As the gods beheld the form of the Great Goddess, each came forward to offer her their own divine gifts. Yama, the lord of death, entrusted her with his staff of punishment, while Varuṇa, sovereign of the waters, gave her a noose. Prajāpati presented her with a sacred rosary, and Brahmā, the Creator, placed a water-pot in her hands. The radiant Sun infused his own brilliant rays into every pore of her body, making her shine with celestial light. Kāla, the personification of Time, bestowed upon her a flawless sword and an impeccable shield. From the ocean of milk, she received a spotless necklace, garments that would never fade, a divine crest-jewel for her forehead, exquisite earrings, and armlets that adorned her many arms. She was graced with a pure crescent moon, bracelets for all her hands, flawless anklets, an incomparable necklace, and jeweled rings for every finger. Viśvakarmā, the divine architect, gifted her with a perfectly pure axe, many kinds of weapons, and a shield that could not be broken. The lord of waters offered her a garland of lotuses that would never wither, one for her head and one for her chest, as well as a most beautiful lotus blossom. Himavat, lord of the mountains, gave to her a majestic lion as her mount and a bounty of precious gems. The lord of wealth, Kubera, presented her with a cup that was always brimming with divine nectar. Śeṣa, the king of serpents who upholds the earth, adorned her neck with a serpent-necklace studded with great jewels. All the other gods also came forth, honoring her with ornaments and weapons. The Goddess, resplendent and powerful, laughed again and again, her laughter ringing out with resounding, mocking joy. Her terrible roar filled the sky, and from that immense, unrestrained sound, a mighty echo arose. All the worlds trembled; the oceans quaked; the earth shuddered, and even the mountains moved from their places. Overwhelmed with joy, the gods cried out in praise to the lion-riding Goddess, shouting, “Victory!” The sages, bowing in deep devotion, joined their voices in hymns of praise. But in the midst of this tumult, the enemies of the gods—fully armed and with all their armies assembled—rose up, seeing the three worlds agitated. Mahishasura, the great asura, burning with anger, exclaimed, “Ah! What is this?” Surrounded by all the asuras, he rushed toward the source of the sound. There he beheld the Goddess, her radiance filling the three worlds. The earth bowed beneath her feet, and her crown brushed against the sky itself. The thunderous twang of her bowstring shook the nether realms. She stood, her thousand arms extended in every direction, filling the quarters of the universe. Then the great battle began between the Goddess and the enemies of the gods. Countless weapons and missiles flashed and blazed, illuminating all the horizons. The mighty demon Cikṣura, commander of Mahishasura’s army, fought fiercely, accompanied by Camara and others, with troops of the four divisions—chariots, elephants, cavalry, and infantry. Udagra, another formidable demon, fought with sixty thousand chariots, while Mahāhanu engaged with a thousand companies of ten thousand warriors each. The great demon Asiloma entered the fray with fifty million troops, and Vāṣkala brought six hundred thousand units of ten thousand each. Surrounded by thousands of elephants and horses, and a crore of chariots, they pressed the attack. Biḍālākṣa advanced, encircled by fifty thousand chariots and as many warriors. Kāla, too, was surrounded by fifty thousand chariots, fighting fiercely in the midst of the conflict. Other great asuras, with tens of thousands of chariots, elephants, and horses, joined the battle against the Goddess. In the midst of this chaos, Mahishasura himself was surrounded by innumerable thousands of chariots, elephants, and horses—crores upon crores, an endless sea of might. They all hurled themselves at the Goddess, wielding spears, clubs, javelins, swords, axes, and pattiśas. Some threw spears, others cast their nooses, and many attacked her with sword-blows, all seeking to slay her. Yet the Goddess Chandika, effortlessly and playfully, cut down their weapons and missiles, sending forth her own superior arms in return. Unwearied and serene of face, praised by gods and seers, she released her weapons and missiles upon the bodies of the asuras. Enraged, her lion-mount shook his mane and leapt into the asura armies, raging like a blazing fire through a dry forest. From the very breaths Ambika exhaled as she battled, there arose instantly hosts of attendants by the hundreds of thousands. Armed with axes, maces, swords, and spears, these hosts, empowered by the Goddess’s own energy, fought and destroyed the asura hordes. The hosts sounded drums, others blew conches, and still others played mridangas, filling the battle with a tumultuous, festive music. The Goddess, with her trident, mace, showers of spears, and hundreds of other weapons, struck down the great asuras. Some, bewildered by the sound of her bell, fell; others she bound with her noose and dragged across the ground. Some asuras were cut in two by her sharp sword-blows; others, battered by her mace, lay prostrate on the earth. Some, struck by her pestle, vomited blood; others, pierced in the chest by her trident, fell broken to the ground. Some, their bodies filled with arrows, looked like mountains bristling with trees before they released their lives—these tormentors of the gods. Some had their arms severed, others their necks cut; some lost their heads, while others were split in two. Other great asuras, their legs cut off, fell to the ground; some, left with only one arm, chest, or leg, were split asunder by the Goddess. Thus, the battlefield was filled with the mighty prowess of the Goddess, as she destroyed the asura hosts and protected the worlds.