No Alternative Refuge
Ananya-śaraṇatva ('the state of having no other refuge') is among the defining characteristics of a prapanna. It means that the soul has exhausted or renounced all other means of salvation — personal effort, ritual, other deities — and recognizes with complete conviction that only Bhagavān, through His grace, can bring it to liberation.
Relation to the Six Angas
Within the six limbs (aṅgas) of prapatti, ānukūlya-saṅkalpa (resolve to do what pleases the Lord) and prātikūlya-varjana (relinquishment of what displeases Him) presuppose ananya-śaraṇatva. One who still believes in an alternative means has not truly surrendered. This is why prapatti is sometimes described as requiring prior recognition of one's own utter inability (kārpaṇyam).
Gajendra as Exemplar
Gajendra's prayer in the Bhāgavatam is the classic illustration: 'I call upon the primordial being — not knowing His name or form — because there is no one else who can save me.' This ananya-śaraṇatva is precisely what draws Bhagavān to rescue him immediately.