Srimad Bhagvatam
LORD IS COMPLETELY UNDER THE CONTROL OF HIS DEVOTEES
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/9/4/65/
TRANSLATION
When Durvasa Muni created a demon to kill Maharaja Ambarisha, the King stayed fixed in his place, praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and depending solely and wholly on Him, whereas when Durvasa Muni was chased by the Sudarshana chakra by the supreme will of the Lord, he was so perturbed that he fled all over the world and tried to take shelter in every nook and corner of the universe. At last, in fear of his life, he approached Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He was so interested in his own body that he wanted to kill the body of a Vaishnava. Therefore, he did not have very good intelligence, and how can an unintelligent person be delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The Lord certainly tries to give all protection to His devotees who have given up everything for the sake of serving Him.
Durvasa Muni had offended devotee Maharaja Ambarisha as a result of which Lord’s sudershan chakra was hot in pursuit of Durvasa Muni & he could not find refuge anywhere, not even Lord Brahma & Shiva, finally he came to Lord & prayed.
"O my Lord, O supreme controller, without knowledge of Your unlimited prowess I have offended Your most dear devotee. Very kindly save me from the reaction of this offense. You can do everything, for even if a person is fit for going to hell, You can deliver him simply by awakening within his heart the holy name of Your Lordship."
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/9/4/63/
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brahmana: I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.
PURPORT
All the great stalwart personalities in the universe, including Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, are fully under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, BUT THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IS FULLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF HIS DEVOTEE. WHY IS THIS? Because the devotee is anyabhilashita-shünya;in other words, he has no material desires in his heart. His only desire is to think always of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and how to serve Him best. BECAUSE OF THIS TRANSCENDENTAL QUALIFICATION, THE SUPREME LORD IS EXTREMELY FAVORABLE TO THE DEVOTEES—INDEED, NOT ONLY THE DEVOTEES, BUT ALSO THE DEVOTEES OF THE DEVOTEES.
Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says, chadiya vaishnava-seva nistara payeche keba:WITHOUT BEING A DEVOTEE OF A DEVOTEE, ONE CANNOT BE RELEASED FROM MATERIAL ENTANGLEMENT. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu identified Himself as gopi-bhartum pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasam. Thus HE INSTRUCTED US TO BECOME NOT DIRECTLY SERVANTS OF KRSHNA BUT SERVANTS OF THE SERVANT OF KRSHNA. Devotees like Brahma, Narada, Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami are directly servants of Krshna, and one who becomes a servant of Narada, Vyasadeva and Sukadeva, like the six Gosvamis, is still more devoted. Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura therefore says, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadam: IF ONE VERY SINCERELY SERVES THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, KRSHNA CERTAINLY BECOMES FAVORABLE TO SUCH A DEVOTEE. FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF A DEVOTEE IS MORE VALUABLE THAN FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD DIRECTLY.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/9/4/64/
TRANSLATION
GOD SAID: O BEST OF THE BRAHMANAS (DURVASA MUNI), WITHOUT SAINTLY PERSONS FOR WHOM I AM THE ONLY DESTINATION, I DO NOT DESIRE TO ENJOY MY TRANSCENDENTAL BLISS AND MY SUPREME OPULENCES.
PURPORT
THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IS SELF-SUFFICIENT, BUT TO ENJOY HIS TRANSCENDENTAL BLISS HE REQUIRES THE COOPERATION OF HIS DEVOTEES.
IN VRNDAVANA, FOR EXAMPLE, ALTHOUGH LORD KRSHNA IS FULL IN HIMSELF, HE WANTS THE COOPERATION OF HIS DEVOTEES LIKE THE COWHERD BOYS AND THE GOPISTO INCREASE HIS TRANSCENDENTAL BLISS.
SUCH PURE DEVOTEES, WHO CAN INCREASE THE PLEASURE POTENCY OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, ARE CERTAINLY MOST DEAR TO HIM. NOT ONLY DOES THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD ENJOY THE COMPANY OF HIS DEVOTEES, BUT BECAUSE HE IS UNLIMITED HE WANTS TO INCREASE HIS DEVOTEES UNLIMITEDLY.
