Text 21
tasyogra-daṇḍa-saṁvignāḥ
sarve lokāḥ sapālakāḥ
anyatrālabdha-śaraṇāḥ
śaraṇaṁ yayur acyutam
tasya — of him (Hiraṇyakaśipu); ugra-daṇḍa — by the very fearful chastisement; saṁvignāḥ — 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.
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.
Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):
bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
“The sage who knows 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 attains 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.