4 The moon, or Candraloka, is one of the four important

places of residence for the demigods. Beyond Man-
asa Lake is Sumeru Mountain. On the eastern side of this
mountain is the planet Devadhani, where Indra resides. On
the southern side is the planet known as Samyamani, where
Yamaraja resides. On the western side is the planet known as
Nimlocati, the residence of Vayu, the demigod who controls
the wind. And on the northern side of the mountain is the
moon, which is also known as Vibhavari.

All these various planets are within the universe in which our
planet is situated. Persons who are too materialistic always en-
gage in sense enjoyment. Such persons worship the material
demigods and goddesses to fulfill their material desires. They are
fond of performing many yajnas to propitiate the various de-
migods and the forefathers in heaven. Such persons are auto-
matically promoted to the moon, where they enjoy soma, a celes-
tial beverage.

The moon is too cold for the inhabitants of this earth, and
therefore ordinary persons who want to go there with earthly
bodies are attempting to do so in vain. Merely seeing the moon
from a distance of eighty thousand miles cannot enable one to
understand the real situation of the moon. One has to cross
Manasa Lake and then Sumeru Mountain, and only then can one
trace out the orbit of the moon. Besides that, no ordinary man is
allowed to enter that planet. Even those admitted there after death
must have performed the prescribed duties to satisfy the Pitas
and devas. Yet even they are sent back to earth after a fixed
duration of life on the moon.

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