Then ascending to the sky, Matali, as if falling in front,
swiftly descended to the earth, on that chariot of solar resplendence.
Then, O Bharata, environed me sixty thousand cars belonging to those
wrathful ones eager to battle with me. And with sharpened shafts graced
with feathers of the vulture, I destroyed those (cars). At this,
thinking, "These our hosts are incapable of being vanquished by
mortals," they became engaged in the conflict, like unto the surges of
the sea. Thereupon I gradually began to fix (on the string) unearthly
weapons. At this, thousands of weapons (shot) by those wonderfully
warring charioteers, by degrees opposed my unearthly arms and in the
field I saw hundreds and thousands of mighty (demons) ranging on their
cars, in various manoeuvres. And being furnished with variegated mail
and standards and diverse ornaments, they delighted my mind. And in the
conflict I could not afflict them by showers of shafts, but they did not
afflict me. And being afflicted by those innumerable ones, equipped in
weapons and skilled in fight, I was pained in that mighty encounter and
a terrible fear seized me. Thereupon collecting (my energies) in fight,
I (bowed down) unto that god of gods, _Raudra_, and saying, "May welfare
attend on all beings!" I fixed that mighty weapon which, celebrated
under the name of _Raudra_, is the destroyer of all foes. Then I beheld
a male person having three heads, nine eyes, three faces, and six arms.
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