There was a thief named Govardhan. One day, royal officials were chasing him to catch him. To escape, he entered a spiritual discourse gathering. The officials reached the venue, but they thought that a thief would not attend a religious discourse, so they left.
In the gathering, the thief listened to the discussion for a few hours. The discourse was about Lord Krishna’s childhood. The saint mentioned, “Shri Krishna is a seven or eight-year-old child. He carries a golden stick and wears a golden crown while grazing cows every day.” The thief, being a thief, became alert at the mention of gold. He thought it would be easy to rob a young boy alone in the forest.
The Thief Decided To Rob Lord Krishna
After the discourse, the thief approached the saint and asked, “Where can I find the boy you were talking about?” He replied, “Son, he lives far away, in Vrindavan, Mathura. His father’s name is Nand baba.”
The thief insisted, “Not like that. Tell me the exact address! I have robbed many people, but this is just a child.” The saint responded, “Oh, he is the leader of even thieves. You won’t be able to rob him so easily.” The thief, full of pride, declared, “I swear, I will not drink water until I rob that boy.”
The saint thought to himself that this thief’s redemption was certain because Lord Krishna is so kind and generous that if anyone goes to him with the intent to even rob Him, He becomes easily pleased with them. The thief asked for Lord Krishna’s exact location and set out to find Him.
The saint called the thief back and said, “Listen, he is very fearless. If he is not scared by your strength, then take some butter and sugar with you. That might please him. He won’t be intimidated by your fearsome appearance and strength.” The thief took some butter and sugar and decided that he would rob Lord Krishna.
The Thief’s Journey and Challenges to Meet Krishna
The thief walked the entire journey on foot toward Lord Krishna’s location. He was very determined and did not drink any water throughout the journey. Eventually, he reached near Vrindavan. There, he saw some cowherds grazing their cows. He asked them about Lord Krishna. He said, “Where is that boy named Krishna, who carries a golden stick, wears a golden crown, and golden anklets while grazing cows?”
The cowherds replied, “That was just a story from an earlier age when the lord incarnated as a cowherd boy.” Hearing this, the thief said, “No, no, this is recent news. I heard about him just a few days ago, and that’s why I came here. Don’t mislead me. I will find Krishna myself.”
The poor thief, hungry and thirsty, had been walking for days. Everyone he asked told him that this was an ancient story. Hearing their words, he began to feel disheartened and started calling out Krishna’s name.
Sri Krishna Meets the Thief
Now, how can it be that someone calls out to Krishna in Vrindavan and He does not manifest? Suddenly, the scene before the thief changed. He saw many beautiful cows and cowherd boys appear before him. Among them was the same charming child, Krishna, the one he had been thinking of as he reached this place.
The Lord was adorned with all the ornaments that had been described in the story he had heard. As soon as the Lord noticed the thief approaching Him, He told all His companions to go elsewhere. When the thief came near, he said to the Lord, “Take off all your ornaments and give them to me.”
The Lord smiled and said, “These ornaments are mine. Why should I give them to you?” The thief proudly said, “When people hear my name, even the bravest tremble. Do you know who I am?” The Lord answered innocently, “I do not know you. What is your name?” The thief proudly replied, “My name is Govardhan.” The Lord smiled and said, “You are just called Govardhan, but I lifted the Govardhan mountain.”
Hearing this, the thief remembered the words of the saint, who had said that this boy was fearless.
Krishna’s Mercy and the Thief’s Transformation
The thief tried many times, but the Lord remained unaffected. Finally, he surrendered and said, “Listen, I have brought butter and sugar for you.” Hearing this, the Lord was pleased. He thought, despite being a wicked person, this man had so much faith in one of His devotee’s narration of His story and had come all the way here seeking Him. The Lord tasted the butter and smilingly said, “You must be hungry too, take this leftover butter and eat it.”
Afterwards, Krishna said, “Take these ornaments. My Mother has many ornaments, and she will give me new ones.” After eating the Lord’s leftovers, all the thief’s impurities were removed. The wickedness inside him vanished, and by the Lord’s mercy, he was transformed.
Tears began to flow from his eyes. He fell at Krishna’s feet and began to cry. The Lord then said, “Take these ornaments.” But he folded his hands and said, “Lord, how can I take these ornaments and leave You?” At that very moment, he passed away and became a constant companion of the Lord, serving Him eternally.
Conclusion
That thief had only heard a saint’s words that there was a boy named Krishna, and he set off to find Him. He vowed that he would not drink water until he found the Lord. On the other hand, we continue to spend our lives without true devotion, wasting our time and energy on worldly pleasures. When we truly desire to find the Lord, He will immediately appear before us.
We think we are knowledgeable, we are wise, and we know what we should not do. But, due to a lack of devotion, we fail to implement it in our lives. Start chanting the holy name of the lord (Radha-Radha, Ram-Ram, Hari or Krishna), and things will change. Decide today that you will walk on the spiritual path, refrain from sin, and never cause harm to anyone, and your life will be transformed.
Guidance By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
