PLATE THREE

‘‘O unconquerable Lord, although You cannot be conquered by anyone,
You are certainly conquered by devotees who have control of the mind
and senses. They can keep You under their control because You are
causelessly merciful to devotees who desire no material profit from You.
Indeed, You give Yourself to them, and because of this You also have full
control over Your devotees.”

The Lord and the devotees both conquer. The Lord is conquered by the
devotees, and the devotees are conquered by the Lord. Because of being
conquered by one another, they both derive transcendental bliss from
their relationship. The highest perfection of this mutual conquering is
exhibited by Krsna and the gopis. Whenever Krsna played His flute, He
conquered the minds of the gopis, and without seeing the gopis, Krsna
could not be happy. (pp. 117-118)
