The chariot of the son of Soma shone with a radiant brilliance, crafted from pure light and gleaming in dazzling white. Bhārgava’s own chariot, too, was resplendent, its luster rivaling the very Sun in its brilliance. The horses that drew these divine chariots were of many hues—white, tawny, spotted, dark blue, yellow, and bright red—ten in all, noble, mighty, and swift as the wind. Among them were unattached, red horses, all-pervading and born of fire, their speed and energy unmatched. Then came the wise Brhaspati, the divine teacher of the Angiras lineage, who rode upon a chariot drawn by eight celestial horses, swift and born of water. Shani, too, journeyed across the heavens, his powerful steeds born from the sky itself. Svarbhanu’s chariot followed, pulled by eight black horses, swift as thought. In due course, Rahu, emerging from among the Adityas, approached the Moon at the crucial junctions, while Ketu’s chariot was borne by eight swift horses as well. In this way, the vehicles and chariots of the planets were described, each radiant and blazing as they revolved in their ordained courses. The Moon, Sun, and planets all journeyed across the sky, bound to their celestial path. Just as a boat glides through water unhindered, so too did these hosts of gods move unseen in the sky, serpent-like in their motion. All were tethered to the steadfast Pole Star, causing others to revolve as they circled it. Thus, all the luminaries moved, held fast by the force of the cosmic wind. Because the wind carries these shining bodies, it is known by that very name. This cosmic arrangement is to be understood as the constellation-form known as Śiśumāra, with the Pole Star fixed in the heavens as its heart. All the stars are situated upon the grand form of Śiśumāra, which is to be comprehended in its various divisions. Yajña, the sacred sacrifice, is known as the highest, and Dharma, the foundation of righteousness, is established upon its head. At the western thighs of Śiśumāra are Varuṇa and Aryaman. At the tail reside Agni, Mahendra, Marīca, Kaśyapa, and Dhruva. The lunar mansions, the Moon, the planets, and the hosts of stars are all established by Dhruva, and they revolve around him. Among Agni, Indra, and Kaśyapa, Dhruva stands as the last, ever observing Mount Meru, moving in a perpetual circle at its boundary. Then, the sages, eager for deeper understanding, questioned Romaharṣaṇa further: “How do the abodes of the gods exist? How are the luminaries described?” Hearing their words, the attentive Sūta replied. He spoke of what the great sages, endowed with knowledge and wisdom, had revealed. The abodes of the gods, he explained, are remembered here as the Sun, Moon, and planets, each of a divine, material, fiery, atmospheric, or earthly nature. In the beginning, all this was unmanifest, veiled by the darkness of night. Then, the self-born Lord, in order to establish the world’s order, beheld fire at the dawn of creation, situated within earth and water. The wind that pervades this world, O King, is also said to be fire in another form. There exist electric and aquatic forms as well, and now their characteristics would be described. Thus, the cosmic order, the chariots of the gods, and the mysteries of the heavens were revealed, as spoken by the wise and preserved through tradition.