When Vighasa had spoken his counsel, the rest of the ministers, delighting in his auspicious words, expressed their joyful approval. “Vighasa has spoken well regarding the radiant-faced maiden,” they declared. “Let this be done without delay—send a messenger to her at once.” They agreed that someone wise in the policies of scripture, pure of heart, and endowed with valor should go, to discern her character—her appearance, form, and qualities. Only after understanding her through her prowess, courage, heroism, strength, lineage, resources, position, and means, should they proceed with their plan. The Daityas praised Vighasa’s words as excellent, commending him as the foremost among ministers. All eyes turned to Vidyutprabha, a most fortunate and skilled messenger, adept in great magical arts and auspicious in every way. They praised him and prepared to send him forth on this important mission. After dispatching Vidyutprabha, Vighasa addressed the assembly: “Let the lords of the Dānavas be armed with their fourfold forces. Let us achieve victory over the army of the gods, O master. When the gods are defeated by the lord of the Asuras and their valor subdued, that maiden will come under your control, O Indra’s equal. When all the guardians of the worlds—the hosts of Maruts, Nāgas, Vidyādharas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Rudras, Vasus, and Ādityas—are conquered everywhere, then you alone will become Indra. A hundred maidens of Indra, divine and Gandharva women, will come under your sway; and she too will certainly be brought under your control in every way.” Thus addressed, the Daitya king turned to his general, Virupaksha, dark as a thunderous rain cloud, radiant with a blue-black glow. He commanded, “Bring swiftly the army—elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry—by which I shall conquer the gods and Gandharvas, who are so difficult to defeat in battle.” Virupaksha, quick to obey, brought forth the vast and unconquered Daitya army. Each Danava was as mighty in battle as a wielder of the thunderbolt, each eager to vanquish a god by his own strength. Among them were ninety million of the foremost warriors, each with an immense following, and countless thousands of great-souled Daityas, undistracted, forming the battle array. Eager for combat, they set out to destroy the army of the gods. The Daityas rode in wondrous chariots adorned with many kinds of banners. They wielded diverse and fearsome weapons, and took on terrifying forms, dancing with raised, dreadful arms, their hearts intent on conquering the gods. Then, Śrī Varāha said, the Daitya Mahisha, master of many forms and great strength, mounted a maddened elephant, desiring to ascend Mount Meru. Reaching the city of Indra, Mahisha and his companions charged at Śatakratu (Indra) and the gods. The gods, filled with wrath, responded in kind. Taking up their weapons and mounting their celestial vehicles, the delighted gods rushed into battle against the Asuras. A tumultuous and hair-raising battle erupted, fierce with mighty warriors roaring at each other. There, eight Daityas—Añjana, Nīlakukṣi, Meghavarṇa, Balāhaka, Udarākṣa, Lalāṭākṣa, Subhīma, and Bhīmavikrama—along with Svarbhānu, charged at the Vasus. Likewise, twelve other Daityas, each with their own armies, attacked the Ādityas. Among these leaders were Bhīma, Dhvaṅkṣa, Dhvastakarṇa, Śaṅkukarṇa, the exceedingly mighty Vajrakāya, Vidyunmālī, Raktākṣa, Bhīmadaṃṣṭra, Vidyujjihva, Atikāya, Mahākāya, Dīrghabāhu, and Kṛtāntaka. Other Dānavas, enraged, attacked the Rudras, each according to their number. These included Kāla, Kṛtānta, Raktākṣa, Haraṇa, Mitrahā, Anila, Yajñahā, Brahmahā, Goughna, Strīghna, and Saṃvartaka—eleven Daitya lords, mad with the desire for battle, who charged fiercely at the Rudras. The remaining Daityas attacked the other gods as appropriate. But Mahisha himself, with great speed, rushed directly at Indra. This powerful Daitya, emboldened by a boon from Brahmā, could not be slain by any man in battle—not even by the wielder of Pināka (the bow of Shiva). The Asuras and Yātudhānas were struck down in great numbers by the Ādityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, and Rudras, though their ranks seemed endless. Yet the armies of the gods too were struck down by the Asuras. When defeat befell the gods, the Devas fled, abandoning Indra. Afflicted by various weapons—spears, pattiśas, and maces—the gods, tormented by the Asuras, went to the world of Brahmā for refuge. Meanwhile, the Daitya messenger Vidyutprabha, sent on his mission, approached the goddess, she of slender waist. After bowing with devotion and composure, he entered a place crowded with hundreds of maidens and, with humility, addressed her: “O goddess, at the beginning of creation there was a sage, born at that time, named Supārśva—a friend of Sarasvata, renowned and powerful. His son was the mighty Sindhudvīpa, full of great energy, who performed intense austerities in the illustrious city of Māhiṣmatī. While he was engaged in severe penance, abstaining from food, the eldest daughter of Vipracitti, equal to the daughters of the gods, became famous on earth as Māhiṣmatī, unmatched in beauty. “Surrounded by her companions, she wandered as she pleased and came to the slopes of Mount Mandara, where she saw the hermitage of the sage Ambara, adorned with many kinds of trees. The hermitage was beautified by bowers of creepers, vakula and lakucha trees, as well as sandalwood, spandana, śāla, and sarala trees, and was decorated with diverse forest groves belonging to the great-souled sage.” Thus unfolded the events, as the Daityas prepared for war and the messenger delivered his message to the goddess.