In the midst of the great battle, the hosts of spirits gathered together, dancing and laughing in wild abandon. But the Supreme Lady, fierce and majestic, struck them down and seized them by their hair, asserting her power over the unruly throng. The Mother of the World herself danced, playing the vīṇā with divine skill, and drank wine, her garments loosened and her life-force seemingly spent from the intensity of her actions. Witnessing this, the great lords of the demons looked on with awe and fear. Undeterred, the Supreme Lady drove away the hosts of spirits with her beak, tail, and chest, and with the forceful wind of her breath. The demon, desiring to slay the lion in battle, chose instead to flee, which only further enraged Ambikā. In her wrath, she agitated the oceans and scattered the clouds, advancing fearlessly toward the demon fortress. There, she severed the trunk of the mighty elephant and struck down the noble buffalo, born of an esteemed lineage. She hurled the spear given to her by the fire-god, but its tip was blunted and it fell harmlessly to the ground. Then she swung the mace of the lord of wealth, but when thrown, it broke apart and crashed to the earth. Undaunted, she released the staff of Yama in anger, and it too was shattered into many fragments. Abandoning the lion of the buffalo-demon, Durga swiftly mounted the demon’s own back. With her soft and tender feet, she pressed down upon him, as if moistening a hide. Then, with her spear, she pierced his throat, and from the wound emerged a man bearing a sword. Without hesitation, she cut off his head with her excellent sword, and the demon army cried out in distress. Struck by the attendants of Bhavani and terrified, they fled and entered the netherworld. Thus did Narayani, the foundation of all worlds, Katyayani—fierce-faced yet beautiful—manifest her supreme power. She declared, “I will again be born for the sake of the gods,” and Durga entered among them. At this point, a seeker, filled with curiosity, addressed the knower of Brahman: “Tell me in detail, for the destruction of the demon Shumbha, desiring the welfare of the worlds. And by the name Uma, from her arose the sheath called Kaushiki. She will slay Shumbha and Nishumbha with excellent weapons. She was born as the daughter of Himavat; thus, you should tell me. How did she slay Shumbha and Nishumbha, the great demons? You ought to recount all this in detail, just as it truly happened.” The sage replied, “Listen attentively as I relate the eternal origin of Skanda. Having become devoid of support, he resolved to undertake austerity. He became the commander of the gods, the destroyer of the arrogance of demons. But the gods had been overpowered by the lord of the demons, Mahisha, and were defeated. On the white island, they sought refuge in Hari, the great swan. Smiling with a voice deep as thunder, the Supreme Person spoke: ‘By whom have you all gathered together and come to my side in this way? Do that by which, relying upon it, victory will surely be yours. Among these, there is a divine maiden born of the mind, named Menā. Request the virtuous Menā from the icy mountain for your purpose. By her, freed from the wrath of Daksha, life was cleansed like impurity. She will slay the lord of the demons, Mahisha, along with his followers. There, at the broad-watered holy place, let the imperishable ancestors be worshipped. For those wishing to relinquish themselves, let it be done thus.’ With hands joined in reverence, the gods questioned the Supreme Lord, seeking guidance and deliverance from the oppression of the demons.