शरण (sharan)
noun
A noun meaning refuge or shelter, most often the protective kind you seek from a person, place, or power rather than a physical roof; it appears constantly in the fixed phrase शरण लेना (sharan lenaa) 'to take refuge.'
Sense
1
:
refuge, shelter, protection (sought from someone/something)
noun, feminine Almost always used with की (kii) marking what is sought and में (men) or की ओर (kii or) marking where/whom one turns to, as in किसी की शरण में जाना (kisii kii sharan men jaanaa, 'to go into someone's refuge/protection').
Synonyms: पनाह (panaah), आश्रय (aashray, somewhat formal), शरणस्थल (sharnasthal, the place of refuge itself)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word carries a strong devotional and epic flavor -- in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, characters take शरण (sharan) of gods or kings when all other options are gone, and that sense of last-resort surrender still colors the modern political term शरणार्थी (sharnaarthii, 'refugee'). You will also hear it in bhajans where devotees say they have come to God's शरण (sharan) -- it is not a neutral, bureaucratic word like 'shelter,' it implies humility and total dependence.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use it for ordinary physical shelter from rain or cold -- Hindi speakers reserve शरण (sharan) for protection from danger, oppression, or a difficult situation, and would use छत (chhat) or पनाह (panaah) for a literal roof over your head. 2) The verb pairing is शरण लेना (sharan lenaa, 'to take refuge') or शरण देना (sharan denaa, 'to give refuge') -- not शरण करना (sharan karnaa), which sounds wrong to a native ear.
Sample Sentences:
उसने राजा की शरण ली।
He took refuge with the king.
(usne raajaa kii sharan lii।)
मैं तेरी शरण में आया हूँ, प्रभु।
I have come to your refuge, O Lord.
(main terii sharan men aayaa hoon, prabhu।)
जब सब रास्ते बंद हो गए, तो उसे भगवान की शरण लेनी पड़ी।
When all paths were closed, he had to take refuge in God.
(jab sab raaste band ho gae, to use bhagvaan kii sharan lenii padii।)
हे माता, मुझे अपनी शरण में ले लो।
O Mother, take me into your refuge.
(he maataa, mujhe apnii sharan men le lo।)
अगर वह समय पर शरण मांगता तो शायद बच जाता।
If he had sought refuge in time, he might have been saved.
(agar vah samay par sharan maangtaa to shaayad bach jaataa।)
युद्ध में हारकर वह वन में ऋषि की शरण में चला गया।
Having lost the war, he went to the sage's refuge in the forest.
(yuddh men haarkar vah van men rishi kii sharan men chalaa gayaa।)
क्या तुम सचमुच किसी की शरण चाहते हो?
Do you really want someone's refuge?
(kyaa tum sachmuch kisii kii sharan chaahte ho?)
संकट के समय भक्त ईश्वर की शरण खोजते हैं।
In times of crisis, devotees seek God's refuge.
(sankat ke samay bhakt iishvar kii sharan khojte hain।)
यह जरूरी है कि हारे हुए को शरण दी जाए।
It is necessary that the defeated be given refuge.
(yah jaroorii hai ki haare hue ko sharan dii jaae।)
उस गाँव के लोगों ने भागे हुए सैनिकों को शरण दी थी।
The people of that village had given refuge to the fleeing soldiers.
(us gaanv ke logon ne bhaage hue sainikon ko sharan dii thii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
शरण
(sharan)
(sg.f.oblique):
शरण
(sharan)
(pl.f.direct):
शरणें
(sharnen)
(pl.f.oblique):
शरणों
(sharnon)