SB 10.89.43 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

विप्रापत्यमचक्षाणस्तत ऐन्द्रीमगात् पुरीम् । आग्नेयीं नैऋर्तीं सौम्यां वायव्यां वारुणीमथ । रसातलं नाकपृष्ठं धिष्ण्यान्यन्यान्युदायुध: ॥ ४३ ॥ ततोऽलब्धद्विजसुतो ह्यनिस्तीर्णप्रतिश्रुत: । अग्निं विविक्षु: कृष्णेन प्रत्युक्त: प्रतिषेधता ॥ ४४ ॥

Verse text

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

Synonyms

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 .

Translation

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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Not seeing the brāhmaṇa's child there, Arjuna went to the cities of 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. KB 10.89.43-44 He then immediately went to the planet where the King of heaven, Indra, lives. When unable to find the baby there, he went to the planet of the fire demigod, then to the planet of the Nirṛti demigod, and then to the moon planet. Then he went to Vāyuloka and Varuṇaloka. When unable to find the baby on those planets, he went down to the Rasātala planet, the lowest of the planetary systems. After traveling to all these different planets, he finally went to Brahmaloka, where even mystic yogīs cannot go. By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna had that power, and he went above the heavenly planets to Brahmaloka. When he was unable to find the baby even after searching all possible planets, he then attempted to throw himself into a fire, since he had promised the brāhmaṇa he would do so if unable to bring back his baby. Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, was very kind toward Arjuna because Arjuna was the most intimate friend of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa persuaded Arjuna not to enter the fire in disgrace.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that Arjuna trusted Lord Śiva implicitly as his guru, and so he did not bother to search out Lord Śiva’s celestial abode.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Arjuna went in all directions starting with yama loka in the south. He went north (saumya) to the moon planet) northwest, (vayavya), south east (agneya), south west (nairrtya), east (aindri), and west (varuni). He did not go to the northeast because that is the residence of Siva. He thought that Siva, his guru, could not have taken away the son of the brahmana. He was prevented (praty uktah) from entering fire by Krsna who forbade him from doing it (pratisedhata).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

By his mystic powers he went to Yamarāja, but did not see the child. He then went north to Somapuri. He went to Varuṇapuri and Vāyavya puri. He first went to Dvārakā to ask Kṛṣṇa, who could see everything and all places. Then Kṛṣṇa said “I have not seen the child. You must search for him.” He then went to these places searching. He did not go in the north east direction of Śiva, since Śiva was his guru. It would be impossible for his guru to take the child. He even went to Brahmaloka, with weapons in his hands. Not having obtained the child for certain (hi), he wanted to enter fire. Kṛṣna spoke to him and made him give up the idea of dying.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

By his mystic powers or because he knew everything easily he went to Yamarāja, but did not see the child. He then went north to Somapuri, the city of the moon, by-passing Varuṇapuri (in the west) and Vāyavyapur in the (north west) since he thought the child had been taken there by Soma, the founder of his dynasty, to test his prowess in the dynasty. He did not go in the north east direction of Śiva, since Śiva was dear to the devotees. It would be impossible for him to take the child. Or that place is included in the word dhiṣṇyāni anyāni (other places). Out of devotion to Śiva, Śiva’s city is not mentioned along with the other cities to avoid classifying him with ordinary lokapālas. He even went to Brahmaloka, with weapons in his hands. Being placed at the end “with weapons in hands” is applied to all the places he visited. Not obtinaing the son at these places, having certainly (hi) broken his promise, he wanted to enter fire, but was prevented by Kṛṣṇa, with skillful words.