Devanagari
अन्नं हि प्राणिनां प्राण आर्तानां शरणं त्वहम् ।
धर्मो वित्तं नृणां प्रेत्य सन्तोऽर्वाग् बिभ्यतोऽरणम् ॥ ३३ ॥
Verse text
annaṁ hi prāṇināṁ prāṇa
ārtānāṁ śaraṇaṁ tv aham
dharmo vittaṁ nṛṇāṁ pretya
santo ’rvāg bibhyato ’raṇam
Synonyms
annam
—
food
;
hi
—
indeed
;
prāṇinām
—
of living entities
;
prāṇaḥ
—
the very life
;
ārtānām
—
of those who are distressed
;
śaraṇam
—
the shelter
;
tu
—
and
;
aham
—
I
;
dharmaḥ
—
religion
;
vittam
—
the wealth
;
nṛṇām
—
of men
;
pretya
—
when they have passed away from this world
;
santaḥ
—
the devotees
;
arvāk
—
of going downward
;
bibhyataḥ
—
for those who are fearful
;
araṇam
—
the refuge .
Translation
Just as food is the life of all creatures, just as I am the ultimate shelter for the distressed, and just as religion is the wealth of those who are passing away from this world, so My devotees are the only refuge of persons fearful of falling into a miserable condition of life.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Just as food is the life of all creatures, devotees are the bhakti for those desiring bhakti. Just as I am the ultimate shelter for the distressed, devotees are the shelter of those desiring bhakti. Just as religion is the shelter for those desiring help after dying, so my devotees are the only refuge for persons fearful of falling into saṁsāra after having attained bhakti.
Without food the prāṇa cannot function. Food is therefore the prāṇa of living beings. For those who desire bhakti, they seek the devotees, since without the devotees, bhakti cannot be accomplished. I am the shelter and protector of those suffering, who are without shelter. Similarly, the devotees are the protectors of those desiring bhakti. Dharma is the shelter of persons fearing the ropes of time after dying. Similarly devotees, protectors of the path of bhakti, are the shelter for persons fearing the ropes of the highway thieves called lust and anger, after they have accepted the path of bhakti.
Purport
Those fearful of being dragged down by material lust and anger should take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord’s devotees, who can engage one safely in the Lord’s loving service.