“Arjuna continued, ‘Remaining invisible the Daityas began to fight with
the help of illusion. And I too fought with them, resorting to the energy
of visible weapons. And the shafts duly discharged from the Gandiva,
began to sever their heads at those different places where they were
respectively stationed. And thus assailed by me in the conflict, the
Nivata-Kavachas, all on a sudden withdrawing the illusion, entered into
their own city. And when the Daityas had fled, and when all had become
visible, I there discovered hundreds and thousands of the slain. And
there I saw by hundreds their shivered weapons, ornaments, limbs, and
mail. And the horses could not find room for moving from one place to
another; and on a sudden with a bound, they fell to coursing in the sky.
Then remaining invisible, the Nivata-Kavachas covered the entire welkin
with masses of crags. And, O Bharata, other dreadful Danavas, entering
into the entrails of the earth, took up horses’ legs and chariot-wheels.
And as I was fighting, they, hard besetting my horses with rocks,
attacked me together with (my) car. And with the crags that had fallen
and with others that were falling, the place where I was, seemed to be a
mountain cavern. And on myself being covered with crags and on the horses
being hard pressed, I became sore distressed and this was marked by
Matali. And on seeing me afraid, he said unto me, ‘O Arjuna, Arjuna! be
thou not afraid; send that weapon, the thunder-bolt, O lord of men.’
Hearing those words of his, I then discharged the favourite weapon of the
king of the celestials--the dreadful thunderbolt. And inspiring the
Gandiva with mantras, I, aiming at the locality of the crags, shot
sharpened iron shafts of the touch of the thunder-bolt. And sent by the
thunder, those adamantine arrows entered into all those illusions and
into the midst of those Nivata-Kavachas. And slaughtered by the vehemence
of the thunder, those Danavas resembling cliffs, fell to the earth
together in masses. And entering amongst those Danavas that had carried
away the steeds of the car into the interior of the earth, the shafts
sent them into the mansion of Yama. And that quarter was completely
covered with the Nivata-Kavachas that had been killed or baffled,
comparable unto cliffs and lying scattered like crags. And then no injury
appeared to have been sustained either by the horses, or by the car, or
by Matali, or by me, and this seemed strange. Then, O king, Matali
addressed me smiling, ‘Not in the celestials themselves, O Arjuna, is
seen the prowess that is seen in thee. And when the Danava hosts had been
destroyed, all their females began to bewail in that city, like unto
cranes in autumn. Then with Matali I entered that city, terrifying with
the rattling of my car the wives of the Nivata-Kavachas. Thereupon,
seeing those ten thousand horses like unto peacocks (in hue), and also
that chariot resembling the sun, the women fled in swarms. And like unto
(the sounds of) rocks falling on a mountain, sounds arose of the
(falling) ornaments of the terrified dames. (At length), the
panic-stricken wives of the Daityas entered into their respective golden
places variegated with innumerable jewels.
‘Beholding that excellent city, superior to the city of the celestials
themselves, I asked Matali, saying, ‘Why do not the celestials reside in
such (a place)? Surely, this appeareth superior to the city of
Purandara.’ Thereat, Matali said, ‘In days of yore, O Partha, even this
was the city of our lord of the celestials. Afterwards the celestials
were driven from hence by the Nivata-Kavachas. Having performed the most
rigid austerities, they had gratified the Grand-father and had asked (and
obtained) the boons--namely, that they might reside here, and that they
might be free from danger in wars with the gods.’ Then Sakra addressed
the self-create lord saying, ‘Do thou, O lord, desirous of our own
welfare do what is proper.’ Thereupon, O Bharata, in this matter the Lord
commanded (Indra), saying, ‘O slayer of foes, in another body, even thou
shalt be (the destroyer of the Danavas).’ Then, in order to slaughter
them, Sakra rendered unto thee those weapons. The gods had been unable to
slay these, who have been slain by thee. O Bharata, in the fullness of
time, hadst thou come hither, in order to destroy them and thou hast done
so. O foremost of men, with the object that the demons might be killed,
Mahendra had conferred on thee the excellent prime energy of these
weapons.’
“Arjuna continued, ‘After having destroyed the Danavas, and also subdued
that city, with Matali I again went to that abode of the celestials.’”