"Narada said--'O Yudhishthira, the celestial Sabha of Varuna is
unparalleled in splendour. In dimensions it is similar to that of Yama.
Its walls and arches are all of pure white. It hath been built by
Viswakarma (the celestial architect) within the waters. It is
surrounded on all sides by many celestial trees made of gems and jewels
and yielding excellent fruits and flowers. And many plants with their
weight of blossoms, blue and yellow, and black and darkish, and white
and red, that stand there, or excellent bowers around. Within those
bowers hundreds and thousands of birds of diverse species, beautiful
and variegated, always pour forth their melodies. The atmosphere of
that mansion is extremely delightful, neither cold nor hot. Owned by
Varuna, that delightful assembly house of pure white consists of many
rooms and is furnished with many seats. There sitteth Varuna attired in
celestial robe, decked in celestial ornaments and jewels, with his
queen, adorned with celestial scents and besmeared with paste of
celestial fragrance. The Adityas wait upon and worship the illustrious
Varuna, the lord of the waters. And Vasuki and Takshaka, and the Naga
called Airavana; Krishna and Lohita; Padma and Chitra endued with great
energy; the Nagas called Kamvala and Aswatara; and Dhritarashtra and
Valahaka; Matimat and Kundadhara and Karkotaka and Dhananjaya; Panimat
and the mighty Kundaka, O lord of the Earth; and Prahlada and
Mushikada, and Janamejaya,--all having auspicious marks and mandalas
and extended hoods;--these and many other snakes, O Yudhishthira,
without anxiety of any kind, wait upon and worship the illustrious
Varuna. And, O king, Vali the son of Virochana, and Naraka the
subjugator of the whole Earth; Sanghraha and Viprachitti, and those
Danavas called Kalakanja; and Suhanu and Durmukha and Sankha and
Sumanas and also Sumati; and Ghatodara, and Mahaparswa, and Karthana
and also Pithara 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-rings and floral wreaths and crowns, and attired in the
celestial robes, all blessed with boons and possessed of great bravery,
and enjoying immortality, and all well of conduct and of excellent
vows, wait upon and worship in that mansion the illustrious Varuna, the
deity bearing the noose as his weapon. And, O king, there are also the
four oceans, the river Bhagirathee, the Kalindi, the Vidisa, the Venwa,
the Narmada of rapid current; the Vipasa, the Satadu, the Chandrabhaga,
the Saraswati; the Iravati, the Vitasta, the Sindhu, the Devanadi; the
Godavari, the Krishnavenwa and that queen of rivers the Kaveri; the
Kimpuna, the Visalya and the river Vaitarani also; the Tritiya, the
Jeshthila, and the great Sone (Soane); the Charmanwati and the great
river Parnasa; the Sarayu, the Varavatya, and that queen of rivers the
Langali, the Karatoya, the Atreyi, the red Mahanada, the Laghanti, the
Gomati, the Sandhya, and also the Trisrotasi--these and other rivers
which are all sacred and are world-renowned places of pilgrimage, as
also other rivers and sacred waters and lakes and wells and springs,
and tanks, large or small, in their personified form, O Bharata, wait
upon and worship the lord Varuna. The points of the heavens, the Earth,
and all the Mountains, as also every species of aquatic animals, all
worship Varuna there. And various tribes of Gandharvas and Apsaras,
devoted to music, both vocal and instrumental, wait upon Varuna,
singing eulogistic hymns unto him. And all those mountains that are
noted for being both delightful and rich in jewels, wait (in their
personified forms) in that Sabha, enjoying sweet converse with one
another. And the chief minister of Varuna, Sunabha by name, surrounded
by his sons and grandsons, also attend upon his master, along with (the
personified form) of a sacred water called go. These all, in their
personified forms, worship the deity. O bull of the 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 the assembly room of
Kuvera.'