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Lord Krishna is self-reliant and believed to depend on no one.

I came across the following statements:

Krishna controls the whole universe and Radha controls Krishna with love.

I heard from preachings that Krishna cried for Radha also. My doubt is that can anyone control Krishna? Are there any explicit slokas stating that Radha can control Krishna?

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  • 3
    God cannot resist devotee's love. Sometimes God is the magnet and the devotee is the needle but other times the situation is reversed, devotee becomes magnet and God becomes the needle.
    – Pinakin
    Commented Sep 15, 2018 at 9:26
  • 2
    Krishna always offers himself for his pure devotees. Commented Sep 15, 2018 at 9:36
  • 3
    Very emotional answers... Commented Sep 22, 2018 at 5:36
  • Where did you found that statement?
    – Wikash_
    Commented Apr 21, 2019 at 6:17
  • The Brahman controls Krisha. The iswar controls everything. When Krishna spoke to Arjuna as written in the BG he was directly under the control of the Brahman.
    – Wikash_
    Commented May 4, 2020 at 8:25

7 Answers 7

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Such Shlokas can be found in scriptures. For example, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 9.4 has such shlokas (not explicitly for Radha but for all devotees in general):

श्रीभगवानुवाच

अहं भक्तपराधीनो ह्यस्वतन्त्र इव द्विज

साधुभिर्ग्रस्तहृदयो भक्तैर्भक्तजनप्रियः ||०९०४०६३||

The Supreme Personality of Godhead (Lord Nārāyaṇa) said to the brāhmaṇa (Durvāsā Muni): 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.

मयि निर्बद्धहृदयाः साधवः समदर्शनाः

वशे कुर्वन्ति मां भक्त्या सत्स्त्रियः सत्पतिं यथा ||०९०४०६६||

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.

To understand such shlokas in more details, you can read commentaries on them. When you open these shloka link from here, commentaries can be found or you can read commentaries from some other sources.

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As given in other answers, devotees can control Lord Krishna. A very similar verse which user YDS quoted in answer is also mentioned in Vasudeva Mahatmyam, chapter - 18: The narration of the incarnations of Sri Vasudeva. Vasudeva Mahatmyam is a part of Skanda purana (volume 6).

In this, Lord Krishna tells sage Narada,

You are my intimate devotee with a sincere inner self. Hence, I feel that you are greater than your father Brahma. (60)

Oh, Sage! In whatever form I may be, My supremacy is always known to my intimate devotees. (61)

Good people think of me from within their hearts and, I too think of them, My devotees. They like nothing else other than Me. I have no liking for anything except them. Just as chaste women control their husbands by means of their qualities, so also My devotees control Me by their qualities. (62-63)

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In his Stotra-ratna (15), Yāmunācārya praises the Lord as follows:

vasi vadanyo gunavan njuh sucir mridur dayalur madhurah sthirah samah kriti kritajnas tvam asi sva-bhavatah samasta-kalyana-gunamritodadhih

You are naturally controlled by the love of Your devotees, generous, virtuous, straightforward, honest, pure, gentle, merciful, charming, steadfast, equal to all, blissful, wise, and saintly. You are a nectar ocean of all auspicious transcendental qualities.

As this holds true for a devotee in general, it must also hold true for Radha, as She is the topmost devotee of Krishna

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This is a recurring theme throughout the scriptures. Krishna says in the Uddhava Gita, Chapter 9 (Uddhava Gita is in the 11th book of the Bhagavata), Swami Madhavananda translator:

Neither Brahma, nor Shiva, nor Balarama, nor Lakshmi, nor My own form is so dear to Me as you. [addressing Uddhava, who Krishna says is the supreme devotee of the Lord]

With a view to purifying Myself by the dust of his feet, I always follow the sage who cares for nothing, is calm, bears enmity to none, and is even-minded.

O Uddhava, neither Yoga, nor knowledge, nor piety, nor study, nor austerity, nor renunciation captivates Me so much as a heightened devotion to Me.

