Of the nine Varshas,âgavataPurâ Bhârata is the field of Karma (I must now once for all remind my readers that Bhârata when mentioned as a Varsha means Nâbhi Varsha, the whole of this visible earth from the highest point of the Himalayas downwards). The other Varshas are places of fruition of the merits of those that go to Svarga. Hence they are called terrestrial (Bhouma) Svargas.
a. Divya viz. Svarga proper or Swar Loka. b. Bhouma or terrestrial and c. Bila or Pâtâlic.
_Ilâvrita._ -- The dwellers of this Varsha live for ten thousand years of human measure. They are like Devas. They have the vitality of ten thousand elephants. Their body is strong like the thunderbolt They enjoy with women all their lives and only one year before death do the women bear children. They always live as it were in Treta Yuga.
Nârâyana -- the Mahâ Purusha pervades all the Varshas for their good, in different forms of His Chatur Vyûha (Vâsudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Anirudha).
In Ilâvrita, Bhava or Siva is the only male. Other males do not enter that Varsha, for they know the curse of Bhâvanî (Durgâ) that whoever should enter the Varsha was to become a female.
Bhava is adored by millions of women. He meditates on the fourth, the Tâmasa Mûrti of Mahâpurusha _viz._ Shankarshana. He recites the following mantra and runs about: --
"Om Namo Bhâgavate Mahâ Purushâya Sarva-guna Sankhâynâya Anantâya Avyaktâya Namaha."
"Om, Salutations to Bhagavat Mahâ Purusha, salutations to the manifester of all Gunas, the Endless, the Unmanifested."
Then follows a prayer to Sankarshana for which readers are referred to the original _Bhadtâsva_.
Bhadrasravas is the lord of Bhadrâsva. He and his followers dwell there, they meditate on the Hayasirsha aspect of Vâsudeva, they recite the following mantra and run about.
"Om Namo Bhâgavate Dharmâya Âtmâ-visodhanâya namah."
"Om salutations to Bhagavat Dharma; salutations to him who purifies the soul."
Then follows a prayer to Hayagrîva _Harivarsha_.
The renowned saintly Daitya Prahlâda with the dwellers of this Varsha adore Him and recite the following mantra.
"Om Namo Bhagavate Srî Nara Sinhâya Namastejastejase Âvirâvir bhava vajranakha vajra-danstra Karmâ-Sayân randhaya randhaya tamo grasa om Svâhâ Abhayam Abhoyam Âtmani bhûyisthûh om kshroum."