As the fierce battle raged on, the mighty hero Cāmuṇḍa, commander of an army one hundred thousand strong, appeared upon the field. The clash between him and his opponent was intense, both warriors skilled in the use of missile-launchers, their weapons filling the air with deadly force. Suddenly, the formidable Raktabīja, swift and powerful, entered the fray, mounted upon a grand elephant. The conflict grew even more violent as warriors fell—some slain, others routed in defeat. Witnessing his own forces being shattered, Tālana, brandishing a heavy mace, struck at Raktabīja’s elephant, causing Cāmuṇḍa to tumble to the ground. Yet Cāmuṇḍa, undaunted and expert in sword-fighting, rose to confront Tālana, who stood ready with his massive weapon. At that moment, Lakṣaṇa, swift to act, released an arrow that struck their enemy. Now, a thousand warriors loyal to Raktabīja, armed with swords, spears, and javelins, surged forward. Though they entered the battle joyfully, their hearts soon filled with fear at the very presence of Raktabīja. Observing their distress, Brahmānanda hurried to his father for counsel. Upon hearing what had transpired, King Parimala was overcome with love and emotion, his voice trembling as he spoke. Queen Devakī, filled with affection, addressed the king, lamenting, “Having been abandoned by you, we wander to another king.” Hearing her words, the king was overwhelmed with supreme joy and immediately ordered his own army of a hundred thousand to be assembled. After five days, the king of the earth himself arrived, and between the two sides a great and terrible battle erupted, lasting an entire month. When dawn broke and the sky was clear, Krishnaamsha, leading his hundred-thousand-strong army, swept into battle and, with great might, severed the heads of the Chamuṇḍas, each one separately. Yet, to his astonishment, as soon as their heads were cut off, all one hundred thousand warriors sprang back to life. Struck with amazement and fear at this miraculous sight, Krishnaamsha exclaimed, “This universe, pervaded by you, is nothing but continuous sound! O you who have assumed the form of Chamuṇḍā for the destruction of Raktabīja!” Hearing this hymn of praise, the goddess—granter of boons and accomplisher of all—was pleased. When the hundred-thousand-fold enemy was at last reduced to ashes, Chamuṇḍa descended to earth. The king of the earth, hearing of this, came forth in fear and humbly pleaded, “Forgive my wrongdoing.” Because of these words, great fear arose, and the king said, “You are related to me, and we are indeed your servants.” To this, Parimala replied, “Go for refuge to the compassionate devotee of Vishnu, who is the giver of shelter.” The king of the earth, taking these words to heart, assumed the form of a twice-born and acted accordingly. Then Lakṣaṇa, the hero, showed his affection toward the king. When the month of Phālguna arrived, all returned to their own homes. Balakhāna, overwhelmed by recent events, journeyed to Gayā to perform the ancestral rites, feeding a thousand Brahmins devoted to the Vedas. In the auspicious month of Kārtika, on a Monday under the conjunction of Kṛttikā and Vyatipāta, Krishnaamsha, with his hundred-thousand-strong army and accompanied by Svarṇavatī, journeyed to the sacred Utpalāraṇya, a holy grove served by the sage Vālmīki. There, pure in heart, he arrived with Puṣpavatī. Meanwhile, those born of the mleccha race also made their appearance. In that sacred place, she beheld the supremely beautiful and supreme person, a portion of Krishna himself. Overcome, she fell unconscious, and Krishna’s portion, the enchanter of all, gazed upon her with compassion. Amidst these events, a question arose: “By whom were the eighteen Purāṇas spoken, and what is their fruit?” Hearing this delightful inquiry, those learned and skilled in the scriptures responded: “The Purāṇa composed by Parāśara is dedicated to Viṣṇu as its deity. The Bhāgavata was spoken by Śuka; the Brahma Purāṇa was made by Brahmā. And there are the Matsya, Kūrma, Narasiṃha, Vāmana, and also Śiva Purāṇas…” Thus, the wisdom of the ancient texts was recounted, even as the story of the great battle and its aftermath continued to unfold.