ahaḿ prajāḥ vāḿ bhagavan
rakṣiṣye dīnayor iha
anistīrṇa-pratijño 'gniḿ
pravekṣye hata-kalmaṣaḥ
aham -- I; prajah -- the offspring; vam -- of you two (you and your wife); bhagavan -- O lord; rakshishye -- will protect; dinayoh -- who are wretched; iha -- in this matter; anistirna -- failing to fulfill; pratijnah -- my promise; agnim -- fire; pravekshye -- I will enter; hata -- destroyed; kalmashah -- whose contamination.
"My lord, I will protect the progeny of you and your wife, who are in such distress. And if I fail to keep this promise, I will enter fire to atone for my sin."
Chivalrous Arjuna could not tolerate the shame of being unable to fulfill his promise. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (2.34), sambhavitasya cakirtir maranad atiricyate: "For a respected person, dishonor is worse than death."