And in the Gita (Swami Nikhilananda translator):

VI. 30. He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, to him I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.

VI. 31. He who having been established in oneness, worships Me dwelling in all beings--that yogi, in whatever way he leads his life, lives in Me.

VII. 17. ...For supremely dear am I to the man of wisdom, and he is dear to Me.

IX. 29. I am the same to all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear. But those who worship Me with devotion--they are in Me, and I too am in them.

The Lord cannot resist true Bhakti, true love which asks for nothing in return. He is drawn to true love as iron is drawn to a magnet. Thus, as it says in the Uddhava Gita, he follows a true sage in order to get the dust of his feet.

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  • so krisna can take off the blue pigment for uddhava only?
    – blue_ego
    Commented Jan 17, 2023 at 12:57
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Yes, Bhakti can control Krishna and bhakti alone can control Krishna.

SB 11.14.20: My dear Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to Me by My devotees brings Me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga, Sāṅkhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation.

SB 9.4.63: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brāhmaṇa: 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.

We don't get explicit mention of Radha, but we can see how Krishna is controlled by devotees of Vrindavan:

SB 10.11.7:(The gopīs would say, “If You dance, my dear Kṛṣṇa, then I shall give You half a sweetmeat.” By saying these words or by clapping their hands)all the gopīs encouraged Kṛṣṇa in different ways. At such times, although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding. In this way, Kṛṣṇa came completely under the control of the gopīs.

SB 10.11.9: To pure devotees throughout the world who could understand His activities, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, exhibited how much He can be subdued by His devotees, His servants. In this way He increased the pleasure of the Vrajavāsīs by His childhood activities.

SB 10/9/19: O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Kṛṣṇa in this pastime.

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Bhagawan Shiva is the controller of everyone and So is called Pashu Pati.

Sri Shiva Maha Purana 2.5:5:31.:

Sanatkumāra said:—

1. On hearing these words of the distressed Viṣṇu and Brahmā, Śiva laughingly spoke in the rumbling tone of the cloud.

Śiva said:—

2. “O dear Viṣṇu, O Brahmā, cast off your fear from all sides. Certainly something good will result from the activities of Śaṅkhacūḍa.

3. I know all the details of his activities factually as well as those of Sudāmā the cowherd devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

4. At my bidding Viṣṇu has assumed the form of Kṛṣṇa and is stationed in the cowshed in the beautiful Goloka presided over by me.

5. Considering himself independent under a delusion he indulged in many kinds of sportive dalliance like a deluded licentious person.

6. On seeing his excessive delusion as a result of my deceptive art I suppressed their virtuous intellect and made them suffer curse.

7. Having thus performed my sport, I suppressed the illusion. Regaining knowledge they got rid of delusion and became well-intentioned.

8. They came near me in a piteous plight. After bowing to me they eulogised me devoutly and humbly with palms joined in reverence.

9. Overwhelmed by shame they told me all the details. Dejected, they lamented before me saying the words “Save us, O save us.”

10. Then I, becoming delighted, told them these words, Kṛṣṇa, you forget your fear at my behest.

11. I am the protector, always infused with love. Good will befall you. All this has happened at my will. There is no doubt in it.

12. Go to your abode along with Rādhā and your comrade. He will become a Dānava here in Bhārata, certainly.

13-14. At the proper time I shall redeem you from the curse”. What I told thus Śrīkṛṣṇa and Rādhā accepted readily. Śrīkṛṣṇa the intelligent rejoiced and returned to his abode. There they engaged themselves in propitiating me and bidding their time.

15. Realising that everything is subject to my control and his will is not independent, Sudāmā became the lord of Dānavas as a result of the curse of Rādhā.

16. The virtuous demon Śaṅkhacūḍa distresses and harasses the gods always with his might. He is evil-minded to this extent.

17. He has been deluded by my deception and hence he seeks the help of evil ministers. But myself being the chastiser of the wicked you can get rid of his fear quickly”.

Mata Mahā Māyā as Yoga Māya also controlls him.