THUS, HE DESCENDS TO THE MATERIAL WORLD TO INDUCE THE NONDEVOTEES AND REBELLIOUS LIVING ENTITIES TO RETURN HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD. HE REQUESTS THEM TO SURRENDER UNTO HIM BECAUSE, UNLIMITED AS HE IS, HE WANTS TO INCREASE HIS DEVOTEES UNLIMITEDLY.
THE KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT IS AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PURE DEVOTEES OF THE SUPREME LORD MORE AND MORE. IT IS CERTAIN THAT A DEVOTEE WHO HELPS IN THIS ENDEAVOR TO SATISFY THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD BECOMES INDIRECTLY A CONTROLLER OF THE SUPREME LORD.
ALTHOUGH THE SUPREME LORD IS FULL IN SIX OPULENCES, HE DOES NOT FEEL TRANSCENDENTAL BLISS WITHOUT HIS DEVOTEES.
AN EXAMPLE THAT MAY BE CITED IN THIS REGARD IS THAT IF A VERY RICH MAN DOES NOT HAVE SONS IN A FAMILY HE DOES NOT FEEL HAPPINESS. INDEED, SOMETIMES A RICH MAN ADOPTS A SON TO COMPLETE HIS HAPPINESS. THE SCIENCE OF TRANSCENDENTAL BLISS IS KNOWN TO THE PURE DEVOTEE.
THEREFORE THE PURE DEVOTEE IS ALWAYS ENGAGED IN INCREASING THE TRANSCENDENTAL HAPPINESS OF THE LORD.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/9/4/66/
TRANSLATION
AS CHASTE WOMEN BRING THEIR GENTLE HUSBANDS UNDER CONTROL BY SERVICE, THE PURE DEVOTEES, WHO ARE EQUAL TO EVERYONE AND COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO ME IN THE CORE OF THE HEART, BRING ME UNDER THEIR FULL CONTROL.
PURPORT
In this verse, the word sama-darshanam is significant. THE PURE DEVOTEE IS ACTUALLY EQUAL TOWARD EVERYONE, AS CONFIRMED IN BHAGAVAD-GITA(18.54): BRAHMA-BHÜTAM PRASANNATMA NA SHOCATI NA KANKSHATI/ SAMAM SARVESHU BHÜTESHU. UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD IS POSSIBLE WHEN ONE IS A PURE DEVOTEE (PANDITAM SAMA-DARSHINAM).
A PURE DEVOTEE IS ACTUALLY LEARNED BECAUSE HE KNOWS HIS CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION, HE KNOWS THE POSITION OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, AND HE KNOWS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LIVING ENTITY AND THE SUPREME LORD.
THUS HE HAS FULL SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE AND IS AUTOMATICALLY LIBERATED (BRAHMA-BHÜTAM). HE CAN THEREFORE SEE EVERYONE ON THE SPIRITUAL PLATFORM. HE CAN COMPREHEND THE HAPPINESS AND DISTRESS OF ALL LIVING ENTITIES. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT WHAT IS HAPPINESS TO HIM IS ALSO HAPPINESS TO OTHERS AND THAT WHAT IS DISTRESS TO HIM IS DISTRESSING FOR OTHERS. THEREFORE HE IS SYMPATHETIC TO EVERYONE. As Prahlada Maharaja said:
shoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyartha-
maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimüdhan
(Bhag. 7.9.43)
PEOPLE SUFFER FROM MATERIAL DISTRESS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ATTACHED TO THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. A PURE DEVOTEE'S CHIEF CONCERN, THEREFORE, IS TO RAISE THE IGNORANT MASS OF PEOPLE TO THE SENSE OF KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.
"THE PURE DEVOTEE IS ALWAYS WITHIN THE CORE OF MY HEART, AND I AM ALWAYS IN THE HEART OF THE PURE DEVOTEE. MY DEVOTEES DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ELSE BUT ME, AND I DO NOT KNOW ANYONE ELSE BUT THEM."
