Chapter 9

‘Narada said–O Yudhishthira, the celestial Sabha of Varuna isunparalleled in splendour. In dimensions it is similar to that of Yama.Its walls and arches are all of pure white. It hath been built byViswakarma (the celestial architect) within the waters.

It is surroundedon all sides by many celestial trees made of gems and jewels and yieldingexcellent fruits and flowers. And many plants with their weight ofblossoms, blue and yellow, and black and darkish, and white and red, thatstand there, or excellent bowers around. Within those bowers hundreds andthousands of birds of diverse species, beautiful and variegated, alwayspour forth their melodies. The atmosphere of that mansion is extremelydelightful, neither cold nor hot. Owned by Varuna, that delightfulassembly house of pure white consists of many rooms and is furnished withmany seats. There sitteth Varuna attired in celestial robe, decked incelestial ornaments and jewels, with his queen, adorned with celestialscents and besmeared with paste of celestial fragrance. The Adityas waitupon and worship the illustrious Varuna, the lord of the waters. AndVasuki and Takshaka, and the Naga called Airavana; Krishna and Lohita;Padma and Chitra endued with great energy; the Nagas called Kamvala andAswatara; and Dhritarashtra and Valahaka; Matimat and Kundadhara andKarkotaka and Dhananjaya; Panimat and the mighty Kundaka, O lord of theEarth; and Prahlada and Mushikada, and Janamejaya,–all having auspiciousmarks and mandalas and extended hoods;–these and many other snakes. OYudhishthira, without anxiety of any kind, wait upon and worship theillustrious Varuna. And, O king, Vali the son of Virochana, and Narakathe subjugator of the whole Earth; Sanghraha and Viprachitti, and thoseDanavas called Kalakanja; and Suhanu and Durmukha and Sankha and Sumanasand also Sumati; and Ghatodara, and Mahaparswa, and Karthana and alsoPithara and Viswarupa, Swarupa and Virupa, Mahasiras; and Dasagriva,Vali, and Meghavasas and Dasavara; Tittiva, and Vitabhuta, and Sanghrada,and Indratapana–these Daityas and Danavas, all bedecked with ear-ringsand floral wreaths and crowns, and attired in the celestial robes, allblessed with boons and possessed of great bravery, and enjoyingimmortality, and all well of conduct and of excellent vows, wait upon andworship in that mansion the illustrious Varuna, the deity bearing thenoose as his weapon. And, O king, there are also the four oceans, theriver Bhagirathee, the Kalindi, the Vidisa, the Venwa, the Narmada ofrapid current; the Vipasa, the Satadu, the Chandrabhaga, the Saraswati;the Iravati, the Vitasta, the Sindhu, the Devanadi; the Godavari, theKrishnavenwa and that queen of rivers the Kaveri; the Kimpuna, theVisalya and the river Vaitarani also; the Tritiya, the Jeshthila, and thegreat Sone (Soane); the Charmanwati and the great river Parnasa; theSarayu, the Varavatya, and that queen of rivers the Langali, theKaratoya, the Atreyi, the red Mahanada, the Laghanti, the Gomati, theSandhya, and also the Trisrotasi–these and other rivers which are allsacred and are world-renowned places of pilgrimage, as also other riversand sacred waters and lakes and wells and springs, and tanks, large orsmall, in their personified form, O Bharata, wait upon and worship thelord Varuna. The points of the heavens, the Earth, and all the Mountains,as also every species of aquatic animals, all worship Varuna there. Andvarious tribes of Gandharvas and Apsaras, devoted to music, both vocaland instrumental, wait upon Varuna, singing eulogistic hymns unto him.And all those mountains that are noted for being both delightful and richin jewels, wait (in their personified forms) in that Sabha, enjoyingsweet converse with one another. And the chief minister of Varuna,Sunabha by name, surrounded by his sons and grandsons, also attend uponhis master, along with (the personified form) of a sacred water calledgo. These all, in their personified forms, worship the deity. O bull ofthe Bharata race, such is the assembly room of Varuna seen by me before,in the course of my wanderings. Listen now to the account I give of theassembly room of Kuvera.'”