Chapter 101 - The Fight Goes On

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said

1-19. Those demons on seeing the chiefs of the attendants like Nandin, Gajānana and Kārtikeya, impatiently ran (to them) for duels. Kālanemi, Śumbha and Niśumbha, (each) equipped with an armor, speedily ran (respectively) to Nandin, Gajānana and Kārtikeya. With five arrows Niśumbha pierced Kārtikeya’s peacock on his chest with speed and he fell down unconscious. Then, when the angry Kārtikeya took his (missile called) śakti, Niśumbha forcibly knocked him down with śakti. Then Nandīśvara pierced Kālanemi with arrows. With seven he pierced his horses and banners, and with three his charioteer. Kālanemi who was angry, cut off Nandin’s bow. Throwing it off, he firmly struck him on his chest with a spear. He, with his chest pierced by a spear and with his horses and charioteer killed, took off the mountain’s peak and threw it at Nandin. Then Śumbha and Gajānana, having a chariot and a rat as their vehicles, fighting with each other, pierced each other with volleys of arrows. The lord of the attendants (i.e. Gajānana) struck Śumbha in his heart with an arrow and knocked on the ground his charioteer with five arrows. Then Śumbha, being extremely angry, pierced Gajānana with sixty arrows, (his) rat with three, and thundered like a cloud. The rat, with his limbs pierced with arrows, walked painfully. Gajānana got down (from the rat) and became a foot soldier, O king. Then Gajānana, having struck Śumbha on his chest with a spear, knocked him down on the ground, and again mounted the rat. Kālanemi and Niśumbha both simultaneously struck Gajānana through anger with arrows, like a great elephant with a goad. Seeing him being troubled, the very strong Vīrabhadra, along with a crore of imps, speedily ran (to him). Kuṣmāṇḍas, Bhairavas, vampires, goblins, bevies of witches and (other) attendants followed him. Then the earth, resounding with kilakila sound (expressing joy), roars like those of lions, growlings, (beatings of) drums, trembled. Then the imps ran and devoured the demons. They jumped and fell and danced on the battlefield. Nandin and Kārtikeya hurriedly came (there) and struck the demons with continuous volleys of arrows in the battle. The army, cut off and broken with the demons killed, knocked down and threatened (by the attendants) was perplexed, and had a dejected face at that time.

20-31. Seeing (his) army destroyed, the strong son of the Ocean, in a chariot with a superior banner, marched against the attendants. Then in both the armies there were loud noise, sound of conches and drums, and roars like those of lions. Then with volleys of arrows, as with covers of mist, Jalandhara blocked the space between heaven and earth. Piercing Gajānana with five (arrows), Nandin too with five, and Vīrabhadra with twenty, he thundered like a cloud. Then Kārtikeya quickly pierced the demon with his (missile called) śakti. Pierced with the śakti he, with his mind a little agitated, rolled about. Then, with his eyes full of anger Jalandhara struck Kārtikeya with a mace. He too fell on the ground. In the same way he speedily knocked down Nandin on the ground. Then the angry Gajānana cut off his mace with his axe. Vīrabhadra pierced the demon on his chest with three arrows, and cut off with seven (arrows) his horses, banners and concealed bow. Then the very angry lord of demons raising a fierce śakti, knocked down Gajānana and got into another chariot. Then, full of anger, he speedily marched against Vīrabhadra. Then the two, resembling the sun, fought with each other. Vīrabhadra knocked down his horses with arrows. The lord of demons cut off (his) bow, and with an iron bar as his weapon, fought. That demon, quickly attacking Vīrabhadra, struck him on his head with an iron club. The demon too, with his head pierced, and ejecting blood, fell on the ground.