Tālana, filled with joy and accompanied by a fierce lioness, seized his iron club, ready for battle. Nearby, Āhlāda, astride a mighty elephant that trumpeted in five distinct tones, gripped his spear as his chosen weapon. Kṛṣṇāṃśa mounted upon Bindulā, his trusted steed, and took up an excellent sword. Another god, riding upon his wish-fulfilling vehicle, armed himself with the formidable Bhairava javelin. Lakṣaṇa, meanwhile, readied his bow and prepared the sacred Vaiṣṇava weapons once more. For the span of a yāma, these warriors clashed fiercely in battle, each joined by their own heroic allies. In the midst of this, Śāradānandana journeyed to the village of Dehalī. There, following custom, he gave away his daughter in marriage, bestowing upon her wealth and grain. As these events unfolded, the king himself arrived and addressed him, saying, “Ah, friend, great hero, what is your intention now?” Lakṣaṇa, however, had become associated with people of mixed castes and, lacking in dharma, was considered by the wise to be unfit for their company. Hearing of this, Padmākara—well-versed in all magical arts—took action. He confined Lakṣaṇa within his own house, imprisoning him in a stone chamber. Yet, by the boon of the goddess, Devasimha came to him at night. When the moon began to wax, all the companions gathered and spoke together, united once again. Padmākara, upon learning of this, performed the potent magic of Śambara. At that time, Indula fitted an excellent arrow to his bow, and all the mighty warriors were awakened by the force of the Kāma weapon. The enemy armies surged forth, destroying everything in their path. King Śāradānanda arrived at the scene, bowing respectfully before the assembled heroes. He offered them various kinds of food and splendid ornaments. His own daughter, devoted to preparing abundant rice, and Lakṣaṇa arrived at the house on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Māgha. Jayachandra, upon seeing Lakṣaṇa, was overcome with affection and, in his joy, bestowed further gifts: cows, garments, and ornaments. The Sūta then recounted how the king, through devotion and worship of Śaṅkara, had obtained a boon from the lord of kings. With seven lakhs of followers, he set out for the city called Śirīṣa. Meanwhile, Sukhakhāni, filled with rage, marched forth with an army one hundred thousand strong. Wielding a fiery weapon, the powerful one slew ten thousand foes. He declared, “Today I will kill you, or you shall slay me in battle.” Hearing this challenge, the king seized his bow and a fierce weapon. Sukhakhāni prepared a missile of fire to subdue the king, but once its task was done, the weapon returned to Śiva’s own quiver. Taking up his brother’s cause, the king struck down the enemy forces. Yet, seeing the might of his opponent’s army, the king was bewildered. At a distance of a krosha, he had twelve pits dug as traps. After conquering the heroes, he leapt across all twelve pits in a single bound. Hearing the king’s truthful and pleasing words, the great hero surveyed the pits and slew hundreds upon hundreds of warriors. Then Cāmuṇḍa arrived, equipped with a multitude of arrows, and struck down the mighty divisions and the great army of his adversary. Yet there was a thirteenth pit, cunningly hidden and covered with grass and earth. Into this pit, that hero—deluded by fate—fell, accompanied by a pigeon, thus ending his valiant charge.