O mighty-armed one, know that the sacred Cakratīrtha lies deep within Rasātala. There, the lord of the Dānavas spoke to his followers who desired to journey to the holy Nemiṣa forest. “Let us go,” he declared, “and behold the lotus-eyed, infallible One, clad in yellow garments.” With great anticipation, the Dānavas made elaborate preparations and departed from Rasātala. Upon reaching the revered Nemiṣa forest, they joyfully bathed in its pure waters. As they wandered through the forest, the lord of the Dānavas came upon the sacred Sarasvatī river, her waters clear and luminous. There, he noticed something strange: arrows belonging to others were lodged in mouths, entangled together in a perplexing fashion. At this sight, the demon lord’s anger blazed fiercely. Before him stood two ascetics, their matted hair piled high and their minds absorbed in deep austerity. Yet, these were no ordinary sages—they possessed the mighty Śārṅga bow, the wondrous wish-granting cow, and two inexhaustible quivers. Approaching these two supreme men, the demon challenged them with sharp words: “What need is there for austerity, for the burden of matted hair, when you wield such excellent weapons? Whatever one is capable of, that alone is accomplished by him.” He continued, “As I stand here, O lord of the Dānavas, as the upholder of dharma’s bridge, know this: none can stand against Nara and Nārāyaṇa in battle.” But the demon, undaunted, vowed, “By any means, I will defeat Nara and Nārāyaṇa in combat.” With that, he strung his bow, drew the cord, and struck his palm, producing a dreadful sound that echoed through the forest. He loosed a volley of arrows, matched by Nara’s swift response. The demon cut down Nara’s arrows with his own, their golden tips flashing. Angered, the demon bent his great bow and released a storm of arrows, while Nara, protected by his own bow, sent forth five, then six sharp arrows. The lord of the Daityas responded with six, then three, then a single arrow at Nara. Nara answered with six, seven, eight, nine, and six more, while the demon unleashed seventy-two arrows in rapid succession. Consumed by fury, both warriors released countless arrows, filling the sky, yet the demon, swift and skillful, cut them all with his golden-tipped shafts. Their battle raged on, each wielding terrifying and mighty weapons. The Maheshvara missile and the Supreme Person’s weapon collided in midair, falling to the ground together, their power evenly matched. Then, seizing his mace with great force, the demon lord leapt down from his splendid chariot. Sensing the shift, Nārāyaṇa himself, eager for the contest, turned to face his adversary. That ancient and renowned sage, Nārada, protector of the worlds and known as Nārāyaṇa, whirled his mace with tremendous speed and struck Sadhya forcefully upon the head. Water, like a shower of fire, fell from Sadhya’s eyes to the ground. Struck by the blow, Sadhya was shattered into a hundred pieces, just as a mountain peak is split by a bolt of lightning. Undaunted, the hero took up his bow, drew an arrow from his inexhaustible quiver, and, his face darkened with wrath, released it at Sadhya. With further arrows, he pierced and wounded the demon. The two warriors rained serpent-like arrows upon one another, each striking vital points with deadly accuracy. All who witnessed this battle beheld a contest swift, marvelous, and truly wondrous. The assembled Sadhya and Daitya heroes showered incomparable rains of flowers upon the combatants. Those great archers fought with such skill and vigor that the delight of the onlookers only increased. With their volleys of arrows, they covered all the directions and the spaces between, filling the world with the tumult and glory of their battle.