22. We were received into the embrace of our father, and favoured with the presence of his goddess Alumbusha; they looked on us with kindness, and allowed us to remain near them with our self restricted conduct. 23. Chanda said:--O my darlings! Have ye obtained your release from weaving the web of your desires? You are then set free from the snare of this world, which binds fast all beings in it. 24. If not so, then I will pray unto this goddess of mine, who is always propitious to her devotees, to confer on you the blessing of consummate knowledge (which alone can save you from all worldly evils). 25. The crows replied--O sir! we have known whatever is knowable, by the good grace of the Goddess Brahmá, it is only a good solitary place, which we now seek for the sake of undisturbed meditation. 26. Chanda returned--I will point it out to you, in the high mountain of Meru in the polar region; which is the seat of all the celestials, and the great receptacle of all the treasures and gems on earth. 27. This mountain stands as the lofty pillar of gold, in the midst of the great dome of the universe; it is lightet by the luminous orbs of the sun and moon as its two lamps, and is the residence of all kinds of animals. 28. This lofty mountain stands as the lifted arm of this orb of the earth, with its gemming peaks and pinnacles resembling its fingers and their jewels, and having the moonbeam, as a golden canopy raised over its head, and the sounding main girding the islands for its bracelets. 29. The mount Meru is situated in the midst of the Jambudwípa (Asia) as its sole monarch, and is beset by the boundary mountains as its chieftains on all sides. With its two eye balls of the rolling sun and moon, it glances over the surrounding hillocks, as the king seated in the centre, looks on the courtiers sitting all about him. 30. The clusters of stars in the sky, hangs as wreaths of málati flowers around his neck, and the bright moon that leads the train of stars, forms the crowning jewels over his head, the firmament on the ten sides girds him as his vest, and the nágas of both kinds (_i.e._ the elephants and serpents) are warders at his gates. 31. The nymphs of heaven are employed in fanning him with the breeze from all quarters, and flapping over him their _chouries_ of the passing clouds, with their hands decorated with the variegated hues of heaven as their ornaments. 32. His huge body stretched over many leagues, and his feet are rooted fast many fathoms underneath the earth; where they are worshipped by the nágas, Asuras and large serpents. (That dwell at the foot of the mount, while the races of gods are situated on its top). 33. It has thousands of ridges and steeps, craigs and cliffs, below its two eyes of sun and moon; and these are lauded as celestial regions by the Gods, gandharvas and kinnaras that inhabit in them.