When Hiraṇyakaśipu could not kill his innocent son by throwing him beneath the feet of big elephants, throwing him among huge snakes, employing destructive spells, hurling him from the tops of hills, conjuring up illusory tricks, imprisoning him, administering poison, starving him, exposing him to severe cold, winds, fire and water, or throwing heavy stones on him to crush him, he began to contemplate the situation deeply. He did not succeed in killing him. He tried black magic (abhicāraiḥ), throwing him from high places (avapātanaiḥ), imprisoning him a hole and other places (sannirodaiḥ). The plural case indicates that he tried each method many times. Tat-kartuṁ nābhyapadyata means that he could not kill him.