विप्रापत्यमचक्षाणस्तत ऐन्द्रीमगात् पुरीम् । आग्नेयीं नैऋर्तीं सौम्यां वायव्यां वारुणीमथ । रसातलं नाकपृष्ठं धिष्ण्यान्यन्यान्युदायुध: ॥ ४३ ॥ ततोऽलब्धद्विजसुतो ह्यनिस्तीर्णप्रतिश्रुत: । अग्निं विविक्षु: कृष्णेन प्रत्युक्त: प्रतिषेधता ॥ ४४ ॥
viprāpatyam acakṣāṇas tata aindrīm agāt purīm āgneyīṁ nairṛtīṁ saumyāṁ vāyavyāṁ vāruṇīm atha rasātalaṁ nāka-pṛṣṭhaṁ dhiṣṇyāny anyāny udāyudhaḥ tato ’labdha-dvija-suto hy anistīrṇa-pratiśrutaḥ agniṁ vivikṣuḥ kṛṣṇena pratyuktaḥ pratiṣedhatā
- vipra
- of the brāhmaṇa
- apatyam
- the child
- acakṣāṇaḥ
- not seeing
- tataḥ
- from there
- aindrīm
- of Lord Indra
- agāt
- he went
- purīm
- to the city
- āgneyīm
- the city of the fire-god
- nairṛtīm
- the city of the subordinate god of death (Nirṛti, who is distinct from Lord Yama)
- saumyam
- the city of the moon-god
- vāyavyām
- the city of the wind-god
- vāruṇīm
- the city of the god of the waters
- atha
- then
- rasātalam
- the subterranean region
- nāka-pṛṣṭham
- the roof of heaven
- dhiṣṇyāni
- domains
- anyāni
- others
- udāyudhaḥ
- with weapons held ready
- tataḥ
- from them
- alabdha
- failing to obtain
- dvija
- of the brāhmaṇa
- sutaḥ
- the son
- hi
- indeed
- anistīrṇa
- not having fulfilled
- pratiśrutaḥ
- what he had promised
- agnim
- fire
- vivikṣuḥ
- about to enter
- kṛṣṇena
- by Lord Kṛṣṇa
- pratyuktaḥ
- opposed
- pratiṣedhatā
- who was trying to convince him to desist
Not seeing the brāhmaṇa’s child there, Arjuna went to the cities of Indra, Agni, Nirṛti, Soma, Vāyu and Varuṇa. With weapons at the ready he searched through all the domains of the universe, from the bottom of the subterranean region to the roof of heaven. Finally, not having found the brāhmaṇa’s son anywhere, Arjuna decided to enter the sacred fire, having failed to keep his promise. But just as he was about to do so, Lord Kṛṣṇa stopped him and spoke the following words.