Canto 7: The Science of GodChapter 4: Hiraṇyakaśipu Terrorizes the Universe

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.4.21

tasyogra-daṇḍa-saḿvignāḥ

sarve lokāḥ sapālakāḥ

anyatrālabdha-śaraṇāḥ

śaraṇaḿ yayur acyutam

SYNONYMS

tasya — of him (Hiraṇyakaśipu); ugra-daṇḍa — by the very fearful chastisement; saḿvignāḥ — disturbed; sarve — all; lokāḥ — the planets; sa-pālakāḥ — with their principal rulers; anyatra — anywhere else; alabdha — not obtaining; śaraṇāḥ — shelter; śaraṇam — for shelter; yayuḥ — approached; acyutam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Everyone, including the rulers of the various planets, was extremely distressed because of the severe punishment inflicted upon them by Hiraṇyakaśipu. Fearful and disturbed, unable to find any other shelter, they at last surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu.

PURPORT

Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):

bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasāḿ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaḿ sarva-bhūtānāḿ

jñātvā māḿ śāntim ṛcchati

"The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries." The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is actually the best friend of everyone. In a condition of distress or misery, one wants to seek shelter of a well-wishing friend. The well-wishing friend of the perfect order is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all the inhabitants of the various planets, being unable to find any other shelter, were obliged to seek shelter at the lotus feet of the supreme friend. If from the very beginning we seek shelter of the supreme friend, there will be no cause of danger. It is said that if a dog is swimming in the water and one wants to cross the ocean by catching hold of the dog's tail, certainly he is foolish. Similarly, if in distress one seeks shelter of a demigod, he is foolish, for his efforts will be fruitless. In all circumstances, one should seek shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then there will be no danger under any circumstances.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness