Tāraka, dreadful and fearsome, advanced swiftly to the southern flank of the battlefield. There, he rallied the Daityas, commanding them and their formidable forces to prepare for combat. Meanwhile, the Blessed One mounted the chariot of Mātali, ever vigilant and ready for war. All the assembled warriors—each eager for battle—climbed onto their own vehicles and set out with determination. The Vidyādharas, Guhyakas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and serpents joined the host, some mounting elephants, others chariots, and many on horses. Together, this mighty assembly surged forward to confront the Daitya army where it was arrayed. At that moment, Viṣṇu himself, best among the gods, mounted up and advanced. With head bowed in reverence, he, along with all the excellent gods, pressed forward. Viṣṇu, the thousand-eyed, took his place at the center, guarding the rear of the divine host. To the right, powerful Varuna advanced, steadfastly supporting the flank. The armies, arms raised and wielding a dazzling array of weapons and missiles, confronted the enemy upon the mountain. There, in a place barren of trees and birds, a fierce battle between gods and demons erupted, reminiscent of the legendary struggle between the monkey and the elephant atop the highest peak. As the conflict raged, a cloud tinged with the hues of twilight appeared in the sky, casting an ominous glow. Throughout the night and day, the air resounded everywhere with cries of “Cut! Break!” Blood flowed in torrents, mingling with dust, and confusion reigned. Amidst this turmoil, the wise Skanda led his forces in a bold charge. But the Daityas, shielded by Maya and fierce in battle, struck down the gods. O Nārada, even Skanda could not prevent the gods from being defeated by the Daityas in this terrible fight. Then, bowing reverently to the Sharnga bow, a divine being unleashed shower after shower of arrows upon the foe. The Daityas, battered, sought refuge with Kalanemi, the mighty asura. Their strength, like a neglected disease, only increased. In the thick of battle, the mighty one seized his enemies one by one, hurling them into a wide-open mouth—a vision of destruction. His discus, blazing like fire, swept horizontally and upward, filling the space between earth and sky. In that moment, as if the fire of time itself approached, the entire world seemed poised to be consumed. The Daityas, overwhelmed yet desperate, attacked Hari—Viṣṇu, honored by the immortals and adorned with a radiant crown—with volleys of weapons and missiles. Their own glory faded even as their arrogance surged. Viṣṇu’s eyes blazed red with anger. By his gaze alone, he sapped the strength from chariots, elephants, and horses. With well-feathered nārāca arrows, he covered his enemies as clouds envelop mountains. At the battle’s outset, the lord of the Dānavas, Śatavadana, sent Kālanemi to challenge Keśava, the mighty lord of the gods’ army and master of the worlds. Kālanemi, whose voice thundered, saw Viṣṇu—proud and the destroyer of the Daitya clan—and laughed, addressing him at length. He mocked, “He who ended Hiraṇya’s line, fond of worship with flowers—where will that wretch go, now that he has fallen within my sight? The gods, their eyes wide with fear, shall see him—his limbs crushed and loosened by my fist, his body covered in ashes.” Filled with fury, Kālanemi hurled his mace at Garuḍa, as Indra might cast his thunderbolt at a mountain. But Viṣṇu, with his discus, dashed the hopes of that doomed asura, the result of his own past deeds. Both of Kālanemi’s arms were severed, and his form blazed like a scorched mountain. Struck down, he fell like a ripe palm fruit. Yet even headless, his trunk stood unshaken, like Mount Meru. Just as Indra, with his thunderbolt, had once cast down the arms and head of a foe from sky to earth, so too did Viṣṇu destroy Kālanemi. Deprived of weapons, armor, and garments, the lords of the Asuras fled the field, save only for Bāṇa. Though the gods were eager for battle and still armed, they withdrew from the fight. Then, addressing all the gods, a divine voice urged them: “Fight on, free from distress!