Defeated and driven from their heavenly abodes, the gods, led by the Lotus-born Prajapati Brahma, gathered in despair and made their way to the place where Vishnu, the Lord adorned with the Garuda-banner, resided. With heavy hearts, the gods recounted to him all that had transpired: the rise of the mighty Mahishasura, his relentless assaults, and how he had usurped dominion over the sun, the moon, fire, wind, Yama, Varuna, and all the other deities. Stripped of their powers and cast out of heaven by the wicked Mahisha, the gods wandered the earth like ordinary mortals, bereft of their former glory. Having spoken of all the calamities brought about by their enemy, the gods humbly took refuge with the supreme lords. They pleaded, “All that this enemy of the gods has done, we have told you; we seek your protection—may his destruction be considered.” Hearing these earnest words, both Madhusudana (Vishnu) and Shambhu (Shiva) were filled with wrath, their brows furrowing in anger. Suddenly, from the face of Vishnu, radiant with intense fury, there burst forth a great brilliance; likewise, from Brahma and Shankara (Shiva), similar radiance erupted. From the bodies of all the other gods, beginning with Indra, a supreme effulgence emerged, and all these radiant energies converged into one magnificent mass. The gods beheld a blinding, luminous form, blazing like a mountain aflame, its light filling every quarter of the heavens. This incomparable radiance, born from the combined glory of all the gods, coalesced into the form of a woman, her brilliance pervading the three worlds. Each part of her divine body was shaped from the radiance and power of the gods: her face from Shiva’s light, her abundant hair from Yama, her many arms from Vishnu. Soma and Indra gave rise to her breasts and midsection, while Varuna’s energy formed her thighs and hips. Her feet came from Brahma’s power, her toes from the sun’s brilliance, and her fingers from the Vasus. Kubera’s might shaped her nose, Prajapati’s radiance her teeth, and Agni’s brilliance her three eyes. Her eyebrows arose from the energy of twilight, her ears from the wind, and other auspicious features from the energies of various deities. When the gods, tormented by Mahishasura, saw this wondrous goddess—born of their own gathered might—they were filled with joy and hope. Eager for her victory, they presented her with their own weapons and treasures, hailing her with shouts of “Victory! Victory!” Shiva, the wielder of the trident, gave her his trident; Krishna (Vishnu), his discus. Varuna offered a conch, Agni a spear, and the Maruts a bow with a quiver full of arrows. Indra, king of the immortals, gave her his thunderbolt and a bell from his elephant Airavata. Yama presented his staff of punishment, Varuna a noose, Prajapati a rosary, and Brahma a water-pot. The sun bestowed his rays into each of her pores, and Kala gifted her a flawless sword and shield. From the ocean of milk, she received a spotless necklace, unfading garments, a divine crest-jewel, earrings, and armlets. She was adorned with a pure crescent moon, bracelets for each arm, flawless anklets, a peerless necklace, and jeweled rings for every finger. Vishvakarma gave her a pure axe, many weapons, and an unbreakable shield. The lord of waters offered her unfading lotus garlands for her head and chest, along with a most beautiful lotus. Himavat presented her a lion as a mount and precious gems, while Kubera, lord of wealth, gave her a cup always brimming with divine liquor. Shesha, the serpent king who upholds the earth, gave her a serpent-necklace adorned with great jewels. Other gods, too, honored her with ornaments and weapons. The goddess, radiant and mighty, laughed aloud, her laughter resounding and mocking, echoing through all the worlds. Her terrible roar filled the sky, and from that immense, unrestrained sound, a great echo arose. All the worlds shook; the oceans trembled; the earth quaked; and the mountains moved. With joy, the gods hailed her, she who rode the lion, crying, “Victory!” The sages, bowing low in devotion, praised her with reverence. But the enemies of the gods, seeing the three worlds shaken, rose up fully armed, their armies arrayed for battle. Mahishasura, furious, demanded, “Ah! What is this?” and, surrounded by his asura hosts, rushed toward the source of the tumult. There he beheld the Goddess, her radiance filling the three worlds, the earth bowing beneath her feet, her crown brushing the very sky. The thunderous twang of her bowstring shook the nether realms, and her thousand arms stretched in all directions, filling the quarters. Then began a fierce battle between the Goddess and the enemies of the gods, with countless weapons and missiles unleashed, lighting up the horizons. The great demon Cikshura, commander of Mahishasura’s army, fought alongside Camara and others, with troops assembled in fourfold divisions. The mighty Udagra engaged with sixty thousand chariots, Mahahanu with a thousand companies of ten thousand warriors each. Asiloma fought with fifty million troops, while Vaskala entered the field with six hundred thousand units of ten thousand. Thus, the glorious battle commenced, shaking the very fabric of the universe.