After hearing the goddess’ report, Lord Śiva, versed in the highest knowledge, went with his entire retinue into battle. He sat on his great bull and was encircled by Vīrabhadra and others, as well as the Bhairavas and the Kṣetrapālas, all equal to him in valor. As Lord Śiva entered the battle ground, he assumed a heroic form and shone well as the incarnation form of the destroyer.
When Śaṅkhacūḍa saw him, he alighted from his aerial chariot and offered obeisances to him by lying flat on the ground. Then he got up, quickly returned to his chariot, and, seizing his bow and arrows, readied himself for the fight.
The fight lasted for a year. The two heroes showered arrows fiercely on one another the way clouds continuously pelt the earth with rain. When Śaṅkhacūḍa playfully shot dreadful arrows, Lord Śiva split them all with his own arrows. Lord Śiva hit the demon’s limbs with various weapons. Śaṅkhacūḍa then grabbed his sword and shield, hastened toward Lord Śiva’s sacred bull and hit it on the head. Seeing this, Lord Śiva smashed that sword and the shining shield by his kṣurapra weapon. Then the demon threw his spear but Lord Śiva shot an arrow at it and split it in half. Śaṅkhacūḍa, now infuriated, flung a discus, but Śiva punched it with his fist and splattered it. The demon threw his club vigorously at Lord Śiva, however Śiva split it apart and reduced it to ashes. Grabbing an ax, Śaṅkhacūḍa rushed toward Lord Śiva, but Śiva released such a volley of arrows at him that he fell unconscious.
The Dānava quickly regained consciousness and mounted his beautiful chariot. Covering the whole sky, he shone resplendently with his mystic weapons and arrows.
When Lord Śiva saw him coming toward him, he pounded his drum with enthusiasm and twanged his bowstring with a loud sound. Śiva filled all four quarters with the sound of his horn and then, roaring loudly, frightened the demons. Next, the noble bull bellowed thunderously, filling the sky, earth and eight quarters and shaming the proud trumpeting elephants. Lord Śiva surpassed all previous sounds by clapping the earth and the sky. The warriors emitted a raucous laughing sound, portending ill for the asuras. Śiva also roared in that mighty battle.
The demons were frightened by these piercing and dreadful sounds. However, the Dānava king became extremely angry.
Lord Śiva shouted, “O wicked one, stay! Stay!,” and the gods and his companions quickly shouted, “Victory! Victory!”
Śaṅkhacūḍa then hurled at Lord Śiva his awesome flame-shooting spear; as it traveled, it blazed brilliantly like a mighty fire. However, one of Lord Śiva’s followers shot a meteor at it and stopped it. As the battle between Lord Śiva and the demon king continued, the heavens, earth, mountains, oceans and rivers shook and trembled. Lord Śiva split apart hundreds and thousands of Śaṅkhacūḍa’s arrows, and the king did the same to Lord Śiva’s shafts. Then the infuriated Śiva hit Śaṅkhacūḍa with his trident and knocked him unconscious. But quickly regaining consciousness, he grabbed his bow, discharged some arrows and hit Lord Śiva and his assistants. Then, by means of magic, the asura assumed ten thousand arms and quickly surrounded Lord Śiva with ten thousand discuses. But Lord Śiva shot wonderful arrows at them and split them all apart. Śaṅkhacūḍa next seized his mace and, accompanied by a massive army, charged Lord Śiva with the intention of destroying him. However, Lord Śiva split the mace, making the Dānava furious. The demon then seized a spear that, to the enemy, blazed unbearably; as he neared Lord Śiva, the latter hit him in the chest with his trident. Then, a huge, valorous being came out of the demon’s chest and said, “Stand by, stand by.” Lord Śiva laughed loudly and, with his sword, cut off the fearsome head that was emerging, and it fell to the ground.
Spreading her mouth wide open, Kālī angrily consumed countless demons, crushing their heads with her fierce fangs. The enraged Kṣetrapāla consumed many other demons, and Lord Śiva shot missiles at some and killed them. Others were just wounded. Vīrabhadra and Nandīśvara destroyed many other demons. Thus a major portion of Śaṅkhacūḍa’s army was killed while many of his terrified troops cowardly fled the battlefield. But Śaṅkhacūḍa stood firm and said to Lord Śiva, “I’m here, ready to fight with you. Come on. So what if many of my men have been killed. Fight me, face to face!”
