Krsna not only steals butter, He steals our hearts by gradually removing our sins, attachments and offences and thus making it a suitable residence for Him to manifest His pastimes. Therefore, He is called Hari, thief. Because we are unwilling to give back to Him all that we have stolen, He steals it back. However, the day will come when this will no longer be necessary. The day will come when we will willingly give Him everything we have: our possessions, our talents and, most importantly, our full attention, 24 hours a day. Why will we do this? We will do it because we will have no choice, because Krsna’s association is unlimitedly more intoxicating than any drug and like all addicts, we will do anything, beg, borrow or steal, to get our fix.

In our heart of hearts we will beg Krsna to steal whatever we may keep there that has any value. For example, He stole the kumari gopis’ clothes, not caring for their external outrage, pitiful entreaties or discomfort in the cold winter Yamuna water. A few months later He enchanted all the young gopis and called them with His flute in the dead of night and then aroused their indignation by offering them moral instruction and advising them to go home. Of course, Krsna is not always intransigent; on rare occasions and with His very special devotees, He reveals His innermost heart: thus, in a voice deeply choked with emotion He told them, na paraye ’ham, “It is impossible for Me to repay My debt to you.”

So, what to do? This advice is offered by the Lord Himself as Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaching us by example how to be perfect devotees: aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam, O Krsna, You may embrace me or trample me underfoot, adarsanam marma-hatam karotu va, You may break my heart by never being visible to my eyes, yatha taha va vidadhatu lampato, You are after all, the unparalleled no-holds-barred supreme lover, mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah, still, no matter what, You will remain the worshipable Lord of my heart under all and any circumstance.

Often we ask ourselves, “How advanced am I really in Krsna consciousness?” One simple answer is, “Do I fully comprehend that Krsna’s name is non different from Him?” Because if I really realize that, then I will chant 24 hours a day. I will have the taste for chanting. I will be addicted to chanting. No question of, “Prabhu, I have to finish my rounds.” No, your rounds will never be finished. That is taste and it cannot and, far more importantly, should not be ever imitated. Imitation is very, very dangerous for one on the path of bhakti.

param vijayate sri krsna sankirtanam!

All glory, all glory to Srila Prabhupada!