Long ago, the demigods and the demons declared a truce and together churned the oeean of • milk to attain the nectar of immortality. But Lord Viṣṇu deceived the demons and gave all
the nectar to the demigods.
Seeing that the demigods had attained all the nectar, the demons became intolerant of their superior opulence. Thus they marched toward the demigods with raised weapons. Enlivened by drinking the nectar, the demigods used their various weapons to counterattack the demons in a fighting spirit. A ferce battle on the beach of the ocean of milk ensued between the demigods and the demons. This fighting was so terrible that simply hearing about it would make the hairs on one's body stand on end.
Both parties in that fight were extremely angry, and in enmity they attacked one another with swords, arrows, and varietiesof other weapons. Thesoundsof the conchshells, bugles, drums, bheris, damaris, and kettledrums, as well as the sounds made by the elephants, horses, and soldiers, were tumultuous.
On that battlefield the charioteers fought with the opposing charioteers, the infantry soldiers with the opposing infantry, the soldiers on horseback with the opposing soldiers on horseback, and the soldiers on the backs of elephants with the enemy soldiers on elephants. In this way the fighting took place between equals. Some soldiers fought on the backs of camels, some on the backs of elephants, some on asses, some on white-faced and red-faced monkeys, some on tigers, and some on lions.
Some soldiers fought on the backs of vultures, eagles, ducks, hawks, and bhasa birds. Some fought on the backs of timingilas, which can devour huge whales, some on the backs of sarabhas, and some on buffalo, rhinoceroses, cows, bulls, jungle cows, and arunas. Others fought on the backs of jackals, rats, lizards, rabbits, human beings, goats, black deer, swans, and boars. In this way, mounted on animals of the water, land, and sky, including animals with deformned bodies, the two armies faced each other and attacked.
The demons, under the command of Bali Mahārāja, then used magic to begin slaying the demigods by the thousands.Finding no other recourse, the demigods surrendered again to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who then appeared on the back of Garuḍa and counteracted all the illusions presented by the jugglery of the demons. Heroes among the demons fought the Supreme Personality of Godhead and were all killed by the Lord. The demigods were thus freed from all dangers.