At the southern gate of the village, the horse-mounted troops surged forward, their numbers vast and impressive. All one hundred thousand of these horses belonged to King Makaranda, whose power was evident in such a grand display. Meanwhile, at the western gate, twenty thousand elephants assembled, their massive forms ready for battle. For additional protection, forty thousand great warriors rode camels, forming a formidable force. A fierce and hair-raising battle erupted, raging on without pause, day and night. Yet, despite the intensity of the conflict, the warriors abandoned the fight and fled in ten directions, overwhelmed by the chaos. In the midst of this, the god, seated in the chariot of desire, and Ahlada, mounted on an elephant, took their places. The noble ones, setting aside their swords, wrought a great slaughter among the enemy ranks. The powerful son of Agni rode a horse made of stone, a marvel in itself. Heroes led by Krishnaamsha surrounded all directions, holding the field. Devasiṃha, in a bold move, struck his own arrow against Tama, who sat on his lap. Yet, by the power of the stone horse, Devasiṃha did not fall into confusion. However, Shani's arrow rendered all the warriors unconscious in battle. The mighty Makaranda bound those who were arrogant in battle, subduing their pride. Seeing his heroes defeated, Rūpaṇa was seized by fear. Brahmananda, hearing of these events and accompanied by his army of a hundred thousand, acted swiftly. He composed a spotless letter and delivered it to the king, requesting, "Give your daughter, named Pushpavati, to Krishnaamsha." Upon hearing this, the foremost of kings, Mayuradhvaja, challenged Brahmananda, and a terrifying battle ensued between them, lasting a day and a night. Then, Brahmananda, mighty as ever, engaged in a fierce battle of arrows. At that time, Jayanta, son of Svarnavati and born of Shakra, also entered the fray. Sūta continued the tale, saying: Then King Parimala, powerful and dignified, performed an auspicious rite. He was joined by Pushpavati, who was skilled in song and dance. In the cold of winter, the hero engaged in secret sport, delighting in her company. He did not concern himself with worldly duties, being skilled in all forms of contact. The portion of Krishna spoke, asking, "Who were you in your previous birth?" Pushpavati replied, "O beloved, in my previous birth I was a king named Chandradāsa. Every day, I performed worship of the Shalagrama stone. When the day of death arrived, my mind was fixed upon Shalagrama. Vishnu, Lord of all and embodiment of time, was invoked by Kali." She continued, "Whenever there is a decline of righteousness, O beloved, in the Satya Yuga, mental worship brings satisfaction to the gods. In the Dvapara Yuga, image worship is most pleasing to the gods. I am the Swan in the Satya Yuga, the Person of Sacrifice in Treta; when Kali arrives, I am Shalagrama for the satisfaction of the gods." "O beloved," Krishna said, "all sages, deities, and hosts of ancestors are to be worshipped by the twice-born and the three castes with sandal and other offerings. Even foreigners, seeing it with humility and devotion, gain merit; merely by seeing it, their impurities are destroyed. Thus, O goddess, the supreme code of conduct for the ages has been told to you." Pushpavati then said, "I performed singing, dancing, and playing of instruments before the deity. By the power of that merit, I attained the heavenly world.