Then, he addressed both those supreme men with pointed words. He questioned them, asking, “Where is your austerity now? Where is the burden of your matted hair? And where are these two excellent weapons?” He continued, declaring that whatever one is capable of doing, that alone is truly accomplished. Standing firm, he proclaimed, “While I am here, O lord of the demons, as the establisher of the bridge of dharma, no one can stand against Nara and Nārāyaṇa in battle.” Yet, undeterred, the demon vowed, “By any means, I will defeat Nara and Nārāyaṇa in combat.” He strung his bow, drew the cord, and made a most terrible sound with his palm. Arrows flew from both sides, but the demon skillfully cut down those released against him with arrows tipped in gold. Angered, he bent his great bow and unleashed various other arrows. Nara responded, releasing five, then six sharp arrows, shielded by his bow. The lord of the Daityas countered with volleys—six, three, and one arrows—aimed at Nara. Nara answered with six, seven, eight, nine, and six arrows, while the demon unleashed seventy-two in return. Both, inflamed with intense anger, sent forth countless arrows. The foremost demon, with his golden-tipped arrows, swiftly cut down the oncoming shafts. In battle, they clashed with mighty weapons of terrifying form. The Maheshvara missile and the Supreme Person’s weapon collided, falling together in equal force. Seizing his mace with great strength, the demon leapt down from his excellent chariot. Seeing this, his opponent, eager for combat, turned to face him from behind. That renowned ancient sage of noble valor, Narada—the protector of the worlds, known as Narayana—whirled his mace with speed and struck Sadhya forcefully on the head. Water fell from Sadhya’s eyes to the ground, resembling a shower of fire, and he was shattered into a hundred pieces, like a mountain peak struck by lightning. The hero then took up his bow and drew an arrow from his quiver. His face darkened with anger as he released it at Sadhya. With other arrows, he cut and pierced the demon. Both warriors pierced each other with serpent-like arrows, striking at their vital points. Those eager to witness the battle saw it unfold—swift, marvelous, and truly wondrous. The Sadhya and Daitya heroes showered incomparable rain of flowers upon the combatants. The great archers fought in a manner that increased the delight of the onlookers, covering all directions and intermediate quarters with volleys of arrows. With sharp arrows, he pierced Prahlada in all his vital spots. In turn, he pierced the best of men in the heart, arms, and face. With a single arrow, shining like a crescent moon, he cut his opponent’s weapon apart. With speed, he strung his bow and showered sharp arrows. The supreme person cut the bow with a razor-edged arrow, and swiftly cut down whatever had been taken up. A fierce, long, and sturdy club, made entirely of iron, was whirled in the air, but the great sage cut it with a broad-headed arrow. The foremost of men hurled a mace with great speed, but the adept cut it into ten pieces, and thus shattered, it fell to the ground.