7. Vasishtha replied:—Attend Ráma! to the interesting narrative of Bali, and your attentive hearing of it, will give you the knowledge of the endless and everlasting truth and immutable verities.
8. There is in the womb of this earth, and in some particular part of it, a place called the infernal region, which is situated below this earth. (The Infra or Pátála means the antipodes and is full of water).
9. It is peopled by the milk white Naiades or marine goddesses, born in the milky ocean-sweet water, and of the race of demons, who filled every gap and chasm of it with their progeny. (The subterranean cells, were peopled by the earth-born Titans).
10. In some places it was peopled by huge serpents, with a hundred and thousand heads; which hissed loudly with their parted and forky tongues, and their long projected fangs.
11. In other places there were the mountainous bodies of demons, walking in their lofty strides, and seeming to fling above the balls of the worlds as their bonbons, in order to devour them.
12. In another place there were big elephants, upholding the earth on their elevated probosces, and supporting the islands upon their strong and projected tusks. (These elephants were of the antediluvian world, whose fossiled remains are found under the ground).
13. There were ghosts and devils in other places, making hideous shrieks and noise; and there were groups of hellish bodies, and putrid carcasses of ghostly shapes.
14. The depth of the nether world concealed in its darksome womb, rich mines of gems and metals, lying under the surface of the earth, and reaching to the seventh layer of pátála or infernal regions.
15. Another part of this place, was sanctified by the dust of the lotus-like feet of the divine Kapila (Siva or Pluto); who was adored by the gods and demigods, by prostration of their exalted heads at his holy feet.
16. Another part of it was presided by the god Siva, in his form of a golden phallus (linga); which was worshipped by the ladies of the demons, with abundant offerings and merry revelries. (Siva or Pluto—the infernal god was fond of Bacchanals and revels).