Text 21] Hiranyakagipu Terrorizes the Universe 187

tasyogra-danda-samvignah
sarve lokah sapalakah

anyatralabdha-saranah
Saranam yayur acyutam

tasya—of him (Hiranyakasipu); ugra-danda—by the very fearful
chastisement; samvignah—disturbed; sarve—all; lokah—the planets;
sa-palakah—with their principal rulers; anyatra—anywhere else;
alabdha—not obtaining; Saranah—shelter; Saranam—for shelter;
yayuh—approached; acyutam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Everyone, including the rulers of the various planets, was ex-
tremely distressed because of the severe punishment inflicted
upon them by Hiranyakasipu. Fearful and disturbed, unable to
find any other shelter, they at last surrendered to the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Visnu.

PURPORT
Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (5.29):

bhoktaram yajiia-tapasarn
sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhrdam sarva-bhitanam
jnatva mam Ssdntim rechati

“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,
Krsna, 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 Sri Krsna. 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
