. Now, the truth is that, without entering into too minute details, it is permissible and easy to show that: (_a_) The Seven Dvîpas apportioned to Priyavrata’s septenary progeny refer to several localities—first of all to our Planetary Chain. In this Jambu‐ dvîpa alone represents our Globe, while the six others are the (to us) invisible companion Globes of the Chain. This is shown by the very nature of the allegorical and symbolic descriptions. Jambu‐dvîpa “is _in the centre of all_ these”—the so‐called “Insular Continents”—and is surrounded by a _sea of salt water_ (Lavana), whereas Plaksha, Shâlmalia, Kusha, Krauncha, Shâka, and Pushkara, are surrounded severally “by great seas ... of sugar‐cane juice, of wine, of clarified butter, of curds, of milk,” etc., and such like metaphorical names.(718) (_b_) Bhâskara Âchârya, who uses expressions from the books of the Secret Doctrine, in his description of the sidereal position of all these Dvîpas, speaks of: “the sea of milk and the sea of curds,” etc., as meaning the Milky Way, and the various congeries of Nebulæ; the more so, since he calls “the country to the south of the equator” Bhûr Loka, that to the north Bhuva, Svar, Mahar, Jana, Tapo and Satya Lokas; and adds: “These lokas are gradually attained by increasing religious merits,” _i.e._, they are various “Paradises.”(719) (_c_) That this geographical distribution of seven allegorical continents, islands, mountains, seas and countries, does not belong only to _our_ Round, or even to _our_ Races—the name of Bhârata‐varsha (India) notwithstanding—is explained in the texts themselves by the narrator of _Vishnu Purâna_, who tells us that: Bharata [the son of Nâbhi, who gave his name to Bhârata‐varsha or India] ... consigned the kingdom to his son Sumati ... and abandoned his life at ... Shâlagrâma. He was afterwards born again, as a Brahman, in a distinguished family of ascetics.... Under these princes [Bharata’s descendants] Bhârata‐varsha was divided into nine portions; and their descendants successively held possession of the country for seventy‐one periods of the aggregate of the four ages (or for the reign of a Manu) [representing a Mahâyuga of 4,320,000 years].(720) But having said so much, Parâshara suddenly explains that: This was the creation of Svâyambhuva (Manu), by which the earth was peopled when he presided over the _first_ Manvantara, in the Kalpa of Varâha [_i.e._, the _Boar_ incarnation, or Avatâra].