When she reached the gate of the fortress and came near the great swing, O Bhārgava, her arrival did not go unnoticed. As she drew close, the powerful hero—a portion of Govardhana himself—caught sight of her lovely face and was utterly bewildered, overcome by her beauty. In his desire, he called out, "Come quickly to my house; become my wife now." But she, noble and steadfast, replied, "You are a great hero, born from the sacred fire-pit. The daughter of the king, descended from both the lunar and solar dynasties, is a suitable match for you. But I am a maiden, born of the Śūdra caste, firm in my vow of celibacy." Despite her words, the hero seized her by force, touching her heart and deluding the prince. Then, the god departed to his own abode. Meanwhile, Makaranda, awakened and tormented by the fire of love, found himself overcome with affection. In the beautiful city of Mahavati, within the auspicious house of Krishna, the maiden wept intensely, her heart full of reproach toward the one who had wronged her. It was foretold that a mighty hero would soon arrive, accompanied by a powerful army—the very one who had defeated Makaranda’s great-uncle Lahara, a formidable warrior. Hearing these ominous words, King Makaranda was deeply troubled. Determined to defend his honor, he summoned his own vast army of three hundred thousand soldiers, all well-armed with swords. Krishna, having reached the maiden’s house, spoke with the commander and, assembling an even greater force of five hundred thousand, set out for Mayura city. Among their ranks were five thousand catapults and ten thousand elephants. Their march took only half a week as they traveled through Pancala. When news of this great host reached him, Makaranda stood resolute, his mighty arm adorned with a mace. His foot soldiers, one hundred thousand strong, readied catapults and fire. At the southern gate of the village, horse-mounted troops advanced—one hundred thousand horses, all belonging to King Makaranda. At the western gate, twenty thousand elephants were stationed, while forty thousand camel-mounted warriors stood ready to protect the city. A fierce and hair-raising battle erupted, raging day and night. Yet, as the conflict wore on, the defenders abandoned the fight, fleeing in all directions. Amidst the chaos, the god rode in the chariot of desire, while Ahlada mounted a mighty elephant. The noble ones, casting aside their swords, wrought great slaughter among their enemies. The powerful son of Agni rode a horse made of stone, and the heroes, led by Krishnaamsha, surrounded the battlefield from all directions. Devasiṃha, in the thick of combat, struck his arrow upon Tama, who sat on his lap. Yet, by the mystical power of the stone horse, he remained free from confusion. But as the battle raged, Shani loosed his arrow, rendering all combatants unconscious. Still, the mighty Makaranda pressed on, binding those who had grown arrogant in battle. Witnessing the defeat of the heroes, Rūpaṇa was seized by fear. Brahmananda, upon hearing of these events, rallied his own army of one hundred thousand. He quickly composed a spotless letter and sent it to the king, declaring, "Give your daughter, Pushpavati, in marriage to Krishnaamsha." Upon receiving this message, Mayuradhvaja, the foremost of kings, entered the fray, engaging in a terrifying battle with Brahmananda that lasted a full day and night. Then, the mighty Brahmananda himself entered the field, and a great battle of arrows ensued.