All the stars that shine in the night sky are situated upon the great constellation known as Śiśumāra. This celestial form is to be understood in its many divisions and aspects, for it is not merely a collection of stars, but a cosmic being whose very structure embodies profound truths. At the highest point of this form is Yajña, the principle of sacrifice, which is regarded as supreme; upon its head is established Dharma itself, the foundation of righteousness. In the western thighs of Śiśumāra reside the deities Varuṇa and Aryaman. At the tail are found Agni, the god of fire, mighty Mahendra (Indra), the sage Marīca, the progenitor Kaśyapa, and Dhruva, the steadfast pole star. Around Dhruva are established the lunar mansions, the Moon, and all the planets, together with the countless hosts of stars. All these celestial bodies revolve around Dhruva, who is the pivot of the heavens. Among Agni, Indra, and Kaśyapa, Dhruva is honored as the last, the fixed point. He continually observes Meru, ever moving in a circle at its boundary, maintaining the cosmic order. As the sages listened, they sought to know more and asked further questions of Romaharṣaṇa, the learned Sūta. “How do the abodes of the gods exist?” they inquired. “How are the luminaries described?” Romaharṣaṇa, attentive to their words, replied with what the great and wise sages had spoken before. He explained that the abodes of the gods are remembered here as the Sun, the Moon, and the planets, each with their own divine, material, fiery, atmospheric, and earthly natures. In the beginning, all was unmanifest, covered by the darkness of night. Then, the self-born Lord, seeking to establish the order of the world, beheld fire at the dawn of creation, situated within earth and water. The wind that pervades this world, O King, is itself said to be a form of fire. There are also electric and aquatic forms of fire, whose characteristics Romaharṣaṇa began to describe. The sun, with its rays, drinks up the waters and shines resplendently in the sky. The fire that dwells in the stomachs of men is also sustained by water. Some brilliance is found in the waters, and some is seen in the clouds above. There is a fire that, when blown by the wind, shines brightly, while the fire within the stomach is said to be without luster. The radiance of the sun, as it sets, returns to the abode of the gods, and when the sun rises again, the fiery heat enters it anew. Thus, brightness and heat are the shared energies of the sun and fire. In the northern half of the earth, the sun is present, while fire abides in the southern half. Because of this, the waters become heated with the coming and going of day and night. At night, the waters again appear bright and shining. At sunrise and sunset, the waters always meet day and night. That which is mixed with earthly and fiery elements is called the pure celestial fire. It draws up water through a thousand channels that encircle the world. Both stationary and moving beings, and all the waters of streams and rivers, are part of this great cycle. Of these, four hundred channels pour forth water in various forms. All the rays of the sun, known as 'nectar,' are the causes of rain. There are visible clouds, southern clouds, lakes, and icy formations; there are also white and illusory clouds, cows, and the great supporter of all. The Lord divides the channels of nectar equally among humans, ancestors, and gods. In three ways, with this nectar, he satisfies all the gods, maintaining the harmony and sustenance of the universe.