In that moment of cosmic upheaval, the very elements themselves recoiled—the fires ceased to blaze, the sun withheld its light, and the planets shimmered not. Neither gods nor demons could illumine the darkness that had settled over the sacrificial arena. Suddenly, the blessed one, accompanied by the fierce hosts of Bhairava, swept into Daksha’s great sacrificial enclosure, a force akin to the fire of destruction itself. The noble Bhadra addressed Daksha, whose radiance was beyond measure, declaring, “By mere contact with Pinākin, O Daksha, you, the sages, and the gods—” “I have been sent to burn you and the lords of sages,” Bhadra proclaimed. With these words, the chief of the Gaṇas set the sacrificial hall ablaze. The enraged Gaṇas tore up the sacrificial posts and hurled them aside; even the chanters and priests were consumed by their fury. The Gaṇas seized all present and cast them into the rushing waters of the Ganges. The mighty Vīrabhadra seized Indra’s uplifted hand, restraining it fearlessly, and did the same to the other gods. With the tips of his fingers, he playfully plucked out Bhaga’s eyes, and with a mighty fist, he knocked out Pūṣan’s teeth. Using his big toe, he brought down Chandra, the moon god, in the midst of battle. Vīrabhadra, resplendent and powerful, began to grind and then severed Indra’s head with his sword. He cut off both hands of Agni and tore out his tongue, striking him on the head with his foot. The blessed Lord himself broke Yama’s staff and struck down the mighty Īśāna with his trident. Without effort, Vīrabhadra slew thirty-three gods, then three hundred more, and three thousand, all with ease. He also struck down three of the lords of gods, the chief sages, and other gods who had assembled for battle. The blessed Rudra struck down his foes with swords, fists, and arrows, until the mighty Viṣṇu, enraged, raised his discus. Mādhava, the blessed one, fought fiercely with Rudra, and between them arose a most terrible, hair-raising battle. By the power of his yoga, Viṣṇu manifested countless fierce divine forms, each bearing conch, discus, and mace, shining with the brilliance of Nārāyaṇa. The god struck Viṣṇu on the head with his mace and again on the chest in the heat of battle. At that moment, the supreme person fell unconscious to the ground, but rose again, lifting his discus to slay his opponent. With eyes reddened by anger, the illustrious bull among men stood firm, his fierce discus shining like the sun at the end of time. Yet the undaunted one blocked the discus; it did not move, leaving him immobilized like a mountain peak. Then the lord’s bow, Śārṅga, was shattered in three places, and by the force at its tip, the lord’s head was severed. The head fell to the netherworld, driven by the wind and the power of Pinākin, the bringer of life. At that time, it entered the sacrificial fire, which now lay in ruins—its altar destroyed, its posts broken, and its gateway fallen. Seeing the great hall ablaze, even the sacrifice itself fled, taking the form of a deer and leaping toward the sky. Vīrabhadra seized it, rendering it headless, and then struck down Prajāpati Dharma and Kaśyapa, the teacher of the world. The mighty hero struck Ariṣṭanemi, lord of many sons, the sage Aṅgiras, and Kṛṣṇāśva as well. He struck the renowned Dakṣa on the head with his foot, severed his head, and the best of twice-born ones burned it in the fire. Vīrabhadra also cut off the tip of Sarasvatī’s nose and that of the mother of the gods, using the tip of his finger. Surrounded by splendor, Vīrabhadra stood amidst the cremation ground, just as Bhava does. At that very moment, the blessed one born from the lotus—Brahmā—appeared. Bowing and praying, Brahmā spoke words of peace: “Enough of anger, O Bhadra; even the gods have been destroyed. Be gracious, let all be forgiven, together with those born of hair, O steadfast one.” At Brahmā’s request, Bhadra’s wrath was calmed by the supreme lord’s power. Gradually, peace returned. The Lord Vṛṣadhvaja stood calmly in the sky, obeying the divine command. Śarva, the giver of all, the great Lord of all worlds, accompanied by his attendants, was earnestly entreated by Brahmā. At that time, the great Lord restored the bodies of those who had been slain, including the head of Indra and that of the great-souled Viṣṇu. He likewise restored Dakṣa, the foremost sage, and others, as well as the tip of the nose to Vāgīśī and to the mother of the gods. Life was granted to those who had perished, along with various boons. To Dakṣa, whose face had been destroyed, the blessed Lord bestowed a new head. By his playful power, Bhava fashioned a face for Dakṣa; Dakṣa, regaining consciousness, rose up with joined palms and praised Śaṅkara, Lord of the gods, the Bull-bannered one. Thus praised, the mighty Lord granted various boons, bestowing upon Dakṣa, whose actions were pure, the lordship of the Gaṇas. All the gods joined in praise of the supreme Lord of gods.