164. Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 9

bhakta-vasyatam (Bhag. 10.11.9): the Lord displays the transcendental
attribute of coming under the control of His devotees. As stated in the

Brahma-samhita (5.35):

eko ’py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-cayé yad antah

andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam 4di-purusarh tam aham bhajami

By His one plenary portion as Paramatma, the Lord controls innumerable
universes, with all their demigods; yet He agrees to be controlled by a
devotee. In the Upanisads it is said that the Supreme Personality of God-
head can run with more speed than the mind, but here we see that al-
though Krsna wanted to avoid being arrested by His mother, He was
finally defeated, and mother Yasoda captured Him. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-
sambhrama-sevyamanam: Krsna is served by hundreds and thousands
of goddesses of fortune. Nonetheless, He steals butter like one who is
poverty-stricken. Yamardja, the controller of all living entities, fears the
order of Krsna, yet Krsna is afraid of His mother’s stick. These con-
tradictions cannot be understood by one who is not a devotee, but a devo-
tee can understand how powerful is unalloyed devotional service to
Krsna; it is so powerful that Krsna can be controlled by an unalloyed
devotee. This bhrtya-vasyata does not mean that He is under the control
of the servant; rather, He is under the control of the servant’s pure love.
In Bhagavad-gita (1.21) it is said that Krsna became the chariot driver
of Arjuna. Arjuna ordered Him, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham
sthdpaya me ’cyuta: ‘““My dear Krsna, You have agreed to be my
charioteer and to execute my orders. Place my chariot between the two
armies of soldiers.” Krsna immediately executed this order, and
therefore one may argue that Krsna also is not independent. But this is
one’s ajiidna, ignorance. Krsna is always fully independent; when He
becomes subordinate to His devotees, this is a display of ananda-
cinmaya-rasa, the humor of transcendental qualities that increases His
transcendental pleasure. Everyone worships Krsna as the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, and therefore He sometimes desires to be controlled
_by someone else. Such a controller can be no one else but a pure devotee.
