Verse 2.4.226

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.4.226:

तत्-प्रसादेन भक्तानाम् अधीनो भगवान् भवेत् ।
इति स्वातन्त्र्य-हान्येव न तां दद्यान् महेश्वरः ॥ २२६ ॥

tat-prasādena bhaktānām adhīno bhagavān bhavet |
iti svātantrya-hānyeva na tāṃ dadyān maheśvaraḥ || 226 ||

tat-prasādena–by Bhakti-devī’s mercy; bhaktānām–to His devotees; adhīnaḥ–subordinate; bhagavān–the Lord; bhavet–can become; iti–thus; svātantrya–on His independence; hānyā–infringing; iva–as if; na–not; tām–that (pure devotion); dadyāt–is inclined to give; maheśvaraḥ–the Supreme Lord.

By the mercy of bhakti, Śrī Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord, becomes subordinate to His devotees. Coming under their control, He loses His independence. Therefore, He does not easily grant His pure loving service.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Nārada wants to explain why Bhagavān does not grant devotional service easily. In six verses, beginning here with tat, he first explains the opinion of others (4.226), and then he gives his own opinion (4.227–231). He says, “By the mercy of prema-bhakti, Bhagavān comes under the control of His devotees, and so He does not easily grant bhakti-yoga to anyone. By nature, the Supreme Lord Parameśvara is never ever under anyone’s control. How then would He agree to surrender His independence and come under the control of His devotees?” (This is the opinion of others.)