The mighty son of Danu stood on the battlefield, his strength so formidable that neither gods nor demons could overcome him. With a roar, he seized the thunderbolt and hurled it at Bala’s head, declaring, “Fool, you are slain!” Yet to his astonishment, the weapon shattered harmlessly. Seeing this, Bala turned and fled, and even Indra, the lord of the gods, was seized by fear. He turned his back and withdrew from the fight, abandoning the field, O great sage. But a voice called out to him: “Stand your ground! You are the king of all that moves and does not move. In the code of kings, flight is never spoken of.” Indra, regaining his composure, approached and spoke humbly: “Hear my words, O Lord! You are my refuge, O Vishnu, Lord of past and future. Grant me a weapon, O Blessed One; I have taken refuge in you.” Vishnu replied, “Pray for a weapon from Agni; he will surely grant it.” Taking this counsel to heart, Indra went to Agni for refuge. At that moment, Nārada addressed Agni, saying, “Now Jambha is being summoned; therefore, give me a weapon.” Agni responded, “Because you have abandoned pride and taken refuge in me alone—” and the Blessed One, shining with divine radiance, gave a weapon to Indra before ascending to heaven. Armed anew, Indra, the destroyer of enemies, advanced to meet Jambha, determined to slay him. But Jambha, filled with anger, struck down Airavata, the lord of elephants. The great elephant fell to the earth like a mountain struck by Indra’s own thunderbolt, abandoning Mandara mountain as he crashed down. “Do not fall, O Śakra! Remain on the earth today, O Vāsava,” the gods cried out. But Indra replied, “How can I fight the enemy without wings?” They encouraged him, “Fight on! Mount the chariot; when it is ready, we shall send it to you.” The chariot, adorned with a banner bearing a monkey and surrounded on all sides by monkeys, was swiftly prepared. Messengers led by Viśvāvasu were sent to bring it to Indra. Still, Indra questioned, “How shall I fight in battle? How shall I restrain the horses?” He resolved, “Then I will destroy the enemies—there is no other way, by any means.” The others assured him, “There are horses here already; you must yourself restrain them.” But as the strain of battle overcame him, Indra fell to the ground, his garland and garments slipping away. At the sight of Indra’s fall, the earth itself trembled. Meanwhile, in a humble home, Indra’s wife spoke gently, “Lord, take the child outside as you wish.” She added, “Listen, lord, to what the astrologer has declared: Whatever is outside, O best of sages, will become double, O sage.” Without delay, the Brahmin quickly cast the child outside onto the ground, for the appointed time had passed and only half the harm would occur. To his astonishment, he saw two children, both identical in appearance. He said, “I do not know the truth of what I am asking; tell me that. And now tell me about his fortunes and the deeds that have been spoken of. Tell me today itself, or else I will not eat food.” To this, the wise one replied, “What you have anxiously asked today—what will this child become?” Back on the battlefield, the expert charioteer went to assist Indra. Knowing he was aiding the lord of the gods, the charioteer’s own brilliance increased. He said, “Come here, O Lord of the gods; I will gladly be your charioteer.” Indra asked, “How will you control the horses? A doubt arises in my mind.” The charioteer, endowed with the brilliance of the Gandharvas and skilled in driving horses, stood ready to guide Indra into battle once more.