Devanagari
अनुप्राणन्ति यं प्राणा: प्राणन्तं सर्वजन्तुषु ।
अपानन्तमपानन्ति नरदेवमिवानुगा: ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
anuprāṇanti yaṁ prāṇāḥ
prāṇantaṁ sarva-jantuṣu
apānantam apānanti
nara-devam ivānugāḥ
Synonyms
anuprāṇanti
—
follow the living symptoms
;
yam
—
whom
;
prāṇāḥ
—
senses
;
prāṇantam
—
endeavoring
;
sarva
—
jantuṣu — in all living entities
;
apānantam
—
stop endeavoring
;
apānanti
—
all others stop
;
nara
—
devam — a king
;
iva
—
like
;
anugāḥ
—
the followers .
Translation
As the followers of a king follow their lord, similarly when the total energy is in motion, all other living entities move, and when the total energy stops endeavoring, all other living entities stop sensual activities.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The senses become active following after the action of sūtra, and become inactive when the sūtra becomes inactive, just as servants follow after a king.
Purport
The individual living entities are completely dependent on the total energy of the supreme
puruṣa.
No one has independent existence, just as no electric lamp has independent effulgence. Each and every electrical instrument depends fully on the total powerhouse, the total powerhouse depends on the reservoir of water for generating electricity, water depends on the clouds, the clouds depend on the sun, the sun depends on creation, and the creation depends on the movement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This shows the greatness of the sūtra by its power to manifest life. The senses (prāṇāḥ) perform actions following after the sūtra which performs action, and they cease action when the sūtra stops action. They are like servants of a king.