Kali Fights

Sanatkumara said

Kali went onto the field and roared like a lion, and at Devi's roar the danavas fainted. She laughed aloud in ominous tones, drank madhvika and danced on the battlefield, fierce-toothed and fierce in punishing, naked and drinking liquor. Other Devis were there, drinking and dancing too. A great cheer rose from the gods and ganas, and all their numbers rejoiced and roared.

Shankhachuda saw Kali and moved quickly in front of her. The danavas were afraid, but their king calmed them. Kali threw a fire like the flames of dissolution, and he played with it, answering with a vaishnava weapon. Devi threw the narayana weapon, which grew stronger at the sight of the wicked danava. It blazed like the fire of dissolution when he looked at it, so he dropped to the ground like a rod and bowed again and again. When the weapon saw the danava bowed in humility it withdrew. Devi then hurled the brahma weapon with mantras, and when he saw it blazing he lay on the earth before it, and so the danava lord countered that too. Angry, he drew his bow hard and, with mantras, fired divine weapons at Devi. She laughed loudly, roared, opened her mouth and swallowed them, terrifying the danavas. He threw a spear a hundred yojanas long, but Devi's net of divine weapons shattered it into a hundred pieces. He threw a vaishnava weapon at Chandika, but Kali answered with a maheshvara weapon. So they fought for a long time while gods and danavas watched. Mahadevi Kali, like the Destroyer himself in that battle, grew full of rage and took up a pashupata arrow consecrated with mantras. But as she was about to release it, an unseen voice spoke from the sky. It told her not to hurl that weapon at Shankhachuda in her anger; the pashupata is infallible, but his death would not come by it. She should think of another means.

Hearing this, Bhadrakali held back the weapon. Hungry, she devoured a crore of danavas as though in play, and rushed at Shankhachuda to bring about his end. He answered her with a divine roudra weapon, and then in anger flung a sword, with fearful sharp edges, bright as the summer sun. Kali watched it blaze toward her and, in her fury, opened her mouth and swallowed it while he looked on. He hurled many more divine weapons, but she shattered them into hundreds of pieces before they reached her. Mahadevi dashed to devour him, but he was master of every siddhi and vanished. Unable to see the danava, Kali struck his chariot with her fist and shattered it, and killed the charioteer. Shankhachuda, skilled in illusion, came back and threw a fast discus at Bhadrakali, blazing like the fire of dissolution. Playing, Devi caught it in her left hand and flung it into her own mouth. Enraged, she struck him powerfully with her fist, and the danava lord reeled and lost his senses, but at once recovered and stood up. Regarding her as a mother, he did not wrestle her with his arms. Devi took hold of him, whirled him round and round overhead with great force, and then threw the strong Shankhachuda down. As he was lifted and flung he bowed to Bhadrakali. He was not confused by the battle and was pleased in his mind. He climbed back into his lovely jewel-built vimana.

Meanwhile Kalika, hungry, drank the blood oozing from the wounds of the danavas. An unseen voice spoke again from the sky: a hundred thousand arrogant danava leaders were still in the field, roaring, and she should devour those, but she should not set her mind on killing their king, for Shankhachuda could not be killed by her. Hearing this, Devi ate the flesh and drank the blood of many danavas. Then, fed and satisfied, Bhadrakali went to Shankara and told him in order what had happened in the battle.