Arjuna Battles the Nivatakavachas with Divine Weapons

The danavas began with rocks. They came from every direction — boulders as large as mountains, falling in a terrible shower that pressed down on Arjuna from all sides. He met them with arrows drawn from Indra's own weapon, swift shafts like the vajra (thunderbolt) itself, and shattered each rock into a hundred splinters. The splinters caught fire as they fell, raining down like sparks. When the rocks were gone, the danavas sent water. A great flood poured from the sky in streams as thick as chariot axles, thousands of powerful flows that enveloped heaven and earth. The roar of the wind and the howls of the daityas filled the air. Nothing could be seen. The water covered everything between heaven and earth, descending continuously, and it confounded Arjuna. He reached for the weapon named vishoshana — the drying weapon, given to him by Indra, terrible and flaming. He released it, and the water was gone. The danavas used maya (illusion) to unleash wind and fire. Arjuna destroyed the fire with a weapon named salila (the watery weapon). He countered the force of the wind with a great weapon named shaila (the mountain weapon). Each assault met its opposite, and each was neutralized. Then the danavas, indomitable in battle, resorted to many types of maya and yoga. A great shower arose — weapons, fire, wind, rocks — all created through illusion, all pressing down on Arjuna. And then a terrible darkness manifested itself in every direction. The world was completely immersed in that dense, terrible darkness. The horses drew back. Matali, Indra's charioteer, tumbled forward. The golden whip fell from his hand onto the ground. He cried out, "Where are you?" — lost, trembling, his senses gone. A terrible fear overcame Arjuna. Matali spoke, his voice shaking: "O Partha! In earlier times, I witnessed the terrible war between the gods and the demons for amrita (the nectar of immortality). I was the charioteer of the king of the gods at the slaying of Shambara. I drove the steeds at the killing of Vritra. I saw the great battle for Virochana's son. I have seen those terrible battles. But never before have I lost my senses. It must certainly have been determined by the grandfather — Brahma — that all beings will be destroyed. I can find no other reason for this battle." Arjuna heard him. He pacified himself in his own mind. Then he spoke. "Behold the strength of my arms, the might of my weapons, and the power of this bow Gandiva. O charioteer! Do not be scared. Be steady. With the maya of my weapons, I will now counter this terrible maya and repulse this terrible darkness." He unleashed the maya of his weapons — for the welfare of the thirty gods, capable of deluding all beings. The darkness was dispelled. But the lords of the asuras, infinitely energetic, unleashed many different types of maya in return. Suddenly it was light. Suddenly everything was immersed in darkness. The world could sometimes not be seen. Sometimes it was immersed in water. When it was light, Matali drove the chariot, yoked to horses handled well, and the terrible nivatakavachas rushed toward Arjuna. Whenever he saw an opening, he sent them to Yama's abode. But then, suddenly, he could not see any of the danavas. They had covered themselves with maya. The battle continued.