Srimad Devi Bhagwatam Mahā Puranam 5.:1.:

12-54. Vyāsa said :---"...She the Yoga Māyā who is indirectly, with the twinklings of Her eyes, creating, preserving and destroying this universe. It is the Yoga Māyā that caused Kṛṣṇa to be transferred from his lying-in chamber to the village Vraja and then protected him in the house of the cowherd Nanda; afterwards took him to Mathurā for the destruction of Kaṃsa, whence he was led again out of Jarāsandha’s fear to the city Dvārkā. It is She that created from Her Ownself the eight Nāikās (the leading mistresses) and also sixteen thousand and fifty women for the pleasure and enjoyment of Kṛṣṇa Bhagwān, the incarnation of Ananta (Viṣṇu Bhagavān); thus Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān was made completely subservient to them just like a perfect slave. When a young woman, though she is alone, can bind a man down by the network of Māyā, like strong iron chain, what wonder is there that the sixteen thousand and fifty women would make Kṛṣṇa play in their hands like a Śuka bird and make him an instrument to serve any purpose that they liked. Śrī Kṛṣṇa got himself so much under the control of Satyabhāmā that He went gladly under her commands to Indra’s heavens to get the Pārijāta flowers. There he had to fight with Indra and subsequently stole away the Pārijāta tree and gave it to Satyabhāmā as a very valuable ornament to be kept in her room. Behold! The same Kṛṣṇa, by His own prowess, defeated Śiśupāla and others for the preservation of religion and then stole away Rukmiṇī, the daughter of Bhīma and afterwards married her as his legal wife; where is the rule, then observed that it is a sin to take away another’s wife? Thus all embodied beings get themselves subdued by Ahamkāra and do acts, good or bad, confounded and deluded by the network of Moha that always drags one down below..."

I hope this clarifies all your queries. Prd..

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As mentioned in the Brahmasamhita, "Ananda chinmaya rasa pratibhavitabhih, tabhirya eva nij-roop taya kalabhi", (B.S.5.37), SriRadha is a personal (transcendental potency) form of Krishna Himself who has sixtyfour qualities of Krishna's infinite eternal qualities. Krishna is also known for His, "kartum, akartum, anyathakartum saamarthaya". He can do whatever He wants to do, He can do other ways, He can do what no one has done before. Radha is the transcendental personification of His personal potency which He manifests to do something out of the way.

So, this way if She controls Him means Krishna can only be controlled by Himself, as SriRadha

Nevertheless, in the Bhagvatam ninth canto (skand) in chapter four (durvasa-muni and king-amberish episode) He has also conclusively mentioned , "aham bhakt paradhino". He is never controlled, however, His innocent and pure devotee unknowingly controls Him in the eternal love.

Srimad Bhagvatam 9.4.63

श्रीभगवानुवाच अहं भक्तपराधीनो ह्यस्वतन्त्र इव द्विज । साधुभिर्ग्रस्तहृदयो भक्तैर्भक्तजनप्रिय: ॥ ६३ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥ

Synonyms śrī-bhagavān uvāca — Sri Bhagvan said; aham — I; bhakta-parādhīnaḥ — am dependent on the will of My devotee; hi — indeed; asvatantraḥ — am not independent; iva — exactly like that; dvija — O brāhmaṇa; sādhubhiḥ — by pure devotees, completely free from all material desires; grasta-hṛdayaḥ — My heart is controlled; bhaktaiḥ — because they are devotees; bhakta-jana-priyaḥ — I am dependent not only on My devotee but also on My devotee’s devotee (the devotee’s devotee is extremely dear to Me).

Sri Radha is top most transcendental devotee of Sri Krishna. So, as per Krishna She could control Him

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  • This is a Vaishnava pov. Also, you need to give references.
    – Wikash_
    Commented Jun 24, 2020 at 8:44
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    Please mention exact references for Sanskrit quotes i.e, name of scriptures with chapter and verse numbers
    – The Destroyer
    Commented Apr 7, 2021 at 15:34

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