saḥ - he (Hiraṇyakaśipu); tepe - performed; mandara-droṇyām - in a valley of Mandara Hill; tapaḥ - austerity; parama - most; dāruṇam - difficult; ūrdhva - raising; bāhuḥ - arms; nabhaḥ - toward the sky; dṛṣṭiḥ - his vision; pāda-aṅguṣṭha - with the big toes of his feet; āśrita - resting on; avaniḥ - the ground.

In the valley of Mandara Hill, Hiraṇyakaśipu began performing his austerities by standing with his toes on the ground, keeping his arms upward and looking toward the sky. This position was extremely difficult, but he accepted it as a means to attain perfection.