Greatest thievery

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 26 September 2014, Durban, South Africa, House Program)
There are many thieves in the world but who is the greatest thief? In Vrindavan, everyone knows Krsna is a thief – even as a child, Krsna was a thief; he would steal butter. Even his own mother, Yasoda, caught him one day right there, red handed, with the golden pots of butter on the floor and he was feeding the monkeys! She said, ‘So, you little thief. Now I caught you!’  Krsna said, ‘Mother, mother! I just came in here. The monkeys have broken all the pots and I am trying to chase them away!’  But she did not buy it.

In this way, even as a child Krsna was a chora, a thief. You know, you start as a little thief, first stealing little things and then when you grow up, you steal big things. Yes, as a child, Krsna was stealing butter but then already, he was stealing more – he was stealing hearts! Even then, the butter would melt and the people would melt seeing Krsna stealing butter.  Even a thief would be stolen away by the greater thief, Krsna – he is a thief!

Therefore, Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur says, ‘Don’t look at Krsna because when you look at Krsna, he will steal everything you have! Everything! Don’t look at him! I have told you, I have warned you! He will steal your eyesight, he will make you blind and he will make you deaf & dumb.’ Because when you see Krsna, you do not want to see anything else anymore. When you hear about Krsna, where else do you find such taste? And when we speak about Krsna, we forget about time and gradually lose interest for all other things. That is the unique nature of Krsna.

Therefore, only a very fortunate person comes into contact with devotees of the Lord and develops the desire for Krsna.