They all carefully protected Bhishma who was then in great distress. To them that stood there as spectators, the king (Duryodhana) thus exclaimed. “Either Shveta or Bhishma will die (to day)". Having heard the words of the king, the great car-warriors soon with four kinds of troops advanced to protect the son of Ganga. O descendant of Bharata, Balhika, Kritavarina, Kripa, Shalya, the son of Jarasandha, Vikarna, Chitrasena and Vivingshati, all with great speed, surrounded him on all sides and poured a continuous shower of arrows. That highsouled and mighty warrior then soon checked those wrathful warriors with sharp arrows by displaying his own lightness of hands. Checking them all as a lion checks a herd of elephants, Shveta cut off Bhishma's bow with a thick shower of arrows.