Shankhachuda Fights

Sanatkumara said

Soon the danavas began to beat the gods, who broke and fled in terror, their bodies mangled by shastras and astras. They ran to Shankara, lord of the universe, and cried out to Sarvesha to save them. Shankara saw that the gods and their allies were beaten, heard their frightened words, and was filled with anger. He looked on them with compassionate eyes, freed them from fear, and by his own energy raised the strength of his ganas.

At Shiva's command, Skanda, Hara's valiant son and the destroyer of Taraka, fought fearlessly against the danava hosts, roaring like a hero in his anger. In that battle he killed a hundred akshouhinis. Lotus-eyed Kali cut off heads, drank blood and devoured the slain, fighting in many ways and frightening gods and danavas alike. In sport she scooped up a hundred thousand huge elephants and a hundred thousand men in her hand and threw them into her mouth. Thousands of headless bodies danced across the field, in a din terrifying to cowards. Skanda, angry once more, showered arrows, brought down and destroyed crores of asura leaders, and his nets of arrows mangled the danavas' bodies, so that the survivors fled in fright. One after another Vrishaparva, Viprachitti, Danda and Vikampana fought Skanda, and Mahamari fought too without retreating, but Skanda's spear mangled them. Mahamari and Skanda won. Drums sounded in heaven and flowers fell. The danavas were wiped out as though by a natural disaster, and Mahamari's own scourge added to the destruction.

The brave Shankhachuda saw this and burned with rage. He armoured himself and boarded a splendid vimana stocked with many shastras and astras, wearing jewelled garments. He told his heroes not to be afraid and drove his chariot into the centre. Drawing his bowstring back to his ear, he rained arrows that could not be answered, and a terrible shroud of darkness settled on the field. All the gods, Nandishvara and the others fled, and only Kartikeya stayed. The king conjured a shower of mountains, snakes, serpents and trees that nothing could counter. Struck by it, Skanda, Shiva's son, looked like the sun hidden in mist. Shankhachuda used many forms of the maya that Maya had taught him, and no god or gana could understand them. He was strong and masterful in illusion, and with a single divine arrow he broke Skanda's bow, splintered his divine chariot, cut the animals yoked to it and wounded his peacock. He hurled a spear as bright as the sun at Skanda's chest, and Skanda, hit by the blow, at once lost consciousness.

Kartika, destroyer of enemy heroes, revived and boarded his jewel-built vehicle. Six-faced, he called to mind the feet of Mahesha and Ambika, took up his weapons and fought fiercely. In his anger he used a divine weapon to cut down all the snakes, mountains, trees and boulders, and answered the fire with a parjanya arrow. As if playing, he cut up Shankhachuda's chariot and bow, his whole armour, his mounts and the blazing crown on his head, and roared repeatedly like a hero. Then he threw a sun-bright spear at the danava's chest, and Shankhachuda lost his senses for a time. After a muhurta the strong danava recovered, stood up, roared like a lion and struck Kartikeya with his spear. Because Brahma had given him that spear and Kartikeya did not want to make it useless, he let himself fall to the ground. Kali picked him up in her lap and carried him to Shiva, who in his play restored him to life by his knowledge. Shiva gave him boundless strength and he rose, resolved to return to the fight.

Meanwhile the brave Virabhadra was fighting the strong, skilled Shankhachuda, who poured out weapons. Virabhadra cut them down with his arrows as if playing. The danava lord let fly hundreds of divine weapons, and Virabhadra severed those as well. Shankhachuda then grew angry and struck Virabhadra in the chest with a spear. The gana leader trembled and fell, but at once recovered, rose and took up his bow again. Kali now rejoined the battle. As Kartika wished, she wanted to protect her own side and devoured danavas. Nandishvara and the other brave ones, with all the devas, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas and pannagas, followed her, along with hundreds bearing musical instruments and liquor. On both sides the brave ones prepared themselves once more.