3. The nymph replied:—It is meet, O _muni_, that you greet me thus; that repair to you with a grieving heart, and will lay my case confidently before you for your kind advice to me. 4. There is in a corner of the cell of the great vault of vacuity, that this worldly dwelling of yours is situated. 5. This dwelling house of the world has three apartments in it, namely the earth, heaven, and the infernal regions; wherein the great architect (Brahmá) hath placed a dame by name of fancy, as a mistress of this dwelling. 6. Here is the sombre surface of the earth, appearing as the store-house of the world; and beset with numerous islands surrounded by oceans and seas. (The earth is said to be the mother and supporter of all worlds). 7. The earth stretches on all sides, with many islands in the midst of its seas and with many a mine of gold underneath, and extending to ten thousand _yojans_ in its length. 8. It is bright and visible itself, and is as fair as the vault of heaven; it supplies us with all the objects of our desire, and vies with the starry heaven by the lustre of its gems. 9. It is the pleasure and promenading ground of gods, siddha spirits and apsara nymphs; it abounds with all objects of desire, and fraught with all things of our enjoyment. 10. It has at its two ends the two polar mountains, called the lokáloka ranges (for having one side of them always brightened by the sunlight, and the other ever darkened by the sunly night). The two polar circles resembling the two belts at both extremities of the earth. 11. One side of the polar mountains, is ever covered by darkness, like the minds of ignorant people; and the other side shines with eternal light, like the enlightened souls of the wise. 12. One side of these is as delightsome, as society with the good and wise; while the opposite side is as dark and dolesome, as company with the ignorant and vile. 13. On one side all things were as clear as the minds of intelligent men, and on the other, there was as impervious a gloom as it hangs over the minds of unlettered Bráhmanas. 14. On one part there was neither the sunshine nor the moon light to be had; and as one side presented the habitable world before it, so the other showed the vast void and waste beyond the limits of nature. 15. One side of these teemed with the cities of gods, and the other with those of demons; and as the one side lifted its lofty summits on high, so the other bent below towards the infernal regions. 16. Some where the vultures were hovering over the craters and at others the lands appeared charming to sight; while the mountain peaks appeared to touch the celestial city of Brahmá on high. (The city of Brahma loka, is situated in the highest heaven). 17. Some where there appears a dismal and dreary desert forest, with loud blasts of death hovering over them; and at others there are flower gardens and groves, with the nymphs of heaven, sitting and singing in them.