Chapter 110

“Garuda said, ‘This quarter is the favourite one of king Varuna, theruler of the ocean. Indeed, the lord of the waters had his origin here,and it is hither that sovereignty lieth. And since it is here thattowards the day’s end (paschat) the sun dismisseth his rays that thisquarter, O best of the twice-born ones, is called the west (paschima).For ruling over all aquatic creatures and for the protection of the waterthemselves, illustrious and divine Kasyapa installed Varuna here (as theking of this region). Quaffing all the six juices of Varuna, the moon,the dispeller of darkness, becometh young again in the beginning of thefortnight. It was in the quarter, O Brahmana, that the Daityas wererouted and bound fast by the wind-god. And afflicted by a mighty tempest,and breathing hard (as they fled), they at last laid themselves down inthis region to sleep (the sleep that knows no waking). Hither is thatmountain called Asta which is the cause of the evening twilight, andwhich (daily) receiveth the sun lovingly turning towards it. It is fromthis quarter that both Night and Sleep, issuing out at the close of day,spread themselves, as if, for robbing all living creatures of half theirallotted periods of life. It was here that Sakra, beholding (hisstepmother) the goddess Diti lying asleep in a state of pregnancy, cutoff the foetus (into forty-nine parts), whence sprang the (forty-nine)Maruts. It is towards this direction that the roots of Himavat stretchtowards the eternal Mandara (sunk in the ocean). By journeying for even athousand years one cannot attain to the end of those roots. It is in thisregion that Surabhi (the mother of cows), repairing to the shores of theextensive lake, adorned with golden lotuses, poureth forth her milk. Herein the midst of the ocean is seen the headless trunk of the illustriousSwarbhanu (Rahu) who is always bent upon devouring both sun and the moon.Here is heard the loud chanting of the Vedas by Suvarnasiras, who isinvincible and of immeasurable energy, and whose hair is eternally green.It is in this region that the daughter of Muni Harimedhas remainedtransfixed in the welkin in consequence of Surya’s injunction couched inthe words–Stop, Stop. Here, O Galava, wind, and fire, and earth, andwater, are all free, both day and night, from their painful sensations.It is from this region that the sun’s course begins to deviate from thestraight path, and it is in this direction that all the luminous bodies(the constellations) enter the solar sphere. And having moved fortwenty-eight nights with the sun, they come out of the sun’s course tomove in accompaniment with the moon. It is in this region that the riverswhich always feed the ocean have their sources. Here, in the abode ofVaruna, are the waters of the three worlds. In this region is situate theabode of Anarta, the prince of snakes. And here is the unrivalled abodealso of Vishnu, who is without beginning and without end. In this regionis also situate the abode of the great Rishi Kasyapa, the son of Maricha.The western quarter is thus narrated to thee in course of telling thee ofthe different points. Tell me now, O Galava, towards which side, O bestof regenerate persons, shall we go?'”