Sanjaya said: "Thus all the Pandavas, placing Shikhandin in front, surrounded Bhishma on every side in battle and began to pierce him. All the Srinjayas together assailed Bhishma with dreadful shataghnis, pattishas, axes, hammers, maces, spears, missiles of every kind, gold-feathered arrows, shaktis, tomaras, kampanas, naracas, vatsadantas, and bhushundis, O Bharata. Then the son of Ganga, though his armor was torn apart, though many warriors pressed upon him, and though his vital points were being pierced, did not tremble at all. To his enemies Bhishma became like the fire at the end of the age: his blazing arrows and bow were its flame, the loosed astras its wind, the rumble of wheels its sound, the great astras the rising of its blaze, his bright bow its towering tongue of fire, and the death of heroes its fuel. Plunging into the massed chariots, he broke out between them; the kings again saw him moving within their ranks. Then, passing the king of the Panchalas and Dhrishtaketu, he swiftly reached the center of the Pandava army. He struck Satyaki, Bhima, the Pandava Dhananjaya, Drupada, Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna son of Prishata - each with one of six sun-bright arrows, dreadful-sounding, swift, and able to pierce the enemy's elephants. These great chariot-warriors warded off his sharp arrows and each, with ten shafts, began to assail Bhishma mightily. But the arrows that Shikhandin loosed at the great votary swiftly entered Bhishma - they were gold-feathered and sharpened on stone. Then the enraged Kiritin, placing Shikhandin in front, advanced straight upon Bhishma and cut his bow."