Mahadeva's Advance

Sanatkumara said

On hearing this, Girisha, lord of the gods, flared with anger and called to Virabhadra and the other ganas.

Rudra said

Virabhadra, Nandi, Kshetrapalas, the eight Bhairavas, and all you mighty ganas: take up your weapons and march with me today, together with the two Kumaras. Let Bhadrakali come to the fight with her own troops. We must go quickly to kill Shankhachuda.

Sanatkumara said

With that order Mahesha set out with his host, and the delighted ganas fell in behind. Skanda, Ganesha and the other army chiefs armed themselves and joined Shiva gladly. The great commanders included Virabhadra, Nandi, Mahakala, Subhadraka, Vishalaksha, Bana, Pingalaksha, Vikampana, Virupa, Vikriti, Manibhadra, Bashkala, Kapila, Dirghadamshtra, Vikara, Tamralochana, Kalankara, Balibhadra, Kalajihva, Kutichara, Balonmatta, Ranashlaghya, Durjaya and Durgama, among others. Hear now the size of their contingents. Shankhakarna, destroyer of foes, led a crore. Kekaraksha led ten crores and Vikrita eight; Vishakha sixty-four and Pariyatrika nine. Sarvantaka and Vikritanana each commanded six, Jalaka twelve, Samada seven, Dundubha eight, Karalaksha five and Sandaraka six. Kanduka and Kundaka had a crore apiece, and Vishtambha, chief of all the ganas, eight. Pippla and Sannada each had a thousand crores, Aveshana and Chandratapana eight each, and Mahakesha a thousand crores. Kundi and Parvataka commanded twelve each, while Kala, Kalaka and Mahakala had a hundred crores each. Agnika led a hundred crores and Agnimukha one; Aditya and Ghanavaha half a crore each; Sanaha and Kumuda a hundred crores each; and Amogha, Kokila and Sumantraka a hundred each. Kakapada and Santanaka had sixty crores apiece, Mahabala nine, Madhupingala five, and Nila, Devesha and Purnabhadra ninety each. The mighty Chaturvakra led seven. In counts of crores, thousands, hundreds and twenties, the brave all came to what was for them a festival of battle. Virabhadra arrived with a thousand crore bhutas, three crore pramathas and three crore lomajas. Kashtharudha, Sukesha and Vrishabha each came with sixty-four crores, and Virupaksha and Sanatana with sixty. Talaketu, Shadasya, Panchasya, Samvartaka, Chaitra, Lakulisha, Svayamprabhu, Lokantaka, Diptatma, Daityantaka, Bhringiriti, Devadevapriya, Ashani, Bhanuka, Kankala, Kalaka, Kala, Nandi and Sarvantaka each brought sixty-four crores. Innumerable other powerful leaders advanced fearless, eager to fight Shankhachuda. All had a thousand arms, matted locks and diadems, wore the crescent moon, had three eyes and blue throats, and were adorned with rudrakshas, ash, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. They shone like a crore suns, matched Brahma, Indra and Vishnu, held anima and the other powers, and were practised fighters. Some roamed the earth, some Patala, some the sky and some the seven heavens; in truth they moved through every world. All these ganas of Shiva marched against the danavas. The eight Bhairavas and eleven fierce Rudras went too, with the eight Vasus and twelve Adityas, Agni, the Moon, Vishvakarma, the two Ashvins, Kubera, Yama, Nirriti, Nalakubara, Vayu, Varuna, Budha, Mangala, the other planets and the valiant Kama. Ugradamshtra, Ugradanda, Korata and Kotabha were there as well.

Devi Bhadrakali Maheshvari advanced too, a hundred-armed goddess in a vimana made of the essence of jewels. Red were her clothes, garland and unguents. She laughed, danced and sang sweetly, granting fearlessness to her own side and terror to the enemy. She was radiant yet fearsome, her tongue lolling a yojana long. In her hands blazed a conch, discus, mace, lotus, sword, shield, bow and arrows, a skull-bowl a yojana wide, a sky-reaching trident, a yojana-long spear, club, bludgeon, vajra, a second keen sword and a noose of serpents. She bore the divine weapons of Vishnu, Varuna, Vayu, Narayana, the gandharvas, Brahma, Garuda, Parjanya, Pashupata, Parvata, Surya, Maheshvara and Yama, the weapon that induces yawning, those named Mahavira, Kalakala and Mahanala, the divine Samartha, the staff of stupefaction and hundreds more. With three crore yoginis and three crore fierce dakinis she took her place. Skanda arrived among bhutas, pretas, pishachas, kushmandas, brahma-rakshasas, vetalas, rakshasas, yakshas and kinnaras, bowed to Chandrashekhara, and by his father's command stood close beside him. Then Shambhu gathered his whole army and marched without fear against Shankhachuda.