The army assembled was a wondrous sight: horses, pure and swift as the wind, shone with a dazzling radiance. Chariots, crafted with great skill, appeared as if they were flying palaces moving across the earth. The foot soldiers were gigantic in stature, mighty archers endowed with immense strength. Among them surged one hundred thousand elephants, their might unmatched, and three times as many chariots thundered alongside. As this great host approached, its leader encircled the gathering from afar, surveying the field. There, he beheld the goddess, serene and absorbed in deep meditation. At the sight of her, he was struck by the arrows of desire, his heart inflamed. Approaching her, he declared, “Hearing of your beauty, O lovely-faced one, I have come. I have sixty thousand wives, O pure-smiling one, yet none compare to you. Your austerity is unworthy, child; instead, enjoy pleasures as you desire.” Yet, though addressed in this manner, the goddess remained silent, unmoved by his words. Observing his greed and persistence, she was filled with anger. With harsh words, she rebuked him again and again, commanding, “Go, go!” Undeterred, he and his ministers surrounded her on all sides, seeking to overpower her. In response, the supreme goddess laughed aloud, her voice ringing out. The demon’s forces, well-armored and armed, their wrath blazing, rushed together towards the buffalo. Thus, a fierce battle erupted between the assembled hosts and the demons. Enraged at his ministers being struck down, the buffalo demon’s fury grew. Mounting his excellent chariot, he addressed his charioteer with grim resolve: “Having slain her, today I shall cross the difficult shore of wrath. Drive the chariot along the path where she surely stands.” The charioteer replied, “Many have gone along that path by which she departed, O king.” Suddenly, a great meteor fell from the sky, striking the orb of the sun—an omen of calamity. The soldiers, terrified by this sign, lost control and discharged much urine in their fear. Yet the demon king ignored these dreadful omens, dismissing their warning. With a roar, he released his arrows and shouted, “Stop, stop! Whoever restrains the wrathful buffalo in battle—” Then, approaching the goddess, he spoke with pride, “Neither my strength, nor my fortune, nor my wealth is childish. I know the truth: you are arrogant, O beautiful one. Though I am resolved in manliness, I do not have the heart to kill you, a woman. In the three worlds, there is no man equal to me, O childish one.” Grasping his bow and arrows, he continued, “Though filled with desire for the maiden, still, hear my words. The Grandsire and the gods consider even the lowest of demons worthy. You, O sinner, were created by the lotus-born after he released a single beloved woman. Here you have received the boon of the Grandsire, and you are victorious in battle, O Dānava. But now, with these sharp arrows, I will send you to the abode of Yama.” In an instant, the goddess responded with divine skill. With four arrows, she sent his four radiant steeds to the realm of Yama. With a single arrow, she cut down his banner, and with another, she wounded his very heart.