Having vanquished the formidable asuras Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, Kālī brought their bodies before Caṇḍikā as an offering in the midst of the sacrificial battle. She declared, “Here I have brought you Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, the great beasts; you yourself will slay Śumbha and Niśumbha.” Upon seeing the fallen Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, Caṇḍikā, the auspicious goddess, spoke gently to Kālī, saying, “Because you have come here bringing Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, you will henceforth be known in the world, O goddess, as Cāmuṇḍā.” With Caṇḍa slain, Muṇḍa struck down, and the armies of the asuras greatly diminished, the lord of the asuras, Śumbha, was seized by anger and wounded pride. Powerful as he was, Śumbha ordered the mobilization of all the demon forces. He commanded, “Today, let the eighty-six armed demon chiefs, and the eighty-four commanders of the Kambus, each with their own forces, set out. By my command, let fifty clans of the mighty demons and a hundred clans of the Dhaumras march forth. Let the Kālakas, Daurhṛdas, Mauryas, and Kālakeyas prepare for battle and quickly advance at my order.” Obeying Śumbha’s fierce command, the demon armies assembled in vast numbers, surrounding him as he marched to battle. As this terrifying host advanced, Caṇḍikā filled the space between earth and sky with the powerful twang of her bowstring. Her lion let out a tremendous roar, and Ambika amplified the sound with the ringing of her bell. The quarters of the sky resounded with the sounds of bowstrings, lion roars, and bells, while Kali, with her wide-open mouth, overwhelmed the enemy with shouts and cries. Hearing this tumult, the demon armies, filled with rage, surrounded the Goddess, her lion, and Kali from all directions. Meanwhile, for the destruction of the enemies of the gods and the welfare of the immortal lions, the energies of Brahma, Shiva, Guha, Vishnu, and Indra emerged from their bodies and approached Caṇḍikā, each in their own divine form. Each energy took on the ornaments, vehicles, and form belonging to its deity: Brahma’s power, Brahmani, arrived at the forefront in an aerial chariot drawn by swans, holding a rosary and water-pot. Maheshvari appeared, mounted on a bull, bearing a trident, granting boons, adorned with great serpents and a crescent moon. Kaumari, with weapons in hand and riding the supreme peacock, came forth as Ambika in the form of Guha. The power of Vishnu, stationed upon Garuda, approached holding conch, discus, mace, bow, and sword. Varahi arrived, bearing the boar-form of Hari, while Narasimhi, resembling Narasimha, appeared with her mane flinging aside the host of stars. Indrāṇī, holding the thunderbolt, stood upon the king of elephants, possessing a thousand eyes, just as Indra himself. Surrounded by these divine powers, the Lord addressed Caṇḍikā: “Let the asuras be swiftly slain for my satisfaction.” From the body of the god emerged a terrifying and exceedingly fierce power of Caṇḍikā, resounding with the roar of a hundred thunderbolts. This unconquered goddess spoke to the Lord with matted hair, “O messenger, go to the side of Śumbha and Niśumbha. Tell Śumbha and Niśumbha, the excessively proud demons, and all those assembled for battle: Let Indra obtain the three worlds, let the gods be the receivers of offerings; you may depart to the netherworld if you wish to live. If, out of arrogance in your strength, you desire battle, then come—let my attendants be satisfied with your flesh. Because Śiva himself was sent as a messenger by that Goddess, I am known in this world as Śivadūtī, the Messenger of Śiva.” Hearing the words of the Goddess, as declared by Śarva, the great asuras, filled with rage, advanced to where Kātyāyanī stood. Driven by violent anger, these enemies of the immortals showered the Goddess with arrows, spears, and javelins. Yet she, with ease, cut down the weapons sent at her with great arrows released from her drawn bow. In front of her, Kālī moved about, striking down the enemies—some torn apart by her spear, others beaten with her skull-topped staff. Brahmāṇī, by sprinkling water from her water-pot, sapped the strength and vigor of the enemies wherever she pursued them. Māheśvarī struck the demons with her trident, Vaiṣṇavī with her discus, and Kaumārī, filled with intense fury, struck them with her spear. Aindrī’s thunderbolt tore hundreds of demons and Dānavas apart, sending streams of blood pouring as they fell to the earth. Others were shattered by the blows of Varahi’s boar-form snout and wounded on the chest by her sharp fangs, while some were torn apart by her discus. Nārasiṃhī, roaring so that all directions resounded, tore apart other great demons with her claws and devoured them on the battlefield. The demons, terrified by Caṇḍikā’s loud laughter and the threats of Śivadūtī, fell to the ground, and then she devoured those who had fallen. Thus, the divine powers, united, brought destruction to the enemies of the gods, filling the battlefield with the glory of their might.