May the blessings of Mṛkaṇḍu and his noble lineage, and the constant protection of the seven great sages, bring you well-being. May the vigilant Yakṣas, Piśācas, Vasus, and Kinnaras ever watch over you and grant you safety. Let the mighty hosts of spirits and their chiefs, ever alert and ready, bestow their welfare upon you. May you be safeguarded from beings with many feet, and likewise be kept from harm by those who have no feet at all. Let Pāśī guard the west and Lakṣmāmaśu protect the north for you. May Vāyu stand watch over the northwest, and Śiva himself protect the northeast. Musatī, the plough-bearer, the discus-bearer, and the masterful bowman—may these divine guardians shield the intermediate directions. And may Mādhava, resounding with the sacred melody of the Sāma Veda and radiant in glory, surround you with protection from all sides. Having humbly bowed to all the gods, the devotee rose up from the earth. Those beings who could assume any form followed the youth, transforming themselves into birds. Together with the mighty Skanda, filled with eagerness to destroy the great demons, they swiftly descended to earth. These heroes, of immense strength, flew rapidly toward their destination, filling the air with a terrifying sound. Their flight led them to Pātāla, the deep abode of the demons, which they entered through a great chasm in the ocean. There, among the asuras, were Virocana, Jambha, Kujambha, and other formidable demons. Startled by the commotion, they wondered, “What is this?” and quickly went to Andhaka for answers. Disturbed, the demons gathered and consulted among themselves about the fearsome sound, O Nārada. At that moment, Pātālaketu, lord of the demons, arrived in Rasātala. Approaching Andhaka, he spoke with distress in his voice: “I have tried everything, using force, to destroy him. O king, I do not even know the man at whom I sent my arrow. He vanished from the hermitage, yet then he followed me from behind. Out of fear of him, I fled all the way to the southern ocean. Some of these beings roar like thunder, and others respond in kind. Yet others, armed with golden weapons, declare, ‘Let us slay Tāraka today!’ Overwhelmed by terror, I abandoned the great ocean and have fallen here. Out of fear, he utterly deserted his own city of Hiranyapura.” Hearing these troubled words, Andhaka turned to Meghasvana and spoke: “Let both Mahisha and Tāraka, along with Bāṇa, the foremost among the mighty, gather their followers and go forth to the battlefield, prepared for war.” Thus, the Daityas, armed and accompanied by their great forces, assembled for battle, O sage. Suddenly, they charged forward, and the fierce host of the Mothers advanced as well. In the midst of the fray, the enraged Rudra struck down the enemy army, felling them as a master of cattle slaughters his herd. With his axe in hand, he slew all the great asuras. His mouth wide open, he hurled chariots, elephants, and horses together, uprooting and casting down vehicles with their riders into the vast ocean. Like a wise minister subduing a king, he wielded his spear with mastery, crushing the asuras. He split the Daityas and Dānavas in two, in three, and into many pieces. Everywhere, heaps of Danujas lay scattered like corpses. The hero struck down the asuras along with their horses, chariots, and elephants, bringing devastation to the demon hosts.