Then the sage Dadhīci, filled with great satisfaction, addressed the assembled gods, saying, “Today, O gods, I shall do what is for your welfare—or else I shall relinquish my own body.” Having spoken these words, Dadhīci, who was foremost among men, immediately gave up his life. The gods, together with Indra, took up his bones for the purpose they had in mind. Their forms radiant with joy, the gods approached Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine artisan, seeking victory. They humbly presented their request, and Tvaṣṭṛ, delighted by their words, set about his work with great care. From the bones of Dadhīci, he fashioned a thunderbolt of immense and terrible power. Pleased, Tvaṣṭṛ declared, “With this supreme weapon, O god, destroy today the dreadful enemy of the gods. When you have slain the foe and his army, rule happily over all of heaven, O Indra.” Thus addressed, Purandara—Indra—accepted the thunderbolt with joy and devotion. Armed with the mighty thunderbolt and honored by the gods, Indra advanced toward Vṛtra, who stood blocking both heaven and earth. Vṛtra was surrounded on all sides by the formidable Kālakeyas, whose massive bodies and horned forms towered like mountains, and who were armed for battle. A tremendous battle then erupted between the gods and the demons, shaking the worlds with terror for a moment. Swords were raised and hurled by heroic arms, and a tumultuous clamor arose as bodies fell to the ground. Heads dropped from the sky onto the earth, covering the ground so thickly they resembled groves of palm trees. The Kālakeyas, clad in golden armor and wielding iron clubs, advanced upon the gods like trees scorched by a raging forest fire. The gods could not withstand the force of these united and swift-moving foes; broken and fearful, they fled from the battlefield. Seeing the gods in flight, Indra—the thousand-eyed lord—was seized by great distress, for Vṛtra’s power was growing ever greater. Observing Indra’s anguish, the eternal Vishnu infused his own energy into Indra, vastly increasing his strength. When the hosts of gods beheld Indra invigorated by Vishnu, they too, along with the pure Brahmarshis, endowed him with their energy. Thus empowered by Vishnu, the gods, and the great sages, Indra became supremely mighty. Realizing that the lord of the gods had now become strong, Vṛtra let out a tremendous roar; at his cry, the earth, the directions, the sky, the heavens, and the mountains all trembled. Mahendra—Indra—tormented by fear and hearing that awful, resounding roar, hurled his great thunderbolt at Vṛtra’s head with all his might. Struck by Indra’s thunderbolt, Vṛtra fell with a mighty crash, adorned with golden garlands, much as the great Mandara mountain once fell from Vishnu’s hand. Yet, with the chief of the Daityas slain, Indra, still gripped by fear, fled to hide within a lake, believing he had only cast his thunderbolt and not realizing that Vṛtra had been slain. All the gods, delighted and rejoicing, praised Indra for his victory. The remaining Daityas, distressed by Vṛtra’s death, were swiftly struck down by the gods. The surviving great Asuras, as swift as the wind, fled in terror and plunged into the immeasurable ocean. There, in the ocean teeming with fish and filled with precious jewels, they performed rituals together. Some, steadfast in their resolve, considered various strategies. Afflicted by fear and scorched by the power of the gods, they resolved to bring about the destruction of the three worlds. As the time of their end approached, a dreadful thought arose among them: “Those who possess knowledge and ascetic power must first be destroyed, for all the worlds are upheld by asceticism. Therefore, let us hasten to bring about the end of asceticism. Whatever ascetics and knowers of dharma dwell upon the earth, let them be slain quickly; with their destruction, the world itself will perish.” Thus, with minds set on the world’s destruction and utterly depraved, all of them took refuge in the fortress-like, wave-tossed ocean, the abode of Varuna, filled with gems. Having reached this watery stronghold, the Kaleyas gathered there, intent on destroying the three worlds. Then, at night, filled with malice, they began to devour the sages dwelling in hermitages and sacred places. In the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, the brahmins were consumed by these evil-minded ones—eighty-eight hundred other ascetics in the forest as well. They went to the hermitage of Cyavana, sacred and frequented by twice-born sages, where they devoured a hundred ascetics living on fruits and roots. Thus, acting by night, they entered the forests by day. They reached the hermitage of Bharadvāja, where disciplined, celibate sages resided. There, twenty ascetics who lived on air and water were slain. In this way, the demons, step by step, devoured the sages for food. At night, relying on their strength, they roamed about, and in due course, killed many groups of sages. Yet, O king of men, the people did not realize what was happening; there was no recitation of the Vedas, no ritual exclamations, and the festivals of sacrifice had ceased. The world became dispirited, afflicted by the terror of the Kāleyas. Thus, O lord of men, the people were being destroyed. Frightened and intent on saving themselves, they fled in all ten directions; some entered caves, while others—scattered and twice-born sages—sought refuge elsewhere. Others, overwhelmed by fear, abandoned their lives; some, great archers, heroic and supremely proud, remained behind. They made every effort to pursue the demons, but did not follow them into the ocean where they had taken refuge. Peace eluded them, and only destruction followed; with the cessation of sacrifices and festivals, the world fell into disorder.