Drawing near with fierce intent, the mighty warrior loosed arrows that tore through the bodies of his foes. The wicked one, swift as the wind, trampled the lord of the waters again and again beneath his feet. With powerful hands, he seized the heads of his adversaries while his feet pressed upon the earth, and he hurled them upward with tremendous force. In a display of strength, he uprooted Virocana along with his elephant, its driver, and the entire mount, casting them high into the sky. Meanwhile, the city gleamed resplendent, its battlements, gates, and palace grounds shining with a radiance like the sun’s beautiful rays. Suddenly, a supreme cry erupted from the Daityas, thundering across the battlefield with the force of storm clouds. A call rang out: “Prahlada, you and the others—Jambha, Kujambha, and all—protect yourselves, and join with Andhaka!” The mighty one bound his enemies with a noose and struck them down with his mace, just as Mahendra, lord of the gods, fells the sacrificial beast at the horse-sacrifice. Yet the Daityas rushed upon the lord of the waters with the recklessness of moths drawn to a blazing sacrificial fire. But the lord of the waters, wielding his mace, repelled the oncoming enemies led by Jambha. He struck down Vritra and Kujambha with his foot, and with his fist, he felled Bala. Then Andhaka, eager for battle, advanced toward the lord of the waters. He cast his noose and, seizing his mace, hurled it with all his might. With great speed, he plunged into the depths of the ocean, and there Andhaka crushed the army of the gods. At that moment, Maya, the great-armed and formidable Dānava craftsman, approached. But Śambara, wielding his spear, struck Maya at the throat and seized him by force. Both Maya and Śambara blazed like fire, flames flaring where the spear was lodged. It was as if a maddened elephant, attacked by a lion in the forest, bellowed in pain. Cries of confusion rang out: “Ah! What is this? By whom in battle have Maya and the Dānava Śambara been defeated? Protect yourself! No one else can withstand the fire god at the forefront of battle!” Raising his iron club with great force, Andhaka charged at the fire god, shouting, “Stop! Stop!” He tore the club from the earth and smashed it down, then advanced on Agni, the fire god himself. Struck by Andhaka, Agni released Śambara and swiftly rushed at his attacker. But when the lord of the Daityas struck him, Agni fled in fear from the battlefield. The valiant Andhaka struck down with his arrows any who turned their backs and fled. Honored by the foremost among the Daityas, Andhaka then approached the earth. Together with the Apsarases, celestial maidens, they descended to the netherworld to serve, and there they made their dwelling. In the midst of these events, a question arose: When the sun was cast down to the earth, at what time and in what places did this occur? For what reason did Bhāskara, the sun, fall from the sky to the earth? As Svayambhū himself had spoken, the tale was recounted as it had been heard. At that time, his son, the most virtuous, was born as Sukeśa. To him was granted invincibility and immunity from death, even at the hands of enemies. Sukeśa delighted always among the night-dwellers, steadfast in righteousness. During his wanderings, he beheld the hermitages of sages whose souls had been purified. He addressed them with humility: “Let your honors tell me; I do not command you. By what is one honored among the virtuous, and by what does one attain happiness?” The sages, after careful reflection on what is best in this world and the next, replied: “Whatever brings the highest good, O hero, both here and hereafter, and is imperishable—whoever relies on that among the virtuous is honored by it and becomes happy. That by which even the gods and others do not fall—let that be declared.