Like a thief

Expressions researched:
"like a big thief" |"like a criminal, thief" |"like a dacoit, thief" |"like a determined thief" |"like a thief" |"like even a thief" |"like expert thief" |"like ordinary criminal, thief" |"like the thief" |"like thief"

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 6.50, Translation:

"You are just like a thief, for instead of coming near, you stay away at a distant place. Now that I have captured you, I shall punish you."

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 1:

In this way Vasudeva tried to pacify Kaṁsa by good instruction as well as by philosophical discrimination, but Kaṁsa was not to be pacified because his association was demoniac. Because of his demoniac association, he was a demon, although born in a very high royal family. A demon never cares for any good instruction. He is just like a determined thief: one can give him moral instruction, but it will not be effective. Similarly, those who are demoniac or atheistic by nature can hardly assimilate any good instruction, however authorized it may be. That is the difference between demigods and demons. Those who can accept good instruction and try to live their lives in that way are called demigods, and those who are unable to take such good instruction are called demons.

Krsna Book 74:

Śiśupāla continued: "Under these circumstances, how can He be fit to accept the first worship in the sacrifice? Kṛṣṇa is so foolish that He has left Mathurā, which is inhabited by highly elevated persons following the Vedic culture, and has taken shelter in the ocean, where there is not even talk of the Vedas. Instead of living openly, He has constructed a fort within the water and is living in a place where there is no discussion of Vedic knowledge. And whenever He comes out of the fort, He simply harasses the citizens like a dacoit, thief or rogue."

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

So this is the position of the materialistic person. A materialistic person knows that he is sinful. A materialistic person knows that whatever he is doing is wrong, but he cannot check. Just like the thief. A thief knows that if he commits stealing, he will be arrested, he will be punished. He knows. Because he heard from lawbooks, from other sources, and he has also seen that a thief is arrested and he is taken by the police for being punished. So we have got two kinds of experiences: by hearing and by seeing directly. In Bengali it is called, dekhā-śunā. In India it is called. The two kinds of experience: one by seeing, practically experiencing, hand to hand; another by hearing. So one who is intelligent, he gets his experience simply by hearing from the right source. That is nice.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛti. Kṛti means one who has got good brain. But duṣkṛtinaḥ, but the brain is applied for mischievous activities. For mischievous activities, it also requires good brain. And similarly, for pious activities, that also requires brain. But those who are applying their brain for mischievous activities, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ. So duṣkṛtinaḥ... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Why they do so? Because they are mūḍhāḥ, rascals. If one has got good brain, he should apply it for good work, but sometimes they are utilized... Just like a thief, he has got good brain. A rogue, he has got good brain, but he's applying for mischievous activities, for making people unhappy. That is not the right use. Jñāna-khala. They are called jñāna-khala. One who has got nice knowledge, it should be utilized for better purpose.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

So Arjuna, instead of remaining on the same level as friend and friend, voluntarily accepting to remain a fool before Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is accepting that "You are a fool. You're talking just like a learned man, but you are a fool because you are lamenting on a matter which no learned man laments." That means "A fool laments," that "You are a fool. Therefore you are a fool." It is in a round about way... Just like, what is called in logic? Parenthesis? Or something like that, called. Yes. That if I say that "You look like that person who stole my watch," that means "You look like a thief." Similarly, (chuckles) Kṛṣṇa, in a round about way, says that "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like learned man, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which no learned man laments."

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

The Supersoul or the soul, they are sitting on the same tree, the body. The Supersoul is simply witnessing the activities of the soul and giving sanction for all his mischievous activities. But the soul is suffering the sequence or the result of his activities. The Supersoul is simply witness. That is stated in the Bhagavad... Anumantā upadraṣṭā. Anumantā means without God's sanction, without Supersoul's sanction, you cannot do anything. But because he persists, the soul persists to do something, Supersoul says, "All right, you do at your own risk." Just like a thief is going to steal. The Supersoul is ordering, "Don't do it," because without God's sanction he cannot steal. But when the thief persists, then He says, "All right, you do at your risk." This is the position of the Supersoul and the soul.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you want to do something, first of all He says, "No." Just like a thief, he's praying to God: "My dear Lord, give me some opportunity. I can steal that thing." Kṛṣṇa first of all says, "No, no. Don't do it." But he insists. Then Kṛṣṇa says, "All right. Do it." But as soon as you do it, you become entangled. Why you are doing against the will of Kṛṣṇa? That is your entanglement. Kṛṣṇa says: "Don't do this." Why you are doing that? So Kṛṣṇa is giving you facility to steal others' property, but you become entangled. That is not Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. Your responsibility.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

We do not know for how many millions of years I'll have to travel in that cycle of birth and death. Therefore it is poison. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. I know this, I am hearing. Still,... Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa... Just like a thief. Jāniyā śuniyā, these words are very significant. Jāniyā means knowing, and śuniyā means hearing. So a habituated thief, he knows that "If I steal I shall be put into jail." And he has heard from scriptures that "Don't steal. Then you'll be put into hell." So he has heard from the scriptures and he has seen practically. He has experienced practically, but still, as soon as he's freed from the prison life, he again commits the same mistake. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

Just like a thief. He sees personally that a man who has committed theft is taken away by the police to the custody, to the prison. He is seeing that, and he has heard the law that "Any man who steals, he will be punished." He has heard it, and he has seen it. Still, he commits theft. Why? He is seeing, and he is hearing. In both ways he is understanding, but still, he is committing theft. That means his heart is not pure.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Guest (1) (young man): Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was inquiring about how the minad (?), or spiritual self, of an animal, or beast, how that enters into a human being.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How does the spirit soul of a beast enter into the form of a human being?

Prabhupāda: Just like a thief in the prison house. How he becomes liberated? When his term of suffering in the prison house is finished, then he is again free man. And again if he is criminal, he is put into jail.